Been doing a lot of summertime coyote work the last month or so. This is my first full summer of going after them full time (right around 15000 acres or ground). Wanted to point out some observations that I’ve noticed and things I’ve learned so far.
Summer coyote work isn’t for the weak. To me, summer coyotes are a completely different animal than a winter dog. Movement patterns are more erratic than winter groups. May see tracks on one portion of the property and then that area will go cold for a week. Same across the entire property with it being very difficult to get a set pattern.
If you miss a coyote at a set, you may not get another chance for a week.
Landowners planted chufa plots in a somewhat hot area (1000 acres or so) and that area went completely cold. Possibly got too close to a den and caused the den to be moved. Once again, makes it difficult to decide where to put traps at a higher density with some little patternable movement.
Another thing I’ve noticed is that commercial baits aren’t working for me at all. Have them walk past DH and flat set over and over with commercial baits that I hammer them on in the winters. One thing that has been the ticket for me is fresh caught mice and rats. I’ve turned into a free of charge rat trapper for every chicken farmer I know in the area just to have some fresh bait on hand. Will definitely be on the ball for that this winter.
Fresh scat has been a killer as well when I can beat the fireants to it, but scent post sets go virtually ignored for the most part. Caught a few dogs on post sets but see many more walked past than attention to them.

Any tips from anyone doing summer coyote work would be appreciated, but I made this post to kinda show what I’m seeing on the ground and try to give some information since this site has been a wealth of knowledge for me.

The "coyote carnage" thread by Tejas a few posts down is a wealth of knowledge. I suggest you read it if you haven't already

URBANTRAPPER1,
Your observations, trials, and tribulations are a mirror image of my summer coyote trapping experiences. I despise trapping them in any month other than December, January, February.

Urbantrapper, you are figuring it out...keep at it. Around here droppings and urine rule for Summer coyotes.....don't forget domestic droppings if you are short of the REAL ones. With coon and possum roaming around, dirt holes using bait means a lot of remakes, so be sure include a charge for those in your pricing. I like subtle flat sets but won't hesitate to throw in a dirt hole....sometimes using nothing but a dab or gland lure as the attractor. One thing I do and you kind of hit on it ....is set up a CALL/CARCASS station nearby my sets. Skunk or rotted down carcass or fish poured on tree stump, branch or fence post works for me. And then make your sets downwind away from it. Bottom line.... it is a ton of work in the heat. Good luck.

Welcome to the clan. Summertime trapping is work for sure. Not nearly as fun, be necessary down here in Central Texas. Protecting deer fawns and sheep & goat producers is pressure filled work.

I use draw stations on nearly every place I trap in the summer. I wire up any fresh or frozen animal up in 5-6 feet in an oak tree. I set up likely spots around the station. It helps clean the whole area out and give the babies a fighting chance to survive long enough to be able to escape predation.

I rarely set any traps within 75 yards of the station. I keep prevailing wind in mind and set more traps downwind of the station. I’ll spread the traps out downwind for 1/2 mile before I start to forget about the station and just set on sign. I also place traps upwind because the smart ones will circle the station before coming in.

Once my station is placed, it needs to be replaced with a new animal every few weeks. Tip - When I hang the animal, I slice it down the middle like I’m gutting it. I let guts hang down. It speeds up the process. I want to coyotes to smell the good stuff. Pigs, deer, jackrabbits, sheep & goats all work for me. Only coons don’t work. Nothing like a coon.

Good write up UT1.Bait stations were mentioned. I can say when I started using bait holes my catch rate up. Almost all of my trapping is late spring to summer so I get what your saying.I have taken a break this month because of the heat and some of my areas are low on sign.

Summer coyotes are a different animal.

Heck. June, July, and August all represent some pretty big changes in what’s going on in a (parental) coyotes world.

June, they’re still anchored to denning areas. Trapping them in those core denning areas can be miserable.

July, a little more mobile, especially the parents. And really easy to gather everybody up and scoot over a mile if need be.

By August everyone’s capable of being quite mobile.

Summer transients can still be had relatively easy, but there usually isn’t many of them, and even un-attached coyotes often turn into “homebodies” in the heat of summer.

June can be miserable, if I screw around within 1/2 mile of a den and don’t get the adults (or at least momma) pretty quick, they’re gone.

Even now, if I locate a family group, I’m often better off predicting where they’ll bounce to, set that area up first, than move in on them and hopefully push them to equipment lying in wait.

Subtle subtle sets are the ticket for adults for me. Trail sets probably make up 50% of my sets and probably take 75% of my adult coyotes this time of year.

Natural baits were mentioned, and I like them. But you better be ON location as they typically only hold interest for a handful of days. I don’t like big baits, prairie dogs or gophers are favorites here, big baits in summer here are just maggot farms. Save that for January.

Lots and lots of looking and scouting for just a few traps.

There’s a saying when trapping summer coyotes, if you don’t see the coyote run off, you aren’t close enough.

It’d be easy if it was like the old days and they’d come out to a dog and a waiting rifle, but that seems to be a fools errand anymore. Super super low percentage game anymore.

Another good tactic I’ve taken to in the summer months that a friend turned me on to is using the most vile smelling lure you can.

When they aren’t hungry, and they aren’t territorial or social, and they just seem to be ignoring everything, a rolling/rubbing response may be just the ticket.

This^^^ You can take it to the bank!

Always intresting hearing you talk coyotes. Most guys just catch what they can and if the coyotes move on its not a problem. Not everyone has to track them down and finish the job. There's definitely a difference between trying to reduce the population and trying to completely rid sheep country of all the coyotes that are there at the time.

And I too have had my eyes opened to the attraction of something that they really want to roll on. Just need to know how to use it.

Maybe the horse hoof stuff would do...I don't think I ever smelled anything worse, lol

When you say vile are you referring to something skunky.Is there something out there in the commerical line you use.

I guess I don’t call skunk vile.


Rotten. Putrid. Gag a maggot.

I want the smell of 1200 pounds of bloated dead cow after two days at 100 degrees, without the 1200 pounds of bloated dead cow.

Musty type odors also seem to really illicit that rolling response.

A mostly dried down chunk of beef hide off a dead loss comes to mind. If you know what that smells like.

Take a five gallon bucket, fill it half full of meat in the spring (or fall and let it set through the winter also), put in just enough water to cover the meat, put a lid on it (make sure it is vented) and set it in the sun for the summer. That is the type of vile Boone is talking about. When you open it in the fall, or the next spring if you are using it in the summer, you won't have to remember to be careful not to get any on you!

I'm not much of a bait guy, but that stuff poured down a post hole will bring them. I don't trap in the summer, but mid September through March it'll bring them. But if you have bears in your area and they are out of hibernation, it will bring them from a mile away.

Just remember with these kinds of baits/lures, they are coming to roll in it, not eat it. Make your sets accordingly.

I found a dead cow last week that had been laying in the 100 degree sun on a rock, until it had exploded and it was literally flowing downhill in a two inch thick spreading pool. Now I'm betting you could have scooped up some of that "beef magma" that was flowing off and used it, gag a maggot was an excellent description of the odor. I could smell it from a couple hundred yards away.

Yeah, the black sludge oozing out of a dead cow is good stuff.



I save the puss when we lance a lump jaw cow too.

I see but Nah .I can't handle them aromas. I am just gonna have to go another route.I do appreciate the feedback.

Speaking of stink, if you haven't tried it already....rotten snapping turtles will kick out some HIGH STANK odors and they are fairly portable.

We use alot of the fish sludge and juice left over from rendering hundreds of buckets of Trout to make oil. Talk about residual odor and lasting effects. Where we dump on our place everything within a few miles comes by to visit that odor.

That stuff smells for months. Just drill an auger hole or use a post hole digger to get your size and depth desired. I fill up each station hole with fish juice/sludge. Place these around your trapping areas and let nature do the rest. Set up and down wind of the stations.

Lazarus use to have a good write up on his website about how to use the rolling response at ur set. Seems the last time I looked for it i couldn't find it. But I believe i copied it. I once skinned a rabbit and put the green hide in a jar with a little meat to feed the bacteria while the hair was breaking down then covered with water. Took a year or two to get where I wanted it. Keep in mind hair and hoof are basically the same material for those that dont have access to hoof trimmings.

Some dedicated stinksters posting here.

Im not that dedicated!