I think that digging when caught might be the coyote simply hitting the panic button over and over again until heat exhaustion sets in.

The level of desperation mirrors the extent of the excavation.

Realizing there is no getting out of the fix he is in, Wile E. lays down in the nice cool bed he just finished digging.

Tejas, is that coyote part badger? lol

I don’t think they’re related MC, but I’m pretty sure they hang out at the cantina together as long as the badger is buying!

No seriously, I have seen coyotes alone and in pairs shadowing badgers only a few yards away when the badger is working a hole.
We have great footage of a really young coyote in a field standing right next to a badger digging up some grub.
I find it very surprising that a coyote that young would possess the knowledge and behavior I would only expect to find in a much older coyote.


Because of that I have often wondered if badger gland lure would be of significant interest to coyotes as a stand-alone or with a food offering.

Maybe some of the coyote trappers in badger country could shed a little light on the subject.

One of the oldest coyotes I’ve caught was an old female caught on badger gland. The set was a sloping notch with a deer vertebrae driven in to the lower end below ground level. Very small application of badger gland in the spinal hole. I had a young female in a dirt hole about 10 yards away and the old girl by a hind foot in the set I described. I made that set after reading about recessing getters to get a good straight up pull.

I can't remember where I read it, but badger and weasel gland are very attractive to coyotes. I've never toyed with the two in my recipe's, but heard you want to use them sparingly due to the stoutness.

Weasel gland has always been a good ingredient for any fox or coyote lure. Problem is getting enough gland to build enough product in bulk. Now ferret glands are being used as a substitute for weasel glands.

I've heard how good weasel glands are in lures for various critters. That is one gland I have never harvested or messed with. I really should harvest them at least. I always catch some weasels in my marten sets, even if I don't target them. And when (its not an if, skin enough of them and you will) you cut one skinning them you'll know. They are stout. Mink gland is another stout gland that is attractive to different critters.

I've tried some of what I would call curiosity lures over the years.
I have had decent luck with mink & otter glands as well as sac oil on coyotes.
Caven’s Tree Climber which is a marten & fisher lure has proven itself over the years on the coyote line as well.

I've not used weasel or badger glands up to this point. I thought at one time Grawe’s had badger glands but I don’t see them listed on his website now.
He does carry weasel glands. If anyone has run across a lure maker that carries straight badger glands I would sure appreciate a heads up.

I don’t feel that the curiosity lures have the same holding power as a good gland lure, but I still think they have their place in the lure tote.
That is based solely on catches and nothing more. To be fair I've used gland lures much more simply because they produce a lot more coyotes in a shorter amount of time. I think the good curiosity lures could be a great addition to the coyote line arsenal if I could figure out the right paring or mixture.

I need to go back and revisit those kinds of attractants and experiment with different applications, looks, and especially combinations whether mixed or stand-alone.

Tejas, I used a jar of badger glands I got from Vern Howey out of Wyoming and had good results...nice change up on the properties I have trapped on
all these years. I use mink gland on most of my remakes and again have done well. I bet weasel or otter would produce on a subtle flat set. Change CAN BE good.

Here is one look I would try for coyotes using badger glands.
The location would be different but the set would be similar.

Big pack rats are a favorite happy meal of Mr. Badger around here.
This was over a pound of rat goodness that barely fit in the 3” auger hole.
Badgers hunt rats in certain areas just like the giant indigo snakes do.
This set would be made in those spots.


Show the coyote what he might expect to see and smell at a specific location.

Keep that in mind and you will catch more coyotes.

This photo illustrates two things that can make or break a coyote line.


The first is the use of a tarp on all new sets.

Taking the time for this simple step pays huge dividends.

Here are a few benefits I noticed when I started using a tarp years ago.

Higher overall catch rate.
More catches on fewer visits.
Fewer problem coyotes created.
Higher catch percentage of older & savvy coyotes.
First night catch rate increased dramatically.


(Notice how the tarp crowds the set area.)


The second factor is the set pattern.

Do not leave contrasting dirt patters between the set and surrounding area.

Ignoring this visual can kill your coyote production in a heartbeat.

Leaving a dark pattern like shown in this photo is a surefire way to increase avoidance tenfold.
The sheer number of educated coyotes this visual can spawn is only limited by how many see it and walk away.

Learn to blend and duff the set in to match the surrounding ground.

Here the set is ready to soak.

The rat is down the hole.
Fresh coyote poop is added.
A bit of good fox or coyote urine is on the backing.
Badger gland would be on the lure stick at the lip of the hole.


Notice how the set pattern now matches the surface dirt around it.


(The lure stick would usually be in the backing or further down the hole.)

You now have a set with four olfactory attractants that mimic the badger scenario Wile E. is familiar with.
Making it look like a badger hit the joint would be an easy fix. A fat rat in a hole is hard to pass up.

This angle also gives you a better view of how blending can help instead of detract from the look of a set.

I also tend to go with gland lures more than other lures. I've had better luck and lower refusal rates with them or simply pee and poop. But I like a variety in my arsenal and always make a variety of sets with different attractors or no attractor at all. While the highest percentage of my catches come with either canine pudding or gland lures (and I make the highest percentage of sets with those accordingly ) I believe I get a higher total catch by changing up and making some sets with other type lures or bait on occasion.