have I been setting my dirt hole sets wrong for 55 years ? I have always set my # 3 coil spring coyote traps and # 1 1/2 -2 cs traps for fox with the levers setting horizontal in the bed. I have been watching some videos of late and every single trapper that I see in the videos at least have the levers in the hole ( trap bed ) setting vertical , at most 45 degree angle.
Have I been setting the trap in the bed all wrong these years ? Unbelievable if I have. Ha ha ha. Crazy. MD

I always set them at about 45 degrees with the dog nearest to the hole. I don't know why but that's just how I've done it since, like, forever.

I should have added more clarity that the dog is / was is straight back in line with my golf ball size bait / lure hole. You know I think I should have been setting the trap with levers at 45 degree or vertical all these years.
I started trapping in 1969 at age 10. No one in family were trappers.
No books , no you tube , no nothing. So self taught at a young age and always done it that way. Paid for my college in the fur boom of the late 1970’s. Just think if I set my trap at least on the angle I could have paid for medical school with the extra fur I would have caught. Ha ha ha ha ha ha. This is not a joke. I think I have been doing it wrong for 51 years and 2 fur booms. Ha ha ha. MD

Hey Marty, I guess I’ve been setting mine wrong for 45+ years here too.
Well, this is going to be a tough habit to break.
I bet if I changed the direction a little like you mentioned the compulsive side of me willl want to quickly change it right back.
Jim

I have seen levers set inline and every other angle.

My thought would be 45 and 90 would decrease the likelihood of a foot on a lever so that is how I set.

I always set MB550's at an angle. Usually everything else goes in with the dog (I use mostly dogless) toward the hole. I do the 550's like that because it allows a smaller hole and dirt pattern.

People have been "over thinking" all kinds of outdoor activities since the emergence of this media age. Think of how the jaws would close on a paw with the animal's orientation at the set (land or water if we can guess that well). Then say.... Does it really matter if he has to turn his foot a 1/4 turn to have the jaws grab ACROSS THE PAD rather than parallel to the pad? Does it really matter? Put something to guide, use a well designed trap with quality materials, and check the set regularly. Harvest fur and store a memory. ....................the mike

It doesnt matter how your orient the trap. If the trap is bedded solidly, it doesnt matter if they step on the jaws, levers , or dog as it wont move. Eventually they'll get caught if they are working the set.

Not sure about coyotes, but when I catch myself it’s never mattered which way the trap was facing, I still got caught!!!

I have been setting horizontal East / West in relation to a hole type set since the beginning of time. Hasn't seemed to hurt me any.. Bedding well is the most important thing. Particularly with the longer legged predators. Mink and coon I set differently so they step between the jaws.

If they are standing with the tip of their foot just deep enough to trip the trap with the rest of their foot on the dog in my mind it would lead to more toe catches. Probably why they developed dogless traps. Also when you set a beaver foothold, its common practice to have them step between the jaws vs over the jaws. I know their feet are different than coyotes, but why not try to get the coyotes to step between the jaws to insure as a high of a catch as you can get? I'd prefer B over A for a little higher grip on the foot. Remember that dog is going to push up the foot some before the trap jaws can close. ???

A)

B)

I have been setting my traps wrong also. I have the loose jaw towards the hole.

Seems the back of his foot would be lifted by the jaw some before its caught too. ??? Maybe leaving less foot in the trap?

... just food for thought...

In the end, it doesn't matter how you place your dog if you have good catch results. Everyone has different set construction that makes their method work for them. There is no right or wrong way to do it. It's what works for you.

It all depends on how i think the animal is going to work the set. I've always wanted the animal to go between the jaws rather than over them even in water sets.

I used to worry about where my dog was in relation to the hole and the approach I wanted the animal to take. But these days I worry more about if my trap is bedded solid then the angle of the dog and levers. Two reasons people don't catch...Improper pan tension and the trap is not bedded rock solid. In my humble opinion the position of the dog/levers comes in third.

Are you sure?

Unless you're running hair triggered traps it's impossible to set the trap off with the same foot standing on the dog or jaw. The do lf or jaw will. E taking all the weight of the foot. They'd js f to flex their foot downward to get extra pressure on the pan.

Will it looks these dirt hole sets can bet set different ways. I sure have seen a lot of photos of late with levers running up and down with the bait / lure hole at the top of the bedded trap. I can sleep better now. Ha ha.
I guess I made the right choice not trying for medical school. Ha ha ha. MD

There’s no “wrong” way.

As long as it’s 11.6728 inches back and 3.891267 inches to the left.




I set a dirt hole with the lever IN in the hole. And I always make sure to make the lever that’s IN the hole lower. That way if an animal reaches right in to grab/pull/dig in the hole, it won’t catch that lever and disrupt the trap.


And, I’ve caught a handful like this over the years that were caught because of the way the trap was oriented.

Some guys think this is a sign they were rolling. Maybe. But I’ve only ever done it at dirt holes, so I think this is a coyote that’s reaching down the hole than resting down on its elbow.

I've heard theories that sometimes they feel up to the set but on those types of catches I lean more towards rolling unless it's a hair triggered trap. Kinda hard to put a lot of pressure on the trap with a foreleg and elbow id they are just crawling.

I had trail camera video that spanned over 20 minutes of a coyote working a set in just that fashion.

She had clearly been getting her butt kicked over and over.

She’d start “working” the set 6-8 feet back, come inching forward flat on her belly and elbows, just like a dog that’s coming back to make friends with ya after you got after it.

She did this for 20 minutes, every time getting a little closer.

She easily could have ended up caught by the arm or elbow.



But I still think the majority of those goofy catches are a coyote reaching, not rolling.

If it was rolling, I’d see those catches at flat sets and I don’t ever recall having an elbow or arm at a flat set. Always hole sets. And I make a LOT more flat sets than I do hole sets and still don’t see it.

I too had a video of a coyote crawling up to a set. I was testing fresh coyote glands.

Usually not something for a k9 to roll on with a flat set... Dirt holes it's usually easier for said k9 to drag bait out of the hole or mice to do so.

I dint know how you make ur flat sets but if you use any lure or bait there is something for them to roll on

Unless you're sloppy with your bait and lure(dont open lure/bait bottles over your trap bed), the shouldnt be anything outside of wherever you put the bait/lure.

And if your hole is deep enough, it should be near impossible or completely impossible for a critter to get anything out to actually roll on.

Right answer
by Yes sir

Good trick to do around here without a gas auger. I finally broke down and got an SDS drill last year to make holes in our concrete like drought condiition clay here. NOrmally either make my holes small or try to use rocks or other things lodged into the hole to prevent bait stealing and keeping the interest up in yotes.
'

WIth lures or baits that cause rolling, which used to be looked like as a bad thing years ago, you either want to make sure it stays where they cant get it, catch em before they can get it, or set it at shoulder right for the target critter so they are rubbing on it instead of rolling on it. Or bed your traps really deep or step down type sets.