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.