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.