Mainly coyote sets but happens with anything using foot holds. Have high deer population and not attracting with scents. Do you have any tricks?

You're not using urine or anything? Only thing I found is that when I use urine, I have more deer-tripped traps.

Some sets yes but even ones without they cant held but to come over and molest.

BC What types of sets are you using?Maybe try a post hole set or a trench style set That may help out.

Try to make the sets somewhere the Deer are unlikely to tread, like between 2 trees against a large rock etc. Will also help control the direction the target is using.
Forget the rack and shoot more Does!

stop setting on deer trails seriously

… a jump stick could help in certain situations

Should have post this is tillable ground. I try to set off deer trails but deer are nosey and step off trails to investigate.

Will look into post hole? I use dirt hole, step down, walk through ,blind.

If they’re stepping off their trail to mess up you’re blended set, you’re leaving something around that’s peaking their curiosity.
Crappy urine is good deer attractor. There’s a lot of lure that contains some Tonkin musk. You know what’s attracted to that stuff? Everything….lol
I avoid deer trails and set blind spots nearby.
This puppy was following the deer everywhere. For some reason, he avoided the approach between the field & road that the deer used and went between 2 little pines in stead about 20 yds away. That’s where I set. Wammo a month later.

set more traps. deer are like cattle. bout everything makes em want to have a sniff. straight bait no additives helps. no lure.

It’s been a bad year for that for me too. Haven’t had this much deer interference since 2008.

Stop using urine.

At least right at the set.

Lots of lure/bait ingredients have stuff in them highly attractive to deer. Most of the animal musks, castor, tonquin, etc are all highly attractive to deer.

Try natural baits and no urine.

It won’t eliminate deer interference, but it will help.

I trap a high deer density area as well, deer are naturally curious. The good news is “generally” once they trip a set, they don’t trip it again. I can average 25% of my sets will be tripped on the first check, lol.
Don’t use fox or coyote urine, it’s like an attractant. They don’t mess with bobcat urine too bad.
Yes, they like lures as well, especially if you use too much. Be very subtle with your lure.
Again, they’re just naturally curious creatures.

I've yet to find anything that is attractive to canines that isn't also attractive to deer. Some lures more so than others, but anything that will attract canines will attract deer to a degree. Posthole sets with the trap set in the hole will deter a lot of deer, But setting where deer aren't and canines are is the best solution, although not always feasible. There are places that are great canine sites that I won't set until the snow pushes the deer and elk down for the winter because otherwise I am just dealing with resetting every check and don't figure I will be likely to have a trap working when they come through. Blind sets obviously shouldn't attract them, if you can find where the canines are traveling and deer aren't, even if it is only two feet off from where the deer are walking.

Hang a deer stand above the set. That seems to keep the deer away for me.

Im with Boone. I have never had so much trouble with deer pawing out traps as I did this year. I used practically no urine, and it didn;t matter where I set traps. They found them.

Whenever I've tested around deer they investigated everything. Even straight aged coyote glands, though you could see the fear for the first second or two but once it realized it wasn't actually a coyote in it came

Yup, as BL said, “stop using urine”. I’m in a high deer density local as well and I never had to edit a deer out of my lure & bait testing! Never during those years under the cameras!

Here is a true story about when I was trapping fox in the early-70’s AND I bow hunted deer pretty hard. I quickly learned how fox urine attracted deer by wearing the same trapping clothes while hunting. Frigin deer would follow me to the stand about every other time I went in!! Of course, in those days I was using fox urine from the Montana Fur Farms. While in the deer stand I got a bright idea to sell fox uring to all the deer hunters I worked with in Dow! I ordered 2 gals of fox urine from MFF and found a healthy supply of 4oz brown bottles. I took the 2 gals into the plant and filled those bottles and spread the word about the attraction of fox urine to deer. It was a gold mine!!!!! As people began using it with great results the word success and the word spread all over the plant with people came from all over beating down my fab shanty door shoving $$$ at me for the fox (This word is unacceptable on Trapperman)! You may ask, why did I quit selling the fox urine? Fear, pure unadulterated fear of getting fired for selling fox (This word is unacceptable on Trapperman) on Dow time when I was suppose to be welding AND borrowing Dow’s little brown bottles! LOL

Great story Seldom, I use to spray red fox bladder urine on the bottoms of my boots whenever I bowhunted. I check sets in the early morning on my way to the stand. Haven't done it in years now.

People better believe it by golly because it’s true, so if you spray canine urine on your canine set, you’re asking for a deer hoof in the trap!

The approach I took was to modify my trap placement. I have always had to deal with a high population of whitetail’s that would snap my sets no matter what attractant I used so I looked for ways to naturally discourage where deer would step. Started using step down sets that mimicked a canine digging out a bait hole and began placing the trap on the downward angle slope in the trench leading to the bait hole - notably cut down the amount of deer snaps. I make the trench as narrow as possible to fit the trap (MB-450 or MB-550 is my choice) and I move the majority of the dug out dirt away from the set - that fresh dirt is as much of an attractant to deer as any lure. I auger a 2” diameter hole 15” or more in the bottom of the trench for the bait and will still use urine at the top of the trench just above the hole. Deer still come to the set but rarely step in the trench with the urine up at ground level.

I am going to try narrower and 3" deep step down.

How are you making post hole sets. Looked on line and several totally different methods.

Step down sets will cut down the amount of deer in your trap.

In my experience it also cuts down the amount of coyotes in the trap too.

What I found to work best for me is a trench 15-18” long angled down to around 10-12” at the deep end - too shallow and they will paw into the bait hole from ground level off to the side of the trench. Keep it narrow as deer don’t seem to like stepping into a trench that is only narrow enough to naturally place one of their feet.

Throw in a blank dirthole, no bait, no urine, just fresh dirt. You can add some non-smelly object that will still be interesting to coyotes but not to deer. A piece of sun bleached bone, or a few feathers down in the hole. I’ve had good luck with this to avoid deer and also rabbits at coyote sets if you are setting near a trail.
You can also make a dirthole set with no trap but load that hole up with something very smelly like rotted fish. Then put a post set nearby but don’t use urine or gland lure at the post set just a plain post sticking up and bed and blend the trap there. After they roll on that smelly set they will want to pee on something so give them an obvious post to pee on nearby. I’ve had good luck with that to avoid deer and rabbits too. Also about the most coon and possum proof set I make in my area too. When you get a coyote in the blank post it will smell like the rotted fish from the dirthole nearby with no trap. It works. Play on the canine behavior to your favor.
Both of those are straight out of Charlie Dobbins land trapping book and I’ve used them on my line when I needed to avoid deer and other non-targets. Just get more canine specific.
Even a blind set in the trail with a duck under stick over the bedded trap works OK too. No bait, no lure, and no urine.
Jim

I kinda just accept that it is going to happen and move on. Usually after 1 or 2 snaps they satisfied their curiosity and I don't have any more issues.

Blended aged flat set. About 20’ away dig a big flashy dirt hole with no trap. May help some.

Boone said it well, as usual.

LIGHTLY tainted horse or burro meat is killer and has almost zero ungulate attraction. Make sets with LIGHTLY tainted horse/burro, and then go some distance away (30-40 yards) and put your perfumey lure in the top of a bush. The hoofed critters will congregate over there and not where your set is.

Anybody here ever held a deer in a trap? I've had them snap a trap many times but I've never held one. But I don't use big traps either.

Yes I have

Deer and Rabbits!

If you find out, let me know! I probably have 50 or 60 stepped in by Deer every year

Canebrake, I held one. #3 B&L longspring. Had a (This word is unacceptable on Trapperman) of a time turning it loose too.
Haven’t held one yet in a coil. I don’t run anything larger than a #2 coil now.
Jim

I've held them in wolf traps, depends on the brand of trap. front foot catch and no horns, I don't even bother with a pole, pretty easy to turn loose. Now if they have horns or were hind footed, I'd use a release pole. Unlike some animals (moose) they won't come after you when they are released.