Catching Coyotes with a Weed-eater

I was first introduced to snaring/trapping coyotes in 1997 when I was in high school. My trapping mentor, whose nickname was Preacher, strictly taught me the basics of snaring my first year. Now that I look back I am extremely thankful for his reasoning, as it taught me to seek out coyotes' natural travel ways and I think ultimately helped me develop more as a foot trapper in finding locations.

The more I snared, the more I got to trying to think outside the box. One day, I brought along a weed-eater to try something out. I found a road that was heavily traveled by coyotes and simply took the weed-eater and cut out a trail in the grass about 20 or so feet long out to a tree, where I threw down an old deer leg from the scrap pile. I set a snare down the trail and had a big male coyote the next morning. Over the next several years I connected on many more like this.

Has anyone else ever heard or tried this trick while snaring coyotes?

Yes I’ve heard of creating trails to snare in. I’ve never personally used the weed eater trick, but do create an artificial trail and set a foothold in in. Sounds like it’s working for you. You should keep developing it and refine it for your line. Good luck

Thanks Yotegiter!

I've actually set as many as 3 snares in a weed-eater semicircle around bait off a road and have doubled before. I guess when one gets caught it just creates havoc if any are traveling with them...

I've used the weed eater and I even have used round up to create trails.

I’ve used a weedeater and snared those trails with good results before...

Same set in Delmer Kramer's book, trapping 101. I don't remember details but I think he mentioned making trails with brush cutter and or roundup. Tip was shown to him by another guy, but I don't remember his name either. Terrific book if you can find one, that much I do remember, really good.

I have been using that method for 40 years, it works great!

Scott

Tom Krause wrote about it in his book

Driven through the field trails, but not with a weed whip ...that's cool

50 for me ! Thinking my snare when I started was all 1s40 maybe 2s40 Thompsons

Yep, did it this summer in a meadowstrip to route the yotes to a mafia set, worked great.

Anyone else used this method?

I drive through CRP grass with my pickup about 20 yards and the go back and forth a few times making a trail. Set snares and go. Good idea with the weed eater.

Can’t snare here, but it will get a deer using it real quick.

I will say that I have noticed that deer tend to "check them out" quite often. I have also deterred them by hanging a 16 gauge wire across the front end of the trail to scare them. They touch that and are normally gone.

I've used a hoe for the same purpose.

Yep! Deer carcass, skinned critters anything to get attention. I’ll stomp 2 trails on both sides, for a total of 4 trails. 2 snares per trail. All predators circle and get closer as their confidence rises. Almost invariably catch on the outside/furthest trails first. As the trails get obliterated by catches you still got sets in closer waiting to connect. Narrow Brushy ditches/draws extending out into fields are quick and deadly.

I have an electric one now. Before it was the gas type. Too noisey.

The electric is a 20Volt lithium battery. And I can bring along another one for follow up.

Nope. My weed eater is used strictly for "manscaping" and nothing else.

To much work I just drive the main ranch roads then pull off in good cover drive through and make a Big U loop back to the road. They at the apex often start a bait pile they follow up both of the trails. Works even better with a foot of snow they will follow the trails and get hung up. I do the same thing with snow machine off the main trails for canines and cats. Weed eaters remind me off work and not the fun work like trapping.

Herb Seldinger (sp?) makes a snare setup with the support attached to sell at conventions in NY and Pa, he is from NJ/ In his demos he uses a small rechargable battery powered one. Looks go to me, the slight trail that he makes. Good man with a good idea.......jk

it works great, especially for here where we can only use cable restraints

I used to make weed eater trails all over north central IA and when I'd go back to set them Bernies snairs would be hanging on them. lol , just teasing. Though I have created some good trails on public ground and returned to have them set already.

I feel sorry for your mechanic...

Coyetero, you sound like me. I like running a weedeater when it's warm but I avoid it in cold weather.