Trap digger!!!!

So... I put out the first three dirt hole sets of the year targeting cats and or coyotes to get my season officially started. All 3 sets are dirt hole sets. I’ll be the first to admit I don’t know everything there is to know about trapping but I’ve also had what I would think is very good success/catch rates last year so I was starting to think I had some things figured out. I’m trapping a new location this year 75 miles from where I trapped last year. Traps have been out for four or five nights. First night one trap had the pan partially exposed with the wax paper pan cover undisturbed. So I thought possibly a mouse had done it so I wasn’t too concerned and just sifted some more dirt over it. Second night another trap was mostly uncovered and not sprung. So I knew I had a digger and was guessing it was most likely a coyote. Reset the definitely dug trap and put a camera on the first trap that only had the pan slightly uncovered. Had a coyote visit the camera set the first night the camera was out and he inspected the set very briefly from about 3 feet from the trap, took two or three steps away and crapped then peeled out and continued on his way. The traps both went undisturbed that night and the following night and this morning both traps that had been disturbed previously at one time or another were tripped in place. They weren’t turned over or moved other than from being tripped. This is the first year I have used traps that have been dyed and waxed last year I trapped with traps that had been speed dipped and hanging in my shed for 8 plus years. I just took them out and set them and had very good success. Better than I’ve ever had actually. So at the end of my trapping last year I decided to really clean up my traps and “do it right” so I soaked them in gasoline to remove the remnants of the speed dip, then boiled them in clean water then dyed and waxed the traps and stored them in brand new plastic buckets with snap on lids. So I’m now having to suspect something in my process of waxing and or storage of the traps has contaminated them with a scent that is tipping this coyote off or I just have a previously dirt hole educated coyote on my hands. If my traps are contaminated what is the best solution and where do I go with this now wise coyote besides try to call him in and shoot him?

I guess my question is if there are any “quick fixes” for waxed traps that are suspected to be scent contaminated? Or is a cleaning and complete re-waxing most likely to be the best bet? I have not touched any traps or stakes with bare hands and I use a separate set of gloves for handling any lures, urine, or other attractants. This is so frustrating after putting in all the work to dye and wax and store my traps to have them tip top prepared and ready to go! Either way I now have a smart coyote that’s outdoing my best efforts.

There's a thread on page 2 titled "Another set avoidance question " were everyone shared their thoughts on this question. Maybe some information there that might help you. Good luck.

I think “contaminated traps” is just kind of a catch all excuse people like to use. In my opinion soft, fresh dug dirt and poorly bedded traps account for way more diggers than scent contamination. And for the coyote that looked at your set from three feet away, I would bet you used too much lure, and his nose told him everything he needed to know about it from a distance so he didn’t need to investigate further.

I barely dipped a twig in the lure bottle. Like less than a drop and put some goose feathers in the bottom of the hole. I definitely had the trap bedded. I spend a lot of time bedding traps. It might have wiggled but I don’t think I skimp at all on that. I use probably too little lure if anything would be my bet. I know for sure that I use far less than these guys on YouTube that tip the bottle up and dribble it on the backing.

In that case he just simply wasn’t interested in what you were offering. Coyotes just do that sometimes, especially if the weather is nice. He will be back around, maybe next trip through he will be more hungry. I never worry too much about getting the tricky ones. Plenty of dumb ones around, no time to waste trying to get the smart ones. Gotta have some breeding stock for next year anyways

I hear you. It didn’t bother me at all until he started digging and tripping them. I’m going to be trapping in a small area that has a high coyote population so I hate to have one smart a__ that can dig half or more of my traps in one night. I know everybody’s situation is different. I’m up for the challenge of getting this one out of the way so I might be able to get the many more in the area caught. I will be putting out more sets soon but I hate to have this one two steps behind me showing his buddies the ropes.

Try setting a trap upside down.

What’s the purpose of that?

Add a trap next to the original. Heck even two

Yeah that is a lot different than my situation. I have access to hundreds of thousands of acres with relatively low population density over most of it, so if I get one screwing with me and don’t have much other action in that area I pick up and move on. I’m trying to stack up pelts, not clear areas

I’ll give it a shot!

Btw, I’m not saying trying to clear the area and get all the smart coyotes is the wrong way to do things, it’s just not my personal objective.

I hope you get him. Be sure to post pics if you do

Idk if you were being serious or not, but (in a utopian world) I could see if he digs the trap and tries to trip it...maybe he could catch himself. ANYTHING is worth a try...once!

Try some flat sets or post sets that are well blended in. You could have some coyotes that have been exposed to too many dirt holes with bad experiences.

Thanks Bob I totally understand your formula. I happen to to be a hobby trapper and trapping on my home 80 just cuts back the population a little. We’ve got tons in the area. On a clear evening when they get to howling I’m guessing there’s times when there is 20 or more coyotes within earshot on a calm evening and there are cats around too. I’ll let you know if I get some caught and the digging stops. I just had such good luck last year then changed my whole trap preparation process and immediately started with a challenge. I suppose I’ll just keep running my waxed traps as they are and focus on getting crafty’er I know it’s this stuff that teaches us but man I wasn’t expecting it at the very beginning of the season

I am also considering that this may be the case. I just moved here and have no idea if anyone has been trapping this area. I almost wouldn’t think so cause there seems to be a pile of them around. But maybe that’s because we have a sloppy trapper that’s teaching them survival skills. Who knows.

Correct.

Maybe find the trail he comes in on and set a couple snares??

I caught a coyote about two weeks ago and have had that trap dug out ( exposed ) on a regular basis ever since. I recon it was because everything at that spot smelled like coyote accept the peat and waxed dirt that was used to replace what had been removed . I’m not sure how to remedy that with the freezing night time temperatures we have been having I can’t cover with much catch circle dirt.

The bright side is that I think I caught the digger on a flat set about 30’ away on Tuesday this week . Only time will tell !

I might have to try my hand at snaring.

I set out quite a few new sets yesterday. A few more dirt holes and several each pipe dream and urine post sets. Nothing bothered last night but the wind came up after dark 20-30 mph so I’m guessing they might have just layer up for the night. I think I’m ready for him when he does get out and make the rounds though.

I with you on this Bob. I have a remake site that caught its 6 th coyote in 16 days. The last catch. I literally just wiped the blood and pile of coyote hair of the trap and reset it

Connected at one of the pipe dream. Sets. Since the night of the diggings I had not had a trap bothered at all and these had been out 3 days. No way to know if this is the digger yet but it’s a catch!!

If you can leave that trap and bed with dirt and grass from the catch circle I think you will be golden .

I did just that. We’ll see what the next several days bring

Two more yotes and a cat caught this morning. Haven’t had any more digging so I guess my wax job wasn’t necessarily the problem.