Any advice for a beginner coyote trapper would be greatly appreciated thks. I've been trapping for several years but never targeted coyotes gonna give it a try this year.

Lot's of great info in the archives.

Like most other fur bearers look for travel ways and pinch points crop transition, fences and corners look for scat and tracks. Set as close to and on sign as possible. Master the dirt hole, flat , and scent post. As far as bait and lure less can be more many on this forum will tell you about lures being dug up months after the lure was placed . Keep it clean get in set as quickly as possible and get out check from as far away as possible. Bed your trap solid. Be patient don’t fuss with and second guess your sets.
As said above a ton of good knowledge and experience in the archives. Coyote wars for example. Good luck and welcome to the forum.

Thanks for the info guys! I'll be checking it out!

Check the archives, ask questions and if at all possible find someone who will take you along and show you how they do it.

Has been working for me

Save yourself some years off the learning curve and get Mark junes book or dvds

This is good advice. Find someone local that know what they are doing and ride with them.

Lol every one thats caught a coyote thinks they know what they are doing. The beginners are sometimes the worst. You should watch some of the beginners on YouTube. 3/4 of what they say is stuff they have read or seen on the internet and have no experience with. Watched one video were the title was "The best scent post set ". The idiot even stated he'd only caught one coyote in it but knew it was the best. I wonder if the internet makes it worst because every Joe blow can share their wisdom and most people believe it as gospel.

Master one simple flat set, one good dirt hole. Buy some of Cletis's Apple Road bait and REAL urine and set a bunch of traps. Bed solid, check from as far away as you can unless u can drive right past it on a road and if someone can walk up to your set and tell where your trap is by looking at the set your not blending good enough or your dirt pattern is too small. Any more scents or sets than that you will be blame your problems on them instead of learning from your mistakes. One other thing use the prevailing wind to guide your coyotes into the sets.

Good suggestions.

Mark June videos and his book are a great start. Ed Schneider videos and books are great too. And the archives on Tman are very helpful.

Those guys were my book/video teachers.

Nothing however is a substitute for actual time on the line.

Still a greenhorn myself but I think my mentor and time in the field has helped me the most. I read any and all books I can. My mentor has sent me dozens of movies. But at the end of it you still gotta do the work. And when the coyotes whoop me I can go back on my notes from my books/movies and I can call my mentor or jump on Tman and see what these seasoned guys have experienced.

Several things come to mind. Set on location, can't catch them if not there. Bed traps rock solid. Traps can't move when your done. Don't over lure. When I started, I used way to much and just overpowered them. Tracks would pass right by my sets without breaking stride. Most of the time, I'm only using bait at my sets. If on location, you don't need much else. Maybe just a few drops of urine. Most of all, don't over think things and have fun.

Some great advice has already been given. I just looked, and Missouri Trappers Association has a Facebook page. I’m sure if you post there asking to ride along with someone near your area, you will find several trappers willing to help shorten your learning curve.

Matt

2x on all Mark June's DVDs and book. Unparalleled hands down!

Like i said. Find someone with real experience. So one that does it for a living. Ride with them. To ME its a waste of money buy videos and going to schools IF you can find someone that does it on a daily basis. IF you are ever in South Alabama or West Texas. I would gladly let you ride with me. I usually catch 350 - 450 coyotes a year. Helping out new people is what we should all be focused on anyway.

Wish I lived closer I'd definitely take you up on that offer!!! The bad thing about it is where I'm from it's all hush hush nobody will talk about how they catch them and nobody will take you with them. Everything I've learned trapping is from doing it myself.

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