Coyote concerns

[trappnman]

One thing that absolutely drives me wild is digging at the trap. I've reduced the number drastically over the years- but every time I get one- I growl a little...

WHY this occurs baffles me. I tend to think it isn't 1 thing- that is- traps are stinky or improperly bedded or stepped on loose jaw...

.....but different things at different sets.

What do you consider the #1 reason for digging at traps? For YOU- not over all...in other words, if you KNOW your traps are bedded correctly, then this is most likely not a high concern for you in dig outs.

When you have a dig out...why?

Or no reason..it just happens...?

[bobwendt]

dirt smells funny, hand smell, lure smell , or maybe just fresh turned dirt smell. Or maybe he just got face flipped by some newbies trap on the next farm over. You figure that coyote could easily be going 5-10 miles in a night and lot of sloppy steel out there we are not even aware of by newbies. I know I havew created a few diggers myself and I know the ropes, so a newbie is a disaster.

[Wackyquacker]

More of the same from me...First time diggers I would lable as sloppy trapping, smells and wobbles mostly. Repeat offenders are the "learned" few that got away with a near miss at some set. Could have been on the next farm over last night or from last year.

[blakcoyote]

For me I feel bedding is my main problem when it comes to diggers,some places I set have a dirt that is somewhat spongy,especially in the woods around pine.It seems the whole trap will bed sold but that loose jaw seems like it sits on a sponge.Rainy weather seems to make digging more common for me,I'm not saying I get alot of digging,but I used too.Why rain provokes more digging,I dont know,maybe at first the rain tends to make things softer,and if a coyote visits it at that time may cause some digging in the softer dirt.But after that first rain has a chance to dry off before a coyote visits,it actually stiffens the ground up,and my concerns about them being dug up diminish.I hope I'm making some sense as to what I'm trying to say.

[bobwendt]

I dont think it is bedding as some will start digging a little trench 3 feet back and dig in a line till they uncover the tiniest piece of chain or trap, whatever they come to first.

[Wright Brothers]

One and only one season I got lazy and used gas dip and had more digging than ever, probably didn't follow directions as some guys say it's fine.

Last year it was avoidance until the traps were froze in that ticked me off. Trying differant things learned from you guys this time and will improve.

[Traveler]

Even though there can be a hundred reason for this(some we probably haven't even thoght of yet) I do believe that the main culprit here is PUPS !!

There seems to be nothing a pup loves to do more than dig close to an attraction.Let's also face another fact.Your're not going to hide the smell of steel from a coyote.His nose is way to superior for that.

I've seen times when a pup would dig or scratch at the trap even though it was as odor free as possible and was beded rock solid.Pups will just do this and all the reasons don't seemed to be clear.

I've had my best luck on these guys by bedding a trap rock solid,blended good,and just a piece of bone or feather to catch his eye.......but no lure or urine.

I've also took my trowel and turned up a roll of sod and bedded the trap beside this fresh dirt smell.No lure or urine again. ;D

[bobwendt]

I think it is the old geezers as whenever I get one of them in some weird sucker set off the regular dug set it is a piano key toothed old one. I don`t remember a pup ever being a digger , that I can think of.

[Traveler]

I too have had older ones dig and scratch,and have taken them by doing something a little different.However,my highest percentage of the digger crowd has come from pups.

[oso lento]

young of the year is almost always the ones that dig at my traps ;D

[bobwendt]

oso, I just have to ask, what the heck is that picture of that person flailing around?

[mac]

Your concerns and reaction to digging are easy to relate to. I used to always feel that if a trap was dug up that it was my fault. Now, I am not so sure.

Folks talk about oderless traps, I doubt there is such a thing.

If one makes a well blended flat set with imported soil, then blends with top soil from the site, who knows what this smells like to a canine. Could they smell the disturbed soil, even though it was not visually seen, and cause a canine to be curious?

On thing I am fairly sure of is that often diggers are escape survivors from someones traps or have been to a school provided by an inexperienced trapper.

One of the most interesting things about trapping, especially canines, is that there are ton of questions unanswered. Sure there are a ton of theries, but still there are several questions that even an old pro can not answer for sure. His answers will be sound, and based on emperical evidence, but I bet the old pro scratches his head once in a while.

Got to say I love this site.

Mac

[Mark]

I don't think it's the smell or bedding (in my case), when I get a digger. I think I do the fundamentals of set construction well. In my opinion it is just that that canine either feels like digging in the "fresh" dirt or it's one that has some street smarts, or been around the block so-to-speak.

Mark

[coydog]

Yeah Oso , what Bob said.
Tweedle dee having a seizure? ;D

[trappincoyotes39]

First no matter what you do you will have "diggers" for many reasons, some I feel it is the reaction to the odor it smells, second the fresh dirt has that appeal in some coyotes to just dig, 3rd no matter what you do no set is odorless, depends on your odor, odor of traps etc, while this lends more to some set avoidance, it also will cause digging, just a natural reaction again to what the coyotes smells and the reaction it causes in it's brain.
Young of the year coyotes cross many things they haven't yet been exsposed to enough or at all, to get that trained response so again you will get some digging. It could be 1 thing or a number of things, the natural reaction is to find the source of the odor.
Watch coyotes around hay stacks, there might not be any mice there, but the coyote digs at the base to find the source of the odor. Does the coyote know it to be a mouse? or is it digging because the obstruction proves that is what needs to be done to find the source? or has the coyote been rewarded enough in these types of situations, to know digging needs to be done to get the food source? All of this based off an odor and visual stimulation. I think some of our sets replicate that in some coyotes minds.

[jsevering]

When I get dig outs its usally caused by using the same trap at remakes one time to many.

1) active rusting (oxidation)
a) dig outs and\or advoidance

2) tried wiping the trap clean to many times with sod and it actually needs to be replaced
a) dig outs or scratch exposure

when I get dug out right from the start but only in one area, I figure I'm dealing with a true digger and start mixing it up on the bugger right off the bat.......jim

[MickMcLaughlin]

I dont know what oso's picture is either,but it gives me the creeps for some reason.I had a lot of diggers last year and I was using polyfill under pans and I blamed that,but I think it was just coincidence.I went back to waxed paper and the problems were not as bad,but I educate a few myself and most of the time I don't know why.

[z]

Tweedle Dum on too much sugar.........Or Zaggar before the opening bell! .........

Zz!

[PAMINK]

I didn't go thru all these posts so i hope I'm not repeating what was already said.

I don't think near all digging is trapper related. I've seen digging at a set with properly bedded, fresh dyed and waxed traps. Just because a trap is dyed and waxed doesn't mean that it's odorless. Hell, even I can smell a properly treated trap.

What I'm trying to say is a properly done up trap still doesn't smell natural. Some coyotes and fox will dig you up - some not. Why that is I don't know.

Is there anyone here that never gets dug out?? Terry

[dj88ryr]

Yep, never got dug out even once, and I also took 1,500 coyotes in NY last year. ;D