Visuals for canines

[trappnman]

AS we develop our trapping skills, we often get on little hobbyhorses along the way.

Visuals are like that for me. I'm convinced that if there is a silver bullet in canine trapping- its visuals both good and back.

Without a shadow of a doubt- the coyotes in my area react strongly to "bad" visuals. That is- colors and textures that stand out. I know this isn't universal- that i nsome areas coyotes seem to pay no attention to odd looking colors and color combinations at the set- the use of coal shale in many locales shows that.

But here- if I can see the color changes and patterns- so do the coyotes. So thats a lesson long learned.

But how about good visuals? Visuals that add to the set. How important are they to you?

Wiley got me thinking more visuals- and the more I add and bring in visuals- the moe impressed I am with the added results.

Bones, rocks, wood are perhaps the most common added visuals. Many of us use those visuals righht at the set- often luring up and/or using them for backings.

but how many use separate visuals away from the set?

Over the last 4-5 years, I've been doing more and more of this. My preferred method is to pound in a cow ribbone a short distance fro mthe set- say 15-20 feet. I often make 2 sets and have the bone in the middle.

On my flat fields where I do most of my coyote trapping-a set has little visual draw- but positioned right (I turn the flat part of the bone toward the travel routes) I feel that they have the potential to draw canines quite a ways.

Digging a hole and piling the dirt up next to it also works.

I'm getting to the point now that if I DON'T use an added visual...the set is incomplete.

comments?

[trappincoyotes39]

Visuals work excellent for me, everything from a t-bone at a flat sets with lure on them, to using cow skulls on a knoll or high point 10-15 yards from my sets, Spring-Fall they stick out well, and what coyote wouldn't come by or be afraid of something as natural as a cow skull?
My own grub stakes work well too, different colors for different times of year, there small and low to the ground, I haven't seen where they"spooked" off coyotes, even thought there not natural.
Some visuals are there to be used windmills, old machinery, carcass dump stations, you can tell coyote activity by looking at how they scatter the bones in these areas.
Rocks placed along a travel route, there an excellent visual and again natural.

[Zagman]

Visuals to me have mostly been right at the set, as far as something I transplanted.

Obviously, I take advantage of "natural" visuals and guess I consider them more of the general location than visuals per se (old machinery, rock piles, abandoned hay bales, cow dumps, etc)

On a standard dirt set, where you make a set and there is digging, it never made any sense to me that a coyote would avoid this disturbed ground that naturally occurs right there and would be the natural result of something digging there....

Now, if in that same pattern, you bring in pine duff and there aint a pine tree for miles, or peat moss, or black coal shale or something that is "different", then that makes sense to me....

I am not saying that you do not get avoidance from coyotes with unblended sets, as apparently, it is an accepted problem.

I blend sets like grass tufts, or the rare flat set that I make....

But on dirtholes, I top coat the pattern with dirt naturally occuring at the set (since I import dry dirt/waxed dirt at every set), and this seems natural and something that "should not" be avoided..... but I know they sometimes are....

To the point, I need to utilize the rib-bone in the field more often, though I rarely am in the middle of a field but more right on the field edge, bank, furrow, etc.

Generally, my bank sets or big holes have all the visual attraction they can handle.....

Zagman

[trappnman]

I used to rely more on big natual visuals- but very seldom do any more.

Actually- don't really have al ot of them anymorei n my areas- Rock piles are long gone, clean farming makes machinery, etc a thing of the past, etc.

But I DO look for natutal "natural" visuals. That is- if standing in a new area- I let my eye dictate the set- whatever naturally catches my eye- even better if it is part of "flowing terrian".

[walkercoonhunter(Aaron L.)]

i use visuals for some of my sets when i think im not right on location..here is a few pics of the animals caught with the white cow bones..

here is a red

and another silver fox..lol

notice the bone laying on the ground but it is all muddy now but they do work..
but i must say im not totally hung on the visual thing when i know im on location..

[k9]

I personally like visuals for canines, bone, fur, or rocks and chunks of wood. Sometimes if using a trail or mafia type set, I will put a carcass about 20 to 30 feet away from the trail, where it can be seen from the trail. I like using dark things, or very light colored things such as bleached bone.

[Maineman]

I'm 50-50 on visuals...OK, what the he!! does that mean...With the exception of a true "Blind" set, just about all K9 sets have some type of visual attractor…How much we emphasize them (Big hole vs. little hole…Big rock vs. little rock) is a matter of personal preference…<br>

• dirt hole has the hole
  
• Hay set has the hay
  
• Urine post has the post
  
• (Some) flat sets use a chunk of wood, stump, or a rock
  

I have different thoughts on adding attractors in addition to the set itself. My favorite is adding a rock as backing to dirt hole sets…In addition to acting as a backing to the set; I feel the sole rock on the corner of a flat field acts initially as an attractor, then as backing…Another example of adding a visual that I have had success with is a black trash bag…As stupid as this one sounds, I have had more success with a plain black trash bag gathered up into a ball and attached on a nearby corn-stalk…I’ve used and had success with the big cow bones, small logs, clumps of sod, and charred wood but….And here’s the other 50%...With the exception of calling, I truly believe that the ability to pull a k9 (any significant distance) off of their normal travel route is extremely limited. Thus making utilizing (either) visuals or call lures equally limited.

This would take us back to “trapping 101” and reemphasize the importance of setting directly-on, or as “close to” location as possible for maximum catch…I do believe that using visuals correctly can add to one's catch but I do not think that it is the silver bullet or can compensate for setting traps in poor locations...

Dave Z

[Steve Gappa]

With the exception of calling, I truly believe that the ability to pull a k9 (any significant distance) off of their normal travel route is extremely limited. Thus making utilizing (either) visuals or call lures equally limited.

I guess it comes down to significant distances, but I tend to believe the opposite...well, to a degree.

I think that an aded visual does have the poweer to pull in coyotes quite a distance. I have a couple locations where I set trapsi nthe smack center of a bare hayfield- but doing so gets the traps far enough out that passing cars (along major highway) do not see coyotes there. Even I have to stop and put binocs on to check set.

Anyway- by placing bones at location, I surprizingly do quite well on cooytes and even fox.

These locations aren't the travel routes- and the only explanation would be pure roaming (which I believe happens lots- but even so, roaming would, I'm guessing, put the coyote in a recpetive mood to check out new visuals) or they come out simply to inspect the visual .

(Logan haters don't read) Studies at Logan show that new visuals are an immediate attraction to coyotes. They almost immediately after sighting one go over to it. Now- they don't work the visual as well on first contact until they get familarity with it- but they come to the area. Thus my belief in visuals away from blended sets.

I have no doubt your black bag works very well-

[Maineman]

Steve, I've always said...Use what works for ya...I've stated that I use visuals myself and believe in them...I simply thing they are limited...

My question would be if you know that this hay field is not a travelway, why would you set it rather than setting the actual travelway? Is it a question of not having permission (on the travel-way) and attempting to draw coyote's over? If that were the case, a bait station (deer carcus) may produce equally if not better than the visual...Agree? Even dragging a carcus will pull traveling k9's off a property (again with limited success)...

Not a debate...Just a conversation...

Dave Z

[Iowa Badger]

Good points Maineman.

What works for you...I have not done very good with bones or other obvious visualls. Location and scent work for me.

[walkercoonhunter(Aaron L.)]

maine man and iowa i believe that if your on location you have no need for any more visual attractors other than mabey a dirt pattern or a big dirt hole..remember guys location is everything...BUT as gappa has said he does this to get them away from a highway and possible thefts..and i do believe you can draw a k9 to a certain distance from the travel route because i think they dont really have a travel route but a travel area..it may be a 1 square mile or it could be 10-15 square miles but i do believe you can draw them into a big visual from a long distance..if you need proof just go get your farmer to go out into the middle of a hay field and set a round bale in there and set yourself a few traps round it...i bet your catch would be greater than without the hay bale there....

[trappnman]

Dave- the travelway runs paralell to THE major highway in my area- and when gopher trapping on it during the summer- I see a fair bit of coyote sign.

But it would be insane to set up the logical spot because of its high visibility. Any coyote would be in a bare waterway 50 feet from highway.

I passed this place up for years.....not being able to
figure out HOW to set it up.

About 4 years ago- when I started using added visuals- I thought- why not put 2 sets way out there- when a coyote even if noticed would be a speck- and see what happens.

what happened is I started catching fox and coyote. At first0- it was serindipity- wow- I caught one there! but after a while---it was no longer a surprize-

could this location too be a travelway? Perhaps- but gopher mounds lead to showing lots of sign- and spring, summer- never saw any sign where i am setting.

Do I prefer setting on location? Of Course. and to be accurate- I use added visuals not to draw a long ways- but as a attention diverotr when the cooyte works the area-..Want to be spooky? - be spooky of that big old bone or black bag over there....so with 1 eye on the visual, I think a coyote works a set with less than his full attention. Like a dog eating but watching another dog, you.

I simply told the story to point out that from all I can decipher at the location- at least in 1 spot on my line- added visuals SEEM to pull coyotes quite aways- 300--350 yards off of the waterway. No facts here, just an opinion on a conclusion....trappnman.

[blakcoyote]

I try to find natural visuals such as missed hay cutting or clumps of cut hay,or at the set rock or wood,mound of dirt.Here in wisconsin,we cant use hair,feathers,hide or bone ,that is site exposed unless its atleast 25ft from the trap,or at the trap unless it cant be seen from above.I thought about using stuff like rib cages as a visual and would have to stake it down,in case it got drug closer to a trap.So I dont use that type of visual,too much to worry about,but I still might try it,staking down bone before season.I do wish we could use bone,site exposed at the set.Maybe someday.

[Maineman]

walkercoonhunter said:

i believe that if your on location you have no need for any more visual attractors other than mabey a dirt pattern or a big dirt hole..remember guys location is everything...

AMEN Walkercoonhunter...

Steve...10-4 on the highway...It sounds like your plan worked perfectly...Gotta love that...

I think we're in agreement that visuals are a tool that works but not one that will out-produce selecting good locations...

Good posting guys...

[17kiss]

I am going to eperiment with the infamous black blocks a little this next season . have played with bones ;D nad they have their place , but soem places have bones littered everywhere , like chicken and turkey farms , so a different one is in oreder. Visuals , yes!

[kevinupp]

On my line this year I used both visuals and just lure. The sets with visuals seemed to get more interest.

Now I'm not trying to pull yotes over a hundred yards acrossed a field, but rather a few feet along a logging road.

I had one set this year that was along a logging road that was right near the top of a south facing hillside.

I put the trap in the ground right next to a small stand of saplings. I had a little red brick with me and put a dab of catchacoyote on it and put it in the middle of the saplings.

Very visable from all angles. The coyote I caught at that set, from looking at the tracks, came up over the ridge, saw that brick and went to it. In my opinion the brick drew that yote in as the thermals and normal wind patterns would've been at his back as he came up over the ridge. I could see where he came up over the ridge and turned right towards the brick. The only way into the brick was to step on the pan. He did a lttle prancing round trying to get into the saplings from the upwind side. It was only when he got right in front of the trap and where the wind would've put the scent to his nose, that he committed to the trap. He was standing back about 5 feet from the trap most of the time.

IMO I think the brick got him interested. The lure made him commit. I honestly think that without the lure there, he would've got "bored" with it and trotted off. I could be very wrong, but it just seemed from reading the tracks, that once he got wind of the lure, the brick became a secondary thought, and the nose took over his actions.

[walkercoonhunter(Aaron L.)]

kevin i believe most guys on here will use a lure with the visual attractor...for me i dont think that the visual attractor of a brick,block,bone will catch much when standing alone with no lure...but i do believe that if your laws allow you to use fur,feathers,wool or something like that that you might not have to use a lure if these was placed in your dirt hole...but i would always use a lure with the visual just for the ones that are not as curious and keep them working the set....

[redfoxtrapper2000]

I really use a lot of visuals but approach it a bit differently. To me some coyotes a lot of the time the dominate male will be very aggressive and work a set with a lot of eye appeal . However I like to have at least one set each way at each location . One set gets a obvious dirthole with an open pattern and usually a handful of feathers on or close to the backing. The other set about ten yards away is more subtile milder lure no feathers and a blended pattern. I catch as many coyotes one way as I do the other I firmly beleive that we do not take into account the different behavior of individual animals and try to group all coyotes the same too much when trapping.

[trappincoyotes39]

Out my way bone piles are a dime a dozen, they seek these areas out, even if just to throw a few bones around here or there, and check out scent markings, that many bone piles create for coyotes, but move that lone bone on a side hill away from the pile next to sage, or an ant hill and it takes on a whole new interest. Could be a lone rock the size of a football, those coyotes on a travel way will use these to mark location and they become a good place to set a trap.
Natural visuals to your area I have not found much to add caution or suspiction to a coyote outside that fact the first few days they know it's new to that location, after that it's all a plus, that I have found.