Post Sets

[trappnman]

Of all the types of coyote sets out there- I use very, very few scent post sets. The main reason why is simple- I really have never had much luck in importing something to use as a post.

Matt Jones says that any time you use urine and gland lure- you are in effect making a post set- whether its at a dirt hole, etc.

While I don't agree with that 100%- I do see truth in it.

Made 1 true post set this past season and caught 1 coyote.

Yet I do lure and make sets frequently as walkthroughs using tuffs of grass at the edges of dust circles, etc.

I use urine 100% at sets- with the rare, rare trail set being an exception.

So- for all practical purposes are these tuft sets post scents (or more accurately do they induce urination) or am I really missing the boat in setting up "real" post ype sets.

Give me some tips.....

[Stef]

I like making scent post set and i have a lot of luck and confidence in them.

If I was in wolf country.... its about all I would use.

In snow, I will prefer a grassy turf (a tall turf who is not covered with snow---- visual) because they are usually there standing alone on the white stuff.

In the fall, without snow... I will prefer using (imported) a piece of wood, a black block, a rock, a bone etc.... ( don't forget using big black dropping too...LoL)
I had better luck using imported "Post" in the fall like I said above than using a turf of grass.
I really don't know why?

Visual?

Maybe with the help of a dog.... things will change, who knows?

Stef

[jsevering]

steve,
find with post sets and wet weather, between storms or right after, I connect more with the post....jim

[trappincoyotes39]

I don;t why there called post sets, I guess because we see canines peeing on post, but a "scent post" has nothing to do with a post or that matter anything wooden either, in my area ant hills are excellent places to make these sets, coyote use them all the time as scent marking locals, I like to use the premix urine and gland lure, makes setting quicker and works well.
Could be a rock along a coyote travelway, or bring the rock into the area. Could be a left over oats bale partially rotten down, could be a sage bush or a tuft of buffalo grass, it takes many shapes, but these sets work well at all times of the year. I find less non targets in the summer with these types of sets as well.
Coyote travel way and that subtle object that sticks out, is what a coyote like to use to mark there locations. It can take many forms, and I guess that of a post.

[trappnman]

I used "post" as a generic term relating to all sets where urine is the main attraction.

[trappincoyotes39]

I under stand tman, but I was serious as to why? You look back in some trapping books and they show a chunk of wood hangin out of the ground in grazed pasture, sure it will hold an attraction but is that a natural deal? Exspecially in a coyotes core area?
I think scent marking set would be a better term ;D.
Old pieaces of wood on the end of a slash pile is a great place to find coyote scat and marking indicators, as well as for bobcats, but I like to look the area over and pin point where that place the coyote would naturally want to mark, missing the boat I guess that all depends on the sets you feel most comforatble using, I use about 30% scent marking sets, because again it cuts down on non targets and during the summer they shine when coyotes are at there peak for territorial tendancys.

[Zagman]

I, too, have had little luck with imported "posts"....wood usually got the nod.....

Krause's book talks a great deal about post sets and how he used to just put them where ever and then discovered that they had to be in the right spot, an area where a canine was COMPELLED to squirt.....

The best wood posts I have are where a tree has fallen down along a field and the farmer has cut it back just enough to let him continue to work the field.....but even then, they are not always in the right spot for me.

Now that I have the dogs, the mystery is over and they tell me where to set....and it has not been a piece of wood yet.

Zagman

[Possum]

The only reason I set a scent post set is because I read so many times what a wonderful set it is. My results are crappy at best. Maybe one in 4 actually connect. When I make a dirthole, I can gauge exactly where the coyote's foot SHOULD be if it's sniffing down the hole. With a post, weardafug is the foot supposed to be? I watch my coyote-sized dog to see where it stands when it whizzes. No consistency. Seems like blind luck to get coyote to step on the silver dollar at a post set. Like steve, I put pee on every set. I've tried tires, burnt sticks, clumps of grass, old fence posts and wayward rocks. Result is about the same at all of them. Next to nought.

[Stef]

Contrary to some comments above... I had lot of luck using imported wood blocks.
I normally make these sets close to other dirt hole sets, flat etc..
They usually catch the BIG yotes too.
To me, these kind of post sets are more like a flat set, I don't use call lures or bait on block set, that's why maybe I call them post set.
Without a dog, without snow, in my country, its very hard for a trapper to find natural scent post.
Yes, sometime you think that they are using that turf of grass for a post but when there's snow on the ground..... coyotes tell you the thruth... most of the time... I'm wrong!
Can't wait to have my dog.

Here's some pictures I've found where we can see the blocks!




Stef

[Rick]

Here's one like Stef's. You can see the wood in the lower-left corner (I have no idea how to put that red arrow dealy in there).

Always have a set LIKE this. Could be a chunk of wood, rock, tuft of grass, or even a little poke-hole, but always lured with nothing but gland lure and pee.

Yes I know.......they're not coyotes.

Rick.

[trappincoyotes39]

im1.shutterfly.com/procserv/47b5dd23b3127cce90c5c6dcb7b900000016108QctmThy4bG[/img]
This is a post set I like the coyote left many droppings along this cow trail, this being the freshest, I used the already in place cow chip, and put trap on trail, this is a dragged trap to save the set construction, dropping off to the side as found and gland lure and urine. This is a remake after a catch the wet squiggly lines are coyote urine. This trail leads over a dugout and I have taken 2 coyotes in the last 7days here.

[Zagman]

TC35:

I make a bunch of remakes like that, but they are not on trails.....

That one looks like it's bedded in coal shale and top coated?

Do you ever put guides at 3 and 9 o'clock, if 6 oclock is the terd?

Stef and Rick: I often have chucks of wood like this as a dirthole backing with plenty of luck, but not as a blended urine set....


Zagman

[trappincoyotes39]

Yep zags thats it, coal shale at this time of year is great freeze/thaw. The remake is the same as the orignal set, this set is dragged to save the set. The area between the "pie" and the turd is covered with a #3 bridger modified, very little room, but yes if the trail would be wider I would use some guiding, otherwise I like it as natural as possible.

[bobwendt]

tc35, I see turds on ant hills regularly, like they go out of their way to go dump on them, both fox if in fox country and coyotes in coyote country. I notice also, heaven help a poor ant colony if their hill is close to a den of pups or even a sage brush lay up area later in the summer. The pups scum that hill all over and flatten it every night. I use this info to locate the critters more than to trap them. I suppose I should utilze these anthills for more than a source of easy sifting dirt, but just never have.

[trappincoyotes39]

yep Bob they like to mark them ant hills, another thing I haven't figured out is those ants like to make there hills next to a dirt 2 track, cow trail etc, I see more by trvael ways be it human or domestic stock, than say just out in the sage? I wonder why those ants pick thse travel ways as well?
I made 2 sets today, that those coyotes, left droppings and 1 left fresh urine there, planted 2 sterlings, I'm figuring by Friday I should have a coyote or 2. Yep those pups sure do like to dig, I think here anyways in the hot dry summer, when the ground is rock hard they like that easy digging, gives them something to do and new to explore. A good way to catch them fast.

[bobwendt]

well, here is a little anthill info a 100 year old cowboy told me. I was looking at his arrowhead collection and a whole jar of blue, red, white and black glass trade beads, about twice the size of near identical looking modern beads you can buy at any craft store now. I asked how the heck did he ever find a whole jar full? He said ant hills! just go to any campsite that was inhabited during the contact period( chips all over, high spot above a spring or water) and spread out the ant hills and pick up the beads. Seems when buck indians necklace broke and the beads were lost forever in the grass, they layed till an ant colony set up housekeeping there several hundred years later. The ants tote only the larger grains of sand as wind balast for their mounds. They don`t bother with color and thinking the beads are just the right size will meticulously carry them in for a 15-20 foot radius onto the mound. Well, I beat it right out to my favorite campsite and for the first time in my life found a whole box of trade beads in just minutes. Took a 100 year old cowboy to know that ,as it is not written in any hi falootin` archaology book. And he rode horseback last spring helping herd the sheep in for docking too. Born raised and lived on the same ranch for 100 years. And you heard it all right here on cru how to find trade beads when the pro from the university can`t find any!

[Corey]

dangit Stef, i can't believe how much different your Canadian coyotes look compared to my Nebraska coyotes....Lots of difference...they are pretty though....maybe if ours looked that pretty, I would try to catch some on purpose...LOL nice thread, and pics guys. Corey

[Stef]

We have couple species of coyotes here corey.

The grey coyote
The red coyote
The brush wolves
The coydog
The mangy coyote
The timber cowolfdog

I probably forgot a couple species ;D

Stef

[Ross]

I swear Bob you never know where you're gonna hide a nugget of gold on here. A guy even has to sift through the fish oil and Western fur sale posts just to be safe. We have an archeologist grad student on staff here, but most of his work has been in Indiana and Ireland, no good cowboy stories.