cat and coyote trapping

[conibear]

Was wondering in cat and coyote country were you will run into both critters do you use alot more eye atraction like bigger dirt holes, few feathers put around the set, or flat sets. Just woundering what kind of set to use were both cats and yotes are. Thanks and say a prayer for our troops

[FWS]

Just woundering what kind of set to use were both cats and yotes are

Sets that exclude those nasty, stinky, ugly $10 coyotes so you won't miss that $200++ cat. Even then you still catch coyotes.

Exposed traps, heavily boxed in, lots of guiding.

One nice thing about using cage traps is that coyotes won't enter em', but I'm sure I'll catch a few eventually.

[trappincoyotes39]

In my area were you find rabbitts so go the cats and the coyotes if the weather turns south, ussalt along frozen drainages with some brush piles,weed clumps, buttes etc. The thing is when I went after cats last winter I didn't want to catch coyotes, I wanted all cats!!! Why fill up a trap with a 20.00 at best coyote when you can have a 350.00 cat in it!!!

Leave those traps and snares open for the cats and set for cats, you will still pickup coyotes because there both after the same food source and using the "best" and easiest travel when the weather gets tough, but as Jim Halseth says, set it to catch cats not coyotes, he showed at his demo by using tanned coon fur that the coyotes shy away from it, thinking the tanning smells have something to do with it, he wants to repel those coyotes not attract them with todays fur prices, I would hate to have a big tom come by, and have a coyote in a trap versus the tom that may come back 1-2 weeks later 30 days later or end up in your compitions cat trap down the road!!!!

As far as sets, cats are funny you can catch them in showy sets and you can catch them without any "show", they have a much better nose than some will give them credit for sure. With cats you want to set as close as humanly possible to were they travel through down to the track if at all possible, set the high spots the low spots and the 3/4 zones as slim p calls them, dirt holes if able to dig them, flat sets, cubbys, and trail sets all will take cats, and remember to release the females if at all possible as that is what the toms are looking for as well as food, so let them roam and it will keep the toms checking back.

[mostinterestingmanintheworld]

Most coyote sets will catch most cats. Some cat sets will catch some coyotes.

I prefer to keep them separate and focus on what I want to catch the most of.

It mainly depends on the type of habitat that you are trapping and the densities of each particular animal.

I disagree with releasing females if your state is keeping track of age and sex ratios. Releasing females skews the data. As does releasing kittens.

If your state isn't monitoring this data release away and hope you don't end up in court.

Joel

[bobwendt]

last jan when I filled up on live coyotes I tried to avoid coyotes by setting right in crawl thru ceder thickets and caught several coyotes in set under a dead chicken hanging in a tree. made me wonder how much all this smart coyote talk really amounts to. like joel, I`ve caught plenty of cats in basically no or little sight appeal coyote sets miles from the closest brush or water, right out in short grass prairie. sometimes on nothing but coyote pee. I call those my xmas present cats. about the time a guy thinks he`s smart or the coyotes are smart you find out, well I`ll be danged.

[trappincoyotes39]

What do you mean end up in court? Also does your state mandate tagging of cats for personnel use? ie: tanning or making a hat? That skews the data as well, but the biologist have factors built in for many things like this.

[bobwendt]

p.s. I bet hardly anyone turns loose sow cats. who is going to turn loose even a 150 dollar sow if he is worried about competion getting some. plus, my ranchers would throw me off if they caught me turning loose sows. I have caught some sows out and the area didn`t have cats for 2-3 years till a new sow and brood moved in. but the country is big and the fur market fickle. wasn`t just a few years ago cats were 40 bucks. farm them proper and when you go tp pick the crop they are 40 bucks again. you got a golden market now, exploit it all you can. cats will be here after we are dead and gone. and even with our hi market, they aren`t getting pressured except in small areas. lot of cats out there and all over the west rabbits are on hi cycle now. the rabbits will bust in a year or two and those cats you leave starve to death, so keep `em all. get the money while you can, buy a new deck or truck with your cat money, enjoy it with a smile and say thanks to the lord for the cats. thanks is enough.

[trappincoyotes39]

Alot of how season are set are looked at the male/female ratio if you have a higher than normal female harvest some states will shorten the season or have lower cat quotas put on the cats, our state ages all tagged cats by there teeth and the male/female ratio and then in puts if the season should be the same, shorter or longer off of this information, I know the market isn't going to hold and yes alot of them aren;t going to get turned loose, but in some areas being they are the limelight of the furs, they get some added pressure and each year they stay decent price wise the more switch to cats and pressure will be apllied to them, you have those in snares and cold weather in foot traps that can't be released, I said if possible to release those females, rabbitts are high everywere, but they could remain that way for 3-7 years who knows, depends on the weather, the predators and disease, but I still maintain if you can let some go to do so.

[jerrym]

I can tell ya, I ain't releasing no sows. You might talk me into releasing a very young kitten but not a sow. And then I am hardpressed, there is always somebody looking for a taxidermy kitten. Might have to sit on it for awhile but it'll happen. And yes, where I live, Kansas has to be cert'd and they do record all statistcs including the type of trap caught in or shot or run over, etc. You get the drift. I don't know of a state that you can trap cats in that doesn't cert a cat. I sure maybe there are some. Maybe. I think that whether you take that sow or not, those tom's will come back thru. And no sooner if ya left her. They dang for sure aren't getting any tail just sittin around.

[conibear]

I here people always say if you want a good population of cats release the females well I'm not letting them go minnesota only has a five cat limit and with me my wife and two boys having trapping license I don't think we will make a dent in the population with a five cat each limit even keeping the females. Can't say for any other state were theres no limit but I still think keeping females won't hurt the population maybe even make it stronger. Just my 2 cents worth

[trappincoyotes39]

Jerry you must look deep into the regs, the USFWS has cats tagged that will be transported out of the US and be sold elsewhere, all cats that are sold must be tagged, but there are provisions for home tanning and the such, so these cats do not show up on the USFWS cites tagging list, actually our state is looking in to doing away with the cities tagging and having a state tagging system to keep getting the data on cats, we may be different than some, we can only traps cats legally in 1/2 of the state so that does put more pressure on the cats as any trapper living on the "other side of the river "and high fur prices makes for a higher cat take and if all have the same mentality of keeping all small kittens and sows, well then you will have in time and added pressure a smaller cat population, meaning less big toms being reproduced as well.

Do as you wish and as I stated alot can't be turned loose, any I catch in foothold while doing ADC coyote work get turned loose period, unless there already dead. If this cat market stays even close to were it is at for the next 5 years and gas prices stay high your going to have alot more cat trapping company for sure, pressuring the overall population.The facts are in research, you can hurt cat populations with out of balance harvest, really long term probably not, but short term 5-7 years you betcha.

Alot has to do with the deer hunter mentality, alot complain because the monster bucks are all gone from there hunting areas, yet they shoot every basket rack they see and fill doe tags with nubbin bucks then they all wonder what happened to the big mature 8-10 point bucks? LOL!

[psb1011]

You know something,being a trapper that has never caught a bobcat,and one that has caught a very few coyotes,when I read post like these I can't understand such talk of trying to avoid coyote catches ,when most post are about trying to catch the ELISIVE,HARD TO CATCH coyote.Now shoot me dead as a doornob,but look at it from an idiots perspective---like mine.

[trappincoyotes39]

Money talks and that is the time the coyote walks PSB 1011 LOL!!!!!!!

[jerrym]

Trappincoyotes35,

I see your predicament now. As far as cites tags go, in Kansas I believe every cat must have one, even if for home tanning. We have a cutoff here to get them tagged and any untagged cat caught in your possession in a ticket and then some waiting to happen. I know about the export, I didn't know about different states on how they do business if you keep them and not sell. I needed to be a little more clear on that one. On the doing away with cites tags, haven't heard that yet. Only thing I have heard is talk about changing the way out of state cat trappers do some things. Bob, chime in here, you trap here and might know a little better. As far as our cat population goes, not very much trapping pressure and plenty of cats to go around. As far as deer and turkeys, ought to make them varmits, I let my kids shoot all the does and I sit back and watch. Shot my fair share, their turn now. Good post though. Where are you located at??

JM

[trappincoyotes39]

South Dakota, many states agree with the deer population issue, but it is tough with all these hunting shows making it seem the only way to be the master hunter is by taking the big buck, when in reality alot of states need a 60%+ harvest of does to get things back in check, but sell doe tags for 12.50 ea and people still let them sit, not me it puts food on the table and saves on the grocery bill, not to mention very tasty as well.

As my dad always stated you can eat antlers way to tough, backstrap is far better. LOL

[jerrym]

Nice country up there. Flew up there a few weeks ago for the day and shots praire dogs. We try to do it several times a year. My hunting partners wife is from up that a way.

[trappincoyotes39]

Yep alot of dirt poodles and we have some great cats as well, antelope archery opens this weekend.

[jerrym]

Now that is something I would like to do. Shoot a lope. Never have. I am a big time bow hunter and burned myself out on deer several years ago. Now all I hunt is bear and elk. Usually Colorado and Montana. Now that I love. I would have thought you guys had more cats around. Sounds like part of the state does.

[trappincoyotes39]

Plenty of goats to be had and alot of good ground, we have over 100,000 acres of walk in area just in the one county I live in, problem is one bad winter and we go from alot to almost no goats, they increased the tags this year by 9,750 more antelope tags.

WE have a decent cat population, but all east river is farm ground and alot more people, out west we have badlands, river breaks, buttes, hills, just way better cat cover for sure and way less populated much more likeable for the cats.

We have passed our first Mt Lion season which will open this fall to residents only and tags run 15.00 ea with a quota of 25 Mt Lions or 5 breeding age females which ever comes first. Should be interesting to see how many and how long it takes to reach the quota.

[lynxcat]

OK Now...."actually our state is looking in to doing away with the cities tagging and having a state tagging system to keep getting the data on cats,"....THAT would do you NO good...zero...zip...nada....since Cities tags are NOT a state but a FEDERAL issue...you would NOT be able to sell you cats w/out the tags!!!
later
lynx