blocking up coyotes

[mr. finch]

at dirt hole sets how tight will you block? are you worried about spooking?

[mostinterestingmanintheworld]

I dig the dirt out and form two mounds kind of out front and to the top sides of the trap.

That kind of guides their foot right in there.

I don't use any guides on a flat set just crowd the trap up against the backing.

Joel

[billkasten]

It seems alot of guys like big flashy sets.I make a modified step down and with a step down type set with a small pattern I can put there foot right on the pan . Joel that sounds like an old Lenon set .Do you bring your dirt piles on the side past the trap pan ?

[trappnman]

What do you consider a small pattern in a stepdown Bill?

I started with a stepdown roughly, 15-18" on a side, 12 or so on the bototm in a triangle shape. After reading about smaller patterns, I got into trying to make them smaller and smaller. I quickly found however that much smaller than that size, would give me too many cooytes working the set without standing in the pattern. It 's like they could get close enough to look ito the hole without having to step down.

Can you block in a coyote? if you mean by backings, not in most cases. I often set tight to dense weed growths, actually most times cutitng into the weeds to give me 1/2 of te stepdown into the weeds- excellent guiding.

If you mean guiding, you can get some pretty big guides that work very well- but if you "block in" the set with guides I find I have problems.

[k9]

Not to take your thread off topic but I too crowd up into the weeds. Asa Lennon and I have had many disagreements about this. I am not saying that I would not catch the, 6 or 8 feet out into the open. I am saying around here you better crowd into the weeds or donate your trap to the anhydrous knife or chisel plow in cropland. Also with all our heater hunters, they drive right along the edges of the fields constantly during hunting season, right where your trap set could be if you are not in the weeds.

The bean field by this coyote has not had anhydrous applied yet. Can't risk having my trap out there.

[mostinterestingmanintheworld]

Joel that sounds like an old Lenon set .Do you bring your dirt piles on the side past the trap pan ?

I learned it from Bill Ilchik who may have got it from Wiley Carrol who may have got it from Lenon?

No I don't bring the dirt out on the side of the trap.

It is situated, the way I see it to, one to keep him from working it from the side and two to stop him at the right place if he works it from the front.

I never heard of step down sets when I was after coyotes or I would have used them, shows how long it's been since I've pursued them. Probably couldn't catch any today with my old methods. lol!!

Joel

[billkasten]

Joel I don't think over time coyotes change much .LOL Steve when I make a step down set my pattern is as small as possible and the trap is also set as close to the hole as possible. .with the only flat spot in the pattern being over the pan .I do like a backing of some sort. Not saying its the only way just the way it works for me. I've tried the 8" back 2" off center stuff and can't seem to get them to step on the pan. Also tried ten and 2 ' and several other combinations . I've seen Bob make a set and see how he naturaly guides there foot were he wants it with a big pattern but that particular set I havent tried yet. Just seems to me when a canines nose is on the ground his feet aren't to far behind . IMHO

[DaveLyons]

I personally don't like to block coyotes in. But you know they always seem to get into the perfect greyfox set. I block greys hard.

I have seen it where one out of place weed probably hit the coyotes nose and he was done with the set. I learned if you can guide there nose there feet will follow. So if the nose has a clear view the foot will be on the pan.

Dave

[trappnman]

thats one thing I need to do more, is shoulder guards-