who blends?& who dont?

[ricardo]

Was just curious, who takes the time to blend in sets and who just throws them in and goes on to the next one, i used to blend everything in but it didnt help me any as far as catching more, it just slowed me down more if anything, already slow enough as it is.

[mikespring]

How about on SHORT cropped hay???...I find it helps to blend in a scent post rather than to leave a dirt patteren...I have taken yotes both ways but the blended way has been more productive for me.

[scott kimball]

mike i save law mower clipping just for that purpose.it makes it so easy to do a post set.the clippings are so green, it just blends it so nice.

[trappnman]

to me if there is a silver bullet on yotes, its blending. I insist on a blended in set look.

[mikespring]

Yep, me too Scott...lawn mower clippings,hay chaff,peat moss, blends beautiful.

[Bob Jameson]

I do alot of different pattern finishes. It primarily depends on what I am trying to do and what I need to do. The time of year the animal responses shown after a few days in a particular area. For coyotes I tend to blend alot and keep the set area firm on approach. Early on starting at the bell not so much care is usually needed. Once the pressure begins things begin to change as should your approach.

[Lone trapper]

For bobcats I don't care.
LT

[PAMINK]

Blending is pretty much a must do for yotes ....here at least. Terry

[NEPISIGUIT]

How can a persom blend sets and still be able to be competative ? Just curious because here most trappers who use legholds do not spend much time blending. In fact most who are successful get to set area as fast as possible. set and move on.Sounds like that is not the case everywhere. Granted ,most use large disturbed patterns at dirt hole areas. Maybe i am not understanding the blending situation as it applies to different areas or conditions. Given some of the comments on this post it appears that blending does have merit- So Is there any books etc. on the market that explains this or is it a method of trial and error?

[trappngreys]

It takes very little time to blend in a set. I only blend in flatsets and post sets.

I don't blend in dirt hole either because the whole point in a dirt hole is to look like something has dug a hole, it didn't just magically appear. I do make sure that the dirt pattern looks natural though.

I think those blended sets get you a couple extra every year that you might not have other wise gotten.

[trappngreys]

nepisiguit said:

How can a persom blend sets and still be able to be competative ? Just curious because here most trappers who use legholds do not spend much time blending. In fact most who are successful get to set area as fast as possible. set and move on.Sounds like that is not the case everywhere. Granted ,most use large disturbed patterns at dirt hole areas. Maybe i am not understanding the blending situation as it applies to different areas or conditions. Given some of the comments on this post it appears that blending does have merit- So Is there any books etc. on the market that explains this or is it a method of trial and error?

How long do think it takes to put in a flatset and blend it? I can easily put a flatset and blend in in faster than I can put in a dirthole.

Charles Dobbins flatset book and several videos show how to do it.

[trappnman]

How can a person blend sets and still be able to be competative

as stated, it takes mere seconds to blend- no hard lines, trap position not obvious.

most time "blending" can be accomplished by broadcasting a handful of dirt on the set edges.

[lynxcat]

I think that even those that say they DONT blend..in fact DO blend to a degree... you CANT put in the set w/ou doing SOME blending.
lynx

[ricardo]

no expert, but it just seems like a waste of time to [me] to blend at all when you are first starting in a area, i can see maybe when youve been set up a while in that area and maybe need to change up a little just seems like more stuff to mess with and carry around, this is just my opinion and am not nocking anybody for the way they blend or not,just wanting to know what seems to warant your personal need to blend, like i said i used to blend also but have found in my area that even after 5-10 catches in a small area i still didnt get any refusals because the set was not blended.maybe more catches i would see that but i dont catch as many coyotes in a season as some of yall do in a week.

[ricardo]

By blending I mean cant see where the trap has been placed or can not see a fresh dirt pattern, I know to some it may mean no lines to cross or feathering out the edges or so on, Im just talking like some of the books that are out show blending as not seeing the trap bed or area that has been disturbed at all. say for instance you are in a grassy area and are going to make a few sets in that grassy area. sandy area ,already exposed dirt area, for sure no need to blend.

[trappngreys]

If your using flat or post sets which is what I use a lot IMO you have no choice but to blend. A non-blended flatset to me don't look natural, that's the whole point of a flat or post set. A dirt spot in the grass of fresh dirt in dry dirt it don't look natural.

Do you have to do this to catch coyotes probably not but it takes just a few seconds to do so why take the chance of a refusal.

I think people that don't "Blend" would be surprised at the extra catches they would make if they would blend in a trap at a grass clump or some other object close to their dirtholes with just a shot of urine or a dab of gland lure on the backing.

[ricardo]

you could be right, but from my view it seems that the look and apeal of the dirt pattern is what makes it so good and deadly for the coyotes.

[trappincoyotes39]

Blending will help you catch "some" coyotes quicker, yoy of the year doesn't matter as much as all is new and life is good in the fall. Your going to have some walk by's or those that just won't work an eye sore as fast as a blended set. If your worried about compition then I would be blending my sets as the coyotes are going to have the utmost confidance working a set that is natural looking versus an eye sore set.
Those walk by's might be at your unblended set and then walk down the line to my natural presentation and get caught. Again ,age of the coyote and pressure in the area will yield different results, but if I'm taking the time to make a set, blending doesn't have to take too much more in most situations, and as tman stated hard lines are something I avoid at all cost to catch those coyotes as quick as possible.
Hard lines and fresh human scent makes it tougher on some coyotes for sure to work a set, until both have aged some. Why not start out with a natural presentation to begin with? I don't feel a coyote needs the visual stimuli as much as he works his nose, as many flat sets aren't real eye catching and they catch plenty of coyotes correct? If your on location I like a nice natural set for sure and if I'm not 100% sure then go with something to catch there eye.

[ricardo]

good point. last year for me was set and go i set some sign and set some good looking spots, points and such with no visable sign and did pretty good for me ,setting with no sign i caught just as many as setting on sign the only differance i seen between these ways was if i set on sign i had a catch the next day or two ,when i didnt set on sign it was a few days more, but im still learning a bunch of differant ways and views and such from yall guys, just picking yalls brains.

[trappnman]

this is what I call a blended dirhole-