guiding coyotes

[fightclubonfridays]

It seems that I have missed as many coyotes as I have caught so far this year. They just miss the pan and often step on the dirt clods I used for guiding. They are marble sized clods. And it seems the ones I have missed have not approached from the front but approach the set perpendicular to the dirt hole. Any help or tips would be appreciated.

[romans117]

Use bigger clods. Or cow pies. Yote turds guide them good to.

[trappnman]

my thought is this- if coyotes are using your stepping guides to avoid the pattern, there is something in that pattern they don't like.

I'm guessing it doesn't look right-

try bigger blended areas- and try to make your trap in a depression or valley- so they "have" to step there.

also- stepdowns are nice for 2 things- the eliminate the use of guides and they eliminate general blending.

[cameron2]

I don't have a lot of answers for you, because I can't see your trap set up. However, I've found that most critters approach a hole from "the side," rather than a straight on approach like we think they should. This is natural -- usually they are trying to sneak up on something in a hole, so they naturally seek the cover the sides of the hole would offer. Ever watched a house cat hunt gophers? They approach the hole from the side or the back, and if they stake out the hole, they always sit on the back side so the critter can't see them until its too late.

Also, Steve said something about there being a part of the pattern the coyote may not like. That might be true. Here are a couple of video clips of a coyote working a mock flat set. Watch how he swings his body around, away from the camera. He obviously knows the camera is an unnatural object, but watch what he does with his feet. Anyway, I thought the clips might be instructive.

[trappnman]

very interesting indeed- got any of hole sets?

I have a question- how long did that coyote work the set- and is it possible to know- did he ever return after the 1 visit?

[cameron2]

Steve:

I don't have any more footage of coyotes working hole sets -- got a ton of footage of grays working hole sets and some still photos of a bobcat working a hole set.

I'll have to go back and look at my video records to tell you how long he was there, and whether he returned. I think the black and white footage is the first part of his visit, and then the other camera took over with the color footage. I caught a coyote about 2 blocks from this set earlier this Fall, and I'm confident that it was the same one.

[trappnman]

the sideways approach to a flat set, was an eye opener-

any chance of one at a walkthrough type set?

[johnthomas]

video cams, night footage , is gonna turn this whole thing upsidedown one these days and just keep tossing it fer awhile, gonna be something to look forward to im thinking.

[ClaytonStockwell]

Clate taught me to make the set flat, good-n-flat he said - fox back then - still works for me & coyotes.

First a mouse hole, bout 45 degrees from flat - with low backing

Outside guides wur about a foot long - in a /\ pointed at mouse hole

Inside guides wur - a weed stem, or such, 3 to 5 inches long - starting a 1 o'clock toward 3 o'clock - it blocked off the dog and long spring - not on the dog but close.
Then a guide about 10 o'clock - usually a clump of something bout the size of a walnut. Could be anything though - weed stem, piece of corn stock.
The guide at the bottom - like 7 to 5 o'clock - a step over piece to the pan. Again not much bulk to it - like a 4" twig.

Old school but it works for me.

[trappincoyotes39]

I don't think one can draw a great conclusion from one coyote clip, it looks to be a very young coyote, we don't know what if any attractor was used and that could play into the way that coyote decided to approach and work that set.
Knowing how long and the rest of the footage and what attratcor type was used be it gland,urine, etc could lead to an answer, but I feel one would need more footage of more coyotes in various set types and attractor types to lead to better conclusions. Nice footage though!

[ClaytonStockwell]

Watch the paws real close - even a young one minds where it steps at first. As it works it isn't so cautious

[BridgerMd]

Does anyone have photos of a step-down set? I had someone try and explain it to me but it made no sense, not sure if it was me or the explanation.

[trappnman]

The skinny on stepdowns

[BridgerMd]

Thank you, trappnman, Awesome post! That really clears it up. I am a much better visual learner I guess. Appreciate it!