Trap placement

[buckeyehunter]

I have seen enough testimonials to beleive that 1.75 sized traps are adequate for coyotes...but the issue still remains the size of the kill zone. Maybe when I have caught several it won't matter if I miss any, but I value every single one at this point. With that being said, how do those of you using the smaller traps know where to place the trap? (Mainly speaking of dirtholes and flat sets)?

[trappnman]

I do.

Next to your guides.

The important thing with a small trap on cooytes, IMHO, is to have it fire only when the coyote is more on the pan than off- this cuts down snapped traps considerably. I do this via a trappers cap- pack it solidi nside the trap.

The 1.75 is ideal for stepdowns- you got the coyote committing, and the sides of the sets are the guides. Give him the obvious spot to put his foot and he will. If yo uare talking distance, that depends and doesn't matter. If further back place a guide between trap and hole, if tight place a guide behind.

On flat sets, I like to use them tight in walkthroughs. Again, give him a spot to step, and he usually will.

Guides take care of placement- stout pan tension and packed traps give you more coyotes than anything you can do with a smaller trap..

[JamesH]

Great explanation,thanks Steve,I run the 1.75s as well and find as you said give em a place to step and they will...What pan tension is stout in your opinion?

[CoonDuke]

I find when using smaller traps I am more apt to set tighter to the hole and use smaller holes.

[The Woodsman]

I use some 1.75's and again it is giving the canine a soft place to step.
Flat set
Before



After



Good pad catch



Dirthole



Another good pad catch

[trappnman]

thats it exactly- most times, trap is filled with paw.

[buckeyehunter]

Thanks T-Man I hadn't thought of using the trappers cap. So do you ever use peat moss with the 1.75? What pan tension do you run on your traps?

[The Woodsman]

Apparently this is your baby trappnman. LOL

[buckeyehunter]

Feeling a bit left out? Thanks for the photos.

[trappnman]

I guess if I have a claim to fame, besides knowing nothing about mink, is that not knowing any better, I used 1.75s almost exclusively for almost 2 decades, and probably have caught as many coyotes i n them as anyone. Lots of trial and error, but did learn how to use them I feel in the most effective manner.

One thing that was day and night for me, was a sharp quick latch- pan tang at about 1/16" squared off so crisp and NOW. That makes tension on far edge a litte over 2, on dog side about 3, and that seems about right.

I just started using peat moss fullftime last couple of years. on 1.75s its good and bad- One thing I like about it, is that you can put a little more dirt over the top of trap is encased in peat for wet muddy conditions. What I don;t like, is you can't pack trap- so use peat and 1.75s only on tighter type stepdowns, where the coyote is guided tighter.

[bobwendt]

it`s easier to just not intentionally make an easy job hard. I`ve caught a couple hundred big eastern coyotes in 1 and 1/2 softcatches too, and held them. but for sure not on purpose! it was the other 1,000 or so that their feet were so large that the jaws threw the foot out and they just walked away, no matter how well guided.

[Steve Gappa]

its not hard at all to catch and hold coyotes in 1.75s- and the losses- defined as pullouts- are no more than any other trap-

once one understands hes holding a small trap in his hands, the rest falls into place.

I'd set a 1.75 w/o hesitaiton on any ADC job, and have many times.

[bobwendt]

they are a LOT more(losses). and they aren`t pull outs, they are throw outs from the foot standing on jaw and pan at the same time. a coyotes foot ,eastern, is just too large a diameter for such a tiny trap . the traps can be strengthened, based, bubbled tips bla bla to hold a coyote, but to think you get everyone , or even near,that steps on that trap is not realistic. why w.s. or private coyote trappers don`t want fox( tiny trap) trappers in their area making diggers and stand off and scratchers. to intentionally advocate small traps for adc where often it is catch first time thru ,or lose many more livestock, is imo, unethical.

[thebeav2]

12 years ago when I trapped in MS thats all I used were 1 1/2s and 1.65 bridgers I was a fox trapper since we had no coyotes In WI at that time.
In my opinion the 1.65 Bridger was a poor trap for both fox and coyotes. The cpoyote population was out of sight In MS I caught and held some big numbers. All live sold. Next year It was all 1.75s. One of the reasons was the dog problem. But the other was the fox trapping mentality. It's like any situation you just need to get the animals foot on the pan.
I don't use a trappers cap, but I see the point. I went a different direction. I removed all the 1.75 pans and put on BL 1 1/2 pans. This In most cases elimanated the coyote having part of It's foot on the pan and the jaw at the same time. Of coarse you still have to guide.
Last year I used some #2 bridgers with Sudden Valey pads. I'm not a big fan of the Bridger trap but with a little tweaking they caught and held coyotes.
Rain day hear In Alaska.

[bobwendt]

so whatishere alaskan rain hear like? thats like when the guys wife mixed ketchup and sugar and vinigar. hubby says whasisere sauce? and whirstershire sauce was invented.

[rk660]

Legget's numbers of coyotes in 1.75 would be hard to beat. They trapped Texas a lot of years and had a few years over 400, maybe even 500 coyotes. My guess if anyone hold record for # of coyotes trapped in small traps, Leggets would be right at top of the list.

[thebeav2]

It's different Bob It sounds like small Eskimos peeing on flat rocks.

[thebeav2]

Ya the leggits did put up some big numbers using the 1.75.

[bobwendt]

south texas coyotes are often smaller than a big wyoming red fox. and feet the size of a 50 cent piece, definitly smaller feet than a red fox. I remember the first coyote I caught there years ago, in feb. about 14 lb maybe. I thought geese o pete, a runt or something. but 16-18 lb was a big old knarly one. pretty sad looking critter. you could have banged them by the thousands in #1 long springs. I think what we are talking about in this thread is the standard 30-35lb. coyote. and UP, in size.

[Bristleback]

I kinda forgot about the Leggets in thinking coyotes.......but you're right they have piled up large numbers of coyotes on their trips to TX, and I agree with Bob, nowhere near the same critter, size wise, NSEW.

Anyone know how many thousand coyotes Leggets are credited with?

Like last nights All Star game, other than the SS and 2nd........why do the rest CHOOSE a large glove?