"it means you caught 10 female coyotes"

[trappnman]

some are very quick to draw conclusions, from very small sample sizes.

In other words, what happened once, will always happen.

And really, nothing could be further from the truth-

I hear many say numbers don't matter- yet, in so many ways they do. Yes, Yes- if you only have 3 coyotes in your entire driveable range, you aren't going to take big numbers.

I've caught cats- I've skun and put up cats- but I wouldn't begin to tell someone that has trapped 100s of cats, how to do it- cause with my small numbers I just don't know.

So doesn't the same follow for any species? That those that constantly get big numbers, are, by that criteria alone, more apt to make reasonable conclusions vs conclusions based on small numbers?

That is you have a scenario that you encounter 1 or 2x a year, vs that same scenario repeated dozs of times?

I've lived by this truism- just because I can't do it, doesn't mean it can't be done. But by the same token, just cause you can't do something, doesn't mean I can't.

In trapping, like anything, experience matters. And there are several stages to that- 1t- you have a tad of knowledge, and set traps. Over time, you have some success- and then you get to stage 2- you feel confident in your sets, and are doing reasonably well. Most stop at this stage for multiple reasons- often time constraints. But for some- they aren't satisfied- at the end of a season they can't wait to put into practice the nuances they learned the past season.

I've been trapping coyotes for 34 years. Many times it was 2 steps forward, 1 step back. But the underlying factor was at each step, at each location- I strived to become better and better. Adding this, subtracting that, refining my methods to what is, I feel, my best options.

And I'm still learning, each and every day- adding to my coyote knowledge, pondering, mulling things over.

To that end- I love debate on my theories- I'm confident in them, more importantly my feelings don't get hurt, and maybe, just maybe I can improve either by defending my points successfully, or by having them shot down. Why the hell do you think I changed my line management 100%? A better way.......

Never, do I back away from a discussion that might, just might, improve my abilities.

so -go ahead- bust my balls.

[flathead40]

Bust your balls? OK.. Your hair is long,beard is too big and you don't wear a suit to go to work. How's that? Almost forgot.. you drive a Chevy

[trappnman]

Ouch. Lol....

[braveheart]

Know matter how much time is spent trapping you always learn or see something that will put you in your place so to speak.

[musher]

Just when you think you have it nailed down some wise ass critter lets you know you don 't. I had a bear giving me fits last spring. Caught it and it slipped the foot snare off. Then it avoided every set. Never caught it ...

[trappnman]

the worst for me, have been beaver. Twice, I had months long efforts- both succeeded, but both by blind luck.

1) a small pond right outside of town. Got all but 1, that I pinched in a foothold. This beaver avoided everything. He would come out on bank (snow) and make some cuttings- but even if I waded in fro ma distance, and set a trap, he would never return to that spot. But I'd leave the trap. Pretty soon I had a bunch of traps set, with no luck. Lures, unlured, etc. Finally after weeks and weeks- I came (I was mink trapping it so no problem to come there) and saw a blind set at the end of the dam was gone- and sure enough, there he was.

2) same creek a few miles away o na different year- over the summer, beaver moved in and had 7 dams and check dams. Never saw anything like that- mass migration of a whole colony. Caught 7- and sure enough, pinched one. Tried for him for a bit, saw no sign so the owner and I pulled all the dams- the creek here normally only a few inches deep- with 1 deep hole under an old tree bank. tried for him everyway I could imagine- and one day before a big thunderstorm, I set 330s everywhere I could- and in that high muddy water there he was next check. Ironically- went home, said thank God done with beaver , and got a call- on same creek, landowner saw one (same little pond area of #1). So went out- raining- set 1 330, Lori said too wet she would wait in truck- said I'll set 1 more, and as she left a big commotion and I had him in the 1st set. such is trapping lol

[braveheart]

Steve I had one just like that. Beaver would come up once and never return. It took a month to catch it. The beaver would not even make a attempt to stop to plug the tube if open. The beaver can be a head scratcher for sure some times.

[musher]

A wise beaver can be a real challenge. However, the fact that their range is limited helps - a lot. You know they are in that body of water. A wolf can be a hundred miles away.