Post by Steve Gappa on Jan 5, 2005 9:20:50 GMT -6
Taking the Mystery out of Flat Sets....
By Steve Gappa
While many successful canine trappers have good luck with sets like dirtholes and post sets- many are reluctant in learning to make and use flat sets. There are a lot of reasons for this, ranging from not having any success with flat sets in the past (thus no longer trying them) to just shying away from them because they believe that flat sets are somehow mysterious and difficult to make. While I won’t deny that that I believe flat setting is a real art and your abilities will only be refined and improved over time, I also have found out and come to believe that making a flat set is in all reality down right simple and easy- and every canine trapper should have a flat set or two in his bag of tricks.
As a dabbler in land trapping during my youth with skunks, coon and fox- (growing up on the marshes of the Mississippi in the Upper Delta of MN/WS, I naturally was a water trapper- mink and rats were king in the 50s, 60s) I came to coyote trapping later in my trapping career only 15 years ago or so. When I first heard there were coyotes in the area and a local farmer wanted someone to trap them, I read everything I could on them in the magazines, got my #3 dls ready and away I went. All I knew was dirtholes- after all a dirthole was just a dryland pocket, and those I knew. But I read about flat sets- how the great trappers made sets that were almost invisible- heck, they were invisible- and these flat sets took coyotes like magic. All I knew, or at least could gather, was that the trap was set with no visible bait hole and no visible pattern.
Armed with this slight knowledge and a will to succeed- I spent most of 1 season trying this flat set. Sure had a lot of snapped traps- and never did catch a coyote. I came to the conclusion that this “flat set” was a load of baloney- and gave up on it. But after a couple of years- and after devouring all the coyote articles, non helping much- I bought my first coyote book- a book by Tom Miranda. Tom was popularizing th walkthrough flat set as taught by Odon Corr. This looked simple enough to me- and I underlined in yellow highlighter the main points and memorized the measurements of the set. I studied that book from cover to cover. And low and behold- I caught a few coyotes! This flat set thing really worked. Over the past decade and a half, I’ve refined my methods a little and no longer make sets hoping to catch a coyote, but make sets knowing I’ll take a coyote. But I still use a version of that basic walkthrough set- and if you never had luck with making flat sets, here’s my version on how to make a simple, basic flat set.
To begin with, let me give you a little tip that it took me a season or two to figure out- don’t try to use flat sets in unblendable situations. That is- a flat set made for example in tall grass. Yes, some of you are quick to point out that with experience a flat set can be made anywhere- in grass for example grass can be cut with a scissors and used to blend. But those are refined techniques, best used later in the game after you have some confidence and skill in making flat sets. And the best way to do that is by catching coyotes.
To start out- look for bare spots in sparse cover. While conditions vary from area to area, all places have such features. It could be logging trails, cattle trails, pasture, croplands, sagebrush areas, sandy washes- whatever might occur in your particular region. All of these types of areas fit the bill. After locating the general location, start looking for a specific location. One tip is this- use the natural guides and “barriers” already in place- on a road for example use the edge of the road. On a crop field set on the field edges, on hayfields set in the corners, on waterways set on the points- use fences, hedgerows, etc. to make your set less multi directional. In other words- use whatever natural features are there to have the coyote approach your set from the side you want him to. Getting him coming in to a set the direction you want is a good part of success.
Look for a specific location that has a backing of some small sort facing the main direction of approach. This can be a rock, a cow patty, a field edge or in my case more often than not- a weed line or at least a bunch of grass higher than its neighbors. I look for this backing- or place one if I so desire- to be next to a bare spot or semi bare spot. I like to call this set a Dust Circle set, because I most often make it in bare circles in heavily grazed pasture areas- and those dust circles of bare ground are fairly common in between the grass clumps.
By Steve Gappa
While many successful canine trappers have good luck with sets like dirtholes and post sets- many are reluctant in learning to make and use flat sets. There are a lot of reasons for this, ranging from not having any success with flat sets in the past (thus no longer trying them) to just shying away from them because they believe that flat sets are somehow mysterious and difficult to make. While I won’t deny that that I believe flat setting is a real art and your abilities will only be refined and improved over time, I also have found out and come to believe that making a flat set is in all reality down right simple and easy- and every canine trapper should have a flat set or two in his bag of tricks.
As a dabbler in land trapping during my youth with skunks, coon and fox- (growing up on the marshes of the Mississippi in the Upper Delta of MN/WS, I naturally was a water trapper- mink and rats were king in the 50s, 60s) I came to coyote trapping later in my trapping career only 15 years ago or so. When I first heard there were coyotes in the area and a local farmer wanted someone to trap them, I read everything I could on them in the magazines, got my #3 dls ready and away I went. All I knew was dirtholes- after all a dirthole was just a dryland pocket, and those I knew. But I read about flat sets- how the great trappers made sets that were almost invisible- heck, they were invisible- and these flat sets took coyotes like magic. All I knew, or at least could gather, was that the trap was set with no visible bait hole and no visible pattern.
Armed with this slight knowledge and a will to succeed- I spent most of 1 season trying this flat set. Sure had a lot of snapped traps- and never did catch a coyote. I came to the conclusion that this “flat set” was a load of baloney- and gave up on it. But after a couple of years- and after devouring all the coyote articles, non helping much- I bought my first coyote book- a book by Tom Miranda. Tom was popularizing th walkthrough flat set as taught by Odon Corr. This looked simple enough to me- and I underlined in yellow highlighter the main points and memorized the measurements of the set. I studied that book from cover to cover. And low and behold- I caught a few coyotes! This flat set thing really worked. Over the past decade and a half, I’ve refined my methods a little and no longer make sets hoping to catch a coyote, but make sets knowing I’ll take a coyote. But I still use a version of that basic walkthrough set- and if you never had luck with making flat sets, here’s my version on how to make a simple, basic flat set.
To begin with, let me give you a little tip that it took me a season or two to figure out- don’t try to use flat sets in unblendable situations. That is- a flat set made for example in tall grass. Yes, some of you are quick to point out that with experience a flat set can be made anywhere- in grass for example grass can be cut with a scissors and used to blend. But those are refined techniques, best used later in the game after you have some confidence and skill in making flat sets. And the best way to do that is by catching coyotes.
To start out- look for bare spots in sparse cover. While conditions vary from area to area, all places have such features. It could be logging trails, cattle trails, pasture, croplands, sagebrush areas, sandy washes- whatever might occur in your particular region. All of these types of areas fit the bill. After locating the general location, start looking for a specific location. One tip is this- use the natural guides and “barriers” already in place- on a road for example use the edge of the road. On a crop field set on the field edges, on hayfields set in the corners, on waterways set on the points- use fences, hedgerows, etc. to make your set less multi directional. In other words- use whatever natural features are there to have the coyote approach your set from the side you want him to. Getting him coming in to a set the direction you want is a good part of success.
Look for a specific location that has a backing of some small sort facing the main direction of approach. This can be a rock, a cow patty, a field edge or in my case more often than not- a weed line or at least a bunch of grass higher than its neighbors. I look for this backing- or place one if I so desire- to be next to a bare spot or semi bare spot. I like to call this set a Dust Circle set, because I most often make it in bare circles in heavily grazed pasture areas- and those dust circles of bare ground are fairly common in between the grass clumps.