Flat set fencing issues

[trappincoyotes39]

I have made a pile of flat sets because they are quick and easy alot of times when you can't dig a hole or as mentioned the flat set is a natural looking set alot of times. Many times I want them to find the set location with their nose and not their eye's a flat set fits the bill in those cases.

I always use a loose jaw guard as I call it. Something to get their feet from the dead on middle, many will work on angles due to wind and location of set but by adding the jaw guard at 6 o clock, I leave them a natural approach thru the set. Alaways have 2 smells at my flat sets and use a nice backing. My pan is the lowest point in the set and just makes for a natural walk thru type flat set.

I have used many things to guide them cactus, bean stubble, rocks, sticks, thick grass blades poked in the ground weeds etc. I just keep all of it on the outside to not over crowd and allow them to work thru to the smells and the pan being slightly lower presents the perfect place to put a foot to inspect things.

Flat sets take on many forms t bones, punch holes, wood backing, yucca plants, etc etc. Even a trench set could be called a flat set per say the trench is nothing more than a guide to get them to put a foot on the pan. Many are made with no bait or lure along a travel way a showy flat set per say.

[thrstyunderwater]

Jun 20, 2011 14:21:16 GMT -6 ChrisM said:

Sure! Lots of that stuff has its place Steve, but not to a novice trapper who's asking about reducing misses. Sounds to me like he already has read to much...(the "mafia set") ...and over thinking it. If he attempts to guide too much or "fence" as he calls it. I have a real good idea what his sets will look like. Unnatural and constructed!

I'm not an expert but I'm not a novice. My sets were too open, I wasn't fencing the coyotes enough. By fencing I mean something subtle like a baseball sized stone, small pile of rocks, ect.

I don't have any pictures of my sets but they're very subtle, and were too open. That's why I had a lot that were visited but the coyote was to the left or right of the attractant.

I talked to an old government trapper and he gave me some advice including a horeshoe set. I've caught 3 coyotes over the past 3 days, which I think is good for summer trapping where I have to be done checking traps by 10am.

[MRussell]

flat sets are an awesome tool. I agree that multiple smells work well with them. I use some sort of backing, wood, clump of grass, whatever is handy. I blend them very well and lure lightly. They work well by themselves and are a great second or third set when I put in dirt holes.

[Danny Clifton]

Thirsty I'm still interested in the results you get. Looking forward to reading them.

[mostinterestingmanintheworld]

In my experience fencing and coyotes don't go together all that well. A baseball sized stone isn't something I would consider subtle either, that would be like putting a basketball there for someone your size.

If you are seeing a couple of tracks that miss the pan I'd question the effectiveness of your lure.

[trappnman]

it all depends on whats in the area I think.

for example, rocks. I have a couple of hill road locations, that are also used by cattle. I find that softball and bigger sized rocks, which are everywhere on the road, serve as effective guides both at guiding the coyote, but keeping the cows out. Since its natural to the area, the bigger guides work great.

have another pond location, where its pastured 365, and the approaches (flats) by the pond, are filed with both coyote and cow tracks. Here, i use sticks, 3-5 inches in diameter as guides, and I pretty much block in the whole set, tight. This keeps the cows out, and yet seems to not bother the coyotes at all.

but overall, I'd agree with joel i nthat big gihudes, that are out of place, can cause coyotes to be wary.

[foxcatcher1]

I think Steve hit it on the head with his first post. Set construction/ location should be all the guiding you need. I try not to put too much down at a coyotes set.

With that said, i will sometimes use a small dirt clod or piece of bean stubble to discourage the coyote from stepping outside the trap. The loose jaw is, to me, the most critical area to dissuade a coyote from stepping.

I read Steve's article a few years ago on the set he described and believe it helped me catch more coyotes. I already used a similar set but using the grass clumps and creating a slight depression increased my catch for sure. I use the set construction concept more than ever now.

Don

[RdFx]

Ah the suttleness of each trapper in making his sets! One has to notice that each successful yote trapper has his own ideas on what makes his set connect. Area in which trapper works most of his sets probably also dictates what he uses and works.

[trappincoyotes39]

I too have always made an effort to make the pan the lowest point in the pattern but lowest is realative to what it means to EACH trapper. I'm not a step down per say guy just make the pan by dirt work the lowest in the pattern. Doesn;t need to be much and subtle guiding is always done on my coyote sets.

RDFX great post exactly........................