last loop & end of line pix

[trappnman]

Driest autumn on record here (going back 141 years)- and 5th warmest. had a couple of drops of rain one day, a skiff of snow another- otherwise, sure was pleasant weather this year.

fyi- cut off the auger on a coon cuff hand auger, and boy oh boy does that single split blade go through hard packed dirt like nothing else we've tried.

[trappnman]

end of the line- all here but 7 that are not in for various reasons...



for those counting, they are hung in groups of 4

[Rally Hess]

Nice of Lori to let you get in her catch picture.
The picture that includes your tailgate with the Amsoil sticker. What are all those bumps on that yote? Bunches of cockle burs?

[fishdaddy]

lot of fur there

[foxman]

Good chunk of yotes there, seems to be a very successful season!

[mustelameister]

Beautiful pics Steve. Wish the fall had an extra couple of weeks in it so I could experiment with some coyote trapping.

[RdFx]

Hey Muskrat, pull up your suspenders and use cables and since we have rain use peat moss on foothold sets and give her. I cant believe an old river rat is afraid of moisture!!!!!!!!!!!! LOL

[musher]

Nice photos. The one of both of you with the dog is a framer.

I guess you have to get close to see if you have a badger!

If that's a huge fox turd with the red, I'd like to know what it was eating.

[trappnman]

the set in top pic, we have been setting up in exactly same spot on that little hillside. the dirthole over the years is big enough to be a den, but narrow. good producer, more fox than coyotes but last few years thats been reversed.

Rally, couldn't trap these without Lori- she runs the lne on setting and pulling days- I get the gravy in maintaining them. Every once in a while she gets a "free" day where we are mostly just checking. Buddy is a big help as well......................

Yes, burrs. most had only 1 or 2 if that, but a few had them big time. Also saw a lot more with that barrell type burr- not real common around here, most times its the standard cockleburrs. not many sticktights this year for whatever reason.

Musher, you can see it a mile away, that volcano of dirt. most times though you have to look into hole to see him- never yet had one pull out or pull stakes. not sure what that black is in the one pic-

[freepop]

Nice haul, good job!

Nice looking beagle too.

[17HMR]

Great pics Steve!
That deep catch with the montana, I have had 5 or 6 like that with them too, how they get that deep still baffles me. Any ideas?

[Noel]

Nice pile of coyotes Steve, thanks for sharing

[jim]

Steve what per cent are YOY. As I posted earlier I had only about 1/3 of total YOY. Jim

[Aaron.F]

Great pictures and nice bunch of coyotes. Is that beagle trapline trained?

[trappnman]

semi trapline trained- will trail anything on a drag, and we do set up at times where he chooses to pee. He learned this year gophers down a hole, are not always a good thing.............

jim, its hard to say- I used to keep good record on such, but don't keep any records lately.

some areas were top heavy with adults, others of course had more pups. I'd say 60% maybe YOY at my best guesstimate.

17- I think of 2 things- too much tension, or coming in on a bent knee........

[redsnow]

Very nice. Some good looking yotes.

[jdpaint]

Great season . Like seeing pics of differant parts of the country.Some good size holes you use.

[LKVL]

Nice catch of MN coyotes.........Awesome

[trappnman]

thanks guys- a few less than last year, but more satisfying for whatever reason this year-

We ran 5 loops from between 45 and 100+ traps (at end of season we overlapped some) and while we never had any huge days (9 was biggest day) we had a lot of consistent days. I've been told I should hit it harder, but one can drive only so much, and still enjoy the line. and that's what it comes down to- we enjoy the hell out of coyote trapping- and by running like we do, we can stretch out the line to a good 5 weeks, whereas the option would be to compress all lines into just 2-3......bigger days, but I do enough skinning each day to keep us happy, and why limit the fun to just 2-3 weeks?

Highlight of the line was getting 3 doubles, on 4 setups on adjoining farms at end of the day. And 2 years in a row, 1st check at first location of the year gave us a double..always a good omen.

Set traps much closer than we usually do, more because of ground conditions, and got more doubles by far this year I think. Whether that had anything to do with it, not sure.

Those that know me know I'm not much into season end pic- first time I've taken one since 1986, but as 1080 reminds me, not getting any younger and every year might be my last "big" year.

Ran 90% Montana's with screens, 10% dukes with poly.

Primary lures were Cachottier, XLDC, Pikubua, bravehearts "21" lure and a lure from a guy in MI called Sweet Baby which I really liked.

Used Showtime and pocket gophers for bait. All sets urined heavily.

MM- I grew up as primarily a water trapper- rats & mink were what you trapped cause longhairs were worthless. Started trapping coyotes in mid 80s simply because I was going heavy into seasonal trapping, and coon were my target. Had a farmer say could trap coon, but trap the coyotes too. I trapped a couple, and next year tried a little more, with little success, then following year got 15, then 20 something and next thing I knew- water was for winter, fall was for coyotes.

Nothing, nothing in trapping turns me on like a coyote in a trap, and that's including my cat in KS. don't know what it is, but when you get hooked on coyotes, its an addiction. Like the song says- you want more, more, more.....

[RdFx]

Hmmmm just like sex eh Steve...LOL...