Circle shy Coyotes

[Traveler]

We all know the term......we've all seen it before.Some years I have very few coyotes that act circle shy and other years I have a lot more of this sort of thing.


I remember Bill Nelson always said that blood was just and attraction and not to worry about it.This is probably true in most cases but I wonder if every coyote will react to blood the same.
In other words will blood make some coyotes afraid to come inside the circle ?

I doubt anybody has the real answer as to why some coyotes are circle shy and some are not.Anybody have any thoughts or theories on this Thanks for any replies.

[trappincoyotes39]

I have found the size of the circle makes a differance as well. A larger circle better than a small one, and always have fresh set on the location. Also set the edge of a really torn up area with the dirty trap helps at times as well.

[ChrisM]

Some are and some aren't because different coyotes have different levels of caution, suspicion, fear, confidence, curiosity,etc..

As for the circle shyness itself... I've long believed its a visual thing. Get a light covering of snow and they walk all over the circle. Also you can feather out the hard edge of the circle and it will help considerably.

[ksboy2]

so most of us have more traps than we run at any given time... remake the original... fresh set on the edge... and another fresh set just down prevailing wind...

[trappincoyotes39]

Yes on the right track IMO and agree with Chris, that is why the larger circle is worked more often IMO than a smaller one, it is "feathered" out more and less apprihention overall. Chains 18" -36" seem to have done better for me through the years than short chained trap remakes.

I remember one spot down by Yankton, SD years back I had set, long drainage comming up to the HWY and the James river a pinch point location 4 checks and 4 coyotes all in that remake set. None of those 4 had any cause not to work the remake but high coyote densities for sure.

[Traveler]

Coyotes39......was these four in a row pups or adults ? I haven't kept records on this so I'm not sure if I remember right or not,but it seems like when I've had refusals to come in a catch circle...then I placed a new set with a clean trap and caught him,most of these have been adult coyotes with a fair percentage older dogs.

[trappincoyotes39]

I really don't remember back in the 90's but 4 coyotes is 4 coyotes. I don't put much stock into the whole adult/ young of the year thing. I have caught adult old coyotes in very common set's. In fact most of your adult dog coyotes are agressive by nature.

[ksboy2]

i agree i catch more older coyotes in remakes... pups first night in stinky dirtholes

[bfflobo]

My dirt is mostly sandy loam. 16"+ chain is needed so the coyote pulls away from the stake and not up. This sometimes leaves a mound in the circle. If the weather is right this mound might be 16" high. I take a shovel and break the hard line by throwing some dirt in and some out. If the chain isn't all used up I will just reset right on top. Sometimes I will need to flatten it out enough to expose more chain and swivels. Then gather up all the loose twigs, grass, sticks and poops, pile them on the shady side of the mound, add a drop of lure or bait and move on. Usually have another set or two close by. If they are all circles too, might add a fresh one close by but usually not. Quite often the mound is where the next catch is and not the untouched one.

[trappnman]

Quite often the mound is where the next catch is and not the untouched one.

I find that to be the case more often than not- where I have a couple of well worn sets, and feel I should add a fresh, almost invariably the next catches are still in the old sets, and the fresh is untouched.

[trappincoyotes39]

It also depends on where your putting the fresh set in relation to the wind, again lets not forget a great attractor is a caught coyote and those running together, but using the wind and knowing where those others will approach a caught coyote from is key as well.

[ksboy2]

lobo... you mean a mound like this? LOL

haha

never seen anything like it


first catch he built the mound


a few days later... second catch


remake of the remake....

[bfflobo]

Yup, common site for me. Happens fast with dry soil and a wet, big flake snow storm.

[bogio]

Killed the 10th coyote at one particular pair of sets today. 6th one in this trap, 4 for the other. No doubles, just one at a time. Just keep remaking into same bed/hole. Lure/bait has remained the same. You can smell this location from a ways away now. Baited up with carcasses on original setup about 30 yards west of sets. Have several sets this year that have taken 3 or 4. Just reset and blend it out.

[trappnman]

5th coyote at this set- that big hole, is from a back footed coyote, not the set itself. can't get much well worn than that. an untouched set, was maybe 30 feet to the right, and forward of this coyote



5 coyotes here as well, another trap about where i'm standing, took 2. one added mid week is to the left of this cooyte , took nothing. this set was like resetting a badger mound- it gre and grew-

one disadvantage, I guess, of shorter chains-

both these are in 6 checks.

I know, I know- I NEEDED MORE TRAPS-

[foxman]

Good read. All my traps are fairly short chained. I can only remember a few times that I caught another coyote in the set the next day, I typically pick one up a bit further down the lane in a fresh set. It seems to take 2-3 days before that remake hits. Im curious after reading the idea of short chained circles vs long chained circles. If it really seems to make a difference in there reaction? I feel that a catch circle is a catch circle, all smell like a critter and are torn up. Sure some more then others.. But what makes them feel more comfortable with it? Coyote population is pretty dense around here i would say. Any more input? I must say im rather perplexed. Coyote behavior is one area i will admit to being rather ignorant in.

[trappnman]

I think too much is made of long chain and short chain catch circles- all my catch circles, are from short chained traps, and as you can see, are plenty big.

One could make the arguement I guess, that long chains, give less of a circle- but I wodner about that- I've caught coon and coyotes on drags, and when that drag is in the open, you got a catch circle although big, still as worn down as a "smaller " circle.

I'm surprised that with the populations you are saying you have, that your catch circles aren;t constant producers.

Even here, where my coyote population compared to oh say a place like Indiana is miniscule.........

I'm still taking most of my coyotes quickly, in remakes, even with fresh sets closeby.

how are you remaking your sets?

[foxman]

I reset the trap in the original bed, dig out the original hole, re lure and go about my way.

[trappnman]

don't know then-

are you feathering out the circles? I'm one of the believers of no hard edges-

one thing I do, That I know many frown on but so be it- is I like to use a lot of urine at remakes and spray it liberally around the set.

[foxman]

Hmm, more food for thought. Thanks steve.