another season upon us...............

[trappnman]

6 weeks from today, we will be setting coyote traps. Traps are dyed and waxed, dry dirt is well underway, skinner is being made, and still have final route permissions and cable stakes to make left to do. Can't wait.

Going to do only a few things different this year- going to transition over to iowa stakes, and am going to both set more traps on select locations, but increased the size of each line.

alos going to set more coon traps on land- got away from the last 2 years as other things more important to accomplish, but am passing up too many coon that help pay the bills.
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during the last year, we have had a lot of discussions on things ranging from rat floats, to becoming a "spot on" coyote trapper.

lots of people put in time and effort to bring you those discussions, and talking to a few guys, we wondered is it all in vane?

Are any of you going to change the way you do things? Or the way that you think about things? Have your thoughts on lures and odors changed? On what traps, or pans, or traps covers to use?

Or how to put up fur differently, or how to market fur, or any of the sundry things discussed here.

or is everyone set in their ways?

Is this a learning experience, or just entertainment?

[irnhdmike]

Although I don't often contribute much to the discussions I enjoy and some times study all of them. Like to feel I glean bits of info from them. Have pickup some things I use a lot. If you remain open minded you will never stop learning.

[thorsmightyhammer]

Am I gonna do anything different this year?

Yep, I think I'm gonna trap muskrats

[redeagle]

I'm going to use more than one trap at each set (traps are on drags). I've seen enough tracks in the snow to convince me that they will many times circle the set without committing to the spot where the pattern is. I've got the extra traps- may as well use them. Another thing, I don't want to have a miss using one trap, only to have to wait until the next time the animal passes through the location, to have a second chance at him. Also, going to set out a lot more cable restraints than I have been using in the past. I like using them but usually don't want to take the time to set them up when it's faster to make sets with regular traps.

[slik1]

I have learned quite a few things from here. Takes on things here are good, as so are the lengthy discussions. There is a lot of info here, if a person wants to put in the time to decipher all the information. Some on here reveal lots of info, some do not. The ones that do, you know who you are. Been playing with a few jake traps, awesome trap for sure. If I am successful on a honest test, I will try to post some pics. Keep up the good work on this site, lots more to learn here.

[Velgang]

The one thing my son and I will do this season is keep a detailed log book. We have tried it in the past but after the first week of November and things start to get busy we stopped taking notes. It wont be rocket science, just a note book with the farm/property name on top. A crude map of farm lanes and two tracks and an "X" at each set location. Then we will use codes for each set. Example, DH (dirt hole) Brand "A" bait with a shot of red fox urine) and so on.

We need to see what lures and bait work for what animals. We always use our old favorites but we seem to always add a few new lures and bait each season. With a note book/log book we will be able to see what lure or baits work the best for us in our areas.

We dont have a lot of Bobcats here in southern Michigan and the ones we catch we have to release (no season down here) but last year I used Lenons Bobcat lure and found Grey Fox liked it a lot. So you know what I'll be using for Grey Fox this year.

Thats part of our goal this year is to keep detailed records. The other goal we, or should I say Joseph has is he wants to keep track of "His" and My fur. When we are at a location we always set two traps, sometimes more. Well this season since he is 17 and feeling a little froggy and wants to try and out do the old man.... We will keep track of everything we catch....His and mine. He even put in his own lot number for the fur sale this winter. (I havn't told him yet after the fur sale I will hand him a bill for his share of the gas money!!!)

[seldom]

I've changed several things this year but really none related to topics we've discussed. Last year 1080 had me more cognisent of stall-outs so this year, more so. This year I will have moved completely out of the crop ground. Also, the only trapping I'll be doing during our 2-week firearm deer season is some rat ponds and spending tne rest of the deer season putting up fur. The snowmobile and trailer will extend my trapping another two months specifically for coyote. My deer hunting clubs that are normally inaccessible are very happy to hear.

Concerning Velgang's record-keeping:
I've always found record-keeping pretaining to canines to be invaluable. It allows me to reach objective conclusions at year end of the catch per set ratio of the different scents and combos! Last year I quit using my little notebook and started using my IPad with the Penultimate app since I'm working out of my truck. Super! Allows me to save every note and sketch to a PDF file!! The use of the IPad with snowmobile will be a non-issue.

[trappnman]

I used to keep detailed records, but now I keep very few- I do a a line map, with X's for traps

I used to keep minute details on each set, but over the years found I didn't need most of it, and often the pattern was clear and consistent so no more need.

I used to keep notes on the lure/bait, and gradually limited that to just new sets (hard to keep track on remakes). I can't remember dates and lots of stuff, but things on the coyote line I can remember at least long enough to form conclusions- like a new lure, I know where I used it, and its either better, worse or the same compared to my normal lures at that location.

I the same or worse, I forget about it, if its better I add it.

I did find out by making sets with gopher, commercial bait, and commercial bait and gopher that the combined natural bait and the prepared bait out produced (in the sense that if only one set worked, it was that one). Thats the trouble with multiple attractions- one might be worked first but the unworked one might be just as good.

About all we do on lures is ask what each other is using at that location, so we don't make exact matches

I should keep records on sex, and pups in females, but never have, and to be honest the info wouldn't (although I can hear someone saying it should) change anything.

[bogio]

Opens exactly two months from today here.

Saw a coyote yesterday while running Virlin near one of my locations. Thank God he's one of those red ones the buyers get so excited about.

Making several changes as per the discussions that have taken place here this summer.

[garbage collector]

dry grnd and waxed dirt done month or so ago. Biggest changes where going to a 3 swivel chain set up on all k9 traps. Saw where 2 swivel setups where still getting clogged especially in bean fields and tall grass. Also since for the first time I'll be dbl staking most traps, chestnut ends where added to most traps. I have other traps that are always cable staked no matter what, don't need to explain that.
Last yr spent considerable time looking for the stall out spots mentioned, unfortunately haven't found these spots, tracking in the snow the only places I saw where the yotes slowed was when they hit ground hog holes and stopped to investigate. At dump piles they went straight in never slowing or milling.
The one thing it showed me was where to place the sets so they see and smell them. Also the travel routes they prefer to run. these were on 2 new properties so I had more or less cold rolled them in Nov . Love snow

[cdanneman]

i'm from sw mn and was trying to find out when i should start trapping coyotes could some of you from mn give me some advise. Last year i started trapping coyotes and stated about the second weekend in Oct and took a week to get my first one and it was a young one and only brought 1 dollar. then the next one was higher so was it because the first on was just a lower quality young one. Any help will be appreshated.

[thebeav2]

lets see I have 437 1 1/2 sized traps ready to go. 437 stools and 70 colony traps along with stakes to go with each stool are all loaded and ready to go. Frezers are ready to load. Will have 100 160 body grips. Hey 49ner I won't be short of traps this time around. LOL
Leaving on the 15th or 16th Oh ya I'm going to trap rats.
By the 20th or so I should have all my sets pre made except for the colony traps. Then It's time to catch a few coon and maybe trap or call a few yotes. And catch a few eyes and some big pearch. Life Is great

[thorsmightyhammer]

You will be if you need 438.

You got my number.

[trappnman]

I can't tell you about SW MN coyotes, but can tell you about SE ones

If I wanted to trap when they were, for the most part "ready" insofar as primeness and fullness of fur, I'd wait until 2nd week or so of Nov- and if I wanted everyone to be in that range, I'd only trap the window from Dec 1st until they start rubbing

but I don't, I start early for a couple of reasons. This year will be starting oct 11th, which is within a day or so of my annual start date. At that date, most are furred up pretty nice and any weakness furwise is on the belly. they aren't prime yet of course, but I find that more times than not fur quality trumps leather. and as you say, they get better every week.

I start with a loop that has few fox, coon etc so thats not a concern, and then by the 2nd week, coon/fox/badger are open, and on them, the ones away from the water that have any size, are very saleabe, the weak ones less so- but again, they get better everyday