The Discussions Have Helped

[bogio]

This is the head of a draw that runs about a mile and a half southwest from the river before petering out here on the flat/prairie or whatever you would prefer to call it. The road that proceeds over the hill ahead of my truck is running dead north. At the point by the tree it also forks off to the right or east and follows the field edge around. I ran one set at this fork. Over the fence to the right of the big tree (east) about 10 yards I established a carcass pile with coyotes on the flat. Just across the fence from my truck is a high knob, down wind and overlooking the carcasses. There is a set there. North across the draws on top is an old hay ring site by a gate opening out to the field road. There is a set there also.



Straight south. Field road leads out 300 yards to east/west gravel road where I access location.



Draw station. Birds are working it hard.





Beside and on top of the knob facing north and lying south of the carcasses.



Facing south from the carcass pile looking up to the set location.



One of four coyotes off the knob.



One of four coyotes at the road fork.



Only coyote caught at hay ring site.

Maybe not THE SPOT but a good location none the less. I'm learning about "high and down wind". An additional set has been added at the south knob.

[trappincoyotes39]

why NO double or triple sets at any of these locations?

[bogio]

There was a double set at the fork in the road, only one hit over and over. I've pulled them as the road became a freaking mess with the freeze and thaw and the tractor running up and down it. Farmer said he saw the catch circle and thought it was from his bulls fighting. I've added a second set on the knob. Should have been there from the start but you know. Woulda, shoulda, coulda.

Rind around the rosie, 1080, pockets full of posies.

[Nick C]

A lot of nice habitat there Bogio. Comparing my pics to yours, I'd say you have 10 times the cover! lol

I was passing through your neck of the woods yesterday. And there is lots of fine coyote country down thataway!

[Possum]

You gotta toss the carcasses somewhere and they probably don't hurt anything. But don't get to thinking they are mandatory, either. My guess is you would do as well carcasses or not. It does look like you have some happy crows. Hard to tell by photos, but the corner north of the tree in top photo looks like the prime spot. I'd have set a couple there, right off. Hard to tell on the other locations.

[trappnman]

I beleive, they help any location, to the point I often carry a skinned one down the road. It just gives them one more reason to mill about, esp if you aren't "spot on".

heres a good discussion point- how should one present the carcasses?

I've done it abotu every way possible- throwing singletons or two in weeks, throw them in the open fields, throw them on the dead pile, and yes, even the ring of death. but my carcasses seldom last more than a day, or two esp if multiple piles in the open- the eagles make short work of them. we drove along the river weds, and lori counted over 80 sitting on the ice, before she got tired of counting- thats how many eagles we have here

so, what would be the "correct' way to use carcasses? in the open, hidden, does it matter in relation to the sets? can you have too many? does quanity influence reaction?

enquiring minds want to know.....

[trappnman]

nick and bogio- If you don't mind, where are you two located in Iowa? my recollection is nick you are in NW quadrant, and bogio in the SE one?

[bogio]

That circle is the result of unchecked OCD.

[bogio]

Tman

That is correct.

Nick

If you are coming this way some time give me some warning, see what we can do.

Possum

My crows have white heads. Look at picture #9 of the coyote caught just north of that corner. You can see the other set just off the tip/edge of the green corner. That set languished there the entire time without so much as being given the time of day. Tracks repeatedly went by it to the other set. It looked just like all my other sets and was lured/baited with a combination that has been whacking them at other spots. I think it is a matter of "where".

[bogio]

9 coyotes.

A pretty decent location but took some time to produce that many. Did it simply need more traps on it or is there a better SPOT here? I'll try to get some shots up of what lies on back to the north. Interested to hear if you think I was correct to set here, or if I missed it.

[bogio]

Road runs straight north, makes a 90 to the east, hooks around the end of a small draw then turning back north to end at a gate going into a timber pasture.

1-

Northwest at the 90

2-

Northeast at the 90

3-

East. Hooks around between the end of the draw and that big tree where the tractor is sitting.

4-

Around and turning back north

5-

North

6-

Northwest where the road ends

7-

Northeast where the road ends

8-

Southeast where the road ends

9-

End of the road


I HAVE GOT TO GET A VIDEO CAMERA!

[trappnman]

nice trapping rig- bet you can go anywhere...just must be a bitch on gas...

I edited your post to add numbers to the pic, to make discussion easier

where are the stacks, in relation to pic #1?

where is the dried pond, in relation to pic #6?

[bogio]

By stacks I assume you mean the big bales. Look at #2 which is looking NE instead of NW. They would be right of center of the crest of that next hill over. Maybe 500 yards as the crow flies.

Dried pond? Do you mean the terrace with all the horse weeds on it just past the tractor? Straight south 300 yards or so.

Snapped a shot of one of our crows for ya Possum!

[trappnman]

thanks-

I'd be looking around the bales, and between bales and terrace ( looked like a spillway on it in the one pic)

[bogio]

What makes you prefer those areas over where I am set or do you?

I think what you are calling a spillway is actually a blowout in the terrace. A little dozer work is in order.

[trappnman]

I'm not sure where you set- if you posted where your sets are, I either can't find, or don't know it when I see it

to me, the bales look like the spot where coyotes would stall out- plus, unless I'm not seeing the attraction, it appears to be the only thing that would be a go to point-

is there a dead pile in the area?

[bogio]

The second series of photos is what lies on back in if you continued on the field road past my set location. I want to know if anyone thinks there is a better spot than where I set. That bale stack is a constant, it is there every year. Where around it would be the optimum spot? For what it is worth, last year I set my present location AND the hay bales. My location caught several coyotes then also while the bales produced ZERO. Does that prove anything?

No dead pile that I am aware of. Most cattle that die around here lie where they die or in the closest bit of brush.

[trappnman]

Bogio- I don't know where your set location(s) is(are)

where are you set vis a vis the numbered pics, and what was the coyote take and time frame?

what made the entire area, a come to spot?

[bogio]

All photos in the thread are one location. They show from my access off the gravel road to where the field road ends. I think I noted most distances.

[bogio]

Here are some more pictures from this farm to better show what lies in the back portion. Is there a BETTER location than where I set up closer to the access?



I walked up NE of the tractor into the field and shot this for a reference. Outside fence corner is straight south of hay bales.

This next series is straight east of the tractor at the crest of the field above those terraces. I tried to link the pictures together by starting and stopping with a common tree or feature to give a reference for where one stops and the next begins.



Northwest. You can see the outside corner that was in the previous shot.



Northeast. Outside corner is to the left.



East



South. The tall trees at the right end of the treeline, just right of the crop change, are my present location.



Southwest. Trees on the left edge are my location. Gap between draw and big tree towards the right is where the tractor was sitting.

This next series I walked farther east to the edge of the cultivated field.



Northwest. That outside corner is out of view to the left.



North.



East. On the other side of that big draw, it rises up into cultivated ground again out to the North/South hard road.



Southeast



South.



West. Tall tree in the center is where the tractor was sitting. Just noticed I have opposing outside fence corners north and south of each other.