a little over 3 months to go!

[trappnman]

and i'll be skinning coyotes. ;D

found a "hidden" plateau earlier this year, that will either become a new loop, or a major part of an existing loop.

Needed an in, and got it yesterday- one of the big dairys in the area called me to gopher trap, and said they would love to have me trap coyotes this fall, and they could give me a bunch of names of other dairy farmers they know, that would welcome me to trap. seems like they all are getting sick of the dog hunters.

this last area, might well be the final piece of my territory and would allow me to rearrange farms into other loops, allowing me to fill up each loop, to the point where I couldn't really run more w/o going to 1080 type hours, and thats not going to happen

anyone else getting excited about coyotes?

[brentparker]

I am, waiting for an answer on a new ranch with 25,000 acres and if they allow it several others in the area will allow it as well. Its right next to the border and will see a regular supply of mexico coyotes coming up!

[thorsmightyhammer]

Jun 26, 2013 7:25:19 GMT -6 trappnman said:

anyone else getting excited about coyotes?

Yup...................................................

[trappincoyotes39]

I never worried about number of acres more so locations and what they offered over shear acres., I want the location even if the guy only owns 300 acres as long as I have permission on the location I want.

[braveheart]

I think about them every day.New line almost done and it will be 1080 hours.

[17HMR]

yup, looking forward to it! Seems that as soon as the days quit getting longer I start getting my mind on fall.

[trappnman]

something about trapping coyotes, seems to put me into a different place than other kinds of trapping.

most other species are so simple in their habits that its a pretty short learning curve and it just becomes harvesting.

but coyotes...ah, thats as different a trapping gig as being consistent in muskie fishing vs catching panfish.

the first year, never having seen a minnesota coyote, and never having set a trap for 1, in 2 weeks I caught 7. Thought- that was kind of fun, the next year I'm going to try for 20- give it a real go for 2 weeks before water opened.

the next year- now having read a bit about coyote trapping and coming out of my best coon years (peaking at a few under 900) I thought coyotes look out, here I come!

yeah...that worked out to increasing my first year catch of 7, to an outstanding total take in 2 weeks of...ZERO. Using all my new methods, of course.

so that, to be quite frank, pissed me off. I was determined to learn by my mistakes.

and the next year, I did get 15, then a few more every year until I broke a hundred (opening of water was long forgotten by this time) and I thought I was IT . About that time, after getting into a few debates on the old trappers forums, a guy from SD called me, and said I didn't seem hopeless, so he wanted to help me. That guy was Scott Huber, old WileyE- and I thanks him constantly, for getting me thinking about the research, and the habits and innate natures of coyotes. Chris M also shared freely his advise. So two real coyotemen, men that lived and breathed coyotes, opened my eyes to both what I knew, and what I didn't know.

So I studied the reasearch, and applied what I learned. and again started thinking I was indeed IT....coyoteman extraordinare.

but that knowledge, and that mindset of thinking, was just the tip of the iceburg-

so now after almost 3 decades, I'm climbing to that next level, albeit it slowly, and find that coyotes are the only furbearer, that I think about constantly- constantly planning, thinking, mulling things over. Wondering WHY something occurs, understanding that some things ARE givens, some things are not.

if I had to choose to trap only one thing, and if I had the money to not have to have additional sources of income- I'd dick around trapping coyotes 365.

people often say- if I could be back in my twenties with the knowledge I have now.....

ah, if I could be setting that first coy-o-tee trap 28 years ago..... with the knowledge I have now...and to build on that for 28 years......

there wouldn't be a coyote left in southern minnesota

[brentparker]

I agree about acres but everytime the state fly's this proerty it consistantly has the highest coyote numbers on it in that area when they do their ground surveys. Also when howling this area it consistantly has coyotes on it. This particular area has the highest coyotoe densities I have personnaly seen. I called the ranch beside it a couple of weeks ago for a control job, made 4 stands killed 5 saw 6. The day before drove thru looking it over and saw 8. It would be a great area to add to my line for sure. The area to the north of it that I did trap produced 82 coyotes in 6 weeks. I know the area has potential.

[blackhammer]

One animal bores me after while. Although if we had big numbers of fox and or mink the're probably my favorite animals. Just have never got the coyote bug. Might try to catch a few in October but mostly likely in spots I feel I have a chance of catching fox.But heck I like catching everything rats,beaver of course coon. Variety keeps it interesting. Cats,fisher and marten if I could afford to leave my southern line behind would be in the mix every year too.
The one thing I may try to use coyote trapping for, is to open up property to trap other animals.
I seem to have a knack for catching five dollar coyotes. That soured me pretty fast.

[trappincoyotes39]

Brent I fully get your point. Yet many claim because of mass acres they will clean up on this or that, with coyotes one can cut out a lot of real estate by just looking at it on a map, google earth and running the property. That can and does change after pressure is applied and when certain times of the year take place.

I'm with you on coyote densities and to figure out why they are thick in that area is a good learning curve for us all. Some of the highest I have seen are because of timing of the year and feed opportunity. Then others because of what that location offers for food,cover and travel combined. I had an area that was 4 miles n-s and 8 miles e-w and in that kind of acreage I had 4 really good hammer them spots be it traps, snares or calling. A Handful of landowners and run of the entire 32 sq miles. It took me a while to figure out those hammer them spots as it was rough country with various drainages running through it all. The denning spots stayed constant and so did the good trapping and snaring spots come winter maintence time. I know I could go to place A every spring and call in a pair of coyotes and where their den would be within 500 yrds year to year, a fun place for sure. 3 key denning locations in this area. Then a lot of migration come late fall and into the winter. Indian reservations are coyote factory's !

[thorsmightyhammer]

Hammer, you have access to an unlimited amount of mink. Just need to get out of that bluff country

Point that ranger west all day, spend the night in some flea bag motel and run another line back

[blackhammer]

Jun 27, 2013 17:48:20 GMT -6 thorsmightyhammer said:

Hammer, you have access to an unlimited amount of mink. Just need to get out of that bluff country

Point that ranger west all day, spend the night in some flea bag motel and run another line back

Your right about the mink. I can still probably make more trapping coon closer to home. As far as traveling for rats I have no excuse.

[Nick C]

How far a long are the crops for you all?

Everything was planted very late around here and most of the state of Iowa.

We're thinking its going to be a late harvest.

I hope we're done combining corn by Nov 1st.

Our season opens Nov 2nd.

[blackhammer]

Jun 27, 2013 20:35:44 GMT -6 Nick C said:

How far a long are the crops for you all?

Everything was planted very late around here and most of the state of Iowa.

We're thinking its going to be a late harvest.

I hope we're done combining corn by Nov 1st.

Our season opens Nov 2nd.

Where in the same boat Nick. The old knee high by the forth of July of years ago is aplicable this year. Corn has really grown the last couple days. What got in or didn't flood out that is. It should be the latest harvest in years.I doubt if anyone with any numbers of acres at all will even be half done by November 1st.

[Nick C]

I agree, but am reluctant to admit it. As I don't want to be sitting in a tractor when I could be running traps.

A Lot can change weather-wise in the next 4 months though...

Guess I'll try to encourage the crew to stay out an extra few hours each night.

[brentparker]

TC39 I understood what you were getting at. One thing I have that most don't is a supply of coyotes coming north from Mexico that have not seen any pressure, calling ,trapping or otherwise. In that country it is a pleasant change from the norm. It could be mistaken for other parts of the country with its wide open spaces of grass and rolling hills. While it might sound like paradise and its close you always have to keep an eye open for illegals and drug mules which both come thru on a regular basis. Just another reason I run a dog with me at all times.

[trappnman]

same by me as well, except knee high by ther 4th isn't even a possiblity for most farmers around here. I see a few fields where its 5-8" high, but most by far are 2-4". They were still planting beans well into June.

the bright spot, insofar as harvest, is that there is a lot more, IMO, sileage corn being planted and with the lack of hay (maybe 1/10 of first crop off the ground here) lots will be taken early.

and I've never seen so many fields that haven't even been touched so far this year- so who know what they will do, if anything, with those.

I'm hoping for al ong, DRY summer.

blackhammer, you guys down there are really getting it compared to us. We get 1/2, you get 2 .....we get 2, you get 6 but even here, as recent as Weds, all the creeks were still bank high.

Creek rats do seem to come back good- for example that 17 inches of rain- my winter lines were normal- but this has been such a substained flood, who knows what will happen this year

[ColdSteel]

Had my best year ever on yotes last year shooting for triple digits this year mostly stayed out of the water it cost me I know but with my bounty on coyotes I can't complain plus the greys and reds and cats are hot now.I am also looking forward to trying some of Martys new products had good luck with them last year .This coyote trapping is way more exciting than pulling beaver and otter out of 330's

[Iowa Badger]

looking forward to a busy season, didn't fur trap much last year. make up for it this time.

[braveheart]

Finally got a female with some pups starting to yap.They are way off in the distance .