# FIRST COYOTE SET



## jimmy shutt (Jun 2, 2013)

So I've been laying steel for the Beavers and see this small Fawn all balled up in the water at the end of the beaver dam drainage area. two days in a row I could tell something has been working it. I pulled one of my #4 DLS to bring home today because this area I'm trapping Beaver I can only take 5 beavers, Pa goes by zone or areas for limits on beavers, a total of 65 for the whole State. the odds of me catching 5 beaves in one night would be equivalent to hitting the lotto but I don't want to find out since I took one yesterday and didn't think about it till last night that I left 5 traps set!!

okay....... so the deer is about eaten, the hams, all back straps nothing but front shoulders and head left but the hide is still intact sorta. so I drag it under the canopy of this little pine hammock and start to work. I place branches behind and on top of the carcass then covered with leaves only leaving a front shoulder exposed. now for the trap bedding, it's soft, spongy, wet, frozen all of the wrong bedding you can ask for. I get to digging, placed the trap as best I could, it had a little wobble to it so I kept punching the ground till I was okay with a little give as the whole area is soft. it's going to freeze tonight so it is what it is on my first set. having NO peat moss or anything for K-9 sets I'll take what happens.

how does this look to you guy's?????

the trap is set on right side of the circle I put the white stick in dirt to show about where it is. the trap should be in front of the stick and there is a yellow leaf about where the pan is behind the stick going towards the deer. being this is my beaver set up it's on 1/8 cable about 6 foot long so I wrapped it around the tree on the right the ran two 3/8 T-rebar stakes to hold it, with the cable wrapped it should chinch tight and be harder to pull those stakes, the trap chain has two crunch proof swivels. couldn't resist spooning out a little goodness from my castor jar..........thanks for looking and your advice is more than welcome.


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## hassell (Feb 9, 2010)

If they suspect anything in the trap area they'll go in behind and get the deer, I would have set 3 #3's around the bait or hung the bait above the traps.


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## Larry (Dec 2, 2010)

Heres the issue, if you know its going to freeze at night you just created a potential mess. Even your double long springs are strong enough to work through a timbered areas light freeze. The problem comes with the fact the trap action is slow and if you don't get toe you'll surely educate a canine when it snaps.

You say you don't have anything to prevent a freeze up? I beg the difference you have table salt at home I bet. Sure it will rust your trap and you'll have to rub a dub with a wire brush or something like I use "powdered citirc acid" to remove the rust. But that's baby stuff you can do in the summer over a beer or five!

1) So go back to the set and try these ideas. But go with these two items from the cupboard. 1) Table salt and 2) box with a roll of wax paper.

2) Spring the trap and lay it aside then sprinkle some salt directly on the the ground in bottom of the bed.

3) Tear off some wax paper the length of the bed. Make it big, as you can trim it with a pocket knife or tuck it in after you cover the trap. IMPORTANT!!! Crumple it up by rolling it in your hands. Crumple it until the crinkly noise is gone. Lay it in the bed when your done.

4) Re-bed the trap, just as you did before. Add some material under the jaws and springs to keep it from rocking. Add a pan cover made from you guessed it wax paper. If you use something like insulation or other material under the pan thats okay.

5) cover the trap and bed. Trim the bedding wax paper if required by using a pocket knife or tearing. Or simply roll it under and pack material over it.

6) grab your table salt and sprinkle it on the trap and also on an area a foot or so around the trap. Sodium Chloride has no scent so use as much as you think you need to keep the whole area from freezing. Be mindful, wooded lots don't freeze much because of decay, so adjust your sprinkling based on that.

7) You have a big area and only one set. ( I would have three traps here BTW) I would block the back of the carcass with some logs sticks and leaves. I would add some some guide peices to keep the yote headed straight in to the front of the carcass and over your trap. Since its a wooded area there should be plenty of branches and even small logs.

8) not required but if you have any beaver meat and/or guts left over. add a piece under a small log, 10 inches from the pan on the carcass end. Use you open hand, its 9 inches from the small finger tip to the thumb on most men. Measure to the jaw nearest the bait and walla you have a reliable 10 inch measurement ot the pan. Trust me this is critical. Because when the yote lowers his head, he will step its ten inches normally from his nose to that step.

Thats it.....if you have some fox urine put some on one of your guides.

Shouldn't take you about 8 minutes to make these changes and free up you trap from a potential frozen ground.

Lesson.......you have just ensured an operating trap. The wax paper even if it freezes to the ground or jaws, tears easily and barely impedes the traps performance. Two the salt sprinkled on the trap cover material may leave it wet but 97% will not freeze. Again the trap can spring upward as intended. Salting the area for a foot or two around the bed keep the ground looking wet. Its a visible clue to the canine that the area is fresh. Beaver meat is a perfect hold meat for canines. They simply love it. So while the deer throws off a scent far and wide...your piece of beaver meat/guts focuses the nose of the yote to the appetizer and you trap.

Next season if you get more traps...like some MB 550 for canines only. All with night latches cut in (http://woodtrekker.blogspot.com/2014/09/foothold-trap-modification-night-latch.html) ...wax the darn things. It will help allot when it comes to rust induced salt corrosion.

Larry


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## jimmy shutt (Jun 2, 2013)

thanks Mr. Hassell and Larry, I have a few MB 450's in the shack didn't plan on setting them out yet.

sad news is that's a brand new trap NEVER washed or anything just soaked two nights in the creek. I'm pulling the beaver line tomorrow anyway that's why I tossed that set in there figured what ever has been feasting on that deer in 4 inches of water the past week it might enjoy dry ground. and that's why I haven't set for K-9's I didn't want to educate them but I just might have done it tonight?????

Larry, I'm going to re-read what you posted and go back in a week with the right game plan, I still have my small beaver "parts" in the freezer and just skinned out that one today it's going to be cold so I can keep it in the garage mellowing out.


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## Larry (Dec 2, 2010)

I would not worry about tonight per say. Eastern coyotes may take a day or two to go into a site. Not that they wont be there tonight but eastern coyote behavior often lets them investigate then think about it before they commit. I can say only say this from tracks I have seen, but its been my observation for allot of years.

Now if that was western yote things change allot. For one you wouldn't have a carcass, it would of disintegrated the first night. But you are tending to the thoughts and stomach growling of a eastern coyote. They get plenty to eat and they take their time before they commit fully. Have no doubt they know the meat is there

Understand also when I said use some beaver meat. I meant it when I said appetizer. Keep the portion small. Make the yote look for it. the longer it looks the better chance you have of him stepping on the pan. Now at my house I would take some of that beaver meat and put it in my gun room for a few days. I would just put it in a bowl with tin foil or a jar and leave it open to air. Three days would be about right at 65 degrees. Once it ripens with smell or has mold on it then its ready.

Here's my other thought about your setup change. Many yotes just got married and thus they are indeed traveling in pairs. Now while one is busy tearing into that deer, the other one may just find your beaver. This is why I say you should make more sets. Don't worry about the new trap. Its needs rusted to take on dye anyway. I fact your doing it a favor by just speeding it up! The second set I would make would be about 10 yards from the carcass on the prevailing downwind side. Make a buried bait hole set here using your beaver. Now the ground wont be 100% frozen everywhere, find some sod that has leaves on it, the ground should be soft enough there to force a garden trowel into the ground to make a decent hole. Don't be afraid to make it bigger then what you read on the internet. Just throw some dirt around, be the coyote or fox that made the cache of beaver. Again use your salt to keep it looking fresh. Again be mindful these coyotes are pairing up or have paired.

Again just my thoughts...I am sure their are many others on this subject. I can;t say enough this is just fun for me and if I am blabbing to much let me know!

Larry


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## jimmy shutt (Jun 2, 2013)

no Sir you keep on talking I'm listening........ I can only run a few days at a time. I'm not working so can't justify 20 bucks every few days for fuel, I get in little stretches at a time. first year back I'm doing okay, not catching a lot of fur but I am catching some studs, so that to me is victory in itself!! and thanks to you fine gentleman who are willing to share your knowledge it's all that much sweeter. I would not have set that trap today if I was trapping in that spot longer, I'd work out a better plan but that deer is there and something is visiting it since I've been there. that trap isn't going to catch fun in my shack figured I'd give it a try. if I have a dug up trap tomorrow I still win!!!!

thanks again Larry, I can tell you have a passion for those Song Dogs......I'll be re-reading you thoughts over and over....great information!

Mr. Hassell, I appreciate your input on my Beaver thread and this one, I bet in your day you have put some fur up, I've seen your fish pictures......


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## Larry (Dec 2, 2010)




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## jimmy shutt (Jun 2, 2013)

ummm that's a lot of Coyotes, you are inside their heads big time and you are having fun....solid work!!!


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## azpredatorhunter (Jul 24, 2012)

Good luck Jimmy... I am so PO'ed about the cage traps I am ready to set my MB650's on some private property that's not posted.


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## C2C (Mar 17, 2012)

The way I look at it , whats the worst that can happen jimmy , you catch one ? After seeing what all is necesary to leghold catch coyotes its no wonder I snare em .. Listen to these guys tho , the proof is in the pudding .. The Duck has a pretty impressive catch there .


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## glenway (Mar 27, 2011)

Yes. Another example of what PHD means to an experienced killer. Good work for sure.


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## Larry (Dec 2, 2010)

Hey that's not my catch guys. Sorry for the confusion!

I found it on Ebay when I was looking for a deal on some MB traps, I posted it as an inspiration to show what any a trapper can achieve after a few seasons, some "good" lure/bait and *KNOWLEDGE* of your target animals activity and travel patterns. I guess the words I posted with it didn't get posted. I am so sorry for the confusion.

Yes some of my seasonal catches over the years have rivaled these. However my photos are all old Kodak and my wife has them somewhere in a drawer.

Lets get some other facts out. I am no PHD when it comes to canines or cat trapping/calling. If this site has a PHD in Trapping that is Catcapper. ADC men are the PHD's. I barely have a high school compared to Catcapper or any ADC man.

Larry


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## jimmy shutt (Jun 2, 2013)

darn the luck I thought you and C2C both had awesome fences........agreed catcapper knows what is going on when it comes to fur!!!

I have a few Beavers to flesh today, one from the other day and the little cub from first round, pulled it out of the freezer last night, this mornings check was a big zero I pulled everything as planned.

at least I did not educate anything last night......I had to beat on my pan to get it to go off, the jaws came up out of the tundra but were awful slow and had a monster plug with it....fresh snow so I could see nothing was messing with the set.

ran into a trapper at the pizza shop a month ago he is letting me tag along tomorrow to gang set Dog proofs, he has 70 so it should be a good learning day for me on El Bandito. I have two DP's at least I'm in the game!!!!


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## hassell (Feb 9, 2010)

I'd have to ask the X where the burning barrel is in order to find any of my old trapping pic's !!!!


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## 220swift (Mar 2, 2011)

I have had the same problem hassell........most of mine are long since destroyed also..... :frusty:


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