LoessHillsArcher
PMA Member
Usually the past few years we hit the trap line hard and try to catch every type of predator we can. This year life got pretty busy for us so we just focused on coyotes and didn't get to set the first traps on the farm until January 1st. Our goal was to catch a dozen on the farm and we're getting close. Caught 11 so far and I shot one the last Saturday of late muzzy. We'll see if we can't connect on a couple more in the next few days. Thought I'd share some pics from the line, everyone loves seeing dead coyotes!
#1
#2
#3 was a real nice dog. Great guard hairs on its shoulders
#5, 6 & 7 came all in one mornings check - the first two were caught real close together. Both awesome males. The third was an ok male with the start of mange on the tip of its tail. Still a decent pelt considering
This was our first dog caught in a foothold too. We catch at least 75% in snares. Mostly because I'm not very good at keeping my foothold sets weather proof and we had a decent amount of snow and crap to deal with this year. I have some better ideas on what to do next year though! Many days we'd check traps in the morning and see coyotes had dug up the bait in the dirt holes and the trap was covered in rock hard snow (even after we tried keeping the snow brushed off it) or there was ice on top of the waxed dirt and it was frozen. I suppose it'd help if I put new spring on our foothold traps too. We're just running plain ole' Duke #3 offsets. Same factory springs on them for at least 4 years now. Not the greatest traps but they work.
#7 & 8 came together on one mornings check - both nice males again
#9 was a real nice colored but pretty small female. She managed to slip her way further into the snare but she's dead now... that's all that counts!
Then #10 & 11 came earlier this week. The first one was really cool and dark colored. The second one... not so cool.
It was caught in a foothold set I put in just on the edge of the catch circle from the first coyote we caught in a foothold set a few days earlier. Yotes love visiting those catch circles, once you've caught one there's a good chance you can catch another real close the catch circle. We try to always put a set in right on the edge of the circle.
That's it for now. Caught a few coons in the coyote sets. Wish we had time to chase them as well but they'll have to wait for next season! Still waiting on some bobcats to get caught. We spent waaaay too much time trapping with footholds frozen in the ground and in non-working condition. We missed a bunch of animals. Good lessons learned for the future though! I really hope this cat finds his way into a trap in the next few days though... he looks big!!
#1
#2
#3 was a real nice dog. Great guard hairs on its shoulders
#5, 6 & 7 came all in one mornings check - the first two were caught real close together. Both awesome males. The third was an ok male with the start of mange on the tip of its tail. Still a decent pelt considering
This was our first dog caught in a foothold too. We catch at least 75% in snares. Mostly because I'm not very good at keeping my foothold sets weather proof and we had a decent amount of snow and crap to deal with this year. I have some better ideas on what to do next year though! Many days we'd check traps in the morning and see coyotes had dug up the bait in the dirt holes and the trap was covered in rock hard snow (even after we tried keeping the snow brushed off it) or there was ice on top of the waxed dirt and it was frozen. I suppose it'd help if I put new spring on our foothold traps too. We're just running plain ole' Duke #3 offsets. Same factory springs on them for at least 4 years now. Not the greatest traps but they work.
#7 & 8 came together on one mornings check - both nice males again
#9 was a real nice colored but pretty small female. She managed to slip her way further into the snare but she's dead now... that's all that counts!
Then #10 & 11 came earlier this week. The first one was really cool and dark colored. The second one... not so cool.
It was caught in a foothold set I put in just on the edge of the catch circle from the first coyote we caught in a foothold set a few days earlier. Yotes love visiting those catch circles, once you've caught one there's a good chance you can catch another real close the catch circle. We try to always put a set in right on the edge of the circle.
That's it for now. Caught a few coons in the coyote sets. Wish we had time to chase them as well but they'll have to wait for next season! Still waiting on some bobcats to get caught. We spent waaaay too much time trapping with footholds frozen in the ground and in non-working condition. We missed a bunch of animals. Good lessons learned for the future though! I really hope this cat finds his way into a trap in the next few days though... he looks big!!
