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Trapping coyotes on frozen creeks & in general, QUESTIONS!!!!

Sligh1

Administrator
Staff member
Newbie here!!!!! Still learning. If I was a deer hunter… I’d probably be in the stage of “hey, I got my 2nd buck with a bow & getting them into range often”. I have the basics down of different sets, where to put them, etc. I maybe caught 6 coyotes x 2 years now. Not great. Need to get better.

Ok- got a specific one for you guys that I can’t find a video, forum post, NOTHING!!!!!…. I have a small river or big creek runs through my farm… call it 1-3’ deep, banks are pry 15’ high & maybe 25’ across. When it’s frozen- it’s a coyote highway. Insanity. Every place I check…. Countless tracks in the creek. I see em pop out & chase things but they are in that creek so often it’s nuts!!!!!!
1) There’s sand bars where guys could put traps but how would u anchor them or would u try? Tried the wolf fangs, pulled right out.
2) if a way to fasten them (I could tie a cord to trees & cover the line) - would u do foot traps? Another idea to double up is to throw some cedars in creek to funnel them around them so u could set either snares or just put lots of foot traps simply for travel. Would u guys try to make dirt hole sets with bait & lure? Or maybe flat sets???
3) or do I just put them outside on the banks? A lot less are up there so nice to go down low. & way less deer in the creek vs on bank.
4) I do have a bridge where random guys throw cleaned deer carcass over it. Doesn’t really bother me & when they do it…. Good gosh - even more coyotes. When that happens…. I don’t wanna trap next to the carcass (eagles & stuff) but would u do dirt hole sets fairly close & what would u put in? Or just try to put the traps on the trails? Lure, bait, gland, small chunk of deer scrap in hole, etc???? Snares.
One interesting one…. I think I could catch the devils right under the bridge too. Easy to check & they use it at night


Last question…. Just general advice in next 60 days…. I have no bs k9 extreme traps. Wax dirt, peat moss & anti freeze flakes. Piles of traps. Dirt hole & trench type sets on good sign. What’s some specific bait & lure I should be using? Since I pretty much suck vs any one of u with lots of experience - I’ll take all the advice I can get.

& one last last last thing….. tried snares a few times “dude, put em low enough & u be fine”…. I kept catching frigin deer!!!!!! Drove me insane. Now- I do have ability now to set up bait sites & stuff where few deer will want to go to. So- maybe I try snares again.

Any help for a pathetic, sorry, low IQ trapper that has a huge infestation appreciated!!!! Shot about 25 so far during deer season as they chased deer but like any year…. We usually can top 150-200 coyotes if other guys get in later with thermals & guys smarter than me start trapping. I just wanna be one that contributes & not just dead weight like everything else in my life. ;)
 
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Not much help from me.
I've always struggled catching them in winter. Freeze/ thaw conditions suck with foothold.
Much prefer snares but I get your concern with deer.
 
Snares work great and on the right trail at proper height, proper diameter set up, with properly installed deer stops, deer should never be a problem.
 
Snares work great and on the right trail at proper height, proper diameter set up, with properly installed deer stops, deer should never be a problem.
I've had great luck with snares too and have never caught an adult deer. On the flip side of that, years back I caught several fawns around the neck (5 or 6 in 2 years) . To the point I simply won't set any snares in an area the deer are currently using with regularity. I was intentionally setting the snares very low, lower than recommended for coyotes to try and avoid this.

My best guess is these were fresh sets and the deer are following my scent trail with their heads on the ground. The fawns have small enough heads to get in the snare.

Skip, I've seen heavy coyote use on frozen ponds as well. I assume this is just ease of travel but maybe someone here knows. I've had luck throwing a net of snares on all the trails in brush or grass around it. I like frozen ground where a short rebar stake can hold them but I don't have sand.
 
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Skip, I've seen heavy coyote use on frozen ponds as well. I assume this is just ease of travel but maybe someone here knows. I've had luck throwing a net of snares on all the trails in brush or grass around it. I like frozen ground where a short rebar stake can hold them but I don't have sand.

I am looking out at the frozen pond behind my house now and can see several places where the coyotes have been. Use a rock or CMU as a "triple threat"... a visual for Wily AND as a drag for a trap AND tuck bait/lure in the hole of the CMU or crevice on a rock.

Spread some fresh hay on the ice, place set trap on the hay...sift some more chopped hay on the trap and profit. :) Snares are great too.
 
I’ve had success using big logs as drags and eye appeal when sand is involved. Hopefully the sand bars have enough weeds and willows to catch the log. IF it is a wide open sand bar and ice on the waterway they can drag it away on the slick ice. Wire the trap to the center of the log and bury the chain.
 
I would use snares on the narrow spots where they’re running the ice.
I tried using footholds on trails where I’m afraid of catching deer and I’ve only caught opossums so far doing that.
One thing I’ve done with snares is just go to areas maybe a mile away from where the deer are , out in open ag and catch the coyotes there. Might not be catching the coyote that was living on your farm but it seemed to reduce the number of coyotes i was seeing on my farm. ( I’m sure some were roaming that far)
Coyotes are like a weed, if you rely on only one mode of action they’re going to get hard to kill. Trap the ones you can’t call and call the ones you can’t trap.
 
On the ice in river….. here’s my tactic as of now…. I am gonna put some foot holds in the river- on some high spots where they anchored well. Did some dirt hole with variety of things in it like bait, urine, lure, etc. Then some flat sets with more lure type stuff.

When it gets super cold again- I’ll keep those traps going & then find the pinches in creek & run snares. Being it’s my land & being unemployed- I can experiment. I might throw things like some cedars I can cut & thin down in the creek. To bottle neck them around & snare/trap them. There’s plenty of places I can do this anyways though. We’ll see if my hunch is right though…. 50 billion tracks running the river when it freezes. I’ll Try everything & I personally think I can mop up a pile when it freezes. Gonna try every trap & snare known to man. Literally could walk 1/4 or 1/2 mile of creek & have 20-50 traps & snares set in a day.

Another idea I had that I know dudes have done…. I got some thick native grass stands. I’m gonna take deer scraps, gut piles, whatever & get in area that makes sense (birds not getting it, etc) …. Drive some paths through natives. Then snare those paths leading to the bait site. A lotta folks on here have suggested that so I’m gonna try it.

So, my rambling summary…. I’m basically just going to war & experimenting until piles & piles are dead. ;). Lots more neighbors on board with trapping & thermal hunting & I absolutely have noticed we have the population WAY down vs like 5 years ago. Year round, I’d guess we probably have 30-50% of the coyotes we used to….
When we started with a bunch of guys hitting all my stuff & a few smaller farms I have around me… I think we got close to 300–350 one year. I think last year with the same effort - we were about 100 or so. Heck, just shooting them while deer hunting (where I personally get the most) - I probably have shot 10 so far this year.

When a lotta dudes in a region stay on them - zero doubt in my mind u can make huge gains on reducing #’s. The good news on getting this done…. A ton of guys love thermal & even trapping them. The key is getting neighbors to allow access for the guys to do it. Win/win.
 
I am not doubting your high numbers Skip, I have heard similar things like that from others in S Central and SW Iowa over time, FWIW. In my area though in SE Iowa...we never have crazy numbers like that. Yes, there coyotes out there, but nothing approaching the numbers that people like yourself report. I can only assume that it is because the groups that pursue them with hounds must be pretty dang good at getting them in numbers.

I do feel like I can tell that there are higher numbers in a given year when there was a lack of tracking/spotting snow the previous winter. But in years where there are even 4 or 5 fresh snows...they really seem to be able to hammer them. Maybe it is time for you to invest in a few hounds?? :)

They really aren't being controlled by trapping around me that I know of...it just about has to be the hound groups. FWIW. Also, if the dogs don't chase deer, then I would rather "trade" dramatically fewer coyotes for modest levels of disturbance 3-5 times per year, IMO.
 
Trapping, thermals, hounds all have their place. Hounds a couple times after deer season puts a big dent in them as they are pretty active with breeding. Just like wild hogs down south don't leave any options on the table. Thermal drone with a mini gun if a guy wants to experiment!!
 
I agree with Muskrat, use an old fence post as a drag. They get tired pretty quick when trying to drag it and getting caught on the terrain.
 
Glad to see some here are opening up to let hounds in for coyote control.
Ask to join in when running, you'll find out hound guys are usually class act fellas.
 
There used to be some hound hunters around here. One of the guys had some good turkey and deer hunting ground. We traded permission for permission. Everyone was happy. As far as I know the guys that are still alive from that group dont have hounds anymore.
 
I am not doubting your high numbers Skip, I have heard similar things like that from others in S Central and SW Iowa over time, FWIW. In my area though in SE Iowa...we never have crazy numbers like that. Yes, there coyotes out there, but nothing approaching the numbers that people like yourself report. I can only assume that it is because the groups that pursue them with hounds must be pretty dang good at getting them in numbers.

I do feel like I can tell that there are higher numbers in a given year when there was a lack of tracking/spotting snow the previous winter. But in years where there are even 4 or 5 fresh snows...they really seem to be able to hammer them. Maybe it is time for you to invest in a few hounds?? :)

They really aren't being controlled by trapping around me that I know of...it just about has to be the hound groups. FWIW. Also, if the dogs don't chase deer, then I would rather "trade" dramatically fewer coyotes for modest levels of disturbance 3-5 times per year, IMO.
Trapping, thermals, hounds all have their place. Hounds a couple times after deer season puts a big dent in them as they are pretty active with breeding. Just like wild hogs down south don't leave any options on the table. Thermal drone with a mini gun if a guy wants to experiment!!
That is one thing I miss about SE iowa!!!! Those dudes were savages on killing coyotes. Been that way since I remember 25 years ago. I saw a few coyotes but NOTHING like sc iowa. Night & day. Admittedly, I wish we had MORE guys that ran hounds. They just need to wait til deer season is over. I have ran into a few groups and had friendly conversations & even asked em “u get ur a$$ chewed a lot?” Of course “yes”. Suggested that if they actually waited for deer season to end & asked some guys- bet they would be receptive.

The other one, no brainer…. Letting guys thermal hunt (clearly folks u trust). I’ve done it a bunch now. Does not hurt the deer or spook em, etc. Harmless & the more of these coyote sanctuaries that folks can trap & hunt for coyotes - benefits everyone. Another little bonus with coyote shooting & trapping…. As hunters we are so used to “u can’t hunt here” for deer or turkey, etc. But…. Coyotes…. There’s guys begging for guys to hunt & trap them so the access is ripe for the taking.
 
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