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January coyote trapping

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
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#2
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#3 was a real nice dog. Great guard hairs on its shoulders
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#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.

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#7 & 8 came together on one mornings check - both nice males again

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#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!
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Then #10 & 11 came earlier this week. The first one was really cool and dark colored. The second one... not so cool. :eek: 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.

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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!!

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You bet Muddy - I believe that makes just shy of 90 coyotes we've killed on/very near our farm in the last 4 years, I've lost an exact count. That's including a couple the neighbors have shot themselves. Crazy how fast they can come back into an area and do what mother nature designed them to do! We can't over rule mother nature, the coyotes have their purpose and place. But we can sure slow them down and let the prey population rebound for a short amount of time, then once we slow down trapping/shooting the coyotes move right back in and begin doing what they do best.
 
That darker one (#10) is beautiful. Don't know if I would be selling that one right away. That would be a great looking mount.
 
Awesome pics. You guys will hit your goal. The dark one is pretty but those pales probably earned you a pretty penny if you sold already. Congrats. And how did those dogs average?
 
I'm eager for some snaring tips if you want to share. I'm not sure what i'm doing. All i've caught is a 16 lb coon. Do you just hang them on pinch points they travel through?
 
My biggest advice for snares is to get them in pinch points and trails. My best luck is in CRP, thick brush timber, and fence crossings. If you're catching coon your loop may be too low and small in diameter especially if you're getting a bunch knocked down. I always blend the snare as best as possible and force the critter to keep his head low with overhanging branches. I'm no pro by any means but do like to snare yodel dogs every year. Find the coyote tracks and set if you have snow, and more is better.
 
You are a stud! Trapping coyotes is no joke. In 3 years straight I still haven't caught one. Caught 4 bobcats and 2 foxes, but not a single yote. (all with footholds though, never been certified for snares)


How are the coyotes still alive with the snare? Is there a stopper that keeps it from going too tight?
 
My biggest advice for snares is to get them in pinch points and trails. My best luck is in CRP, thick brush timber, and fence crossings. If you're catching coon your loop may be too low and small in diameter especially if you're getting a bunch knocked down. I always blend the snare as best as possible and force the critter to keep his head low with overhanging branches. I'm no pro by any means but do like to snare yodel dogs every year. Find the coyote tracks and set if you have snow, and more is better.

Yup, he nailed it! It's the easiest way to trap yotes, especially when there is snow on the ground. That's my opinion after spending many days with a shovel finding traps back burried under snow. :eek:

And I haven't sold any dogs yet. Still got to finish them and get them off to auction.
 
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How are the coyotes still alive with the snare? Is there a stopper that keeps it from going too tight?

You got it, IA requires a deer stop. I made my own snares and have it so that when the loop closes in against the deer stop it is a touch larger than the regs call for just because I know I've had deer get their foot in the snares. I want it to be as easy as possible for them to get their foot out so the loop doesn't close too small. Having a live yote at the end of a snare when we get there never bothered me much. One shot to the chest with the .22 and they're out.

Trapping them with footholds isn't easy! It is more rewarding though, I think. :)
 
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