Anyone ever blind-set in a trail for coyote?

N

NativeCraft

New member
During the past few weeks I've been having trouble getting coyotes to work my sets here in N.C.. I know I probably need to switch things up a bit and I will in due time. But in the meantime I've been considering just setting a couple of leg-hold traps right in the middle of one of the trails that they use to come-and-go between a cow pasture and a nearby dirt road where they've been foraging for scraps thrown out by the local "lovers" on Saturday nights (local lovers-lane - that is, if you consider hanging out with the neighborhood prostitute "loving").
Anyway, is it worth it to even put a trap in the middle of the path like that? I would dish out an area and then cover it up just like I would a trap in a dirt-hole set. Maybe place a small stick across the path that the coyote would have to step over and hopefully into the trap. Maybe two traps in a row linearly down the path so that if he misses the first one he may step on the next one.
Anyone had any luck doing this?
 
I trapped extensively in eastern Washington in the 80's through the late 90's until we lost trapping in the ballot box. I started adding blind trail sets to my game and found I was picking up quite a few more coyotes. Not every coyote will respond to bait or scent sets. Every coyote uses trails.

In some areas I started trying just trail sets, areas where I knew coyotes traveled frequently. I also started setting some of the tiny little trails just to see if it would work. I was pleasantly surprised to find I was catching a lot of coyotes on some of these trails that looked like they were better suited for big mice. On one ranch I had a dead steer and set a few bait sets around it. About a quarter mile away on each side I found some small trails threading through the sage brush and set several trails sets. My next check found one coyote in a bait set, three in trail sets on the south side and two in the trail sets on the north side. It was a good day.

You can set middle of the trail or slightly offset with good results. I liked to find areas of the trail that were clear of any vegetation which made blending the trap easier. Lacking that, scatter some dry chopped grass around the edges to help blend the set. Instead of a stick on either side of the trap, try a couple of small sticks stuck in the dirt vertically on either side of the trap, or all four sides for that matter. Let them stick up about an inch out of the dirt. That coyote doesn't like putting his foot down on a pointing up stick anymore than we do.

If snares are legal in your area, they are the ultimate trail set tool. Coupled with a break away that will allow deer to escape, they are deadly on coyotes.

Trail sets are a great addition to your game. They bring another level of proficiency to your trapping and will put some fur on your boards that bait and scent sets will not. They won't replace the time tested dirt hole set or scent post but are a great addition to them.
 
I do that every so often, I look for a something laying across the trail and then set where a coyote would step if either coming up to it or stepping over. I don't put it in the middle of the trail but just off set a little.
 
Need to anchor short and hard. A back foot catch and a lunging coyote can be a recipe for a bad day and an educated yote. And I certainly wouldn't use a drag. Just some thoughts.
 
Originally Posted By: WyYoteKillerNeed to anchor short and hard. A back foot catch and a lunging coyote can be a recipe for a bad day and an educated yote. And I certainly wouldn't use a drag. Just some thoughts.

I always used 30 inch chains and three foot stakes. Out of 2500 coyotes I can count the number of back foot catches on two hands. My traps were always four coiled and had laminated jaws and reinforced base plates. I lost very few to lunging.

Drags work well. Even in sage brush country. They don't work so well in dry land wheat stubble.
 


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