# Nothing quite like it



## BigWhiskey (Jan 7, 2010)

Checking traps before work, driving through fields freezing your **** off and cutting a pair of fresh coyote tracks heading straight for your sets. The anticipation builds as I hadn't seen any sign, its just where I thought they would be traveling and for once it appears I was right. Then you see where they walk within 5 feet of your set and don't even break pace to give it a whiff. Its very frustrating as I think what I did wrong, but no time to dally, so I move on. As I drive away I am smirking a little to myself, at least I know they are coming through. Thats coyote trappin, at least thats what I am told, as I have only caught a few and am by no means a "coyote trapper". I asked a seasoned trapper a year ago, "Why don't you K-9 trap?", he said " I don't like checkin empty traps." Well enough of the boo hoo, theres a long weekend ahead, time to set more traps.


----------



## FREEPOP (Apr 11, 2002)

I was wondering if you were still at it. Oh wait, I know how addicted you are to it. I think it takes so long and so much work to get a coyote so you actually think they smell good. 

Happy Holidays to and the MRS.


----------



## 9 (Jan 17, 2000)

BigWhiskey said:


> Checking traps before work, driving through fields freezing your **** off and cutting a pair of fresh coyote tracks heading straight for your sets. The anticipation builds as I hadn't seen any sign, its just where I thought they would be traveling and for once it appears I was right. Then you see where they walk within 5 feet of your set and don't even break pace to give it a whiff. Its very frustrating as I think what I did wrong, but no time to dally, so I move on. As I drive away I am smirking a little to myself, at least I know they are coming through. Thats coyote trappin, at least thats what I am told, as I have only caught a few and am by no means a "coyote trapper". I asked a seasoned trapper a year ago, "Why don't you K-9 trap?", he said " I don't like checkin empty traps." Well enough of the boo hoo, theres a long weekend ahead, time to set more traps.


Ah it is what it is. You probably didn't do anything wrong, it's December not October or November and above all, it's coyote trapping not fox trapping! What bothers a person is that at this time of year it's so easily seen.:lol:

I firmly believe the difference between a coyote trapper and a fox trapper is patience and during the month of December you need a lot of it!!


----------



## daoejo22 (May 7, 2009)

I was taught trapping from an old-time longliner. His best year was 526 red fox(in the late 70's-early 80's when we had red fox) and he averaged 70-80 yotes a year when they took over. He told me the dumbest yote is smarter than the smartest fox. And sometimes yotes go to POINT A to POINT B without missing a stride, he had many guesses about it (full belly, carcass to get to, heard the pack howling, etc,) But in about 80 years of trapping he could never say for sure. But he would grin and say "Leavem be, they will be back"


----------



## BigWhiskey (Jan 7, 2010)

Caught a few *****, but no coyotes or fox in a long time. Starting to get a liitle frustrated.


----------



## FREEPOP (Apr 11, 2002)

You just set up that new property, I bet it'll only take 2 weeks before you start hitting there 

Sounds like you may need to get another dozen traps :idea:


----------



## timberdoodle528 (Nov 25, 2003)

I had that same feeling this morning as I was walking up to a couple new sets we put out over the weekend. Yote tracks headed right for it, only to never break stride and kept on going. Actually his path split the two traps we had just put out. It's fun anyway seeing that they are in the area. 
Went to check more traps in our field and it was crazy the amount of tracks there were. It was like a coyote runway in our trail. Had one trap sprung by a coyote... so close! By the looks of it, there were plenty of witnesses so I'm not sure how leary they will be of my sets now.


----------



## BigWhiskey (Jan 7, 2010)

Its the property that I have been on for about two weeks now that has me frustrated. The gravel pit I just set, plenty of time there, at least thats what I will tell me self. Its just like somebody says, " I am itchin to see a coyote twitchin". Overall I am not sure how long I should stay on a property for yotes and fox. I wonder if the law of diminishing returns kicks in.


----------



## FREEPOP (Apr 11, 2002)

It's an old joke that I've been saying for years BW. I'd come home from checking and/or setting and be mumbling to myself. The "better half" asks what's up and I tell her "this gol-derned trapping stuff...........I'm gonna either quit or buy another dozen traps".


----------



## FREEPOP (Apr 11, 2002)

Seriously though, have you thrown the whole ball of wax at them? Castor, mink musk, shellfish oil, flat sets, post sets, step downs, mouse holes, etc? It may be time to just back off from there for a couple weeks and try it again. Snap the traps and just pull them off to the side, till you get a second wind.

I snapped my canine sets last night. I was tired of driving over there in the morning. May reset, may not. One funny thing was, that set that I caught the skunk in was frozen solid and the scent post next to it was very slow to fire. Would've had two misses there. The other side of the driveway, all those fired like a dream. I kept my mouth closed so I didn't get any Pete in it  :lol:


----------



## BigWhiskey (Jan 7, 2010)

Yeah I think I am going to keep them out at the old place at least till saturday and then I probably will try a different farm. I have tried everything so far I even put in a "Mafia Set", at least what I understand it to be, also tried out some new lures for something different. Time will tell. Had a red fox cross in front of me on my way to work and it looked like he flipped me off, it was weird.


----------



## FREEPOP (Apr 11, 2002)

Did he look like and say this?


----------



## 9 (Jan 17, 2000)

BigWhiskey said:


> I wonder if the law of diminishing returns kicks in.


Yup, you better believe it does! When I first started canines many years ago, there were dang few trapping books(I never bought one), dvd's and videos weren't invented, so there were many, many mornings *late in the season* for some years that I felt like I was poking myself in the eye every time I left the house to go check traps!:lol::lol::lol:

BTW, I'm also buying another 4-5 doz #3's this spring and looking forward to doing the mods again!


----------



## FREEPOP (Apr 11, 2002)

#3 traps huh. I wonder if they're gonna be Bridgers?


----------



## 9 (Jan 17, 2000)

FREEPOP said:


> #3 traps huh. I wonder if they're gonna be Bridgers?


You better believe it!


----------



## FREEPOP (Apr 11, 2002)

Thinking about it this morning and in my short experience trapping, I've never caught a red fox in January. I've gotten them in November, December and February. Now last year my best week for coyotes was around the week before the full moon in January. I'm not really that concerned about moon phase but my catches did abrubtly stop the day or so before. I tried to see if things would repeat before the full moon in February, I remade all my sets and was ready, then we got dumped on and wind blown. So mother nature got me on that one.


----------



## BigWhiskey (Jan 7, 2010)

I hate to think about the amount of money I have spent on videos and books learning how to trap these coyotes. But if it was easy everybody would do it. The first coyote I ever caught was last year, I never tried for a yote before and caught one three days after I set the trap and I thought "this ain't that hard" well times have changed. Its definetly a learning process. Good new is, I at least had a yote work a set and acknowledge another, the tide is turning. Endeavor to persevere.

Seldom, is the #3 Bridger your coyote trap of choice? Also, what mods are you doing?


----------



## FREEPOP (Apr 11, 2002)

You deffinately are putting a lot of effort into it BW and when you do that without reward, it can get really frustrating. I feel your frustration too.

I believe Seldom 4 coils, laminates and welds the ring to the bottom of the base plate (to prevent it from riding up and interfering with the pan). Remove the springs before welding.


----------



## Rumajz (Dec 29, 2005)

timberdoodle528 said:


> there were plenty of witnesses so I'm not sure how leary they will be of my sets now.



You know how it goes, ....leave no witnesses... :lol:

Now you are going to have to take a gun and sit out there for a few days and eliminate all those witnesses


----------



## 9 (Jan 17, 2000)

BigWhiskey said:


> I hate to think about the amount of money I have spent on videos and books* learning how* to trap these coyotes. But if it was easy everybody would do it. The first coyote I ever caught was last year, I never tried for a yote before and caught one three days after I set the trap and I thought "this ain't that hard" well times have changed. Its definetly a learning process. Good new is, I at least had a yote work a set and acknowledge another, the tide is turning. Endeavor to persevere.
> 
> Seldom, is the #3 Bridger your coyote trap of choice? Also, what mods are you doing?


BW, you've mentioned the very principle that folks here have heard me preach for quite a while. Probably they're sick of hearing it but IMHO, very true. Learning *HOW* is relatively easy, learning *WHY* is where it gets tough and rubber meets the road of consistency!

In all seriousness, I can teach just about any person HOW to run a weld bead and I can do the same thing teaching a person HOW to inspect a weld. Learning WHY the molten puddle does what it does under vastly varying circumstances consistently. Likewise, WHY you need to adapt observations and reasoning when inspecting welds to differing specs though the welds appear to be the same. It all takes forethought, a process of observation, and reasoning that just knowing HOW is a very limiting factor!

I personally know many, many, welders and inspectors who never get beyond the HOW. They only do as specifically taught and when circumstances change, they fail or fall short of their expectations because of not having developed a thought process that allows them to change as conditions and circumstances change. They just do because they only know HOW to do that one part, one facet of the whole process.

Everything I've just written is only my personal opinion and may certainly differ from others.

To answer your question about my trap modifications, I think Freepop has been peeking because he's pretty much got me pegged though he didn't mention dbl-lam!!:lol::lol:


----------



## FREEPOP (Apr 11, 2002)

Mr. Seldom, you sound a lot like Slim Pederson.


----------



## 9 (Jan 17, 2000)

FREEPOP said:


> Mr. Seldom, you sound a lot like Slim Pederson.


:lol::lol: Well Free, I take that as one hell of a compliment! Of the videos I've seen and books I've read there are only two authors/trappers who IMO try to convey the WHY rather then just the just How and those would be Pederson and Noonan.


----------



## FREEPOP (Apr 11, 2002)

That was meant as a compliment


----------



## 9 (Jan 17, 2000)

FREEPOP said:


> That was meant as a compliment


Oh yes, I certainly recognized that. Me sounding like Pederson is definitely one hell of a compliment! 
Thank you.


----------



## FREEPOP (Apr 11, 2002)

If it's any consolation BigWhiskey, I missed a mink at two locations last night. With all those traps on that bank, he found two holes that I didn't use


----------



## springdale (Dec 19, 2007)

FREEPOP said:


> If it's any consolation BigWhiskey, I missed a mink at two locations last night. With all those traps on that bank, he found two holes that I didn't use


Hey Freepop, funny how the Mink find another way in. I have caught allot of mink by setting the trap on the back side of a run. What i mean by that is dont set in the hole up front but find the spot the sneaky buggers gonna come in from behind! I dont think there trap shy but just always looking for a crease or crack to stick their head in.

As soon as I say that he'll steal your Bait out the front Door.

Mark


----------



## FREEPOP (Apr 11, 2002)

Not baited sets, all blind where I've seen him hunt bank holes and overhanging banks.


----------



## BigWhiskey (Jan 7, 2010)

Well I relearned a couple of lessons today; Make doubly sure your trap is not frozen over and small traps at flat sets are not a great idea. Had coyotes at my new place I set really work a horizontal dirt hole and get the bait because the snow froze a small layer of dirt over pan and hip bone flat set got worked and they missed the trap while grabbing and taking the bone. I am happy to see them work my sets, I figure I can get them now. FWIW, the new place I tried out some different lures, not sure it made a difference or not, but they were stronger lures.


----------



## FREEPOP (Apr 11, 2002)

IMO, good results only being there since Sunday. I'd rather have that trap frozen than fire in their face or hang fire. You should be skinning stinky yotes soon


----------



## 9 (Jan 17, 2000)

Canines were moving last night. I caught a nice red last night but a pair of coyotes found it before I did. Since the trap was already occupied, they tore the fox out of the trap and I found it out in the field about 40' away with both ends looking south!!! I'd just set the trap yesterday on fox sign and there wasn't any coyote sign so I figured I'd start a good fox catch circle primed-up and going since I'd seen there were several fox using this ditch. 

I don't mind the broken neck but it was pretty badly chewed yet luckily, it was still in one piece instead of several pieces scattered around as I've had before. I can see one 2"-3" cut for sure in the rib cage so I've got my shed heating up right now to see if I can skin it without more ripping and then if I can salvage it with a sewing job.

All of the players that use this location will be back shortly and I hope the trap will be empty this time so the coyotes to be first in.


----------



## FREEPOP (Apr 11, 2002)

I'd be willing to wager that, that trap isn't sitting there alone now.


----------



## 9 (Jan 17, 2000)

FREEPOP said:


> I'd be willing to wager that, that trap isn't sitting there alone now.


Yes and no! There's still only one set.

If you're eluding to me having additional sets close by you'd be wrong. I no longer subscribe to that theory. Interestingly, this particular property was the final piece of the puzzle that's been bothering me for years. This property, not the present exact set location finally made me a believer in NOT always setting more then one set.

Last year I wasn't trapping coyote, just fox. I actually avoided some of my properties last year because of the coyote sign or the mix of coyote and fox. Anyway, with fox I've always set more then one trap(set) and this property was not different. I had good fox sign and no coyote sign so I went about my business of gang-setting.

I made four sets in about a 20'+ area. I remember while setting it up that I had it in my head that I should start NOT gang-setting but I did anyway. I caught four fox and four coyote from one set. I just kept moving out to the edge of the catch circle as a person(me at least) would normally. The other three sets produced nothing. No doubles, no nothing!!! All of my sets have in them PROVEN lures and baits so it wasn't as if I was trying out new stuff because I NEVER try out new stuff on my lines.

This business of 8 canines from one set was not a total surprise to me. I've been making observations for a number of years of one set doing all the producing while the other(s) nothing. Heck, a blind man could see that there were times when one animal was running around while one was in the trap, they DID NOT pay any attention to the other sets. Seemingly, like they could only focus on the one that had their buddy in. Certainly, once in a while I'd hook-up a double 10' apart but usually my doubles would be 50yds to 100yds apart.

I know, I know, all the "who said it to the greatest magnitude" folks say that if you set one, set two or more. Well, I've quit doing that. What I will do is either remake the original set or move the trap to the edge of the catch circle, usually the latter depending on what I observe. 

Today the catch circle was foxed up(older female) AND had "excited" coyote scent rather then coyote "fear" scent so I didn't move anything. It's absolutely ripe! The best attraction of both canine worlds! Nobody is going to NOT avoid the circle(though in this ground it doesn't look like a circle). Every fox, especially a dog fox OR coyote passing by I believe will almost literally jump in to their elbows. That being said, hell, I'm not a fox or coyote so what do I know!:lol: With my type of set, I do make an alteration to it but only in the winter with snow and that's what I did today.

Hopefully this writing doesn't sound arrogant/high-handed because it's not intended to whatsoever, it's only that I'm a free thinker and my own person. If something I observe or experience coincides with the "who said it to the greatest magnitude" folks, great, but if it doesn't, you can bet your butt I'll go my own way.

Whether this change I've made is responsible or not or **** just happens but to date, this has been my best canine year so it is what it is.


----------



## CaptainNorthwood (Jan 3, 2006)

My old wrestling coach said "Its not arrogance when you back it up"


----------



## Fur-minator (Nov 28, 2007)

CaptainNorthwood said:


> My old wrestling coach said "Its not arrogance when you back it up"


----------



## FREEPOP (Apr 11, 2002)

Boy I'd have lost that bet.

Interesting and thanks for sharing. I agree with what CaptainNorthwood said.

BTW, just got in from checking the other line. Got the cold shoulder from another mink :rant: I'll take the camera with me tomorrow so you guys can laugh at me along with the mink.


----------



## 9 (Jan 17, 2000)

The female fox I got today that had been worked over by the pair of coyotes is back together, washed, partially dried(from washing) and in the freezer for a later put-up.

I sewed four tears from 3" down to 2" and a spot where the fur was gone but the skin remained so I just pulled it together with thread. Her neck was broke, ribs crushed and lacerated and one front shoulder came off during skinning due to being being totally disjointed. She looks pretty good but damaged is damaged except now she's able to sell.

Love them coyotes!:evil:


----------



## FREEPOP (Apr 11, 2002)

I was curious how she turned out.


----------



## 9 (Jan 17, 2000)

FREEPOP said:


> BTW, just got in from checking the other line. Got the cold shoulder from another mink :rant: I'll take the camera with me tomorrow so you guys can laugh at me along with the mink.


Ya got'ta love those little weenies! You seem to be having a running battle with them. Has Joe, "the Pied Piper of Minkdom" been around your area? He's seems to be a natural draw and maybe some liked your area and stayed!!


----------



## FREEPOP (Apr 11, 2002)

Been trying to get Joe doen here for a day but he's always busy trapping. Maybe one of these days.

I have one farm that has about 2 miles of ditches and a 3-4 acre pond that has quite a bit of mink sign, that's where I was last night. Tonight was behind the house, a half mile of ditch and one maybe two mink were on the move. Missed at one set and they didn't make it far enough to get to the others. I followed tracks for 1/4 mile and some spots he investigated were predicatable, others, not so much. I'll be increasing my odds for a catch tomorrow


----------



## BigWhiskey (Jan 7, 2010)

Caught myself a coyote this morning at the newer place I set this last Sunday. There were a couple of other coyotes walking all around him, but none paid any attention to my other set about 15 feet away. I wondered about what Seldom said about setting close. It is my understanding that with fox, its almost the closer the better and with coyotes spread them out a bit. Is this generally true? I know there is only one way to know for sure, but thought I would ask. Also set up a new property today and checked out another one.


----------

