I checked my trapline today and found that one was set off and dug up. I was a little disappointed, to say the least, to not find a coyote in the trap. Upon closer inspection I found some black hairs caught in the trap. I am not entirely sure that a coyote set it off. Any thoughts on what went wrong? I know that I bed the trap rock solid, was placed about 8in back and slightly to the right of the hole, and I even placed some acorns to guide the foot to the pan.

Do you think it was dug up or did something get caught for a short while? It looks like the trap was dug up as I see little to no catch circle indicating an animal had been caught in the trap. Deer can be a pain in the keester on a canine line as they can be very curious. They'll investigate the set step in the trap and quickly pull their foot out. It could have been a toe catch from a canine as well. Be sure you have enough pan tension so the coyote has to step on the pan with enough force it can not quickly pull its foot away resulting in a toe catch. Sometimes a coyote will roll in the set and the black hair could be the guard hairs from its back.

If you suspect that it was simply dug up, it could be that the trap was contaminated with lure or bait that inadvertently got on the trap as you were handling it. It is really hard for me to tell from the keyboard though.

Keep after 'em. Wont be long and you'll be catching instead of head scratching!

I'm fairly certain now that the sight was dug up by a black bear. The hairs that I found were jet black. There isnt a whole lot of other animals in the area that have are that color. The animal also pulled all the dirt to the right side, where I had backing. Just to be thorough, I checked the pan tension today. It was a bit light so I tightened it up a bit.

A skunk is black and also the front legs of a red fox are black.

Too strong of a lure can make coyotes roll on your set instead of stepping on it

quote:

Originally posted by Trapper Tom:
Too strong of a lure can make coyotes roll on your set instead of stepping on it

Thanks for the tip!!

I GOT ONE!!!!!!!!!!

First, I have to give credit where credit is due. I would like to thank p dog shooter for taking the time to show me the ropes. Without his guidance, my learning curve would have most certainly been a long and frustrating one. I very much appreciate that he was gracious enough to devote a day to explain the ins and outs of trapping predators with me. The world would truly be a better place if we have more people like him, who generously share their knowledge with others.

As you can see, I got a full pad catch. Not the biggest coyote in the world, about average size for the area. The set was a #3 Sleepy Creek, staked down with MB chain stakes. I used gusto as a call lure and O'Gormans powder river as bait. I now see the virtues in having a dogless trap. I thought that the Sleepy Creeks had a stout dog. This didn't stop the yote from beating it all to heck. As luck would have it Murphy's law was in full swing today. I had took the pliers out of the trap bag to work on another project the night before...and didnt put it back. Using my mallet and the back of the trowel, I spent a fair amount of time hammering that thing strait.

Nice one!

Congratulations on your first, you are hooked. Now
go out there and catch more of the dirty dogs!! Good luck.

A good chance that a bear dug up the first or a big bear just step on it and pulled free.

Maybe next year you can draw a wolf tag and come up and catch one the neighbor by my the 600 yard range took one off that field.

Had a couple other wolf tag holders lined up to trap but they were cut short after the season closed on day 4.

I am really pissed!! I went to go check my traps today and found a car in the parking area with a gun case on top of it. As I was walking in two teenagers were on their way out. They seemed to be a little nervous about my presence. As politely as I could, I asked them what they were up to. They just seemed to be out of place, sporting athletic garb instead the typical hunting apparel that you might see on someone out hunting. The one with the rifle came clean right away. According to them, they had been out with their dog and came across the trapped coyote. The gist that I got was that they went back home to get and complained to their parents. Supposedly, mom works with the DNR and said that since it is illegal to set a trap near a trail they could go back and shoot it. Anyway...the kid couldn't shoot either. It took him three shots to kill a coyote held in a trap, one near the head, one the body and one through the rear leg. I wasnt really all the mad until I saw the animal, blood was everywhere. All over the pelt, ground, trap, you name it. I read that kid the riot act. I mean, there wasn't much in regard to his actions that he did right. Not only did he tamper with a trap sight, he also shot my yote without a small game license. I should have reported the whole situation right there, though I felt that education was the better option. I emphasized calling the DNR if they have any problems rather then taking matters in their own hands.