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Post by natedawg on May 9, 2011 21:44:31 GMT -5
My friend has a bunch of sheep and they are having baby lambs right now, coyotes are giving him a few problems so I offered to try and trap some. I put out a dozen sets, basically 6 locations and 2 sets per location. One a scent post and another a dirt hole or flat set. I have had 3 sets dug up in the last 4 days. As for bedding I pack the dirt as tight as I possibly can around the trap...it is sandy so it is still looser than the surrounding area but I pack it as tight as it can be. Trap is very solid in bed. I dig out an area that is probably 14-16" in diameter where I bed my trap so it is not just one small tore up area where my trap is which I thought might make them more prone to digging. Everything is packed tight and the whole area sifted over and blended in.
Wearing gloves when making the sets, I haven't treated my traps at all but I rarely have handled them with bare hands in the past and they are not exposed to foreign odors. With these coyotes being around the farm with humans and other odors so much I wouldn't think trap scent would be too much of an issue.... I could be wrong though.
I was wondering what suggestions you guys might have.
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Post by ScottRainbolt on May 9, 2011 21:59:32 GMT -5
try bedding in dry dirt and covering with thin layer of sand
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Post by bill1958 on May 10, 2011 0:08:30 GMT -5
i agree with scat
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Post by thefurtrapper on May 10, 2011 7:55:32 GMT -5
Yes ^ Try bedding with dry dirt and covering with a bit of sand.
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Post by redrooster on May 10, 2011 17:16:21 GMT -5
The use of snares in crawl through or crawl unders is your best bet. I agree with cameron2 that traps are down on the list in this situation. You could use any dead lambs as a bait station and snare the trails leading to that as well. Keep your stuff clean and as odor free as possible.
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Post by Pasadena on May 10, 2011 18:31:16 GMT -5
Excellent advice Mr. Truman. Say you were going to use footholds, what type of sets, bait, lures would you use for spring, summer time coyotes? Urine post sets? ?
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Post by natedawg on May 10, 2011 21:37:17 GMT -5
Thanks guys, I have quite a bit of dry dark soil stored that would work well for firming up the ground around the trap. The ground is all sand, but it is hard/crusted, so when I dig in I can't get it to firm up like the surrounding ground.
Tracy the lambs reproductively mature at an exponential rate LOL. I will head out in the morning and try to get a location on them...I have a pretty good idea where they are denning but can't get permission there, although I think it is definitely possible to call them over to where I do have permission.
I want to set up some snares but there are gaurd dogs with the sheep, and they don't always do their job and like to leave at night lol, so he didn't want me to snare the fence lines in case I snagged the dog. I don't know if they would stay calm or if they would fight the snare and finish themselves...
There is one pasture I set up where he has been throwing all the dead. I set traps on Thursday at that location, there was a lamb dropped there that day and it hasn't been touched by coyotes since I showed up. Yesterday I saw a grown sheep out there by my sets he dropped off and today there were a few vultures on it but still no hits from coyotes. My sets at that location have not even been touched.
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Post by natedawg on May 10, 2011 21:52:35 GMT -5
Also, when you are trying to locate them with a howler is it ok to just stop your truck on the side of the road, shut it off, get out and maybe wait a couple minutes then try howling? I have tried it at night and at dusk many times and never had any luck.... Didn't know if them hearing the truck stop, shut off and then only a couple minutes of silence and howls starting from the same location would make them wary to even return a howl.
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Post by natedawg on May 11, 2011 22:31:16 GMT -5
Thanks for the all the help, I didn't realize the approach would be different than fur trapping in the winter. I learned a LOT from this thread!
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Ohio
Administrator
Posts: 2,397
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Post by Ohio on May 13, 2011 11:06:50 GMT -5
I was hesitant about posting on this thread. Take what i say with a grain of salt. First off i know Cameron is a much better trapper than i am. But maybe different techniques work in different areas. I do coyote control on a small beef operation. Mainly from February to June. He has one area that is timbered out. There are cattle trails going through it but other than that it is thick. I picked one thick area and cut small trails through it. I have him dump a front end loader bucket of guts about every other week in the center of it. I snare the edges. Not right at the gut pile but probably at least 300 to 500 feet away. I get enough coyotes that he pays me very well. I would say try several things and see what works for you.
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