Your favorite coyote set(s)

Will you describe one or more sets that have worked well for you on coyotes, including details on making the set? Sharing information will help all trappers be more successful... I am interested in hearing about any coyote set, but especially those sets that hold up well against rain.
 
Over 50 views the first day of the original post but no one has shared any info on their favorite sets. I can share the following technique so as to perhaps get the information exchange started. I know of two coyotes caught on a type of set made using a white plastic quart milk bottle. This is how I saw it done... throw the bottle top away, then lay the empty bottle down on its side with the open mouth pointed slightly down, wire the bottle down to two small stakes to keep a coyote from just running off with it and to keep the empty mouth of the bottle pointed toward the trap which is bedded about 10 inches in front of the bottle's mouth. Then put a little lure under the neck of the bottle and some bait down inside the neck of the bottle. The white color of the bottle acts as a visual attractor, and the baited open mouth of the bottle pointed at the trap acts like a dirt hole set. The bonus is that unlike a dirt hole set, rain will not drown out the bait. Note: if you catch a coyote it will chew the bottle into bits and you will have to use another bottle if you want to re-make the set the same as you made it the first time. This set is a type of what's called a "trash set". The concept is coyotes are used to finding food scraps in trash such as Burger King bags along the side of the road so they are prone to check out trash items on the ground. Thus the name "trash set".
 

willie1971

Senior Member
I like this website for discussion for deer,cooking, etc. -- but if you want to look for info on trapping, go to trapperman.com. It is exhaustive and engaged throughout the trapping season. As for my personal experience with trap sets, I have had more luck with flat (natural) sets. Set your traps in areas where you see tracks, etc, and make sure you properly bed your traps. That is the key. Lures, bait etc is of minor importance if you don't have predators, and you don't bed your traps properly.
 
I like this website for discussion for deer,cooking, etc. -- but if you want to look for info on trapping, go to trapperman.com. It is exhaustive and engaged throughout the trapping season. As for my personal experience with trap sets, I have had more luck with flat (natural) sets. Set your traps in areas where you see tracks, etc, and make sure you properly bed your traps. That is the key. Lures, bait etc is of minor importance if you don't have predators, and you don't bed your traps properly.

Yes... Trapperman.com is a great website, I'm just hoping to see more locals thin out the coyotes in GA, and exchange information on this site about how people are doing it here. What are some things you use for backing and a scent holder at your flat sets?... I've seen big flat rocks used, I've seen a pile of rocks, I've also seen charred logs used, also overturned clumps of grass, maybe you use something that I have not heard of... I'm hoping to learn a new set-making technique from someone here. I like flat sets a lot since unlike dirt hole sets, they don't get drowned out so easily when it rains.
 

willie1971

Senior Member
I like a tuft of grass as backing with a deep hole - driven by rebar - on each side on any trail intersection. a q-tip with gland lure in 1 hole, and a mouse/bait in the other hole - on each side of grass tuft. a few drops of fox pee cannot hurt. i've found backing needs to be only a few inches high.

sometimes i'll use a bone as a visual if trapping in an open field.

as for scent holders, i have a lot of test tubes that i'll put bait/lure/pee inside and drop in the hole. that way, the scent stays in the tube, and will not be absorbed by the earth hole as much. add cotton or sheeps wool in the tube, then apply lure, and drop in hole. this may stand up to rain a bit too. any plastic vial will work, too
 
Willie, you said earlier you mostly use flat sets... I assume you are calling this one a flat set because there is no fresh dirt scattered around since you are just punching a couple of holes with rebar rather than digging out a dirt hole with a trowel or other tool, and you are blending in the bedded trap using whatever natural ground litter is already there, and thus it qualifies as a flat set even though you are using dirt holes to hold the lure or bait. I have heard of a "double dirt hole" set where 2 holes are dug/punched about 4-6 inches apart just in front of the backing and then one trap is set centered between the holes but about 8-10 inches in front of the holes. Then a different lure or bait is used at each hole. But your set seems different, correct me if I'm wrong... it sounds like you are punching your two holes on opposite sides of your tuft of grass (backing), then putting out one trap on either side, with your tuft of grass right in the middle between the traps? I hope I'm correctly understanding your set, and thanks very much for sharing with others.
 

GAGE

GONetwork Member
I have caught them on both dirt holes and post sets with a tire being the post. I have also tried to gang set road killed deer but without favorable results.
 

SemperFi

Senior Member
This is one of my favorite predator sets. Before season starts I find a good piece of oak about the size of my arm with a slight bend in it. If it has a natural hole in it like this one even better. If not I’ll drill a hole in it. For a little twist you can also put it in a fire for a minute to char it. Put some urine on the front and gland lure in the hole. The more critters you catch on it the better it gets. They chew on it and get all kinds of good smells on it. I think this one made it a little over a half a season. You can use about anything for a urine post, but I try to find something that won’t get destroyed first catch.
 

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willie1971

Senior Member
Willie, you said earlier you mostly use flat sets... I assume you are calling this one a flat set because there is no fresh dirt scattered around since you are just punching a couple of holes with rebar rather than digging out a dirt hole with a trowel or other tool, and you are blending in the bedded trap using whatever natural ground litter is already there, and thus it qualifies as a flat set even though you are using dirt holes to hold the lure or bait. I have heard of a "double dirt hole" set where 2 holes are dug/punched about 4-6 inches apart just in front of the backing and then one trap is set centered between the holes but about 8-10 inches in front of the holes. Then a different lure or bait is used at each hole. But your set seems different, correct me if I'm wrong... it sounds like you are punching your two holes on opposite sides of your tuft of grass (backing), then putting out one trap on either side, with your tuft of grass right in the middle between the traps? I hope I'm correctly understanding your set, and thanks very much for sharing with others.

Pretty much. Flat sets look natural, not flashy with a big hole. No digging deep trap beds... the trap is level with the ground. Just punch a small hole or 2 to add lures. This video is a good illustration of the flat set. I do 75% flat sets, and they handle rain water a bit better. Good luck
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CLwhB5ziS30
 
are you using 2 traps at 1 set?

Pretty much. Flat sets look natural, not flashy with a big hole. No digging deep trap beds... the trap is level with the ground. Just punch a small hole or 2 to add lures. This video is a good illustration of the flat set. I do 75% flat sets, and they handle rain water a bit better. Good luck
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CLwhB5ziS30

Yes, the way I have seen the difference between dirt hole and flat set explained ... a dirt hole set has fresh disturbed dirt around the set which serves as a visual attractor whereas a flat set appears natural and undisturbed, just like the immediate area surrounding the set. The flat set may have something like a bone or a rock that serves as a visual attractor and/or backing but there is no disturbed earth where the trap is set. Back to your set with the tuft of grass as backing... I'm still not sure I'm 100% clear on it, are you using 2 traps at this set, one trap on each side of the tuft of grass.? For example, trap at 3 o'clock and trap at 9 o'clock with the tuft of grass in between the traps?
 
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question/details on post set

This is one of my favorite predator sets. Before season starts I find a good piece of oak about the size of my arm with a slight bend in it. If it has a natural hole in it like this one even better. If not I’ll drill a hole in it. For a little twist you can also put it in a fire for a minute to char it. Put some urine on the front and gland lure in the hole. The more critters you catch on it the better it gets. They chew on it and get all kinds of good smells on it. I think this one made it a little over a half a season. You can use about anything for a urine post, but I try to find something that won’t get destroyed first catch.

Thanks for sharing Semper Fi. I've seen coyotes caught on a post set where a telephone pole served as the post, gland lure spread on the pole about 10" off the ground, a little sprinkle of urine on the pole, and the trap bedded about 9-10" out from the lure on the pole ... of course it helps if the telephone pole happens to be right along the upwind side of where coyotes are traveling, in other words at a good location. I'm assuming you are driving your post in the ground or at least burying it a few inches in the ground so the post remains upright. Question: why do you select a post with a slight bend in it? It looks like from your excellent picture that the outside of the bend that is in the middle of the post is pointing at the spot where your trap is bedded and the top of the post is pointing slightly away from the trap. Why?
 
post set using a tire?

I have caught them on both dirt holes and post sets with a tire being the post. I have also tried to gang set road killed deer but without favorable results.

I have heard of setting a trap inside a tire that is laying on its side on the ground so that the coyote has to (theoretically) get over inside the empty circle of the tire to check out the bait/lure, but I don't know if it works. But you are talking about using a tire as a post set and that sounds different. Can you give some details of how you make that set? Thanks.
 

bronikjb

Member
I have set 3 traps in a circle around deer carcasses buried about 6" deep. Between traps I put chunks of small dead trees to channel the yotes over the traps. Once the guts get aromatic after a week or so, the coyotes can't resist the bait and step on the traps on their way in. I've caught 4 so far this fall, not even dyed/waxed/cleaned traps or catch circle in between catches. I am convinced that gutpiles are a good way to cut the coyote population.
 

SemperFi

Senior Member
Thanks for sharing Semper Fi. I've seen coyotes caught on a post set where a telephone pole served as the post, gland lure spread on the pole about 10" off the ground, a little sprinkle of urine on the pole, and the trap bedded about 9-10" out from the lure on the pole ... of course it helps if the telephone pole happens to be right along the upwind side of where coyotes are traveling, in other words at a good location. I'm assuming you are driving your post in the ground or at least burying it a few inches in the ground so the post remains upright. Question: why do you select a post with a slight bend in it? It looks like from your excellent picture that the outside of the bend that is in the middle of the post is pointing at the spot where your trap is bedded and the top of the post is pointing slightly away from the trap. Why?


I bury them a few inches in the ground. This particular post the main portion was straight up and down and the top was angled slightly away from the trap. The top angled away from the trap is to try and deter them from going around to the backside. The set above is actually the remake from this cat catch. I actually catch more cats and raccoons in this type of set than I do coyotes. Raccoons will walk right past a dp to check out a post set for some reason.
 

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willie1971

Senior Member
Yes, the way I have seen the difference between dirt hole and flat set explained ... a dirt hole set has fresh disturbed dirt around the set which serves as a visual attractor whereas a flat set appears natural and undisturbed, just like the immediate area surrounding the set. The flat set may have something like a bone or a rock that serves as a visual attractor and/or backing but there is no disturbed earth where the trap is set. Back to your set with the tuft of grass as backing... I'm still not sure I'm 100% clear on it, are you using 2 traps at this set, one trap on each side of the tuft of grass.? For example, trap at 3 o'clock and trap at 9 o'clock with the tuft of grass in between the traps?

You can use 2 traps if you want. Instead, I use a few sticks and small rocks outside of the trap to guide them in. you can use anything as backing -- a large stone, small log, twigs; whatever it takes to have them come around and walk into your trap. Just make sure they can see over your backing, so as not to spook them too much
 

GAGE

GONetwork Member
I have heard of setting a trap inside a tire that is laying on its side on the ground so that the coyote has to (theoretically) get over inside the empty circle of the tire to check out the bait/lure, but I don't know if it works. But you are talking about using a tire as a post set and that sounds different. Can you give some details of how you make that set? Thanks.

What I did is set an old tire in a cut field/food plot to where it sticks out real good. While I had fair success with putting bait inside the tire, I had better luck using it as as scent post to where I would just spray a little urine on the outside of it and set a 550 6-8 inches off it.
 

NCHillbilly

Administrator
Staff member
I have set 3 traps in a circle around deer carcasses buried about 6" deep. Between traps I put chunks of small dead trees to channel the yotes over the traps. Once the guts get aromatic after a week or so, the coyotes can't resist the bait and step on the traps on their way in. I've caught 4 so far this fall, not even dyed/waxed/cleaned traps or catch circle in between catches. I am convinced that gutpiles are a good way to cut the coyote population.

Looks like you would catch more buzzards than coyotes, though.
 

bronikjb

Member
Not so far. Burying carcass 6" or so and close to some overhanging limbs has worked so far. I have had more buzzard action than I wanted from conventional dirt hole sets in the past
 

SemperFi

Senior Member
I like to make flat sets next to remakes after making a catch. Clump of grass with a few rebar holes in front of it with gland lure and castor and trap bed blended.
 

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tire set

What I did is set an old tire in a cut field/food plot to where it sticks out real good. While I had fair success with putting bait inside the tire, I had better luck using it as as scent post to where I would just spray a little urine on the outside of it and set a 550 6-8 inches off it.

OK, Thanks for the clarification.
 
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