3 mornings...3 yotes!

[rutnbuk]

Well guys just had to post this. I got started late this season and have only had my traps out 2 weeks so far. The first week was full of bad weather, rookie mistakes, and many other things. Only caught one bandit and 2 grinners. Then the wolf moon came with better weather and bam it has been on! My "trap line" is pretty puny- on average 4-5 sets max. Some of you may remember the "pile o sand" sets I used last year. Well they are producing again. The last 3 mornings I have had a Yote waiting on me! That will spoil a novice fast- lol. What a rush it is! 1 female and a male on the sand piles, and one big angry male on a double dirt hole on a game trail.

 

[Nicodemus]

Nice catches. Reckon what they weighed?

 

[bear claw]

Good job. That first one has a nice color.

 

[blood on the ground]

Nice work!

 

[rutnbuk]

Nic- the middle one was the big male- but his head looked out of proportion which I think made him look even bigger. The 3rd one was from this morning and stood tall but probably average like the first one. Never thought about weighing- might be something to look into if I ever catch another one lol.

 

[Nicodemus]

Nic- the middle one was the big male- but his head looked out of proportion which I think made him look even bigger. The 3rd one was from this morning and stood tall but probably average like the first one. Never thought about weighing- might be something to look into if I ever catch another one lol.

Reckon they weighed better than 40 pounds apiece?

 

[furtaker]

Nice catches!

 

[rutnbuk]

Nic- not thinking the female did- the big male could have. I do know he had impressive canines. Again I have limited experience with these critters but 2 of them seemed average to me and the big male above average.

 

[kmaxwell3]

Nice!! Can you explain your sand set?

 

[Nicodemus]

Nic- not thinking the female did- the big male could have. I do know he had impressive canines. Again I have limited experience with these critters but 2 of them seemed average to me and the big male above average.

Rut, the reason I was asking, was that they look bigger than what coyotes weigh. They just don`t get that big. What you have there look identical to the pure blooded red wolves that are in a breeding program not far from here that I get to observe anytime. A few others and myself are convinced that what we have here is the red wolf.

I`m not here to derail your thread with all this. I will say again, congratulations n some fine catches.

 

[Doug B.]

Great job! Keep catching em!

 

[rutnbuk]

Kmax- the landowner where I trap uses his tractor to scoop buckets of sand after heavy rains from the creek bottom. For years it was just to use to smooth out his dirt driveway. We started noticing yote tracks on the big piles- I mean walking all over them. I think it must have a lot of fresh smells. Anyway last year I started setting at the bottom and putting hole with bait in the pile. Caught several critters this way. The good part is sand is super easy to work with and makes resets a snap and the rain drains right through. They get used to them quick also- the one from last night was only two days old. I had him drop a mound of sand right at an intersection of 3 trails.

 

[rutnbuk]

Nic- I am very familiar with the Red Wolf- when my Dad was alive he lived close to the Smokey Mountain National Park and folks there thought many had made it over the years even though they were told they didnt. However- my phone makes my Deer look bigger lol- maybe it does the yotes too. I have seen enough to know I feel they were average- the Big Male was the first I have had stand his ground- so thinking he may have had some ranking.

 

[Nicodemus]

Nic- I am very familiar with the Red Wolf- when my Dad was alive he lived close to the Smokey Mountain National Park and folks there thought many had made it over the years even though they were told they didnt. However- my phone makes my Deer look bigger lol- maybe it does the yotes too. I have seen enough to know I feel they were average- the Big Male was the first I have had stand his ground- so thinking he may have had some ranking.

You would fit in well with the fireside talks that Chehawknapper, RedneckBillCollector, and myself have in discussion over this most interesting critter.

 

[kmaxwell3]

Kmax- the landowner where I trap uses his tractor to scoop buckets of sand after heavy rains from the creek bottom. For years it was just to use to smooth out his dirt driveway. We started noticing yote tracks on the big piles- I mean walking all over them. I think it must have a lot of fresh smells. Anyway last year I started setting at the bottom and putting hole with bait in the pile. Caught several critters this way. The good part is sand is super easy to work with and makes resets a snap and the rain drains right through. They get used to them quick also- the one from last night was only two days old. I had him drop a mound of sand right at an intersection of 3 trails.

I may get some sand and put some piles in the woods. I have few yote traps but no luck yet. What bait or lure youbusing? Thanks!!

 

[buckpasser]

Kmax- the landowner where I trap uses his tractor to scoop buckets of sand after heavy rains from the creek bottom. For years it was just to use to smooth out his dirt driveway. We started noticing yote tracks on the big piles- I mean walking all over them. I think it must have a lot of fresh smells. Anyway last year I started setting at the bottom and putting hole with bait in the pile. Caught several critters this way. The good part is sand is super easy to work with and makes resets a snap and the rain drains right through. They get used to them quick also- the one from last night was only two days old. I had him drop a mound of sand right at an intersection of 3 trails.

When they dump bulk lime in the fields they are immediately covered in coyote tracks and any dogs tracks from the area. It looks like they play king of the hill all night. A fellow trapper told me they roll in ag lime too for pest prevention. Not sure if that part is true. Same fellow told me to dump sugar sand on the corner tree of a pine stand or road intersection and flat set with urine. He says the cats and yotes can’t stand it.

 

[280 Man]

I may get some sand and put some piles in the woods. I have few yote traps but no luck yet. What bait or lure youbusing? Thanks!!

Those yotes like those "mounds" for some reason. I have a moderate size red dirt mound in the pines where I trap. Ive set traps there on numerous occasions and have caught several yotes around that mound.

IMO I think they like some irregular feature that sticks out. Gives them something to key on.

 

[sleepr71]

Those Yotes look to be 30lbs or so. That big male would probably go 35 ? 40lbs is a BIG Yote ..unless he gets plenty of Food from a gut pile,or chicken farm.