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How to Reduce Misses
- Thread starter sportsman94
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Doug B.
Senior Member
No. You can't fence them in like you can a bobcat or fox, but you can use natural subtle guiding. I have used dirt clods, rocks, pine cones, sticks, grass, etc. Don't get too carried away with it but you can put something to guide without the coyote realizing that you are guiding.
sportsman94
Senior Member
The frustration continues. Had coyote tracks in the center of two patterns today. Dug under them and they were both about halfway on the pan. Don’t know if it was just that most of their weight was missing it or what. That’s almost a week on this place with no predator catches, and at least 3 sets of tracks on the pan. Going to take the butt end of my hammer tomorrow and press on the tracks to make sure the traps will fire. With both peat moss and polyfill I’m betting they will.
furtaker
Senior Member
What kind of traps/pan tension?
Doug B.
Senior Member
I can almost guarantee they will fire. I live in the only place in the state that the ground has been frozen every morning this week. My sets will still fire so I'm sure yours will. If they are digging at your set then set another trap back a little. Also try to make sure it's a coyote. It could be a fox or a coon. If it is a coyote then it is catchable!
Doug B.
Senior Member
Ok, I see now where you said coyote tracks. Set one back but leave the original trap. You can catch this one!
sportsman94
Senior Member
I just reread my post and see where there was confusion. I dug under the track that the coyotes left, not the coyotes. One in an mb550 and one in a k9 extreme junior. I’ll have these pulled by Sunday so they better work quick!
sportsman94
Senior Member
It happened again! Not positive on track Id, but there was fresh bobcat tracks in the tackier soil outside of the pattern. This was one that had the coyote track on the edge of the pan the other day. Don’t know if this one was just a light step or what. Trap went off fine when I pulled it. Gonna go find a brick wall to bang my head against!
canine933
Senior Member
I had it happen to me today too. Had a double dirthole and the coyote stepped lightly on the pan with his right foot. I could see he stepped heavier on the left foot several inches or so away from the pan.
I have got where over the years I don’t worry about it I just blend it back in and keep trapping. I may add a second or a third if it keeps happening. Mistakes and experience are the best teacher. This is my 42nd year this year and it happens every year. I have lightly packed the dirt over the pan and heavily packed it and it still will happen. Some animals are lucky that way. If I keep having an animal do it sometimes a good deep step down set will work.
I have got where over the years I don’t worry about it I just blend it back in and keep trapping. I may add a second or a third if it keeps happening. Mistakes and experience are the best teacher. This is my 42nd year this year and it happens every year. I have lightly packed the dirt over the pan and heavily packed it and it still will happen. Some animals are lucky that way. If I keep having an animal do it sometimes a good deep step down set will work.
sportsman94
Senior Member
I know it’ll never happen, but I want so badly to develop the ability to pick up a large portion of the coyotes that visit my sets. It pains me to see these misses. The ones this go around were especially frustrating because I didn’t catch a single predator out there this week.
If I would have caught everything that’s track touched one of my pans I would have ended up with a pretty decent week. Sure am glad it’s not how I make my living in weeks like this!
canine933
Senior Member
Don't get discouraged I've gone 3 plus weeks before and not caught nothing. Sometimes it gets aggravating, but I keep pecking away.
Doug B.
Senior Member
When you figure out how to catch em all be sure and tell us!!!
Wonder if something got under the pan & kept it from depressing,or if corrosion has increased your pan tension? I also wonder if the depth of dirt over the pan affects pan tension/spreads their downforce & keeps the trap from firing? I fill the inside of my jaws with Peat Moss,then(very lightly) cover the pan + jaws with a light layer. I then sift a light(1/8”) layer of dirt over the whole set. I have never measured pan tension on my traps..but I imagine a Squirrel could set ‘em off..?. The problem I have had is finding suitable places to put my traps,so that they have “natural” backing. What I have had happen,multiple times…is: they place their feet between the dirt hole & the trap pan. Without backing,they are approaching from the sides..and missing the trap..:
That’s why it’s called trapping instead of catching ? . You’ll get em Sportsman , I’ve had a landowner where I’ve been trapping riding with me . I’ve been trying my best to teach him some patience lol
mallardsx2
BANNED
I had something steal my bait and do the river-dance all over my pan last night at one of my sets so I feel your pain.
Just to ease my brain, I put the handle of my 1 pound hammer on the pan and it fired....so I dont know what the issue was. I remade the set and hopefully it works out better next time.
I have been using pillow stuffing under my pans this year and next year I believe I am going to go with screens or coffee filters instead. Not so sure I am sold on the pillow stuffing and it makes a mess everywhere. I'm starting to wonder if that pillow stuffing fibers has an odor to it and thats why the coyotes are avoiding my sets. Could be that they really are just super smart animals.
Just to ease my brain, I put the handle of my 1 pound hammer on the pan and it fired....so I dont know what the issue was. I remade the set and hopefully it works out better next time.
I have been using pillow stuffing under my pans this year and next year I believe I am going to go with screens or coffee filters instead. Not so sure I am sold on the pillow stuffing and it makes a mess everywhere. I'm starting to wonder if that pillow stuffing fibers has an odor to it and thats why the coyotes are avoiding my sets. Could be that they really are just super smart animals.
sportsman94
Senior Member
I went the reverse way. Started with screen pan covers and transitioned to polyfill. My reasoning was that when foxes/coons would dig they would catch that screen cover with a toe nail and yank it out.
Hope whatever worked your trap comes back and gets caught!
mallardsx2
BANNED
I keep getting polyfill coming up through my pan cover material.... it looks like rabbit fur...lol Surprised I haven't caught one by the nose yet. lol
I need to slow down when I am making my sets and be a bit more meticulous. I also need to make sure I got a 55 gallon drum of dried dirt for next season. That is one my my main issues for sure.
I need to slow down when I am making my sets and be a bit more meticulous. I also need to make sure I got a 55 gallon drum of dried dirt for next season. That is one my my main issues for sure.
canine933
Senior Member
@sportsman94 well it happen to me again today, twice. So don’t get discouraged also if you find a good brick wall I will bang my head with you…..LOL!!!
mallardsx2
BANNED
Goose egg on my sets today.
Had one of my sets messed with and tracks all over it. I took a stick and tried to get the trap to fire and it wouldn't. The poly-fill under the pan had gotten enough dirt crumbs in it that it was holding the pan up and wouldn't fire.
I knew that stuff was going to cause me problems! Actually I think I am using too much of it and thats what causing me issues. lol
Had one of my sets messed with and tracks all over it. I took a stick and tried to get the trap to fire and it wouldn't. The poly-fill under the pan had gotten enough dirt crumbs in it that it was holding the pan up and wouldn't fire.
I knew that stuff was going to cause me problems! Actually I think I am using too much of it and thats what causing me issues. lol
I started with mesh screen pan covers . Wanted to try the poly fill per some on here . So so so much easier , that’s all I’ll ever use . And a big bag of it will last me probably forever .
