Spring/ summer trapping question

[antharper]

Ok so all of u know my trapping experience as I just started trapping in January and was either lucky or done something right by following y’all’s advice and caught 11 coyotes, I’ve got all my traps ready to go back in the ground , my question is would u recommend doing anything different , will probably just run them for a couple months or until it gets to hot and dry , I only used commercial bait , lure and fox pee in dirt hole sets ! Thanks for the advice , just trying to save a fawn and maybe a couple turkey poults !

 

[Furmaster]

Have had a few catches the last couple weeks on some of DownSouth trappers baits and lures. Just got in some Rebel Rat and Lip Licker bait and also there Crows blood lure. It’s suppose to be a good spring /summer coyote bait. Will do fine in a dirt hole set . Those guys at DownSouth trappers are some sho nuff coyote killers and have some great baits and lures. Check them out if you haven’t already .

 

[antharper]

Thanks and I haven’t but I will !

 

[Mr Bya Lungshot]

11 yotes is bound to make a difference.
Congratulations

 

[furtaker]

In my experience you can catch coyotes through about the end of April but it gets tough after that. Ants will start getting in your baits this time of year. I'd focus on flat sets and well blended blind trail sets. I just don't have much motivation to fool with them in hot weather. They can be caught but it's not as much fun to me.

Good luck!

 

[buckpasser]

I’m about to get back out there too. I’ve been too busy with planting/spraying but that’s about to change. I’m going to set some dirt holes but focus more on scent sets and maybe some blind trail sets. If I don’t catch many it’ll feel just like winter! This was my first season and I only caught one...

 

[antharper]

I got 8 sets in the ground yesterday, just 1 nice fat grinner this morning.... probably full of turkey eggs !

 

[Cool Hand Luke]

Could be good, mamas will be looking for an easy meal to feed them pups. Keep us posted

 

[280 Man]

Furtaker is right. Summer time is tough but can be productive if you dont mind fighting chiggers, ticks, mosquitoes, yeller jackets and the such, not to mention sweat by the bucket full!

I trap up until August and use flat sets with scent only! Bait gets eat up by ants too quick!

 

[antharper]

2 more possums and a raccoon this morning

 

[280 Man]

2 more possums and a raccoon this morning

That'll work! I had a grinner yesterday!

 

[antharper]

Nothing today but 3 of my sets needed reworked and a couple had been stomped by deer, got em all fixed up today and sat out 2 more , my first scent post sets

 

[antharper]

Nice little cat this morning , released unharmed !

 

[280 Man]

Nice little cat this morning , released unharmed !View attachment 1015782

Nice! Ive got a couple pics coming in a few minutes

 

[antharper]

Another question for u more experienced trappers . So I took my traps up last time on March 2 and washed them just with my well water and hung them under my barn for 2 months and they had a nice coat of rust on them so I pressure washed again and hit a few spots with a wire brush and went and set them out , When my traps were new I boiled them and waxed them , I’ve had more dug up this week than I think all of my first 4 weeks of trapping and haven’t done anything different , had 3 that were dug around and bait taken this morning that were for sure coyotes, maybe I didn’t realize it and contaminated them somehow , I think I’m gonna pull them all in the morning and reboil and dye and wax

 

[Doug B.]

It probably wouldn't hurt to boil, dye, and wax again.

I do mine before season and go all season without re-doing them. But there has to be a point that it should be done again. At least in my mind. I have set contaminated traps all winter and still caught coyotes in them, but there has to be a limit to that.

 

[buckpasser]

I’m a newbie with only one coyote catch thus far, but here’s what I have to add;

I went on the advice of a friend who said wax wasn’t important, only cleaning and dying. I had 100 sets (1 trap + 24 hrs =1 set) with two boar coons and zero dogs. I bought 3 more traps, boiled, no dye, waxed and caught my first one on the first night.

Like others have said, fresh iron oxide must be a very detectable scent for that sharp nose.

 

[jakebuddy]

In my opinion,
An actively rusting trap does have an odor, having said that most dig ups are due to not bedding good, I’m finding the soil really dry right now and having to spend extra time making sure they are bedded good. Dig ups suck but but the positives are: you are reading sign properly, bait and lures are working, your getting the animals to work you set. It’s all a matter of inches, most times I’m just as surprised as the animals are when I catch one. At least wax your traps again so it will be out of your mind as a reason for the problems. Good luck. PSA southern snare and supply bait “kill box” is working good for me right now.

 

[buckpasser]

I put out four sets last week. One scent post double, one dirt hole double, one scent post single and one double I don’t know how to classify. I set it on green corn at an outside corner. The few tracks I had cut pretty wide around the corner, so I set about 10” off the corner stalk and the next straight out about another 10”. I then put some homebrew venison/beaver castor bait in the corn stalk at the leaf bases about 20” off the ground.

Sunday night I caught a 1986 F150 with the dirt hole set, but he pulled out.

Last night the green corn set paid off with this female. I was sure proud to remove her from the place! That’s my second coyote in my trapping career which started this winter. It was quite a rush driving up on her.

 

[furtaker]

Nice catch! Pretty color on that one.