If you’ve ever wondered how to get rid of coyotes on your property then you’ve come to the right place. We’ve compiled several expertly-crafted articles and videos that will teach you the basics of how to trap coyotes, as well as tips and tricks to trap a coyote live. Check out the post below to see the complete guide, and be sure to send us your own trapping tips in the comments!
How To Get Rid of Coyotes
The Ultimate Guide on How To Trap Coyotes on Your Property
Trapping coyotes requires a ton of patience. Not only are they more shy than other small animals, but they’re also incredibly fast. First, we’ve got a video guide you can watch on How To Make a Coyote Trap, with the steps to follow. Then be sure to keep reading because we’ve also got Basics of Coyote Trapping, Trapping Coyotes: Sets To Trap Problem Coyote, and Trapping Coyotes with Debris Mounds below.
How to Make A Coyote Trap – Video
As you can tell, you have several options when it comes to setting your own coyote trap. In the video below, outdoor expert Heith “Gonzo” Gagnon shows how to get rid of coyotes with a step-down trapping set.
Check out the step-by-step breakdown below to see how it’s done.
You will need:
- Dirt sifter
- Trap (Gonzo uses a Duke #4×4 coil)
- Stake or drag
- Trowel
- Kneeling pad
- Some sort of pan cover
- Ground hog hammer
- Bait (he uses Minnesota Brand predator bait)
- Lure (he uses GH II and fox urine)
- Small bucket of dry dirt
- Antifreeze (if the weather calls for it)
Step 1: Find a central location.
The best location for a step-down is somewhere that the coyotes are likely to cross. Gonzo sets his trap in a field between a trail and a gate. He also recommends putting one trap on either side of the gate; this makes it more likely to trap the coyotes.
Step 2: Begin digging an area for your trap.
Make it about 10-12 inches wide and 18-20 inches long.
Step 3: Dig a hole behind the step-down.
Make the hole about 6-10 inches deep. Make sure to wear gloves so you don’t leave too much scent behind.
Step 4: Digger a deeper hole for the step-down.
This is where you’ll insert your trap, so make sure it’s wide enough. (His trap of choice is a Duke 4×4). Leave some loose dirt over the top of the hole.
Step 5: Sprinkle antifreeze over the hole.
A little bit of antifreeze will keep the dirt and trap from freezing in cold temperatures.
Step 6: Hammer your stake into the trap bed.
This will hold your trap tight into the ground. If the dirt is soft enough, it should go into the ground pretty easily. When you’re done, pull on the trap to make sure it stays in place. Add more loose dirt to cover the chain.
Step 7: Set your trap.
Wedge your trap into the hole, then add more loose dirt to make sure it’s secure. Add a sheet of crumpled wax paper to the top of the trap, then slowly sift more dirt onto the top. Carefully smooth the dirt around the trap, then add more antifreeze to keep the dirt fresh.
Step 8: Add bait and lure.
Lastly, add your bait and lure of choice to your trap. In the video, Gonzo sprinkles fox urine as a lure on a nearby plant, and then he sticks a small flower into the hole for lure.
And there you have it! Your trap is set. Be sure to check out Gonzo’s video to see the full tutorial and to hear more of his expert trapping advice.
In the articles below, outdoor expert and writer Jared Premo explains the ins and outs of trapping coyotes. Check out this post to learn more, and be sure to post your own trapping tips in the comment section below.
Basics of Coyote Trapping – Trapping 101
Trapping is a good way for kids to explore the outdoors, learn about animals, their habits and habitats. For some people the desire to trap never fades as years pass. For other the desire to trap doesn’t come until later in life.
The following is in essence the basics of trapping. This will cover the most popular species trappers’ target. The basics of trapping will also cover methods experiences trappers use to trap them.
Beavers and Muskrats:
Two of the most popular species trappers pursue are beavers and muskrats. Experienced trappers tend to trap beavers and muskrats in the winter, but for a beginner; trapping these species may be easier to trap in the spring and fall. The most commonly used trap for beaver is the 330 conibear. Check your local state laws; sometimes the law requires this trap to be fully submerged in water.
You should stake the trap in areas were beavers like to hang out. Such as dams, bank dens, beaver lodges, culverts, and/or canals between two bodies of water. Beavers prefer to be in slack water, which is what beavers create when they build dams. Slack water, which used to be known as ‘the stand of the tide’, is a short period in a body of tidal water when the water is completely unstressed, and therefore no movement either way in the tidal stream.
A good way to find places to trap beaver is to contact the county highway or land department. Many times they are having problems with beavers and are very happy to have a trapper take care of the problem for them.
Muskrats can be found in the same areas as beavers. Wet lands and large ponds are great locations to start your search for muskrats. Simplest way to trap muskrats is to stake a 110 conibear along the run that leads up to the den or house. If you look closely around the house or den you will notice trails the muskrats have made when they enter and exit the house or den. You want to place the 110 conibear as close to the den as possible. Check with your local regulations, in some states and areas within a state the laws may be different. In some areas it may be illegal to bait the trap and laws that regulate the distance the trap can be from the den.
Coyotes and Foxes:
Trapping fox and coyote require a little more patience. Fox and coyote tend to be a little more trap shy than beaver and muskrats. The best time for a beginner to trap fox and coyotes is in the fall. The recommended trap is the foothold. 1.5 For foxes, and 2or 3 for coyotes. The best places to set these traps are on the edges of fence rows, where to different types of crops come together, tractor ruts, or trails through the grass. Fox and coyotes like to take the path of least resistance. This tends to be a rule of thumb for most furbearers.
Remember coyotes and fox are part of the canine species; their ability to smell far surpasses humans. This is why scent control is a must. If you plan on trapping fox and coyote you need to minimize your scent. You can do this by wearing rubber boots and gloves; also by boiling your traps after you buy them and after each use.
The most common type of set to trap coyote and fox is the flat set or dirt hole set. These two sets are the most affective and easiest sets to construct. To construct the dirt hole set simple take a clump of grass or brush for a backing. This will help by directing the fox or coyote to approach the set from the right direction. Dig a hole that slants towards the backing. The hole is where you will place the baits and lures. In front of the hole dig out and area that is just big enough to place the trap and deep enough to place the trap and cover it with dirt without creating a mound; This is the trap bed. When you place the loose dirt over the trap you want the dirt to blend in with the surrounding area and look natural. Last thing to do is to place some bait into the whole and cover the bait with a clump of crass.
Mink:
Mink live near water and will find food on land and in water. Look for mink on the edges of water such as lakes, rivers, streams, and other wet lands. For the most part you want to set traps within 5 feet of the water’s edge. The best trap for mink is the 1 and 1.5 sized foothold traps. The best kind of baits to use is mink musk and muskrat musk. Bait may not be necessary.
You want to select a spot on near the water’s edge where you see mink tracks and the trails they have been using. Make your trap bed and place trap in it and cover it with leaves and grasses to make it look natural and blend in with the surrounding area. A tip from the experts, place sticks on both side and the back of the trap bed to guide the mink to step on the trap.
Raccoon:
Raccoons can be found almost anywhere in North America. Raccoons are a very commonly trapped furbearer. Raccoons can be found mostly in wooded areas and near water. Raccoons are a very curious creature, and because of this they can be trapped in almost any set. The most common trap to use for a beginner is the 220 conibear. Raccoons are very predictable creatures they will use the same trails along streams, ditches, rivers, and ponds. Set a 220 conibear along these trails for best results.
Above is just the basic a new trapper should know. Never stop educating yourself about trapping and trapping techniques. The best form of education is to find a mentor that can pass down years of wisdom to the younger generation.
Trapping Coyotes: Sets To Trap Problem Coyote
Trapping coyotes is more rewarding compared to other furbearers. Trapping coyotes is much more gratifying because they are much more cunning and tactful than other furbearers. If you run a trap line long enough you will come across a coyote that is hard to trap. Trapping coyotes that have escaped your trap or has busted one of your sets is not an easy task. A little preparation and a little step back, trapping coyotes no matter how trap shy they are can be an easier task than once thought.
Coyote Digging Traps
Nothing is more frustrating than walking up to a trap that has been sprung by a wise coyote. Your best bet in this situation is to pull the trap because you have been had. Trapping coyotes from this location will be next to impossible. Trappers may often attribute the sprung trap to the wariness nature of the coyote, and fail to evaluate they may be the one doing something wrong.
In this situation it could be how you have set the trap or an issue with how you are carrying your trapping gear. The coyote is digging up the trap because it smells something on the trap. The most common cause for scent to be on your trap is the traps and tools/ scents are being carried in the same compartment. The best course of action is to clean your traps and keep them separate from then on. Now you are ready to reset the trap.
The Wise Coyote
Trapping coyotes that have escaped a trap before may be the hardest of all coyotes to trap. For good reason they know the potential dangers. Trapping coyotes that have had a previous encounter with a trap will avoid your set altogether if it has a faintest hint of something amiss.
In this situation a trapper must be fully aware of the entire process of making a coyote set. This includes paying very close attention to scent contamination, for example don’t put your traps in with your scents and try to make your close and yourself as scentless as possible. Also trap placement and bedding of the trap, and the creation of the coyote set.
If still you can’t trap the wise coyote try a hay set. This should be constructed in a short grassy field. First take two NO. 3 footholds and place them about 18 to 24 inches apart. Then cover the traps lightly with hay, and create a small mound of hay in between the traps. Next add an appropriate amount of gland lure or bait to the center of the mound. The set should be the size of a 2 to 3 foot circle.
The science behind the hay bale set is it place with the coyote’s instinct to catch food. Coyotes encounter hay all the time and associate it with food, generally mice. Instead of approaching the hay cautiously, they approach with ease. When going after mice coyotes jump into the air and land on the hay trying to trap the mice. But hopefully in this case it will be a trap they land on.
The Shy Coyotes
A trap shy coyote is one that is able to identify traps that are out of the ordinary surroundings. Many times a coyote is able to identify sets because of over used scents. Tappers generally use too much gland lures and baits in a basic set. This smells will be associated with the sets and will trigger alarms that will keep the trap shy coyote far away.
To remedy this try to use baits and lures that has not been used in the area yet. Try to make your own. Chances are the coyote has not smelled your homemade lure yet. Another option is to use a scent post set. Bed the trap carefully and put only a drop or two of urine from fox, coyote, or bobcat on what you are using for a post. Coyote encounter this type of scent marking all the time in the woods.
Trapping coyote that have seen all the tricks you are trying to throw at it can be frustrating at times. If a coyote isn’t falling for your sets it’s for a reason. Sometimes you need to step back and try switching it up a little, and sometimes it can be the small things that make a difference.
Trapping Coyotes With Debris Mounds
Trapping coyotes on farms and wide open areas you want sets that will stick out like a sore thumb. Trapping coyotes can be difficult because they are runners, they may travel 10-15 miles each night in search for food. Trapping coyotes more effectively; you want the sets to be very noticeable form a distance to catch a coyote’s attention and to draw them in. Coyotes don’t hunt every square inch of the area they call home, they hunt on the go. This means you need the coyotes to see the sets from across the field.
In order to trap coyotes this way, the placement of this coyote set is important. You want to place this set at least 15 yards from any woods or hedgerow. Coyotes feel more comfortable investigating sets and holes in the open as [opposed to] sets that are tucked close to cover or a brush pile.
The Mound:
The first thing you need to do is to rake as much of the surrounding crop debris and dirt as you can into a large pile. You need the pile to at least 18 inches high and about 4 feet long and in the shape of a crescent moon. In a cut corn field were the stubble is still standing you need to build the mounds higher than 18 inches to be seen by the coyotes over the stubble. The idea is the coyotes to see the sets from a half mile away. If you’ve done it right you will be able to see the set from the farthest point of direct viewing.
After you have gotten the mount made you want to have the area around the mound to be bare dirt, the larger the better. The bare dirt helps put the coyotes at ease, and want to investigate the set a little more.
The Hole:
Now for the hole; you need the hole to be placed in the concave of the crescent mound. This is the first step in directing the coyotes to the set and to step on the trap. You want the hole to be 5 or 6 inches wide and about 18 inches deep. Approaching coyotes should spot the hole right away. It also helps to round the edges of the hole. This helps in two ways it makes the hole look bigger and also makes the hole seem as it is being used. This helps with the visual aspect of the set.
The Trap:
Even with guiding such as the crescent mound it is still difficult to get the coyotes to step in the trap. To increase the chances of trapping the coyotes you want to use a large trap such as No. 3 Bridger or 4. Sleepy creek. Also because of the pulling force of the coyotes; it is a must that you cross stake each trap. Many times you will hear people say to guide the coyotes with subtle cues such as a small rock or a tiny stick on the loose jaw side. However for this set you want it to be a little less subtle to guide the coyotes on the trap.
To accomplish this you need to set the trap so the dirt covering the trap is about an inch deeper than the surrounding dirt. Also rough up the dirt around the trap where you don’t want the coyotes to step. You want to encourage the coyotes to stand exactly where you want when he comes to investigate the set.
You need to place the trap about a foot from the center of the hole. This is the sweet spot where the coyotes will stand when he is investigating the hole.
Baiting:
Once you have the attention of a curious coyotes you need to keep their attention. To do this you need a little bait. You want a chunk of rendered meat the size of a golf ball soaked with a solution of beaver castor and other secret ingredients from local maker. The type of meat doesn’t matter too much anything such as, chicken, turkey, squirrel, skunk, muskrat, or whatever else has been found on the road.
Want more trapping tips? Check out the posts below!
5 Sneaky Survival Snare Traps to Keep You Alive
VIDEO: How to Make a Feather Spear Trap
The Benefits of Small Game Hunting
Coyote vs. Wolf: Knowing the Difference
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from SurvivalLife http://survivallife.com/how-to-get-rid-of-coyotes/
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