Pennsylvania Game News - November 2024 - 37

baits all will hold a coyote's interest
in close, but they won't work if
they're not in the animal's path.
You can extend the range a bit
by placing your sets in spots that
take advantage of winds or thermals,
but still you have to be in
the correct location. If you're off
by as little as 10 feet, you might be
looking, day after day, at an empty
set as opposed to the alternative.
When catching a coyote, don't
hesitate to revisit the spot and remake
the set in years to follow. Once one
coyote is caught at a location, others
will surely be using that area, barring any
drastic changes to the landscape.
Maybe the best way to fi nd out what
coyotes are doing in your neck of the
woods is to get out and follow their
tracks in the snow. Pay attention to how
they use the landscape and wind in their
favor. Consider why they are using the
areas they do, and what their next moves
might be. That type of insight pays off
when trapping because, if you can read
the land, you can fi gure out where to put
a set, even in a new area.
STEEL IN THE GROUND
When putting in traps, it's wise to set
two or three in the same area, perhaps 10
to 20 feet apart, given coyotes often will
travel in pairs or family groups. Multiple
traps can make multiple catches in the
same night.
That said, don't expect to catch a coyote
on the fi rst night.
For me, it seems to takes three or
four days before a coyote set produces. I
don't know if it's a scent thing, be it huWhen
scouti ng, look for multi ple sets of tracks
or piles of scat in one area to help you key in
on places where you might want to set a trap.
NOVEMBER 2024
man scent or the scents you're using, or
if the set just has to season and the disturbed
ground settle a bit.
But you might need patience.
If I am setting strictly for coyotes,
I'm prepared to let the trap sit there two
weeks or more without rebaiting or reluring.
The scent of attractants will remain
through all types of weather, and a
coyote's nose will fi nd it - if you have set
the trap in the correct spot.
I'm prepared to let the trap sit there two
weeks or more without rebaiting or reluring.
The scent of attractants will remain
through all types of weather, and a
coyote's nose will fi nd it - if you have set
the trap in the correct spot.
Don't go overboard with your lures,
urines or baits either. One or two drops of
a lure, a quick squirt of urine or a small
piece of bait are all you need. Just make
sure they go in a hole so the coyote has to
put its nose to the ground, which ups the
odds of it stepping on the trap pan.
urines or baits either. One or two drops of
a lure, a quick squirt of urine or a small
piece of bait are all you need. Just make
sure they go in a hole so the coyote has to
put its nose to the ground, which ups the
odds of it stepping on the trap pan.
THE SETS
Many diff erent sets will catch coyotes.
Sift through YouTube videos or
visit your state or national trappers' association
website to get a sampling of what
works.
You also can pick up a lot by looking
over the landscape where other trappers
are fi nding success, and applying those
same things to your trapping area.
While I'll make multiple sets at one
location, I avoid " cookie cutter " sets,
meaning each set will be diff erent. I usually
go with a two-hole dirt-hole set, a
four-hole walk-through set and a urine
post set.
I'll use diff erent lures or baits in each
hole, too, and believe this sometimes can
be the diff erence between a visit by a
coyote and a catch.
Which scents, baits or urines to use
depends on personal preference. I don't
believe you could fi nd one that won't
work. I'll purchase several of the same
depends on personal preference. I don't
believe you could fi nd one that won't
kinds of lures from diff erent lure makers
to add a little variety, or use beaver castor
37
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Pennsylvania Game News - November 2024

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