Have a coyote family

[Jay Byrd]

What Brand and size of traps do you have? Sterling. Jakes or run of the mill Bridgers.

I don't remember the names, they are #5's I think, double coil with swivel on the chain in two places. I have the rebarb stakes and split rings for attachment. They hurt if sprung on your finger, don't ask me how I know.

 

[motrapper]

Trapperman.com has the best step by step section on making all kinds of sets
Click on link below Basic Sets

Basic Sets

 

[Jay Byrd]

There is a lot to learn about traps and trapping that will give you a starting place . Most people don't do it as a job so they don't need to take it as seriously as me and they have fun doing it as much as me.

I have read to bury them in oak leaves in river muck and the tannic acid will clean them of any rust (I have the place) then dip in hot wax or paraffin to coat them. Could they be parkerized like military guns? Have to be careful of scent on them so use rubber gloves when handling? Have also read of rubbing pine needles on the gloves to help reduce the scent too.

 

[Ohlongarm]

I have released many deer , antelope and some sheep from my traps unharmed before I learned how to avoid them as well as a couple of mountain lions , catch poles have their place in your truck cats don't have much resistance and will pass out fast be in your truck with the windows rolled up when they wake up . A cat setting on your dash isn't a whole lot of fun for you or your tarping , calling dog . Badgers will not go down with a catch pole but my oak handle across the bridge of the nose knocked them out throw them as far as you can when they wake up they snort shake their head and go the other way . Offset jaws with the stamped edges smoothed normally won't do damage to a coon or possum's feet again the catch pole and set them free . I put a gun sear set on my dogs and pans so that the trap fires with a couple of pounds of pressure that helps to lessen the un-wanted catches .

I've trapped since age 5 , and am still at it, best coyote traps inmo are as follows, the best is the Minnesota trapline MB 550 RC offset, no coyote will ever destroy or escape when caught. Number two, and, I love this trap is the Sleepy creek 1/3/4 offset jaws, never had a coyote escape or trash one. When trapping here's the rules for success, if not followed you lose 100% guaranteed. Proper pan tension is critical, I want my coyote to feel like he's on solid ground when stepping , bedding the trap must be rock solid no movement period. Too light a pan tension and he gets a toe pinched, or lost and he's gone.I like from 4 to 8 lbs of tension on a trap before it fires dependent on weather and soil conditions. The Sleepy creek is a little easier to work with than the Minnesota Trapline but not significantly so. The Minnesota Trapline will hold a wolf and that's a fact. Alaskan and Canadian trappers have verified that. Any way here's the two side by side, shiny one just in the rusting process before dye, same with the sleepy Creek. When set as described they will catch a coyote perfectly in the center of his pad, which makes escape impossible.

 

[motrapper]

MB550 is a great trap I like the Cast jaws though. But they are 3rd behind the 2 below. Laid my first steel in 1975 LOL I am getting up thier.

JC Conner - Traps

The Jake trap is an exclusive trap manufactured by J.C. Conner. It is a great coyote trap.

www.jcconner.com

Traps - Sterling MJ Traps - Sterling Fur Company

sterlingfur.com

 

[Ohlongarm]

MB550 is a great trap I like the Cast jaws though. But they are 3rd behind the 2 below. Laid my first steel in 1975 LOL I am getting up thier.

JC Conner - Traps

The Jake trap is an exclusive trap manufactured by J.C. Conner. It is a great coyote trap.

www.jcconner.com

Traps - Sterling MJ Traps - Sterling Fur Company

sterlingfur.com

Sterling is a good company, about half an hour from me , that's where I bought the traps in the picture. They buy all my used traps I get tired of and pay well, good people to deal with.

 

[Ohlongarm]

MB550 is a great trap I like the Cast jaws though. But they are 3rd behind the 2 below. Laid my first steel in 1975 LOL I am getting up thier.

JC Conner - Traps

The Jake trap is an exclusive trap manufactured by J.C. Conner. It is a great coyote trap.

www.jcconner.com

Traps - Sterling MJ Traps - Sterling Fur Company

sterlingfur.com

Learn something new everyday, I may try a couple they look great, most of my coyote trapping is in the summertime, nuisance work usually.

 

[DSheetz]

I have seen some traps that no matter what you did they still wouldn't be a good trap . I have seen some that it took very little to make them a good trap and some custom traps that are good from the start . I have used long spring traps ,coil spring traps , under spring ( jump traps ) round jaw , square jaw , off set jaw , laminated jaw traps , cast jaw traps some called clutch traps and for the most part they are like snares , trucks , rifles and calibers of rifles it depends on each individuals likes and dislikes and the situation we are in as to what will do the job for us to the best that we want them to . For me if I only had a few coyote to work on this year and may not set another trap for a few years I wouldn't spend the money for Stearling traps if it was the way I made my living or did it year after year , year in and year out yup I'd make the investment in the best that I could afford . No matter what traps or rifle, truck or anything else that I invested my time and money in I would take care of it and study how to put it to it's best use for me and the animals I was targeting . Trapping is a craft and few can do well with out a little bit of a learning curve the same as with any thing dealing with coyote . Not one thing is learned over night with them , calling , hunting , trapping or snaring them . The best of luck to anyone wishing to deal with them , study them in your area and study them some more .

 

[DSheetz]

Sterling traps started in Sterling Colorado . They used to modify Montgomery step-in dogless traps . at one time they put a D-ring base plate on traps turned up the jaw tips or bubbled the jaw tips so they wouldn't pull out of the frame , put a longer chain with more swivels in it as well as a different anchoring system on them . When they dealt with dogged traps they would tighten the dog on the frame to take any play out of it as well as putting a bolted pan on it instead of a riveted pan . They at that time liked what they called kink less chain .

 

[bdcook]

If they are coming in to 50 yards, either run a cell trail cam that sends the pics to your phone real-time or buy a cheap driveway alarm from harbor freight or amazon. It will alert you when they come to the bait so you can take your shot.

Ive been running my bait since November. I have a Browning Ridgeline camera on the pile. Its working really well.

 

[huntercole]

I think I'd try calling from a close by area but not right on the bait to start. You might be able to get 1 or 2 without them thinking your bait is the danger zone. Then you might be able to get another couple off the bait after that. If it's only 50 yards from your house I'd just slide open the window at 3am when they're coming in. Maybe you could put a couple of them solar landscape lights nearby if you can't see that area from your house/yard lights.

 

[APDDSN0864]

Opossum's eat ticks. I need all of them here the habitat will support. Coons are to me not a problem as far as I know.

Opossums may eat ticks, but they are the primary carrier of EPM (Equine Protozoal Myeoencephalitis) which destroys a horse's nervous system. It's a fatal disease that has no treatment and is absolutely the most horrible way for a horse to die.
I've lost a good horse to EPM and I don't even want to see that again.
EVERY 'possum must die...

As to traps, I'm a huge fan if MB550's with cast jaws.
I also use Victor #3 longsprings because that's all I had before I found the MB550's.
When you first get new traps, put a cup of liquid septic line cleaner in a 5 gallon bucket of water and soak the traps overnight. Pull them out, rinse them off, and neutralize any remaining acid by dipping them in a baking soda solution (1 cup/5 gal water), then dye and wax them.
Minnesota Trapline Supply is my go-to for supplies.

I do predator control work for a living.

Not all traps come from the factory ready to go.
With the exception of the latest batch of MB550's, every trap I have ever used needed some sort of tuning.
The trap dog modification mentioned earlier with the notch in the dog and the pan is the best way to create that crisp letoff with sufficient tension to avoid rats and rabbits from setting off your traps.
To make sure you're getting the proper pan tension, pay a few bucks and get a pan tension guage.
I set mine with ~3-4lb of tension, depending on which trap I'm working on.

Ed

 

[jehu]

50yrds is not a long shot. If you can't see them at 50 then move the bait in 5yds every 5 days until you can get them at the range where you can see them from a open window or hidden vantage point. if you are not a veteran trapper then you have a steep learning curve to become successful!

 

[sendero72]

We have a coyote family that comes and eat table scraps we throw out. We put them in a discarded frying pan about 50 yds. from the house at the edge of the woods.. We have 42 acres and join a river. The usually come at night at 3 AM or early in the morning. I have their picture on a game camera. We are pretty much rural with houses generally a good distance apart. I can shoot safely. I do have some traps and A generation 1 night scope and could mount it on a custom AR, Wylde chamber 223. I would like to trap them but don't want to trap the opossum's, racoons, deer and cats. The scope would be decent with good moon light. Should I buy a caller and try to lure them in in the day time or try shooting them at dusk?

Shoot them.