Ramblings and Such From Hunting Coyote

[trapper1954]

Yesterday 25# female coyote and keep in mind these are 32" cables. This was common 70 year old net fence 36" net field fence 12" stagin. Graveyard dead.

 

[trapper1954]

Friday another lamb killer throat catch. Lots of fur down here this year ,, clogging the locks.

 

[trapper1954]

The break away that I do will hold a pig this size. A large boar will break loose, wreck you and the 4 wheeler. 10 4 ,, Just shoot first

 

[74honker]

Great pics and descriptions Trapper. We cannot use snares at all here in IL. I can see the benefit you guys have in useing them. IMO they are quick kill, and very efficient. Easier to set up than a leghold, which means less human scent to blow your set, no worries about frozen dirt, and the list goes on. Granted may not be best in every situation but VERY good where you can.

 

[trapper1954]

Terrain,, This is the Balconies Escartment, boy howdy take a crowbar you might need it. Coastal plains are just in the distance.

 

[trapper1954]

This is the flatter parts. With a wonderful 4 stran barbwire fence

 

[DSheetz]

I have taken several heavy females in February and March. You can get a bunch with one shot, the most I took was a female with 13 pups in her. Snares are a very useful tool, as with so many other things they can be abused and misused. They defiantly aren't fool proof they can freeze with snow and ice; the wind can blow them shut; you can set them where the coyotes will get their front feet through them and get catches around the mid-section instead of good neck catches. At this time there is a trend of using smaller locks and smaller cables here. They are using 1/16" locks on 5/64" cables and locks for 5/64" cable on 3/32" cable. It makes them slower; I saw a guy had one by both back feet the other day, he was using a 1/16" lock on 5/64" cable. I said something to him, and his reply was will it worked I got him didn't I, he didn't see my lock or cable did he. Okay. The reason for me being there was coyotes backing up getting the cable in their mouth and chewing through it and being gone. I am not sure how to help solve some problems, I don't think that I can. I might have to try a few of the lock washer break- aways I wonder how grade 8 lock washers would work instead of the grade five washers. Quite a difference in the metal they are made of. I am amazed at times how big a hole a coyote will dig and at other times how small a hole they will make and use.

 

[trapper1954]

Some people cant be helped Ive tried and I'm told anybody can set a snare. Ive got 1/16 in 1x19 cut 28 or 30" with the 1/16 cam lock & 3' of 3/32 double swivel leaders available if necessary. I'm having a very slow start on one place. I had this idea a test as it were, I found an old trap location from last years previous trapper and I dug it up and just smoothed it out. Came back in 2 days and it was totally investigated by a critter. no trap no lure nada, that thing dug all around lookin for a trap. Ha Haa Game changer right there, I'm thinkin it cant be the fresh earth we have pigs and armadillos creating that 365 days a yr. On a side note If any of you all are gonna try those Duke pro 550's feel the pan where the dog goes. Those pans are punched out and there's a sharp lip that needs to be filed off to get things working better.

 

[DSheetz]

I have seen that before especially when people were using bait and grab sticks to check and see what animals they had in their area. They are a length of dowel rod sharpened with wool glued to one end that you drive in the ground and then put bait or lure on the wool loosen the soil around it for a foot or two so that it shows tracks well. not really a good replacement for good old tracking but kind of a gimmick to trap the trapper and get their dollars out of their pockets! Changed up the location, used flat sets and asked the old trapper not to be messing with my sets as he was now a trespasser, the landowner also had a talk with them. Killed the older coyotes that had learned from the old guy by using totally different methods, it did take me probably 4 years to get one old male without any teeth he finally came to a call one day really slow and cautious using every bit of cover he could and was just peeking out from behind a big sage brush out a couple of hundred yards. I watched him for at least an hour slipping in toward me, wanting to see how he was going to come and how close he would get. he fathered a bunch of pups with several different females, I kept getting the dens and females but only knew him by his tracks till that day.

 

[trapper1954]

I come across those very wise coyotes also.

 

[trapper1954]

middle of the road set

 

[trapper1954]

Everything goes in the hole, drag chain trap.

 

[trapper1954]

DSheetz do you have any coydogs and or pictures?

 

[trapper1954]

This guy dont look like much but he weighed in at 50#, big feet, pink toenails