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Trapping #3 #6099574 12/24/15 01:36 PM
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DesertHunting Offline OP
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Better late than never.
Sorry about the delay, but the season got busy and I'm just now getting a small break to sit down and post this.

This one will cover bedding the trap and location.

Just like real estate, trapping is about location. You can have the best bait in the world and make the perfect set, but if it not where the animals are traveling you won't catch a thing. Knowing the travel and hunting patters of the animals you are after is key to finding good locations for your sets. Cats are stalkers, so locations with plenty of cover are best; draw crossings, brush lines, etc. Coyotes are cruisers, roads, trails, and open areas are most likely your best bet for them. My trapping country is all pasture land so these are the first places I look. If you trap in mixed land areas, check the transition areas between crop land and pasture, corners seem to hold more sign. Also small bun hinge of brush, these offer both cover and shade, so critters are naturally drawn to those. And of course water. Out here in the desert, nothing lasts very long without water, so you will definitely find sign anywhere near water. Always set on sign. Where you find tracks or scat, you need to make a set.

In these pictures, a coyote was using a small trail coming around this brush to hit the road leading to water.




To help with scent and to contain the dirt you will need to cover the trap, use a drop cloth. Here I am using a piece of denim to kneel on. Now I use a plastic chemical apron I found on the side of the road. Thank God for oilfield workers, they are keeping us poor folks well supplied with all the stuff that falls off their trucks. This apron was still in the package.




When trapping for coyotes bedding the trap is most important. The only fix for a poorly bedded trap is to get it right the first time. If the trap or soil moves any when the coyote steps near by or on a jaw, then one of two things will happen. 1. It will leave and not come back...ever. 2. It will dig up your trap and never come back. First thing, you need a hole to set the trap in. So dig an area big enough to set the trap and have room to work it, but the less ground you disturb the better.

In this picture I've already buried the drag chain. I like to go ahead and hook my drags on something, this one is in a fork of this mesquite. I'm all about quick turn around, so not having to track down a trap that may have been drug off in the brush saves some time.




You will need a pan cover or pan pad. This will keep dirt out from under the pan, allowing the pan to move freely to trigger the trap. I use denim or a heavier fabric that will endure being in the ground and keep the sifting so from falling through. I find cloth to be better than screen, especially in dry conditions where the sittings can get to be like fine powder. And in my experience, coyotes and coons seem to know exactly where to find wax paper.

Cut a piece of cloth big enough to cover the area inside the trap jaws. Then cut a slit on one side to fit over the dog. This will allow the cloth to drop over the pan on all sides. As you can see the front jaw is lifted, this is so I don't catch myself. You can work your pan cover in place better and if the you accidentally hit the pan your fingers will thank you.




I always start on the front edge when bedding my traps. Sift a little dirt onto the pan cover. This will hold the cover in place and show if you need to make adjustments to it. Then sent more dirt along the front so you can press the jaw down into it. Once the jaw is pressed down and it won't push down anymore when weight is placed on it, using you fist, tamp the dirt solid until there is no give to it.





Once the front jaw is set, work around the trap sifting and tamping making sure the trap does not move in the bed.



Of course, you will not be able to tamp the dirt inside the jaws, please don't try that. So just sift dirt in to fill in around the pan. I try to leave the pan un covered until the final sifting, then just put a thin layer of dirt over it.

In this picture you will see that I've used a small trowel to cover the pan and then scattered some leaves and grass over the top of the trap. The leaves are from aljarita (sp?), they are very sharp and critters around here know not to step on them. The trowel leaves the pan clean making a target for them to step on. Also, for cats and coyotes I place my bait 8-10 inches from the pan. As seen here, I'm using my dig free hole set.




The bait will go in the pvc pipe and its an attention getter.

At this point I want to cut down point of access to the bait. Using natural backing, the misquote tree and closing off any holes, I make only one way for the animal to get to the trap. Also, buy using sticks and, in this picture, cactus paddles, I direct the animal into the trap from the front.

[img]https://texashuntingforum.com/forum/pics/usergals/2015/12/full-33790-53915-image.png[/img]
[img]https://texashuntingforum.com/forum/pics/usergals/2015/12/full-33790-53916-image.png[/img]



Once I'm done with the set, I make things look like they did before I was there. By brushing out my tracks and scattering dirt around it looks natural.

[img]https://texashuntingforum.com/forum/pics/usergals/2015/12/full-33790-53913-image.png[/img]
[img]https://texashuntingforum.com/forum/pics/usergals/2015/12/full-33790-53914-image.png[/img]



This set produced three coyotes and a fox in five days.

[img]https://texashuntingforum.com/forum/pics/usergals/2015/12/full-33790-53910-image.png[/img]




Happy trapping! May your Christmas be merry and all your traps be full!
Cold front's coming!


Re: Trapping #3 [Re: DesertHunting] #6099586 12/24/15 01:45 PM
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thanks for posting, you should put it on utube video


hold on Newt, we got a runaway
Re: Trapping #3 [Re: DesertHunting] #6099600 12/24/15 01:55 PM
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For some reason it's screwing up the last photos. I'll keep working on it.

Yes, videos are in the works. I have a face for radio and a voice for the papers. Plus it doesn't help when I'm tech impaired.


Re: Trapping #3 [Re: DesertHunting] #6099659 12/24/15 02:28 PM
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cheers Don't feel bad, i gots troubles with reading & writing, typing & the mug for wanted posters ... Good write up for those getting inta trapping...
Edit: Back in late 60's & early 70's used ta catch baby fox by hand... bang android messing up big time taday.. no not drinking, yet, got me meds yesterday... Hopefuly the bottle won't let me down tonight, head stopped up, crap down in chest again... Don't do no good ta complain... flag



i'm postaddic
Re: Trapping #3 [Re: DesertHunting] #6099750 12/24/15 03:31 PM
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Thanks for the info. Do you recommend any supplier for traps and baits in texas? Thanks


"I'm a modern day John Wayne with my daddy's last name born 50 years too late"
Re: Trapping #3 [Re: epolanco] #6099798 12/24/15 04:10 PM
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Originally Posted By: epolanco
Thanks for the info. Do you recommend any supplier for traps and baits in texas? Thanks

livestock protection company
I order most of my stuff online from F&T supply and have had excellent service from them.


Re: Trapping #3 [Re: DesertHunting] #6099807 12/24/15 04:14 PM
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Re: Trapping #3 [Re: DesertHunting] #6121228 01/06/16 03:58 AM
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Thanks. Great write up. This is exactly want I was needing.

I'm wanting to start trapping at our ranch. Completely new to this.

What would be needed to get into this?

Here's my list I can think of. Let me know what I'm missing.

Trap
Bait
Different bait
Hormone bait
Pipe for bait
Cable to tie down trap? Is cable ok? What size?
Cut pant leg for trap cover
Sifter
A way to not leave scent when setting


How do I not catch a deer? I'm worried I'll catch one. Does that happen?

Re: Trapping #3 [Re: MathMan] #6123329 01/07/16 06:11 AM
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Originally Posted By: MathMan
How do I not catch a deer? I'm worried I'll catch one. Does that happen?

How not to catch a deer...don't set traps.
Kidding aside, after you set enough traps for long enough you will find traps do not discriminate between animals they catch. Texas state law says you must check all your traps "at least" every thirty six (36) hours. This will help insure that non-target animals can be released with minimal harm done to them.

Some things you can do to help make sure deer don't get in your traps are to not place your traps too close to a known deer trail. Dogs have a great seance of smell so if the trap is a few feet off the path they can still find it. Also you can make brush coves to cover your set area. This can trigger the curiosity and coyotes have been known to go in and check things out. In my experience, the older ones are too leary though and will not enter small spaces unless it's their den. My grandfather made me make small 2'x2' net wire pens with T-posts around my traps to make sure I didn't catch any sheep or goats. This worked fine for bobcats and fox, but I personally never caught a coyote in one.

Check out my post, Trapping #2 , for a list of thing you might need.

If you use cable you run the risk of losing traps. first you will need several swivels in the cable. But if the cable snags on something and kinks, then it could become weak and break. Also, coyotes can weaken the cable by chewing on it while they are caught, again causing the cable to break and the animal to keep your trap. Chain is the best thing to use.

Good luck and happy trapping.


Re: Trapping #3 [Re: DesertHunting] #6123339 01/07/16 07:47 AM
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Good informative write-ups thanks for sharing.

There is a max picture count for a post, once it is reached the posts will not ne displayed. For future postings you can preview your post and see if you might need to separate it into 2 posts so all content is shown with their picture.


lf the saying "Liar, Liar your pants on fire" were true
Mainstream news might be fun to watch
Re: Trapping #3 [Re: DesertHunting] #6125743 01/08/16 06:33 PM
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Have you ever had coyotes dig at the baitfrom the safe side,if you will,and not set the trap off?


Choot 'em!
Re: Trapping #3 [Re: kmon11] #6126636 01/09/16 04:55 AM
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Originally Posted By: kmon1
Good informative write-ups thanks for sharing.

There is a max picture count for a post, once it is reached the posts will not ne displayed. For future postings you can preview your post and see if you might need to separate it into 2 posts so all content is shown with their picture.



Thought it was just my lack of hacking skills.
Thanks I'll keep that I'm mind


Re: Trapping #3 [Re: Squirrel Sniper] #6126648 01/09/16 05:13 AM
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Originally Posted By: Squirrel Sniper
Have you ever had coyotes dig at the baitfrom the safe side,if you will,and not set the trap off?


Not usually when I have a good tree or brush for backing. But sets that I have made in more open areas yes. My suggestion is to leave your set alone. If the coyote is working your bait, he likes it; and if the trap was not set off he is none the wiser. Coyotes tend to first approach a set from the back side to check things out. As they get comfortable and curious they will move to the front. When they make it around to the front, they tend to work back and forth across the front till they are comfortable to approach the set. By using sticks, brush, or as seen in my pictures, cactus pads, they can be directed into the trap. If after a week the coyote continues to approach from the back side, set a blind trap on the side it approaches.

One other trick I've used is to intentionally make the set on the back side of good backing away from the expected path of the coyote. Say I have a road he has been traveling often. I'll pick a good area with good backing and place the set on the side away from the road knowing he may go to that side first to check things out. I've also dug holes for hole sets where the opening of the hole faces away from the trap.

Keep working at it, that yote will be waiting for you in your trap soon.


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