Nick, looks like you are our mink trapper!!!!!! Thats a DANDY of a male mink!!!! Congrats!!!! Those boys crack me up!!!!!! I can just hear them now!!! LOL I never even attempted to make a set for them this year…….kinda missed it. Maybe next season…..Oh wait!!! There's OTTERS next season!

Very cool Nick.

I mentioned yesterday about taking a pic of a coyote snare set. Everybody has their preferences. This is just how I do it, and I'm always open to improvements.

I'll make the snare loop roughly 40-44 inches in length. So then once squared-up it'll measure about a 10-11" square. I just eyeball that so it could be off an inch or so either way, and also depends on the spot where it's hung.

Since I want the Coyote on as short a leash as possible, I go with a 5' snare, which leaves 16-20 inches to work with on the swivel end of the cable. So if there's no nearby tree for anchoring, I can still use a ground stake directly below the support collar side of the loop. But if there's a handy tree nearby, I'll anchor directly to a wire wrapped on the tree, or use an extension cable. I prefer not to use an extension, to lessen collateral damage to the brush in the area. But sometimes that's the only option.

I use light steel wire, 11 gage, for the support bracket, and keep it short. I form a W-shape at the tip for the support collar, and angle the tip steeply upwards at a 45-60 degree angle. The "W" is what keeps the snare loop perpendicular to the trail, even if let's say a deer brushes past. I screw the spring support collar onto the support wire really tight. So tight that you can no longer pull the cable through it.

The 3/32 cable takes a kink easily, so I square up the top corner, kink down the middle of the top a little, and kink up the middle of the bottom, forming a square-ish shape. The micro type locks will slide over the kinks with ease, no problem.

Here's the finished product below. This one is anchored to a tree. When I brush it in, I angle the bottom end of the last few twigs towards the middle of the trail. This keeps yippy's paws centered on the trail, hopefully guiding his head to the middle of the loop.

In this particular spot I've caught one yote so far this year, but it's been good in the past. They tend to follow that wooded edge you see in the background at left, then cross the lane and barrel into the set.

Well dangit SS, going to have to try squared off loop in a couple of my fence sets where I've had refusals. Now that I look at it, if the hole is square, maybe the circle or teardrop loop inside the square is what tips them off. Most of my sets are "crawl unders" where the top of the loop is above the actual hole, and the bottom of the loop is on the ground. They really can't see it. I was afraid of the sharper bend holding up the lock.

I'm with you on everything else. The shorter the leash, the better. That also "engages" the lock quicker as the cable comes tight, making for a better neck catch. Having the spring wire hanger TIGHT on the wire hanger where the cable cannot slip is must…..for the same reason. It gets the lock moving in the right direction quicker.

I know its not possible snaring in open trails like you do, but I try to make it a point to anchor off as high as I can get it. for the same reasons in the paragraph above.

I am NOT of big fan of the spring wire snare supports….those things give me fits getting them tight. But thats just me. I bought some clear, flexible, tubing that I have been using. I like it a lot better, and it does hold tight….

Yeah I know those spring collars don't work as well on heavier wire sizes. On the 11 gage wire they seem to tighten down good with 3/32 cable. The tubing you use is probably a much more tidy way to do it though.

I don't know how much difference it really makes, but I picture a yote passing through a loop more freely when it's the wider square-shape, with a little less hesitation since there's less chance for his ears or whiskers to brush the cable, compared to the normal teardrop shape which he has to enter it just perfect, both on the left to right and the vertical height.

That's a nice looking setup SS. I might have to try that too. I still use the ole tear drop snare mainly because its the easiest for me to make and set. I do like the square opening idea.

Yaz, keep harassing DP. I just told him I thought it would be a solid weekend to go after the yotes due to the nasty weather & breeding.....quote "not interested"...He has spring walleye & wiper fishing on the brain. I plan on making a three day run with snares & the rifle. Keep after them guys. Oh, and while I was talking to him, he mentions he saw in the middle of the day, 2 yotes today . If that isn't enough to get the blood boiling, I don't know

NOBODY has fishing on the brain worse than I do!!!! Matter of fact, by the end of Feb. or First of March, I will be striper fishing,,,,,,come snow or not. If there's open water I WILL be there!!! LOL However, I'm still going to stay after the coyotes for a couple more weeks now. Going to hit them with everything in the next few days, with the way they are moving.

I really think DP has just wussed out on us….can't hack the cold weather, got soft…….whipped, UN-AMERICAN!!!!!!! :rolleyes: How's that Buckwheat??????

Kinda worried about DP. Guess we're gonna have to bring those little marshmallows for his hot chocolate if he shows up at Summit next week.... :p

Nice catches, fellas!

You guys REALLY think you will get him out of his jammies and fleece lined slippers that early to go stand on the ice and fish????? :rolleyes: :p

You guys sound like a group of yipping coyotes :p

With marshmallows....

Lmao

Nice fur catches and very nice mink! I just got home from catching walleyes through the ice and an tired as heck, hard on an old fat man.

I like my snares to trip and slide easy so I tend to set the slide at the top of the snare, that way it slides down with the slightest pressure. Im setting some new snares tomorrow in a couple small game trails. I saw a big track the other day and Im wanting him. h.h.

Snagged one more today. This girl was a talker

Their tails and back half are starting to wear down a little. But I'm not as concerned with fur quality, as with continuing to thin them out. So the plan is to keep at it as long as they're still walking through the snares.

Nice!

Keep after them SS!! Seems like you have an endless supply!!!! You may be a while yet!!!

Awesome pic......your putting some serious #s on the board:)

Great Pic SS. You are the Coyote Commander..

What's kinda funny though....after a catch, in the ground-anchored sets especially, the nice original brush "funnel" is completely gone of course. You basically have an 8-foot circle of bare dirt. Might be a few leaves left and that's it. But I hate to lose a good snaring spot, so the only thing to do is "rebuild" it with new brush. And by now, after 24 catches, that whole part of the farm looks like some tree pruning company has come through and performed service. Every low-hanging branch is neatly clipped off up to about a 8-foot ceiling, high as I can reach with hand pruners. And every mulberry tree on the farm has been reduced to a 4 foot high stob

Where coyotes go to die!!!!! I said once before, that I bet that place looks like a war zone!!!! That is a pretty big valley, and must be one heck of good travel corridor for them.

I forgot to ask……how long generally speaking before you make a catch after making it back up? Just curious…...

I skinned the last coyote for Dad to scrape and put up. He is working on it today. He called and said " Another one with buckshot in its rear end!!!" They sure get shot at a lot around there. We get several a year that's been sent on their way with lead in their butts!!

Both beaver I trapped this year had buckshot in them.

A yote I skinned out the other day had what appeared to be 3 .380 leads in the head area and survived. He was trapped and put down with .22 to the lungs they are tough animals.

Yaz it seems like 48-72 hours is the very bare minimum for the next catch. Usually more like several days to a couple weeks. No doubt the urine/feces/blood scents linger for a while. I try to cover up the obvious stuff, but of course all you can do is tone it down a little, their noses are way too good. A nice heavy rain or snow will settle the spot back down some. But when one trail or crossing point gets scented up, they just move over and use an alternate trail not far away. Where there's hopefully another snare waiting.

Joining the Yaz and Sticksender Coyote Club, with this female I got on 1/13/2015. She kept going on one side or the other of a snare set on the bottom barbwire, so I set two loops side by side and nailed her. Have only had my snares out for a couple of weeks along the cattle pasture, planning on getting some woods setups going shortly.

Hey SS, here's a couple of my setups. Like I said I still just use the old teardrop method but they work pretty good and close up pretty quickly if you hang them right. I haven't noticed any going around them(not to say they aren't) but I don't have near the population of them that you have. I just try to use heavier wire to hold it out where at want it and anchor it to a nearby tree or use a ground anchor if there's nothing close. Remember I'm still a rookie but I'm learning.

Heck yeah Kirk...nice catch! I'm rooting for you to nail a bunch of 'em.

Gilley what you're doing is working well! Those are some sweet-looking spots there. I like the looks of that horse-weed thicket. We've got some thickets like that in a river bottoms, but there's a lot of deer traffic in it so I haven't tried snaring in it yet.

Nice going Kirk. Glad seeing you posting up.

WTG Kirk!!! Welcome to the HH Coyote Choking Club!!!!! As opposed to Dawn Patrol's Chicken Choking Club……you know….since he quit us!!!!!

That's what I've found too SS. After three days is when I start looking for a set to produce…..that's on a new set with no previous catch. I have only caught a coyote the first night in a snare after putting it up one time. Putting a trap in the ground is a little longer. But, there is a lot more human scent lingering IMO. I was just curious since you have to spend a lot of time re-building the sets you make.

Haters

Another Hater

You best double-check the deer contest thread...

Nice catches everyone!!!

Tristan snagged another yap yesterday on a beat down trail that we saw some tracks on couple weeks back. He had a couple coons waiting on him too. The one completely missing his tail.

[img] [img]http://img.photobucket.com/al...5-01-29_16.54.06-1_zpsu7te6cjn.jpg[/img] [/IMG]

[img] [img]http://img.photobucket.com/al...015-01-29_17.19.14_zps96p8kw39.jpg[/img] [/IMG]

[img] [img]http://img.photobucket.com/al...01-29_17.09.41-1-1_zpsdglmbq9k.jpg[/img] [/IMG]

Thanks for the pics WT. Congrats Tristan.

Nice!

We went out today on a catch and release trapping day one small coon that was way to small to keep and mess with and then this ol grinner and believe it or not that is the first one for me this year nasty ol things

Love the kid pics!

Doubled today on yotes. Both set locations had sat untouched for a month or more. And then boom...two hits in one night.

This nice female was hung real tight in a triple hackberry. It was a heck of an extrication job to get her out.



The other was a male with bad mange and was no good for fur.

With all that hair loss he had to be shivering on these cold winter nights lately.

Great pics guys!!! Congrats to everyone!!! That is a pretty colored coyote Steve!!!! SS you are on your way to a season like I had in 2012!!!! Thats what I like about snares…..they work for you 24-7, days on end!! If they catch just ONE………

Suppose to be a big snow for us Saturday night into Sunday. That'll put an end to my traps for a while. Fence row snares will be drifted in. That's what got me last year. I'm going to work my butt off in the morning sticking snares up in trails where the snow won't screw me up, hopefully!!!!