You guys put traps out when season opens or do you wait a while?

im no trapping pro but if you have the time and trapping ground you dont plan to deer hunt on might as well get a early start. coyotes are always on the roam year around so you will always have the chance to catch them. last year was our first year trapping so it took us a few weeks to get the hang of it and catch them. so that is also something to think about. i have also heard of people making a dirt hole set without the trap to get them drawn in then sneak the trap in on them. and that will work with dirt hole scent post flat sets cubby sets etc. hope this helps. also its easier to catch coon in the warmer temps.

I start right away for coons on Nov 8.

For coyotes and fox, the weather is always the problem.

Later in the season you fight to keep sets working in freeze/thaw/snow conditions

In the past, I have tried to get an early start and plan to go after them more seriously this fall. Fun stuff, I can't wait!

I know anytime is a good time to kill a yote. But does anybody know if it is worth the time and effort to finish a yote hide caught in the middle of October?

Great point. They will be blue ie not fully prime) until at least mid November

depends on what market you sell them in, I tanned early ones and sold them tanned. Great for that, not much value in the fur market for the early and blue ones

chevy what kind of price do you get out of tanning them. i to have thought about doing this.

Billy,

Price varies widely. Just a reference point, Minnesota trap products sells them for $84.

http://www.minntrapprod.com/Tanned-Coyote/productinfo/TF-COY/

thanks for the info chevy. all our traps are waxed and ready to go. cant wait till it starts.

I MAY make a couple coyote sets early here around the house where Im not deer hunting. Probably make a few coon, mink, and rat sets close to the road, and under culverts/bridges early. Sets that don't take much time to make and run. But, I won't get started on the coyotes seriously until late December when we start having calves. I put a couple mink boxes in under bridges about a month ago.

do you have much success with the mink boxes?

what do you bait them with?

I had two mink boxes out last year. The only thing I caught in them were possums. I used a bottled mink lure. Since the ditch was dry due to the drought I figured that was the reason for no mink. h.h.

Mink boxes are good when there is no natural places for them to stick there heads in. If there are good undercut banks, drain tiles, culverts, or rip/rap under bridges, I typically do not use them. But on "barren" , clean, creek banks, they are the ticket. Under clean bridges, I'll pile up rocks along the concrete, put the box on top, and put some rocks over the top. Mink will swim out to them. Its also better to get them out early, and get them used to being there. I use fish, and muskrat parts for bait. I netted a bunch of shad for bait last night. Those suckers STINK, and make excellent coon and mink bait.

FYI- I checked out a road kill coyote by the house yesterday. That particular one was a few weeks from having decent fur. He was still pretty blue.

Somewhere I saw a mink box with 2 small holes at each end, open bottom and hinged top. Guy said to set them out with no trap and bait it with a pile of bird seed. Mice will eat the seed and leave scent and droppings, mink will come looking for the mice. Keep adding seed for a couple of weeks and then set a foot trap in the box. h.h.

Not to hijack the thread....but shad don't taste to bad on a sammich when yer hungry...

I'll save you a few.....just so you can relive that day on the water!!!

Dat wuz a fun day.... And ah wuz hungry!