3 traps dug up in 2 days now. I am getting humbled by the old wiley coyotes.

All of my traps are painted with rustoleum and left outside to air out. Wearing clean (ish) leather gloves and bedding with peat moss.

to add insult to injury the coyotes are taking a dump near my sets

do the veterans on here any advice for me dealing with these diggers?

That does get aggravating. But, I as you know, I am not a fan of the peat for bedding purposes. ALSO, I do know unless the peat is aired out over the summer, and basically allowed to bake dry, it carries an odor. You wouldn't think it would spook them, but it is a foreign odor. Just because you can't smell it, doesn't mean they can't. I don't know for sure, but I'm betting it is the peat in one fashion or the other.

Chevy, I would chance a frozen trap, and find you some clean dry dirt, and come calcium chloride or salt. Just to see if the digging ceases. Even if they step on the trap and it doesn't fire, you've eliminated the issue.

Good luck!!!!!

thank you.

I know where some over passes are with dry dirt under them

The road salt drips down and mixes with the dirt. I have read of guys using this for trap covering.

I know you like the peat and been successful with it, and if it works don't fix it. BUT, that is just my opinion. Look under old barn floors, or under big blown over trees. The root wads usually have dry dirt under them. This is a TOUGH conditions to trap coyotes in!
I never give the overpass/salt thing a thought!!! I know what I'm going to be looking for on the drive home from Indy tonight!!!!!

I had some luck with the easy ones in perfect October conditions--peat worked well for me then when I had nice dirt to bed in then cover with peat.

Trapping conditions are tougher now and I need to change up things to keep catching them. I am going to give the dry dirt a shot.

Snares unfortunately are not an option on this farm as it is nearly all wide open fields.

I try to be always learning on the trapline, and the coyote is the best teacher

chevy do you have much snow where you are at. we have ten inches here i thought about raking out a big circle and setting mydirt holes back up. just dont know if the circle will tip them off

My B-I-L seen a pair cross out of a thicket right behind his house Sunday. It will not disturb my deer hunting, and the traps can be seen from his house. SO, tonight, I am going to do exactly what you just said PSE.

I'm going to take the 4 wheeler back, and find their tracks. As you know they LOVE to walk in tire tracks. I'm going to carefully drive the 4 wheeler from fence to fence, and give them a place to walk. I'm then going to take a shovel and rake and clear out a spot beside one of the tracks. I will NOT step in any of the snow besides in the track and a 4' circle of cleared snow. I do not want them seeing my foot prints. On the other tire track I am going to stick a scent post in right beside the track. The ground here is still thawed under the snow. It has not frozen. So in the circle, I am going to Pre-make a set, and bait it with a little scrap deer meat. I'll check on it in 3 days or so to see if I get a "hit". If so, all I have to do is slip a trap in on them. By then, the uncovered ground should have frozen enough to be 1/2 way dry for the trap. A lot of work......I know. But I love messing with these things!!!!

zero snow here, just frozen ground

thanks yaz i remember from last year they were always using
the tire tracks. will give this a shot.

Interesting stuff,.... good reading. h.h.

Chevy, do use just peat to cover them or do you cover with dirt?

I got a bucket full of real fine dirt in a wash out of a field I am thinking about putting it in a foil pan and turning on the kerosene heater and drying it out. Just debating on the scent but it will be dry dirt.

Chevy,
You may even try using dry dirt and peat in a mixture. I mixed some 50/50 this summer. It makes it bed a little easier. My problem right now is i can't find any yote tracks and we have about 4 inches of snow on the ground and the ground is really saturated. I dig a trap bed and it either fills with water or it is super muddy.

I was using it to bed them and as covering. I also sift some of the surrounding stuff to make it look more natural.

giving the dry dirt a try. It is nice and sandy and should sift very well.

Tonight I picked up 5 gallons of it under a local bridge. Bone dry, ready to use, and FREE!

Affirmative. I plan to try just this.