IMO a head shot is too messy and not worth the trouble. Last year and this year I shot them like I would a deer (behind the shoulder) and never had a problem. it is always quick and easy. We use a Rossi youth .22 and I will never head shoot again.

Less mess with coyote scent there makes for a better set IMO (which is worth .00).

Agree bean, head shot leaves a lot of blood. Chest shot to the heart with a .22 short puts them down quick with out messing up the set. I forgot my rifle today but wont the next time. If she would have been standing up I could have put a shot right behind and forward of her front leg, into the heart but the way she curled up she had her heart protected by shoulders and leg bone. h.h.

Its not always possible, but I've been shooting them in the chest for years. Its not so important on snare locations as it is on trap locations IMO. I don't like the blood on a trap set set. The last two of the three from this year never bled a drop shot in the chest with a short hollow point. Bullet don't exit.

Good going Yaz & HH....more turkey eaters find a home in the fur shed

HH, Have a question. You making really long snares, or using extensions?

Also, I will occasionally have one get through, or back out of a snare that I have anchored off low. I have much better luck, and almost never miss them when I can get anchored off high. When I say high, I mean 3 or 4 feet above the snare loop[. I know when setting in open areas, or in timber, that is not always possible, and it don't keep me from setting. If I can find an alternate spot that allows me to do that I will, or set a second cable. Also I try to keep any excess slack out of my remaining cable. The quicker that cable comes taught, the quicker it will cinch down keeping them from backing out.

Yaz, I usually use 5' anchors attach to 5' snares. The one that got out, the anchor and snare were on the fence to blend in and the dog went out instead of coming in my property. He tore up my backing and had the snare twisted pretty good.

Im not so sure someone didnt rob me of the yote as there were 4 wheeler tracks in the old snow that were covered up by the new snow that came out of the neighbors field threw some small trees in my corner and into the other neighbors field, turned around and went back. 4 properties meet there. The snare was less than 10 ft from the tracks.

There are some guys logging about 3/4 mile or farther where these tracks came from but there are no trees in the field they came across. Im going to stop by and ask them is they were the ones riding but Im sure they will say no. h.h.

Well that sucks! Sounds like you had him good. I don't think I've every had one to do all that, and then get out. If it was twisted up, like that, I'd say your right and someone got it.

I just seen you had a lot of cable out in the pic with the female. I like a lot of cable too. However, I have been making very short snares. Like only a 8" t0 12" longer than the biggest loop I need. I've been making up long and various length extensions with swivels, and quick links on both ends. Knock on wood, so far, I have been able to reuse the extensions, and just replace the short snare portion. The double swivels seem to be working at keeping the cable on the extension from twisting up badly. In the long run, it might save a little $$ in cable. I think as I run out of the 3/32" cable, and 5' snares, I will start making the extensions out of heavier 1/8", and still use the 3/32" as the snare loop. It always seems like I just need an extra foot or two to get to a solid anchor with the 5' snare. Been making some up that are 7', but, as you know they usually destroy the whole thing.

All my anchor/extension cables are 1/8" and snares are 3/32. Ive got some anchors I made a little longer for places that I need them longer. h.h.

Good deal! Thats what I was thinking I should do. Most of my extensions are the same 3/32" as the snare. I'll be trading them out as they get toasted!

AH HA! We meet again! Been after "Ole Red" for two years! He finally screwed up! Two more today. Two tripped traps. One was a critter, the other from frost heave.




I would hate to think how many coyotes these locust corner posts have killed over the years!



He had not been in the snare any more than 15-20 minutes. Didn't have things tore up yet, and the cable wasn't even tight on him. He was a talker!

http://youtu.be/VrstJLz3QMw

Nice congrats

Good catches yaz!

All mine were empty today with no fresh tracks. Tonight's below zero temps should get them on the move. h.h.

Yea congrats Yaz, mine were empty too HH. Put in a couple dirt holes along the fence to go along with my snares. Man was that dirt hard. I haven't seen any fresh tracks for a couple days either HH.

Nice catch all. Wish I could kick this cold.

FYI- the bitch I caught yesterday had been bred for a while and had 5! It seems the last two or three years, there have been some a lot earlier than usual.

The action is slowing down here, but.....that's actually the plan

Did catch this one today.

Dang SS you're tearing them up!! Momma deer and turkeys love you!

That's what I'm hoping Gilley....it sure can't hurt. If only all the neighbors in let's say a 5-mile radius, were trapping too, then we could really do some damage to their numbers. I do know one landowner with 1600 acres a couple miles south who I'm helping get started trapping yotes.

just another muskrat for us today. Nice yote stick.

Way to keep hanging them Greg. If you don't mind, how big of an area are you snaring in? Just curious to get an idea of how many coyotes in a certain range. Also, did you snare at all last year?

Good catches guys. Keep up the good work. h.h.

Yaz I have 15 snares set on a wind-row that's a half mile long, which divides two large upland crop fields.

I didn't trap at all the last 2 years. In the three years prior to that, I caught 28, 24, and 22 coyotes respectively. If I had to guess, it seems to be about on the same pace this year....I'm thinking maybe I'll get 25 or so by March. As far as I know, there are no other trappers anywhere nearby. I'm adjacent to the Wabash flood plain and thick WRP property.

One more rat in the colony. Need to make some more huh?

Does your colony traps only have room for one?

Room for 2-3 but I can only catch 1. I only have one out right now. Hey - I'll take it. Looking for a mink soon.

Empty snares again today. I rode around my property and couldnt find any yote tracks anywhere. h.h.

I'm setting traps on a new place tomorrow it's a long drive so setting early tomorrow and checking pulling late Sunday, should be good? This place hasn't been trapped since the 70's and man does it look furry! Lots of sign and I actually saw some mink there during deer season. Lot's of bunnies as well, I am going to get a couple for the skillet.

I managed to get 6 coon today here are a couple.

Nice catches and pics Haymaker.

Nice ones Haymaker. I haven't seen a fresh track in days either HH.

Another blank day for me. Still no tracks. Just not many dogs in my area right now. h.h.

Set out a coyote foothold today and 2 coon traps

Still nothing in my coyote sets again today. Put out 3 DP's to try and catch a few more coon before season ends. Not sure why though, just sold 11 skinned coons and got $4.50 ea and 1 skinned coyote for $12. Guess we ain't gonna get rich off this hobby.

I got skunked today as well. Just have 1 coyote set out and 9 dps.

Got 1 coyote set in tonight but I think it is going to produce in the next few days maybe get some more out tomorrow

Had 3 really nice coons yesterday in coyote snares. Nothing today, which didn't surprise me as we tromped all over both farms. Closed down snares, and hung them in the fences, and pulled up some sets at one farm for the week. Its too soft to drive and I will not have time to trailer the 4 wheeler over and get everything else done of an evening this week.

Took some time off trapping the last couple of weeks in the cold, snowy weather. Reset my 4 coyote sets yesterday and the 4 beaver sets. Had new activity on the beaver slides at the river this week. Had seen no sign the last 2 weeks since I had caught beaver #3. One of my old set locations for coyote had lots of tracks around it and the dirt hole. Reset it!!

Good observation Tony. That right there is the reason you do not have to re-lure or bait very often. Most people think if the bait or lure is a week old and it hasn't been touched, it has to be re lured. Not the case, and often times it can be too "loud" and be a turn off for coyotes. I had coyotes dig in a old set two months after I pulled a trap out of it.

We got 1 coon and 1 rat but the water came up on me about 10" over night due to the melting. Anyway first ones of the year. Sorry no pics my phone is somewhere in the creek!

Caught a coon today. It broke off the handle bar and bent the back side of the live trap out. This is the second time a coon has done this to me. Would you guys just call it quits on using live traps for coon and just use footholds and dogproofs...or no?