Coyotes

[john in la]

In the past local cattle ranchers kept a good check on coyote populations in the area.
Now that the neighborhood looks more like a paved over hay field than a cattle pasture the coyotes are back.
Have lost several cats to something and then the wife said she saw a big fox in the yard in the middle of the day. Once she described the dog she saw I knew right away she had seen a coyote.

So school me on ways to eliminate these pest.
No I am not sitting outside for hours on end waiting on the coyote to show up so shooting it is not the solution.
I am thinking more in the lines of a trap.
A conibear type trap comes to mind.
But I know nothing about conibear or other type traps.

What size should I use??
Watching you tube videos they keep talking about hole setting the trap and using waxed dirt but give no explanation.
They show using bait but never mention what bait they use.

So explain coyote traps to me in terms a 10 yr old could understand.

 

[Traditional Farmer]

Real simple you will probably catch a lot of different animals but never a Coyote,about the hardest animal to trap there is out there.Unless you control a lot of land to trap/hunt on it won't work anyway.Neighbor and I work together on over 600 acres plus a professional coyote trapper in the Winter we keep the numbers down but don't get all of course.To hunt you need infra red or night vision and be willing to go out after midnight with a caller.

 

[glennster]

we used snares on nuisance coyotes. set the snares in a heavy thicket to force them into the snare. a gut pile for an attractant. check out f and t fur harvesters trading post for trapping supplies and also books on how to trap.

 

[Turkeyfoot]

Like Glennster, I've had good luck with snares. In my case I've been able to locate places where they are crawling under a fence and used that as a bottleneck to steer them into the snare. The snares are passive. They enter the snare loop headfirst and then panic and the snare strangles them. Here is a link to what I use.

https://www.pcsoutdoors.com/dakotalinesghostriderversatilesnares1dozen.aspx

 

[Stephen Newell]

We used to have a lot of them. I could hear them going through the woods at night and for sure howling every night. Now I may go a couple months at a time without hearing them at a distance howling. I never hear them close to the house anymore.

 

[MJMJ]

If you really want them gone, find someone that already traps coyotes and have them trap the place. Coyotes can be extremely tough to trap, depending on the location. There can be a really big learning curve, some people take several years to get it figured out. Also, be very careful snaring fence crawl unders, its a great way to catch deer. Even with breakaway snares, a neck caught deer is a dead deer.

 

[TimV]

john: just a few thoughts--first and foremost, MAKE SURE OF YOUR STATE'S REGULATIONS. They vary widely, by state, and often within states. Conibear traps are not typically used for coyote--as they're designed to be a killing trap, and as such the ones large enough for a coyote are also lethal to anything else they catch, and are thus often limited to use in water--typically for beaver--to avoid killing unintended catches. If you watch videos, watch ones from your basic area--waxed dirt, for instance, is typically used in northern climates to avoid the traps freezing in cold temperatures. In warmer climates, simple dry dirt is typically used instead. When you're referring to 'hole setting', it may be a reference to a Dirt Hole Set--one of the commonest sets for coyotes, basically consisting of a hole dug in the ground with a foot-hold trap in front of it. Bait is put in the hole (something smelly, typically) and when the coyote investigates the smell he's caught in the trap. Video below is from a Missouri trapper (who, here, is trapping in Iowa as their season apparently opens earlier than his and he's close to the line) setting traps, including several dirt hole coyote sets, which will give you an idea. There are dozens on dozens of ways to catch coyotes (snares are also effective if they're allowed in your area) and the subject has been extensively wrote about and videoed, but what works in one area may not work in yours, and only experience will teach you that.
Some Coyote Sets

 

[glennster]

another thought, my grandfather would trap nuisance coyotes and fox when they started taking chickens and geese. he would set an old bale of hay or straw out in the field, generally along a fenceline. he used foothold traps either long spring or 4 coil. 6 inch jaw spread. boil the trap in walnut husk to get rid of any scents, set the trap on top of the bale. the coyote will jump up on the bale to look around and trigger the trap. you can put a little bait on the trap too. you will need to dispatch the yote as the trap is not a lethal trap.

 

[tomturkey]

John in La, as another poster has said conibear traps are lethal, and non discriminatory. They will kill cats dogs little kids. Which is anything big enough for a coyote must be set in water only. Snares are also non discriminatory, neighbors dog, deer raccoons. Foothold traps are probably the best and safest manner. As any non target animal could be released. But as others have said, successfully trapping coyotes is a skill set acquired after much work toil and trial and error. BTDT. Find a local trapper to thin the herd. You decide which trapping method you will allow. When dogs or cats get lost during trapping season its not hard or unreasonable to think the worst. Some states allow nite time shooting, setting the stage for a whole new facet of varmint calling and killing with heat reading scopes on high powered rifles. As cities expand into the country, raccoon, skunk, opossum, coyote will adapt to their new neighbors and become a nuisance animal. hope I've been helpful or at least reinforced the knowledge shared by other. good luck gobble

 

[Hoenes]

Paint a fake tunnel entrance on a granite boulder, where you know he travels. Also, a trip rope operated anvil above will help. (sorry, couldn't resist)

 

[Gene Davis (Ga)]

He is not talking about Wylie Coyote, he is talking about dealing with a real one!

 

[Hemmjo]

Get a couple of game cameras. Set them up to watch for times and paths they use to access you property. While you are learning about their habits find someone willing to shoot them. Or learn to do it yourself.

If you dont want to shoot them, at least you will know where to set traps. You only get one chance with the trap. If you miss it becomes many times more difficult. Of course shooting is the same, you better get it with the first shot.

Whatever. You do check your local laws. If you are in California they may be protected, like criminals are.

 

[Tony in SD]

We havent have a coyote problem since the pair of Great Pyrenees have been guarding our farm. And we have 200 free range chickens that are very tempting to the coyotes.

But the dogs are well over 100 pounds each and easily intimidate the coyotes.

 

[Jim in LA]

Well, I got a chuckle out of that Wiley Coyote suggestion.

 

[Bruce(OR)]

Coyotes.
I have two dogs that run around outside and they tend to maintain a minimal distance.
Coyotes are also smart enough to draw out a dog, flank it and take it down.
Minimal being I have heard them within 100 yards of the house at night making noises to draw out the dogs.
Living out in the sticks with the closest human 1/4 mile away or the next one 1/2 mile away gives lots of territory to roam in for a coyote.
I utilize my own method to keep them fairly far away. Gun fire works for about 30 seconds, a minute if your lucky. I like to make them shut up and leave by doing my own animal imitation.
I was inspired by the Howler monkeys in the Panama canal Zone while I was stationed there a few years ago.
You can hear them 2 miles away with no problem and in the pitch black jungle at night it's even further.
They have wonderful night vision. You don't.
So if you camped out in their area, prepare to be evicted.

I generally do an imitation of Sasquatch.
If you catch the coyotes before they start really howling, you can shut them down within a minute.
If they are going, you will be awhile.
Make those animal noises at sunset and you might have a very quiet night.
Untitled URL Link

 

[da.bees]

Coyotes have a reputation of being difficult to trap but your odds are better with town yotes than their backwoods cousins. Mainly because town yotes are accustom to sticking thier nose in places with human scent and eating food covered with human scent ,you needn't go to a lot of effort covering yours up while setting traps. That makes it quick to lay a garbage can on its side and set a snare or #330 conibear in the opening. Of course free roaming dogs like raiding garbage to. I devised a snare set that is less lethal but quite efficient. Instead of going for the neck I rig it to close on body the majority of time. The snare loop is much larger than normal and suspended so that a coyote jumping up or with front feet on tree trunk reaching for bait is inside loop. Anchor end of snare is extended with small wire cable running over a limb above. Bait is tied to a trigger with fishing line. Having line holding 20 pound weight and tied with simple bow knot drops weight when yote tugs and unties knot. As animal lurches and runs the cable over limb begins lifting his weight until he's getting little traction. As animal struggles the weight keeps slack out of cable thereby not tightening as much as when ancord solid when animal hits end of slack. The cable eventually tangles and anchors soild but animal no longer pulls as hard thereby not always getting tight enough to kill it if you check sets often. Dogs live about 75% of time which beats almost certain death when snare is anchored solid. Dogs and yotes occasionally escape but I still consider it a win because yote nor dog is likely come back around my place.
Cyanide guns have become hard to buy in recent years but if you can find them they are more efficient than other methods.

 

[caterpillar guy]

I know of other ways not mentioned and will not mention on here. As for the F&T outfit. they are good folks to deal with. I have bought from them in the past a couple times now. Coniber traps for woodchuck/whistle pigs. IF it gets a skunk, possum or coon fine too.

 

[560Dennis]

Id use burros

 

[showcrop]

For what it's worth, almost every year when haying I will have an interaction with a coyote or two. They will be out trotting around the field mid day, looking for mice or snakes that the mower killed. They are arrogant! They will not be driven away from whatever they find. They show little fear, so if I had a gun they would be an easy target. Another setting is the bale of hay, as Glennster posted, by a fence row. The bale of hay will attract mice, which will attract coyotes especially at dawn or dusk. This situation can make waiting with your rifle worthwhile.

 

[Geo-TH,In]

John
Follow the coyotes foot prints, left in the snow, back to their den, then shoot them. lol

We have a few Coyotes in Indiana.
We can hear them late at night, but I've never seen one. They hide too well.