Coyotes can be a worry when you are out camping in the bush, sightseeing on an African safari trail or they might even show up in your backyard. It is, therefore, to your best advantage that you know how to deal with them that they do not spoil your fun, or worse, endanger you and your loved ones while on their path. In addition, the coyote problem can cause thousands of dollars worth of damage to you in the area of your food provision and camping accessories such as the destruction of your new tent and so on. Therefore, taking the right steps to ensure safety should be a top consideration on your part and one way to come out on top when you are out in the shrub is for you to start by setting coyote traps.
How to set the traps
Coyote trapping can take some doing if you are not an experienced, then it may be better to talk to experiences trappers to set traps, foothold traps, bait cages, or snares for you. Even a dirt hole set and a bait station can work for coyote trapping if done properly. Therefore, here are some awesome tips to consider first before getting your traps into place:
Know the spots where the coyote frequents
Instead of just setting traps all over the place, only place them where you know the animals will go. To have knowledge of where the creatures frequently visit, you might have to find a hiding place and keep a sharp lookout for them. However, if you do not have the time to spend hiding in the bush or behind a fence, the next best thing you can do is to carry out a thorough check on the property area where you are staying. If the mammals already visit a spot and caused problems there, you will be bound to see the trouble they leave behind such as turned over pots, a torn tent, and many other signs.
You can also start looking around for tracks and droppings left by the creatures and if you have livestock in the area make sure to check close by for any signs of their presence they might leave behind. Pasture and pen areas are good places to set your traps and chances are in a short time you will be rewarded with a catch. In addition, if the canine animals killed one or a few of your livestock, you can place the trap close by the carcasses since coyotes have been known to return to the kill later on when they get hungry again.
Other great places to set your animal traps are livestock and farm trails, fences intersections, at the edge of a field, and open ground spots. Avoid setting traps in bushes and places where high weeds can be seen because they do not visit such locations. In addition, you should not set traps where humans, dogs, and cats walk.
Use strong stakes to keep your trap into the ground
A weak trap will not keep the animal trapped when sprung. To ensure that your catch is there when you visit the scene, use the right stakes to anchor and keep the trap in the ground. Choose a stake that is strong enough to keep the coyote subdued because a trapped animal can become very irritable and find a way to get free quickly. Most wildlife experts suggest using an Earth Anchor because of its sturdiness. The anchor consists of a strong metal spike, swivel link and a good steel cable measuring 12 inches in length. Once this type of trap is set, no one can remove it unless they use a shovel to dig it out.
Set your traps on ridge tops and high ground areas
The troublesome creatures like to frequent ridge tops and high ground and so these are great places to start laying your traps. Another thing you must do is to set your traps in places where the wind is blowing so that it can carry the scent to the wild animals. If you are not sure which direction the wind is blowing, you can solve the problem by setting multiple traps.
If your dog or cat is with you when setting the traps, you should make sure they are restrained ahead of time before you start getting your traps into place. In fact, dogs and cats will be attracted to the meat bait you placed on the trap and you do not want to hurt them. Therefore, remember safety will always play off so play it safe and avoid being sorry later.
Cover everything
Since you do not want the creatures to see the traps and avoid them, you need to hide them underneath the soil. To camouflage the traps properly in the dirt, you should put the pan cover over the triggers and then sprinkle enough dirt around each edge. The dirt will serve to weight down the traps down into the ground. To blend the traps in with the ground, use a brush to smooth the spot where each trap is situated so that the coyotes will not make them out until it is too late. A skilled coyote will avoid a trap that is too obvious.
Lure the animals into the traps
Once the traps are properly set, you must now lure the animals into them. To lure the animals into the traps, you need to use a complication of meats and things to do so. You can use hog, squirrel, and rabbit meat or just about any type of meat. You can also use things like sheep wool sprayed with some skunk smell to lure the coyotes. The trick is to attract their attention so that they enter the trap zone. You can experiment with different types of baits and lures until you find the one that is most suitable to your cause.
Leave and then return to check if your trap works
For the traps to really work, you will have to leave and go somewhere out of sight. If you live close by, you can return home and stay there for a while before returning. After a few hours, you can return to see if your little surprise work. If the coyote is not caught at that time, you should return the next day. Sometimes the creature may get caught only after a few minutes and other times it takes days. Make sure to check your traps every day until you find a coyote trapped in them. Still, you have to be patient enough to catch them since they can be smart at times.
Although setting coyote traps can be a daunting task at times, still with enough perseverance on your part you can free your property or campsite of them. With your traps set and ready to snap, most of your troubles will be over and you can enjoy your days stress-free as well as without any more hassle from them.
