[clint]

Asa I was hoping to get your input on this area I want to coyote trap. Heres the deal the area I want to set traps in is a Jackpine plantation and the trees are very thick (the only way to get through them is to crawl there only 10-15 foot tall) there are old 2 track trails running through them. These trails are were im thinking is the only place possable to make sets. Beings the area is surrounded by heavly used snowmobile trails (boxed in by them as a matter afact) these are the only places i can set and be away from traffic and the coyotes are traveling these plantations heavy. (loaded with rabbits and mice) But here is what im wondering about the only way to make sets and check traps here is by walking these 2 tracks they are very narrow and im going to have to just about walk right up to the sets to check them due to low visabilty being so over growen and lots of turns in these trails.
The visabilty thing is another issue Im concerned about as far as coyotes being willing to work the sets and not just spook them. Alittle more information to help out here is the coyotes are traveling down these 2 tracks and crossing them daily/nightly

Being a beginer @ coyote trapping maybe it would be best to just try and find a easyer area to try and get started in. what do you think ?

If you think I should give it a shot is there any advice you might have to help me out here ?

Alittle more information here we have about 2 inches of snow on the ground and this is an all sand area that is not froze at all.

I hope i wrote this so you get a clear enough picture of what im saying here its much easyer to talk face to face. lol

Well thanks for your time Its your choice post here or feel free to Email me thanks again. clint [email protected]

 

[Rick Hatton]

Ace I have a couple of canine questions for you also. I was gonna bring it up when we went back into my deer blind but forgot. Anyway, It's kind of situational as I keep cutting fox tracks in a heavy cedar swamp and even though I've practically memorized the canine trapping section you allowed me to put in my booklet. You also know me well enough to know my canine knowledge isn't...Well... I wouldn't know a coyote or fox if jumped up and bit me in the butt!

 

[Asa Lenon]

Clint:
This is really difficult when one isn't there to see it for oneself. I'm sure there is a simple solution if I could actually survey the area. What comes to mind from your description, is finding the places where canines enter and exit the plantation. Certainly I wouldn't want to walk up and down the rows, leaving human scent and tracks again and again in the sand and snow right within inches of set made along the rows. You said that there is too much activity from snowmachines outside of the plantation, forcing you to mke sets inside. How about making sets just a few feet inside of a row where canines have been known to enter, say a dirt hole because of the nice sand you described, so you could just peek into the row and check your set without walking right up every time. Once the set was made, you would only have to brush out your tracks back as far as the row entrance. There is alread enough human activity on the outside that it would probably be normal to the canines. Good luck Clint, I would like to see you get initiated into the coyote trapping art. I've met you, you are a sharp guy with apparent common sense and good judgement so I know you can do it.

Rick: I've met you too and you are not a guy with sound judgement and common sense so I know you could never harvest a coyote, LOL :-D . Really Rick, just kidding of course. You mentioned when we walked into your deer blind in a cedar swamp. About half way in we crossed an open area where the ground was dry and higher than the surrounding swamp. That place is a natural for bobcats and probably coyotes too. I know every cat would stalk that minor open ridge bordering the heavy cover, in search of rabbits, grouse and small game for lunch. One could just see and hear trap chains jingleing by crossin this area.

Ace

 

[clint]

Thanks for the reply Asa. I know its hard to give advice when you cant see the area for your self. Im thinking the sets are going to have to be made like you describe. The biggest problem is I think im going to have to walk in the trails alittle ways due to the fact that these coyotes are'nt exiting the plantation on these trails. Instead they are exiting in the very thick cover along the main trails that surround the plantations. These Jackpine plantations are very large in size and numerous in my location. (Kirtland Warbler Habitat) They leave these plantations and cross adult timber sections only to get to another thick Jackpine plantation.

Ive watched this areas all summer and fall and seen how they have changed there travel and hunting routes. During the summer and early fall they travel the larger trails. Then when it gets later into fall the Human activity picks up and they start useing the more open areas less and less. Now they are just crossing these larger trails in the thickest cover there is. Im interest to see what they start doing when we get enough snow that the snowmobilers are running the area heavy. If we get snow this year that is.lol

Im going to head out there today and see what I can come up with and try to make acouple sets and go from there.

Ok Ive rambled enough here for you im sure Ill keep you posted and im sure going to want to pick your brain as i go. Thanks again Asa.

clint

 

[Rick Hatton]

Clint,
Don't underestimates Ace's ability to give you set locations without actualy being there as he's sooooo familiar with differemt types of terrain. I was fortunate enough to have him tag along on a deer scouting trip but all he seemed interested in was canine and cat set locations. Unfortunatly I being very single minded was consentration on deer sign. One thing that really impresses me was the fact that he kept rambling on about a very narrow piece of land that I was able to see from my blindfor better than 10 years in a row and at that spot he pointed out I've seen 2 bobcats and 1 coyote but I don't think I mentioned it to him cause his head would swell again. Hehehe.
Where abouts do you live. Can't be far from me.

Ace,
this spot is down here in troll land and I'll give you the poop on what kind of cover I'm dealing with. I'll definatly be using drags as there are no openings in this part of the swamp. I'll be sending you an email soon.