If one set is good, what about two? This veteran trapper knows a thing or two about when to double up, and when not to.
By Dave Morelli
At the time of writing this piece, it would seem that fuel is going to be substantially higher this year. Time will tell, but even when it is reasonable, it’s tough to show a profit other than satisfaction and enjoyment. When I was first learning to trap, the phrase, “If it’s a good enough place for one trap, it’s good enough for two,” was drilled into me, and it turns out to be the best advice applicable in today’s trapping world. When you think about it, a good beaver trapper wouldn’t set one trap on a dam or series of ponds because he or she wants to catch the several beavers that are in the area. So, why wouldn’t an area that is good for one coyote passing through be good enough for several?
Setting two traps won’t always guarantee two coyotes, but one trap can only catch one critter. I say critter because as we all know, just because it is a coyote set doesn’t mean only a coyote can step in it; thus the first advantage to setting two or more traps. We have all caught a fox or two while coyote trapping, and usually this isn’t a big disappointment, but we all have also caught a badger or skunk in our coyote sets, and I personally would rather skin a coyote. One double I had several years age was a coyote in one and a bobcat in the other. I don’t know which one I caught first, but both sets were exposed traps for ‘cats. (Winter coyotes will sometimes step in exposed bobcat sets.)
If two or more sets are in the area, chances are good the caught skunk or badger may attract the attention of a hunting coyote, which will be waiting for you the next check — along with the skunk. I feel better about skinning a skunk if a coyote goes with it. On a more positive note, a coyote could be caught in the first trap and his thrashing around could attract another coyote, resulting in two coyotes for the same amount of gas. This is the desired advantage of two traps.
There is nothing magical about the number two; I’ve set as many as five sets at a location if the situation warrants it. The other advantage is if there is a catch and I remake the catch circle, there is still a trap or traps already outside of the circle, so the next song dog has a choice.
I was trying to catch a pack of coyotes that were terrorizing some neighborhood dogs a few years ago. They had killed one pet and seemed to be hanging in the area. The pet owner saw that there were at least four coyotes and they were always together. Coyotes will travel in packs. Whether it is a family unit (ma, pa and pups), or several that just hang out together. Because there were at least four witnessed, I set two locations with four traps each. It was early fall and I figured this might be a family unit that didn’t break up yet. The first night I caught four young adults, three at one location and one at the other. I remade the sets and made a fresh set location with two traps about 100 yards from the gang locations. I figured ma and pa would be less suspicious away from all the commotion. I got the female and one more pup at the gang location and the male at one of the two trap locations down the trail. Those animals were traveling together, and were susceptible to be caught together. When I know I might be dealing with a family unit I have good luck with the remake because the set stinks of the family member — a familiar odor.
I like to keep at least 20 feet between traps when setting two or more, but I have set them farther or closer if the geography dictates it. I have even set them slightly over a hill where they are not in view of each other, with success. Usually I use a modified dirthole, which has two holes instead of one with the trap in the middle at a 45-degree angle to each hole. It gives a little more eye appeal and I put bait down one hole and lure down the other. The coyote will move its paw around the kill area to investigate the smells and give a better chance of a catch. I have used combinations of dirthole and flat, or scent posts, but have had better results with two dirtholes. I think the bait smell causes the hunger greed in the coyote to force it to want to beat the other ‘yote to the cookie jar.
The two coyotes in one of the photos in this article were caught on two separate trails through the sagebrush about 20 feet apart. The location made it an easy decision to set two traps and how far apart to put them. Both trails had coyote tracks on them, and even if it was only one coyote going back and forth, two traps were necessary to catch it either way it came.
I will also set each trap so I can take advantage of the prevailing wind. It might be going one way in the morning and different in the afternoon. Having each trap set so the wind will drift the scent to the coyotes’ travel route at different times of the day might entice them to the set at different times they might travel through. I caught three coyotes there, two the first night and one a week later. The only mistake I made was not finding a place for one or two more traps; I may have been able to skin them all at the same time.
It is very hard to determine if two coyotes were caught close to the same time as traveling mates because after a certain period of time the set looks the same as if a coyote was in the trap for a longer period. I was heading into a set location one morning and it was where a wash emptied into a grassy field. The wash was perpendicular to the road I was on and the traps were on the right of the road, one on each side of the wash about 25 feet apart. Neither set was visible until I came into the wash, but the one on the far side would come into view first. As I approached I saw a coyote in the vicinity of the far set. I thought this was way cool until he started packing the mail down the road. I assumed he was in the trap, when in reality I figured out he was just working the set. I was a little too early in my check time, I guess. By the time I realized he wasn’t in the trap and got the rifle out, he was gone. No matter though, as I pulled into the wash there was a fine coyote in the other set that I could not see.
The coyote in the trap had been caught for a few hours or better, and the commotion was enough to attract the other one. The slight skiff of snow told me I was about 20 minutes early for a double. The second ‘yote had started to work the set and tracks indicated he paid the other coyote no mind until he was interrupted by my truck coming down the road. And he was so intent on the set that he actually hung around longer than normal, until he realized the truck coming wasn’t a healthy deal for him.
I caught two more coyotes at that location at different checks after that incident, and when I set the wash next year I probable will have three traps there. Even when the catches are just singles, another advantage to several traps is that there is a choice for the next coyote. He can rework the remake set in the catch circle, or he can work with the brand new one.
At another location, I set a couple traps on the shoulder of a hill that had a wash on either side of it. It was kind of a high point where a predator could observe both washes before committing to enter. One trap was on one side and the other over the rise, not in view of each other. The first check I caught a large male coyote. I remade the set outside of the catch circle with a clean trap. I again caught a coyote at the next check in the new trap. The one over the shoulder had not been noticed, so I remade two more new sets on the hill and left the one on the other side. During the next check the one on the other side had a ‘yote in it and the new sets were untouched. The only point to this story is that sometimes they come in one at a time, but a location that attracts three coyotes in three checks is very deserving of several traps.
I rarely set just one trap anymore and if I am going to set one trap, I try to try to redeem myself to the worthiness of the location for that trap at all. Sometimes I only have one trap in the truck or the geography restricts two, but when there is a coyote in the trap when I make my rounds, I can’t help but wonder if there would have been two coyotes if I would have made another set.
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