Coyote Trapping

My neighbor (the wife's cousin) has asked me to try to kill some coyotes on his property after watching one carry off a baby sheep at 10 in the morning. He has about 450-500 acres with cows, sheep and goats. There are plenty of coyotes too. I have a Fox Pro call and have used it once with success, but I think to be proficient, trapping would be the ticket. I'm looking for recommendations on "starter kits". I can learn as I go, and have been reading for information, but I'm ready to pull the trigger on some hardware. Wondering what's best, a starter kit or a list of must haves / don't really need.

@Tailhunter @Zbizzle911

ps ...

about all the education you’ll need.

https://youtube.com/c/CoonCreekOutdoors


except his like for chinese traps 😝

Want a class on killing coyote? Check out "Night Crew" on YouTube.

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I've done very little trapping but know a couple of very good trappers around here. I'm sure they would tell you that yotes are very picky and you need your game right to catch consistantly. Look for the SC Trappers Association, I'm sure you have one down there. The NCTA is very active up here and members are always willing to help out new trappers with information, supplies and ride-alongs. They will be your best asset for about everything you are wanting to do and need.

Traps hunt 24 hrs a day. It can be very effective. I would suggest getting a starter kit like this


Also make sure and control the scent you put down. YouTube is a good place to learn.


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@gunbelt killed 30 in a day!!! You might not like the bait he used 😁

Also tell him to get a guard donkey or two. They are both alarms and attackers when it comes to predators.

Anatolian shepherd?

Last deer season, my #1 spot that’s usually covered up with deer was suddenly a ghost town. We caught a single coyote on a trail cam late in the season, and when the season ended we had a trapper come in. Despite all the cameras and only the one pic, imagine our surprise when he caught 9 in the first week! I can’t wait to see how many he gets out of there when he comes back in another month.

Gspec said:

Last deer season, my #1 spot that’s usually covered up with deer was suddenly a ghost town. We caught a single coyote on a trail cam late in the season, and when the season ended we had a trapper come in. Despite all the cameras and only the one pic, imagine our surprise when he caught 9 in the first week! I can’t wait to see how many he gets out of there when he comes back in another month.

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Same thing happened to me up in Halifax County at the family farm. I used to turn down small deer waiting for larger ones. The last few weeks of the season this year I didn't even see a SQUIRREL. Nothing living moved around me in three solid days of hunting. Even the annoying crows were gone. It was weird.

I need to get on-board with these traps. I plan to go "camping" up there when the weather breaks.

NCFubar said:

Also tell him to get a guard donkey or two. They are both alarms and attackers when it comes to predators.

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This ^^^^^^^^^^^^

Hashknife said:

This ^^^^^^^^^^^^

View attachment 296618

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WOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

BatteryOaksBilly said:

WOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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Billy,
The first guard donkeys I ever saw were at a cattle farm over near you in Mullins, SC. I was amazed at how well they protected the herd. The family that used them said their losses to predators dropped to ZERO. That was in 2004.
I now see them in the fields with livestock at farms all over the place.

Kno zakly where you talkin bout!

NCFubar said:

Also tell him to get a guard donkey or two. They are both alarms and attackers when it comes to predators.

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He's got more donkeys than I have dogs, so like 8 or 10 donkeys. Also has 5 or 6 Great Pyrenees. This is a 100 acre "creek bottom" that is clear of trees, just a real expansive open property, for around here. The donkeys and dogs can't cover all of it. The western border is a nice sized creek, which is where I plan to make most of the sets.

Thanks y'all for some great information.

Therr are legal ways and some turns out you just can't do that.

I'm a state certified Animal Damage Control Agent. ADC is what I do full time.
Coyote trapping & hunting can & will humble you quickly as you try & learn how.
Calling & hunting; Miss one, make a bad set-up & get busted, you just educated the local yotes.
Trapping; Make bad sets, and you'll educate the local yotes.

STUDY a lot,, from many different places,, and you will see patterns of what actually works. Stay legal,, as different states have different laws. (Example,, common snares are illegal in NC.)
Trapping also has seasons, & licenses.
In NC,, you can get a Depredation Permit to trap out of season, if certain criteria are met. (Actual damage,, not projected damage.)

As a beginning trapper,, one thing I stress to all; "Take your time in selection of traps, locations, and how a set is built."

Lastly,,, realize you do NOT want to trap the local kids Fido,, & get caught doing it. BAD ju-ju!

contender said:

Lastly,,, realize you do NOT want to trap the local kids Fido,, & get caught doing it. BAD ju-ju!

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With the way people allow their dogs to roam, this is a good possibility.
Prepare, have a plan in place and equipment with you to release them. Don’t freak out. Just do what needs to be done.
Check your traps early so a release can be made without an audience.

Both of my neighbors have dogs, 4 total, that run my place all the time. After deer season goes out and I decide to set for yotes I let them know I've got traps goiing out and "will let you know if I get one of your dogs so you can come get him."

Not to sound smart assed, but I live in a somewhat remote area, folks don't let their dogs roam out here. Not saying it won't happen, but if it does it does. I guess it would be good to have "catch pole"?

BatteryOaksBilly said:

@gunbelt killed 30 in a day!!! You might not like the bait he used 😁

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Kerosene....a little dab will do ya

knifeman32 said:

Kerosene....a little dab will do ya

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Lighter fluid was our choice but mineral spirits will work in a pinch.

SimpleMan said:

Not to sound smart assed, but I live in a somewhat remote area, folks don't let their dogs roam out here. Not saying it won't happen, but if it does it does. I guess it would be good to have "catch pole"?

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We shot every loose dog we saw on our Deer hunting property. In fact the game wardens encouraged unofficially in Kentucky. One of my hunting buddies came back to camp & said he'd shot a Wolf. Well we thought that doubtful as KY really has no Wolf population. We went back later to search for the Wolf, turned out to be a Malamute. The deciding factor was the collar.

I've been told that 2" wide strips of burlap sack soaked in bacon grease and hung where the coyote can reach them to eat them is a very effective control method.

Gspec said:

Last deer season, my #1 spot that’s usually covered up with deer was suddenly a ghost town. We caught a single coyote on a trail cam late in the season, and when the season ended we had a trapper come in. Despite all the cameras and only the one pic, imagine our surprise when he caught 9 in the first week! I can’t wait to see how many he gets out of there when he comes back in another month.

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Wow, 9 in a week!
Wow, I weekly have a yote on the game cam, we've a bunch of turkey & deer, but there was A LOT more last year. I run game cams year round and have found the 1+ year old deer to be mostly nocturnal all year round. Even when the brush is thick.
What do the trappers charge, or they looking for a good place to go?
Yotes apparently go into heat Feb-March. Last March I heard a gaggle of them sounding off behind my house. At our last farm, when my live in the house dog went into heat she'd wear pull-ups. I cut the eustrous section out, zip lock bag and freeze them until Feb. It drew them out into the open.

gunbelt said:

Lighter fluid was our choice but mineral spirits will work in a pinch.

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Lighter fluid... dang my memory is getting worse.

Pink_Vapor said:

What do the trappers charge, or they looking for a good place to go?

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Didn’t charge a dime. They make $$ somehow/way on the backside so it makes it more appealing to land owners to let them come set traps. I don’t know what to expect when they come back. Certainly didn’t expect 9 the first go round, but Ill be happy with any they remove. Lots of wasted hunting time last season. The property is only around 80 acres and I didn’t risk messing them up to see where/how they set the traps.

Gspec said:

Didn’t charge a dime. They make $$ somehow/way on the backside so it makes it more appealing to land owners to let them come set traps. I don’t know what to expect when they come back. Certainly didn’t expect 9 the first go round, but Ill be happy with any they remove. Lots of wasted hunting time last season. The property is only around 80 acres and I didn’t risk messing them up to see where/how they set the traps.

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Is there a website to find local reputable trappers? I'd love to have some cleared out before the new fawns arrive.

Pink_Vapor said:

Is there a website to find local reputable trappers? I'd love to have some cleared out before the new fawns arrive.

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@contender ?

You can look on the NCWRC website for listed trappers who may trap for you for free.

I'm a ADC business, and I do charge for my work.

"I've been told that 2" wide strips of burlap sack soaked in bacon grease and hung where the coyote can reach them to eat them is a very effective control method."

This^^^^ would be illegal in NC.

contender said:

"I've been told that 2" wide strips of burlap sack soaked in bacon grease and hung where the coyote can reach them to eat them is a very effective control method."

This^^^^ would be illegal in NC.

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Is it bait to shoot them?

Pink_Vapor said:

Is there a website to find local reputable trappers? I'd love to have some cleared out before the new fawns arrive.

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Our taxidermist hooked us up with these guys so I wouldn’t know of any websites.

No, the strips of burlap clog their intestines. They basically die of constipation. Bad way to go, would not wish that on anything.

Pink_Vapor said:

Is it bait to shoot them?

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I thought they used large treble hooks or a big shark hook with this method.

We used "gutcicles" when the State of Arizona placed a bounty on coyotes several years ago.

We took deer and elk guts left from the seasonal hunts and put them in small buckets with a 3' wooden stake inserted in the middle. The buckets were left outside at night while the low was a whopping 3°. Those pails froze SOLID....
We popped the frozen mess out of the buckets and drove the stakes in the dirt 30-50 yards apart.

PRESTO!!! Instant "gutcicle" for attracting the coyotes. They can't resist it. We shot them off the "gutcicles" and my cousin loaded them up and took them to the AZ Game & Fish station to collect the bounty... It wasn't much $$, but it was a grand time and great practice with the AR-15...


We also got in on a Bobcat bounty hunt and hunted the Bobcats using a cage with chickens in it... Another story for another time. 😃

NCWRC has a list by county of licensed trappers; call them or email them and start the conversation. If you don't like their price or terms, wave off and go to the next guy. I sometimes don't charge anything or we work a deal on a hunting lease in exchange. Don't wait, trapping season is closing soon unless you get a depredation permit.
Hunting yotes is fun, but you're gonna have a hard time getting all of them.
Beginning trappers: watch your scent around sets or you're just wasting your time and making it harder. Keep in mind you've got to check every trap every day, so be prepared for the time commitment.

"I've been told that 2" wide strips of burlap sack soaked in bacon grease and hung where the coyote can reach them to EAT them is a very effective control method."

Using a BAIT isn't illegal for trapping,,, putting stuff out like this for them to EAT is illegal. As noted above,, the burlap will clog their intestines.

I hope everyone here understands we should NEVER promote illegal activities on this Forum!