Coyote trap placement

[Random guy]

Ok I’m sure I am going to open can of worms with this is I think there is no right or wrong answer. How far back do you set your trap from a dirt hole, scent post or flat set? Every time I set down to bed a trap I try to envision how the yote is going to approach the set, sometimes I am right and sometimes I am way off.

I’m curious what the general census is.

I most times am back about 16 inches and offset. I believe my heavy timber yotes are nervous jumpy critters that approach everything very cautiously and do the long reach neck stretch sniff. Our coyotes seldom run into a call yet bolt from birds, planes and everything else not 100% normal. My guess is sets are a spooky deal for them…but they smell so good.

Now what is funny is a urine post. I figure my long legs at the knee are about the same length as a yote…so I go through the motions. Wonder how many people think I ift a leg and pee on my urine sets?

[HunterLee]

10in back 3-4 offset for coyotes, and 6-8 for fox and offset. that is from pan to hole or smell.

[x1957x]

Jonny, I have and still got the same feelings when I set coyote traps. What I found works and I think it does is this. Try to invision this as I tell you. I put out a backing or use a natural one and put my scent hole in or invision where it will set. Then what I do is put one trap at (thinking the bait lure (backing) is the center of a clock), about 6" to 9" at 8 oclock and then I put another trap out about 8"to a foot at about the 4 oclock area. dont seem to get many misses and have ON A FEW occasions even caught the coyote in both legs. Very seldom though does this happen but I can only speculate why.Like to pick your brain on trapping to if you want to e-mail me... Thanks (57)

[lichen fox]

For yotes I'd agree with Hunter...but for fox I've always set the outside of the trigger tight to the hole, (I suppose that "could be" 6 inches or so to the pan from the center of the hole)...and most of the time I set for fox dead inline with the hole...a fox walks, one foot directly in front of the other...a yote, the tracks are always offset, simply because they are "wider", thus there is more need to offset a trap set for yotes...gosh all this talk about trapping and I've got a little bit of an itch to lay a little steel! I just may, but not the 150 - 200 sets like I used to run, maybe a couple dozen would scratch the itch and remind me how much fun it is!!

[Ray1]

10in back 3-4 offset for coyotes, and 6-8 for fox and offset. that is from pan to hole or smell.

Yes exactly. With a little rock or twig by the dog of the trap.