how to trap a coyote Coyote trapping is not difficult. By understanding a few biological traits you can learn to outwit coyotes and trap them successfully. The coyote is a member of the ca- nine (dog) family. This intelligent Items needed to set a coyote trap mammal is at home in rangeland, cropland, mixed woodlands, or even • One 5-gallon (19 ½ inch) plastic • Cloth (or plastic) feed sack to suburban areas. Coyotes stay in one bucket to carry equipment. kneel on while digging a trap bed and pounding the stake. area in spring and summer but may • One No. 3- or No. 4-sized trap roam in late summer, fall, and winter. per set (inside jaw spread should • Roll of plastic sandwich bags to Most coyotes are territorial but do be at least 5 inches). cover and prevent soil from get- not become dominant and establish a ting under the pan of the trap. • One 18- to 24-inch stake for the home territory. They are opportunists holding trap in place. • Screen sifter for sifting soil over that kill and eat whatever is easiest to the traps. obtain. • Straight claw hammer to dig a hole in the ground for trap • Brush or rib bone for leveling Coyotes follow regular paths and placement and to pound the the soil over the trap once it has crossings, establishing regular scent stake into the ground. been set in place and covered. posts to guide them. They inhabit high hills or knolls from which they • Leather gloves to protect fingers • Bottle of coyote urine to attract can view a wide area and disappear while digging the trap bed. the coyote to the set. (Keep urine by moving just a few yards. Coyotes away from other equipment.) depend on their ears, noses, and eyes to protect them and hunt with their livestock damage are similar to those The first step in trapping coyotes is to noses into the prevailing wind. They used for fur trapping. A successful locate them. Coyotes regularly in- learn from unpleasant or frightening trapper will have a good understanding habit the same areas. A trapper should events and avoid them in the future. of coyote biology and behavior. learn to identify coyote droppings and notice the number of droppings along In Kansas, coyotes can be trapped roads and farm or ranch trails. Coyotes year-round for fur or sport, or to like to travel along the edges of pas- control livestock predation. Techniques tures or farm fields and often run on for trapping coyotes in response to KANSAS STATE UNIVERSITY AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION AND COOPERATIVE EXTENSION SERVICE field terrace tops. Look for trails under Best places to set traps fences and tracks at road crossings. The person who lives on the land • saddles between high hills has the best chance of locating the Types of traps • high hills proper place to set the traps. This is Many traps are suitable for catching especially true if that person gets in • isolated land features coyotes. Both No. 3- and No. 4-sized the habit of watching for coyote signs • isolated bales of hay traps are good choices. Many trappers year-round. Coyotes travel where it is prefer the No. 3 coil spring, round- easy to walk, such as down old roads • trail junctions jawed offset trap with four coil springs or farm trails. They have favorite • pasture roads and welded, straight link machine places to travel, hunt, rest, howl, and • livestock trails chain. The length of the chain depends roam. Traps are usually set near some on whether the trap will be staked or obvious landscape feature – an area • waterways without any vegetation, large rock, equipped with a drag. A longer chain • dry or shallow creek beds should be used with a drag. Offset jaws tree stump or limb, or even a large are designed to reduce foot injury, but animal burrow. The following list • game trails shows good places to set traps on not allow the coyote to wriggle out of • pond dams the trap. Coil-spring traps are great Kansas farms and ranches. Watch the for catching coyotes, but require more wind. Always make sets so that the • field corners prevailing wind (southwest in sum- upkeep than double long-spring traps. • eroded gullies mer, northwest in winter) carries the The type and size of trap may be regu- scent across the coyote’s path. Do not • animal carcasses lated in each state. Large body- grip- set traps directly in a trail. Set them • brush piles ping traps are dangerous and illegal in to one side at a place where coyotes some states. When pet dogs might be might stop, such as a hilltop, gate, or • stream crossings present, a padded-jaw trap should be where cover changes. Make the set on • under rim rocks used. Coyotes will not normally enter level ground so that the coyote walks cage or box traps, but some trappers across level ground to the set. Tracks • old cowhide or bone piles have used them successfully. indicate good locations. Set the trap • fence crossings so the coyote has clear visibility as it Although additional testing is needed, approaches the trap. Position the trap • salt or mineral feeders results of research to reduce injury in the scent dispersal cone at about a using padded-jaw traps have been The attractant can be anything a coy- 45-degree angle from the lure holder. ote or dog might urinate on. It should encouraging. In tests with No. 3 The coyote will approach the trap at Soft-Catch coil springs, No. 3 NM be obvious and differ from surround- an angle and is usually reluctant to ings. It can be a clump of grass about long springs, and No. 4 Newhouse approach over dry leaves, tall grass, or long springs, capture rates for coyotes 10 inches tall or a rock or old bone rough ground. Good locations tend to driven into the ground. Feathers and were 95 percent, 100 percent, and be near these landmarks. 100 percent, respectively. Soft-Catch old pieces of fur or cowhide also ap- traps caused the least visible injury to peal to coyotes. captured coyotes. Anchoring a trap Stakes for anchoring traps in open Other trap models and sizes suitable areas should be at least 20 inches long for catching coyotes can be found in Chain swivels are necessary for trap- and ½ inch in diameter, and made of the publications, “Best Management ping coyotes. One swivel at the stake, iron. A good trap stake can be made Practices for Trapping in the United one in the middle of the chain, and of rebar material with a washer welded States,” developed by the Association one at the trap are recommended. just below the upper end. The other of Fish and Wildlife Agencies. A sec- When staking the trap, a relatively end can be tapered to make it easier tion on traps suitable for both eastern short chain can be used. Extremely to drive into hard ground. The stake and western coyotes is available at short chains may allow the coyote to should be 20 to 28 inches long. The http://www.fishwildlife.org/. pull the stake out of the ground, but trap should be fastened to the stake they prevent stress from long runs as with a chain repair link or large S the coyote lunges to get away. hook, and the link should be welded shut. Do not use wire to attach the trap to the stake. In loose soil such as sand, cross-stake the traps using two in diameter than the trap when set. When set, the trap will not be vis- stakes fastened at the top and then Place the stake through the end link ible and will be still be about ½ inch attached to the trap chains. Earth of the trap chain and drive the stake below ground. Blend the bare soil with anchors, now widely available, can in the center of the trap bed until it is vegetation from the site to disguise be used but are more difficult to pull flush with the bottom of the bed the trap bed. Two traps per location out of the ground when done trap- (usually about 3 to 4 inches deep). increases the chance of making a catch, ping. Some trappers leave them in the but one trap at each attractor is suffi- ground for future use. Compress the springs of the trap and cient. You can also set another trap at a engage the trap dog to hold the trap different attractor using a different lure Drags instead of stakes can be used open. Make sure the trap pan is level within 20 to 30 feet of the first set. where brush and trees are abundant with the trap jaws. Use a plastic bag, or where the ground is too rocky to clean shop cloth, towel, or waxed paper Resetting traps and use a stake. Use a long chain (8 feet or as a pan cover to prevent soil from get- more) on a drag. ting under the trap pan. The pan must checking trap sets have room to move when the coyote Making the set steps on it. Some trappers use fiberfill Once a coyote is caught at a set, reset under the pan instead of a pan cover. the trap in the same place. The odor Coyotes are suspicious. Locate traps in and disturbance at the set where a level, open areas. Place the trap about Firmly pack the soil in and around the coyote has been caught often attracts 9 to 10 inches from the attractor and trap jaws.