Yes to both but I would bet the Pope prefers not to poop in the woods due to his wardrobe unless there is a flap in the back of the robe. Good post guys.

TBN,
I believe you answered your own question about the dug up traps in your last sentence of that post. If your not having troubles with dug up traps earlier in the season(when soil conditions are favorable) but having troubles later in the season(when ground is frozen or wet), it would suggest to me that your not bedding the traps as well or have contaminated soil your importing.
Asa,
When you say you don't really bed your traps in the snow but just wiggle them into the snow, you are in effect really kinda bedding them, or at least stabilizing them. When you wiggle them into a clean snow the bottom of the trap is freezing to the snow below the trap, in effect solidifying or stablizing the trap rather well, and the snow around it also freezes to it somewhat also stabilizing it. The only reason I brought this up is alot of those reading this never have trapped in deep snow and may picture a loose fit or loose bed.
The point you make about the difference in coyotes from location to location is also a good one. I was out in SD working a Delta contract. The second night I was there I heard coyotes howling in three directions from where I stood on the patio of the place I was renting. I got to thin king about coyotes at home and how long it has been since I heard a coyote howl in my part of Northern Mn. Best I could figure it was over 7 years. The coyotes here don't vocalize much as it lets the Timber wolves know where they are. As I type this my dogs are howling in their kennels. There is a pack west of my house that gets them riled up around this time of night quite often.
Slim,
In SD this year it was common to have badgers checking out all the fresh gogher dens, and quite often they dug several out, leaving the area looking like a cluster bomb had gone off. Used that to my advantage several times. Bought a #2 shovel just to fill the catch circles back in. Guess they got the last laugh!!

Well thanks again to those of you that generally don't post much and those that do. I have learned quite a bit from this thread and more than I was expecting.I guess you don't learn or get better if you don't ask questions. I will continue to pay closer attention to what those canines are telling me this year. Thanks again!

I been baiting dirt holes for about a month now. I been useing pickeral and fox gland lure mixed with a little bit of coyote gland lure a friend gave me this year. 2 different bottles. I mixed a little bit of coyote lure in with the fox.
Anyway. Today I checked the sites and as useuall the sticks that had the lure on was gone once again. They allways come up missing. But the holes was untouched this time. I remembered I spilt a drop from the lure stick to the front of the dirt hole when I was placing it. That spot was starting to be dig up and not the dirt hole with the fish but the spot where the lure was spilt. It was a fox (look liked any way)cause it's tracks was there. I checked all the others in the area and all the lure sticks was gone but the dirt holes was un touched. Will a fox steal the lure stick and also dig up the lure smell before they go for the food?

Will a fox grab the stick