Ok guys lets here how everyone does there scent posts!How far back do u put the trap?what do u like for a backing?do u use Lure or urine,and what kind?When do u think scent posts are most effective? Anything to that effect! Lets just get some info out there about scent posts!pics welcome! GO!

nice thread...i hope to learn !

thanks..I hope to learn plenty too..scent posts are definitly not my most used set and i would love to use them more!

Before


After
Looking down on top of post


After a few days

never caught one?
in the set..

This was before season last year "learning" how they approach it. I hope it helps someone else on trap placement by looking at the tracks in relation to the post.

bout 5 inches back?

Here is an excerpt from one of my Dad's old-time free trapping tips;

THE POST, FLAT OR BLIND SCENT SET
The blind scent set may be made in sand, fine grass, needles, moss, rotted wood, snow, etc. It may be constructed at a natural projection or one may be placed. The projection may be a clump of grass which stands alone, tiny tree, stump, log, or anything which is highly visible. In forestland, old weather-stained, hollow knots are excellent for placing as a projection. They are firmly planted back of the trap at a 45-degree angle facing the trap. Fox Nature’s Call #3, Coyote Nature’s Call #3 or Bobcat Nature's Call lure or plain urines are placed into the hollow part for protection from the weather. The animal is forced to come around to the trap side to peek into the hollow and smell the lure just like they have to do at a dirt hole set. Hollowed out corn stalks in farmland and old bones in the west as examples are used the same way for the same reason. An equal amount of lure or urine is placed on the outside of the projection nearest the trap so the odor will carry further.
Use all of the preparatory instructions listed in selecting a set location for the dirt hole set. First, carefully remove and lay aside the weathered surface. Dig the trap bed the same as the hole set except this bed should be deep enough so the trap sets only 1/4 inch below ground level. The trap is placed the same distance from the projection as it would be from a hole and slightly to the right. Cover the trap with available soil and finish very carefully with the natural looking weathered surface you have laid aside. When completed, all should look exactly the same as before disturbed. No ridges are used at this set. A few tiny twigs, pieces of bark, hardpan, or whatever looks natural may be placed as guides around the trap but don’t overdo it. Using your kneeling pad, carry all surplus soil away from the set and dispose it where it can’t be seen by the animal.
Herb Lenon - 1950

Denny, are them critter tracks fox or yote? LOL

Grey Fox

instead of a post i use a pile of pine needles about 18 in high and about the same distance around. Make the back side of the pile real steep and give the front side a gentle down ward slope. Place three traps spread evenly under the sloped part of the needle pile. Add a few sprays of urine towards the top of the pile on the sloped side of the pile, this way fox and yotes will not pee on the back side of the pile, instead they will have to walk over your set to mark there territory. I find this set to work better earlly and midway through the season when there is plenty of food and k9s may not always be looking for something to eat. as we get snow and food is scarce i switch to loud smelling baits.

I have always been told and read that the post should slope away from the trap bed. I guessed it was for the simple reason that the animal would be a little more apt do use it. Am I correct on this assumption?
Joe, I like the needle idea.

I always have mine either straight up or slanted away from the trap.One of my favorite sets.Simple and quick to make.

I prefer a small clump of grass, or just a mound of dirt, or a dry cow pie. cow droppings and mound of dirt size would be two inches high, six around. Never did like the stick thing leaning one way or the other, tried both, but just do not like it for some reason or other. As far as trap placement, I will go through things once again: Don't take my word or anyone else's until you have watched a lot of domestic dogs smell things==Level ground, right in front of their toes, elevated--the higher off the ground, and the taller the animal, the farther back they will stand.
On my clump of grass, I will usually be back about 8 inches, on small dirt clump or dry cow dropping, back only four inches--same if only using a coyote or fox dropping.

I like a clump of grass the best also.I like to find one that stands out by itself.Sometimes I will also put a small dab of gland lure at the bottom of the clump.I've had the trap right up against the clump and as far as 10 inches away also straight and offset and have caught coyotes with all the placements.The farther away though I got more back foot catches.

some good info..keep it flowing guys..thhanks everyone!

I think there are 3 distinctly different types of scent posts to discuss and differentiate between.IMO
Some are laid out so the animal is coming in to sniff and go. What is used for a lure holder is really irrelevant. this type has already been discussed here.
Another type is a scent post in which you are enticing the critter to smell where another animal "pee'd" and instinctively, he will do the same. For this type of set, I like to lean my post AWAY from the trap at a 45. That way he can get in close to pee on the backer. The angle helps bring him around to the trap side to get closer to the smell.
The 3rd type would be what is referred to as a Projection Set. This type has been discussed in detail on other threads.

The best idea for determining trap pan placement is through observation of tracks in the snow, sand or mud showing how canines and bobcats generally aproach and exit a scent post. As Slim pointed out, also pay attention to the heigth of the post and how the animal's distance from the post may vary with the heigth and always keep that in mind when choosing a post. Another thing I like to do to ensure the animals comes around to the trap side of the post is place the primary gland lure or urine on top of the post but also add a tiny amount of curiosity lure down low on the post on the trap side of the post, tucked in the grass or underneath a rock as examples so it takes a little working to get at it. This ensures the animal will come around and track around a bit to get at the lure just like they generally do at dirthole sets. This helps a lot being that one can't use heavy guiding like step-downs, sand ridges, vertical guide sticks, etc at a post set like one can get away with at hole sets. Guiding should be more subtle at post/blind scent sets. Anyone who doesn't use some post sets along with other type sets is really missing the boat, they are especially effective on the old wary animals that may have become suspicious of hole set. Asa

I agree Asa, They do seem to be the ticket for picking up the spooky or wise ones! I like make sets in Pairs. One of the sets is always a post or flat set, usually about 15 feet downwind from my primary "lured" set.

Funny you should answer this, I was just reading Predator Trapping Problems and Solutions Vol. 3