It's my third year trapping here in NJ. I'm a senior in high school so now I have plenty of time to trap. My ultimate goal this year is to snare a coyote. How should I approach this season specifically targeting them. Start opening day (Nov 15)? Bait site? Wait til Dec? Anything helps. There are not many coyotes where I live but occasionally 1 shows up on the trail camera every month or so. Thanks guys

go gettum young man.best o luck.

Find the thickest place you got to.trap in area you know coyotes are. Get as much deer scraps you can find and start now. Put bait in middle of the thicket and cut trails out to open ground. Wait till you get skiff snow and see what's hitting it. Then gangset.

I have better luck setting runs where I've seen coyote tracks, if you find tracks on a run they will use it again it just takes time, make a mental note of all the trails you've seen coyote tacks on and set a snare. I run mine 10inch to the bottom of loop and still stand a chance of catching a red fox. Down where I'm at the dogs have about a 2 week cycle of passing through my line. It may take up to a month but they'll use the same run again.

Don’t wait until December. Bait stations are a lot of work unless you have access to bait supply and good spot to put it that won’t require lots of walking. Find pinch points and trails like mentioned above and you’ll have a good spot without any work.
If you’re in north Jersey go to an NJTA meeting or Fur Harvesters in the south. There are a lot of guys who know what they’re doing and can really help you out.

How many snares you running?

around 40

Look for places that the tracks go both ways, it will cut down the waiting game. Less checks before a catch means less disruption and changes in coyotes behavior. Until you get some experience more time looking for excellent locations is better than time spent making mediocre sets. Don't be afraid to drag brush around and block things down, but best to wait a week or two before setting if you have to do this. Think of it as preparing locations, just like prebaiting.