Just got done talking to neighbor. They recently had to put down one of their cows. Gave me permission to cut meat for bait or set traps. I’m going to set some traps. I’m thinking maybe blind sets around carcass, cut some meat for bait and do some dirt hole sets on my property with it. Thoughts and suggestions greatly appreciated.

Check your laws to see if you set on a carcass. I know here we cannot because incidental catches(birds of prey). If you are going to cut it up get meat pile put in the woods or brushy area. Easier to narrow critters down for blind trail sets.

I'd ask if they gave the cow any antibiotics in a shot form first before you take the carcass it they did there's a good chance that no predators will even touch it . Even the birds of prey hawks , eagles and magpie's may land on it then take a dump on it then leave .
Generally out here anyway when a rancher has to put down livestock it will g etc turned into hamburger and eaten at least unless there is something really wrong with it .

Well said, didn't even think down that road. Have seen the same here with cattle even hogs.

Set on trails going to the carcass. Wherever you find a pinch point, a blind set or snare is great. As others have mentioned, birds will set off traps too close to the carcass and putting the carcass in the brush will yield better and more defined trails.

You set around the carcass you'll catch more feathers than fur.Not a good idea

Get on that carcass with your axe or chain saw you need to expose that meat. Once a critter like a cow freezes solid that hide Is like iron and will be had to chew through. Get that meat exposed.
Setting back 25 yards or more won't have you catching any birds of prey. And will catch you more fur bearing critters. The closer a coyotes gets to a carcass like that the more wary they become.

Just wait. See what thw coyotes do at the carcass. When they start feeding Then put out traps. Most ol timers will telk you = its best to wait till the coyotes start feeding on carcass THEN put traps out accordingly

Heed the advice given above. And if you do trap around it intercept the coyotes as far away as you can from the carcass to keep the spot producing. I'll set 200 or 300 yds away here. If your going to cut meat of the cow don't do it were u dump it. Personally I wouldn't waste my time or leave my scent on the carcass cutting bait off it. Not that good of bait. A dollar can mackerel or sardines is a far better bait.
As far as the antibiotics I don't buy it. At least not around here. We have between 10 or 20 head die a year here and I usually keep tabs on them for the intrest of learning. I'll share a few stories as examples.

Couple years ago in winter we had 2 cows die in an 80 acre pasture about 10 days apart. First on was treated with antibiotics twice by myself. Second no treatment. Both were dead before coyotes started on them and they started on the one I treated first and didn't start on second till the treated on was all cleaned up.

Had a horse die that we disposed of in a pasture. I spent about a hour and a half there cutting bait off the horse. Coyotes would not ever touch that horse I'm assuming because of all the human scent I left there. It just rotted away.Week or so later I dump a steer about 100yds from horse. The steer had been treated 3 times with 2 different antibiotics. It got cleaned up within a week. The horse meat I cut off for bait has probably caught somewhere in the neighborhood of 700 coyotes, so it wasn't the meat that spooked them.

One winter we had two 300 pound calves fall through the ice on a pond and drown. Pulled them out 3 days later and those coyotes would never touch those 2 calves. Only thing I can figure is maybe the smell of the muddy pond water on those calves made them coyotes spooky.
Around here coyotes are kind of weird about the odd occasional dead cow. They either clean it up or never touch it. And after watching probably over a hundred carcasses I sure can't tie it to antibiotics.

Now a deer gut pile I can leave all the human odor around it I want and it's gone the next morning.....

Another example is if coyotes won't touch a cow treated with antibiotics those feedlot dead piles wouldn't catch 20 to 50 coyotes off them every year.
Just my 2 cents from observing a few ks coyotes here.

I mashed up mackerel, sardines and smoked oysters. Was going to use it for coons. This would work well for coyotes and fox also?

It will work better than just plain beef cut off the dead cow in my experience.

My experience is similar to Yes sir's. My theory (SWAG) is tied to the density of the local coyote population, severity of the weather, and prey base availability. Coyotes may be drawn to sniff the "bone pile" but aren't needing the calories to maintain their heat so they satisfy that interest and mosey. I believe that is why the tip (by steeltraps) to wait until the coyotes start "working" the pile before setting, is solid info. I have an animal graveyard here on the farm where my skinned carcasses were piled for several years. Some years I would catch several coyotes feeding, coming and going, other years maybe 1. Only difference I could see, I mentioned above. When coyotes are clipped off in the early season and fewer individuals remain, they don't seem overly wary (unless pinched) for me here. Their tracks are a lot fewer and regular haunts for groups of 3-4 just don't seem to attract the singles. There is strength and protection in numbers!................... Way behind the "curve"............................ the mike

Set the trails to it. Or take pieces and put in a thick area and set the trails.

I drop the whole cow into a deep thick draw and let the yotes and Fox work on it for a while then set the trails they make coming and going.

I agree with Yes sir. I don't set anything until the critters are actually eating. I set as far as I can away from any bait. As the season goes I start getting closer but still try to stay away. You will get more catches that way.

Set some snares out once critters start making trails. Should miss the birds then...

" A man who has access to dead livestock has one up on the man who doesn't "

And you know who said that !

So what did you do and how did it work. I'm always intrested when advice is given how it plays out. Good chance for us to learn.