Ok so I am doing pretty well with cables this year but am striking out pretty badly on footholds.
I have read hundreds of pages on the forums and am pretty confident things are bedded right and set in good locations.

I have had probably forty different sets and have one red fox to show for it. I have had cameras in many (not all) and most times coyotes or fox get 8-10' downwind and respond very cautiously and don't investigate.

Some traps are dipped, some are dyed, some are bare. I sort of got into the footholds in the middle of the season so it's basically how I bought them as I was told it's pretty tough to treat do anything without it being dry out. I feel like trap scent, or bedding in peat moss are the only explanations.
I take many scent precautions at the sets.

So...Any ideas?
If it is trap odor is there anything I can really do at this point?

Maybe you're using too much lure

Some sets are blind sets with only scat and urine.
I don't have those on camera but they have not produced.

What part of PA are you from?

As for the coyotes, make sure you aren't using too much backing and guiding.

Harrisburg



Some sets were definitely big and flashy with a lot of backing. Others were very subtle. I don't have cameras on any subtle traps but they haven't been successful.

A lot of cameras will spook coyotes

Has the area your trapping been hit by others? Coyotes are cautious enough without being educated by another trapper. I use a very small backing, very little lure, no bait, no urine, and blend well. Once its set, don't fiddle with it. I'm no professional by any means but manage to catch a few. Never used cameras at a set so can't comment on that.

Sounds like your trapping in pa to me haha ..just keep at it an have patience

The area is pressured and most animals on camera look to be mature. They could be educated.

Cameras are at a distance and most sets don't have cameras.

I will try the very subtle lure only on the next set.

I suspect it may be a pressure thing. I grew up in North Central PA and every logging road access seemed to have used dirt holes and old flat sets.

I don’t put cameras on sets just because I don’t want to see what I missed. Coyote trapping is frustrating enough already.

Yeah, but with cameras they’ll tell you where to set. Made quite a few catches adjusting my set or adding a set for the next time they came through.

Snow doesn't lie.


Had a trap placed at the end of a tree that fell into the field and the tip was bright white from rotting. I bedding the trap next to some scat I moved and had only urine as an attractant.
Coyote prints up to and trap was sprung but empty.

We don’t have that luxury or curse down here.

Heavily exploited, and/or low population density coyotes may as well be a whole different species from un-pressured, high population individuals.

First thing I’d do is can the camera usage.

Thats good advice. People don’t realize how long good lure lasts. Or how little of a good lure you need Caught 518 coyotes last year and 541 coyotes the year before. And people who have been with me on line. Are amazed at = how little lure I use Just a drop on end of qtip is ENOUGH

Totally agree^^^^^ I CANNOT tell you how many times in 35 years of coyote trapping I have heard a landowner say = I have the worst coyote problem you have ever seen!! Afew coyotes can make ALOT of tracks

Got snowed on in West Texas a year or so back. Just getting started luckily. Only afew seta out. Didnt care for it much! LoL!!!

Walked my property today and found one set of coyote tracks. Seeing how it’s fenced and I’ve trapped his property for a while I placed three new sets at different spots I found the tracks…probably over about 30ac.
Based on some posts I going with less is more type deal. I’m hoping he’s the only one left. Well him and that stupid beaver…he was a no show last night.