A while back I was whining about not catching coyotes on leghold traps. Finally caught one but need to get a few more. Someone told me to use snares. I always try to do what y'all say and had a pretty good 1st year in my opinion. Anyway, I bought a couple dozen snares and figured out how to set them. It's taken a couple months but I think I'm doing it right. Anyway the last couple weeks I've had 4 snares tripped with nothing in them. Not sure what or if I'm doing something wrong. Any suggestions or is it normal to have a lot of misses?

Misses on snares are pretry common, usually do to something either bigger of smaller than your intended target finding the snare first. For target animal misses the usual problem is snares being too low.

Mr Spike, Virginia has some excellent snare man, you might consider going to your state’s convention.

Wind or snow will occasionally knock them down. Especially if they are set where wind can blow brush or limbs into them. Have you had stormy weather?

If you are snaring coyote 10 inch loop and 10 off the ground. Deer will nock snares down. Personally I try to stay away from the deer.

Thanks, I'm too low. Bottom of snare is 6 inches off the ground. I'll move them up today. It has been pretty windy. I'll try to attend the state convention. I try to stay away from major deer trails too. I put cameras on most trails and when I find a coyote traveling on it I've been setting a snare. No luck but I'll keep at it. Trapping has turned into being good exercise for an old man.

I was having some trouble with my trail snareing with avoiding them, friend of mine said try a bigger loop, i went to a 12 to 14 inch loop 12 inches off the ground that solved my problem works good for me

Actually, size of loop is less important than height off the walking surface, just fit the loop to the opening within reason. The proper bottom loop height above ground, re trail sets, for the animals in your area is very important to obtaining a humane high neck catch with large loops. For most trail sets in BC this is 14 inches above ground for bottom of the loop. The key to getting a good high neck catch with a large loop is to use a well loaded snare, and set it high. Some may walk under the snare, but coyotes do not always travel with their heads down; they often travel with their heads up. If one goes under the snare, on the next trip it will come through with its head up, or another coyote will come through with its head up.

I'll try that. We are restricted to 12 inch loop and 12 inch off the ground. Thanks.

Got everything set to 12 off the ground and 12 in loops. Had 2 that were sprung today. 2 days in a row for one of them. Pretty sure it isn't a deer. I have it tied to a log that goes over the trail. I put a camera on it to see what's tripping it.

Where do you have the lock positioned? Based on what you are saying I’m guessing between 11-12 or 12-1 and either wind or any animal hitting it would knock it closed. Make the lock climb more cable before it fires and I’d bet you will have much fewer knockdowns.

That is right where I'd put them then. Once you get an eye for where they travel, it'll be like shooting fish in a barrel to you. (look for tracks )

There’s a reason 10x10 is the “standard” for height and loop size when it comes to coyotes.

Start there, adjust as the location dictates.

Filling the trail with loop is what’s important. Narrow trail, smaller loop, bigger trail, bigger loop.

~10” off the ground will cover 90% of situations. I sometimes go higher (heavy heavy cover), and sometimes lower (steep grades).

Lock at 10 or 2 will reduce knock downs and wind fires.

Wire is cheap-set more snares.
You will always get knocked down snares for any number of reasons,trick is to have snares still working when some get knocked down.
Knocked down snares dont spook an animal,and I would much sooner have a few knocked down snares before he gets in one,as opposed to a flank catch from too big a loop.

10 inch loop
10 inches off ground
And a chin lifter... nothing big or they will step though the loop.
A couple blades of grass, small twig, a sprig of pine needles hanging on bottom of loop. Keep it small and use it to blend in the bottom of the snare

WRONG! Follow Boone Liane's recommendations and consider the following:
Snare Blending/Blocking (coyotes & wolves)

Many trappers worry about coyotes seeing the lock and spring but IMO they are up above a coyotes’ line of sight and a from the coyote point of view appear to be just another bit of junk hanging in the bushes. Blending in is a matter of coloration of the snare to the background color of the bush as seen from the animal’s perspective. Blocking or fencing is a no/no unless very subtle like blade of grass or a small twig or branch that appears to have fallen in place.

As far as knocked down cables go it does not necessary occur because the coyote detected the snare. It often occurs because the coyote gets distracted by something else and turn its head to the side while approaching the snare and hits it with its neck or shoulder and knocks it down. Also, with setting snares high if one goes under the snare with its head down, on the next trip, or another coyote, it will come through with its head up. No different than one going around a snare and the next going into it.

Blending in is a matter of coloration of the snare to the background color of the bush as seen from the animal’s perspective. Many have recommended coloring the bottom of a snare loop white for snow conditions. It often looks great from a trapper’s standing position, but from the coyote lower position looking straight through the snare the white loop bottom will show up against a dark forest/bush background like a sore thumb.

Why am I wrong ?
I said the same thing you did.
I agree with everything you say I just suggested a subtle chin lifter

You are not wrong. Every one has given good Basic Snaring Advice!! I like snares. They are a Great Tool too harvest animals. We must be very careful how & where we use them!!!

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Why am I wrong ?
I said the same thing you did.
I agree with everything you say I just suggested a subtle chin lifter
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A chin lifter may just draw their attention to the snare. Most coyotes walk around with their heads up and if not in this instance they will in the next.