I know we used to have several archived threads covering this, but a lot of the responses are gone. I definitely don’t have guiding figured out. Seems like if I try to guide, the set goes untouched as far as coyotes are concerned.. Blind sets being the exception. I also can’t seem to figure out the step down dh as a method of guiding. These critters seem to have no problem stepping on the edges to work the set.. Most of my sets are wide open as far as the pattern goes, but I get real aggravated seeing tracks within an inch or even touching the pan without setting the trap off. So what tricks do yall have for guiding? Anyone have pictures? I’d post some pics of some wide open sets as well as some I tried guiding on, but I can’t ever seem to get pics to post these days.

You may have a predetermined spot you like to bed your trap? Maybe offsetting your trap more may help.
For just coyote maybe a little further back?

I like to take the clods and stuff in my sifter and dump them by the hole. Make a little wall with one end by the hole and the other by the junction of the trap lever and jaw. Not over the lever or jaw. Fresh dirt by a hole is natural and they tend not to step on it.

Use steel screen,,,, increase’s the “pan”area

Danny, so you’re saying you almost make a raised ridge from the hole to the trap lever? I did something similar to that (or a Lucero style dh) the other day. Not sure if it was a grey fox or what, but something completely trampled that dirt mound and made it nearly even with the rest of the ground. Like it went out of its way to walk in the mound versus the nice blended area right beside it.

But I know those greys tend to do funny things so I’ll definitely try the wall method. Normally I scatter the clods all around the pattern

Not almost, exactly that. A pile of dirt. Asa Lenon called it the old indian set. Dwaine Knause showed it to me. Best coyote guiding I'm aware of. My trap is a lot closer to the hole than most advocate. A coyote likes to stick his nose in the hole before he starts digging at whatever is in there. His foot is right behind his nose.

It is common practice at dirt holes for me to cover dirt pattern with surrounding clipped grasses or leaves.
Makes stepping area look same.

Perhaps a change up in smells is in order?

Increase time at the set, get em excited (gets the feet moving).

To many “misses” where coyotes are regularly visiting but maybe not “working” the set would have me re-evaluating the smells I’m using.


As for guiding, crowd em as much as you can. Just about every baited or lured set I make is outside blocked to turn the set into more of a walk thru. I don’t do much guiding outside of that.

Thanks for the input Boone! I have noticed the walk throughs really seem to up my odds. Last year everything seemed to be clicking on dhs and they seemed to be working them well. This year I’m getting a lot of one sniff visits where I only have a one or two tracks in the pattern.

I just want to find the way to take the highest percentage of the coyotes coming by!

This^^^

A good size piece of bait solutioned bait, a dh at least 12 inches deep, guide the foot where you want it. If they aren’t digging the hole out the bait is not interesting them. Time of the year matters. Flat sets or post set or urine post set are more effective. I use coyote turds and cow patties to guide the feet. Coyotes don’t step on their turds. Danny’s advice is dead on. If they are coming in and working the side put another trap there. Wised up coyotes are, well wise. They are telling you where they feel comfortable stepping. If they avoid the second trap, your traps are contaminated with something they can smell over the bait. Big baits cover a multitude of sins.

The frustrating thing about a catch is that you can’t see if the yote danced around for a bit before getting caught or it just walked through and you happened to be right that time:). Ive stared out my truck window many times at both the tracks on my jaws and the yote that walked only slightly off course to pee or just laugh at my set, not sure which. I learned about Lucero’s dh set midway through season a couple years ago and did seem to have better results with the few I made vs my normal dirthole. One set Ive made several of but only connected once is a trench. Those dont seem to even get tracks around them for me. I think the one I caught tripped and fell on it.

When making a trench set one must make it wide enough for the animal to easily step into it.

Some trappers make them too narrow

Make your stepdown at least 8 inches deep to the top of bedded trap. Make it only as wide as the trap. Also put the dirthole on the bottom, opposite of the trap and run the hole as parallel to the surface as possible. Not on a 45 like the standard dh. My theory is they will have to stepdown to see in the hole. Pretty much self guided. You will be surprised how many you catch by both front feet.

Yes steel screen,
A pencil sized stick on the left side of the trap at a dirt hole, small stone and a turd help on flat sets.
Snaring I sometimes block a trail, and sometimes I fill in a gap in the grass or fence with weed stalks

I don't have the experience of many on here, but I generally leave my sets fairly open and let the coyote work it the way he wants to. Sometimes I'll put a little dirt clod or two close to the trap for a stepping guide. Whatever looks natural. But my thoughts are, if your stepping guides aren't in the perfect place, then they can also cause the coyote to miss your trap. He might step too far over them or too far back. If a dirt hole looks too open where I think he might dig it out from the side or back, I might stick a natural looking piece of ragweed stem or something in the ground to help keep him where the trap is.

I've seen some trappers make unnatural looking, heavily blocked sets for coyotes that look more like cat sets. They claim they work, but it's not for me.

The biggest tip I've ever heard (or saw) about how a coyote set should look like comes from the mouth of Robert Wadell. "Just give them one place to step". I think about this on every set I make now.

My stepping guides come by far, mostly, from dirt clods I get from digging the trap bed or digging out the hole. It doesn't have to be big stuff...just some well placed dirt balls. Sticks in the middle of a hay field always look out of play for me.

And stepdowns have never worked for me, either. They love to step on the rim (as you pointed out). I quit using them and don't have any problems catching coyotes without the stepdown set.

Step down sets are also a disaster when it rains.