#487833 - 12/29/07 12:54 AM
Winter Coyote Syndrome
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Jonathan
trapper
Registered: 12/23/06
Posts: 1814
Loc: Northwestern New York
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Over the past month I have observed many posts in the wonder as to how to deal with almost every aspect of this quandary - "Why can I not catch them?" They are walking by my sets and not paying any attention to them - basically in the name of "set avoidance," as opposed to set contamination, or over luring.
In this notion, I thought it may be an opportunity for those of you that have dropped previous ink to identify this in any way to pull up your scribes with a link to your posts.
Just a random thought to those of you experienced trappers who know much more about this than I do. My thought in this trace of fetching is that maybe we can condense all of this information into one pod that may find a place in the archives here - wrapped up and contained so folks can find it.
Jonathan
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#487931 - 12/29/07 07:29 AM
Re: Winter Coyote Syndrome
[Re: Jonathan]
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Asa Lenon
trapper
Registered: 12/23/06
Posts: 2476
Loc: Gulliver, Michigan
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I'll have to say that many trappers are getting a considerable number of walk-bys, set-circleing, general avoidance and outright run-offs during dirt trapping season that they are not even aware of. If they have a large population of coyotes they are still harvesting respectable numbers and believe they have mastered the art. Snow becomes the humbleing factor that makes us all re-evaluate our methods and proceedures. As I always say, maximum harvesting per traps set and time expended is a matter of paying attention to every little detail, each detail adding up harvest numbers one by one by one. As my Dad used to write and say "There is no big secret, its a combination of smaller factors all combined". Ace
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#487992 - 12/29/07 08:48 AM
Re: Winter Coyote Syndrome
[Re: griffondog]
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Magnumhntr
trapper
Registered: 12/25/06
Posts: 30
Loc: Plainwell, Michigan
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Just curious as to which is best when setting in the snow, leaving the dirt over and around the trap exposed, or sift snow over the trap to blend it in with the surrounding snow?
Thank!
Chris
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#488032 - 12/29/07 09:28 AM
Re: Winter Coyote Syndrome
[Re: Magnumhntr]
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Asa Lenon
trapper
Registered: 12/23/06
Posts: 2476
Loc: Gulliver, Michigan
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You bring up a GOOD point griffondog abot precise set locations in the Winter snow months, one knows exactly where to place sets along regular travelways. Sometimes one even makes under track sets, how close to location can one be? This brings to mind lure usage, trappers seem to want loud call lures in the Winter to compensate for the cold weather. There is generally no need for call lures because as you say, locations are precise. Actually, I have better results with milder urine/gland/passion lures in the winter months. Perhaps these unnecessary loud lures cause walk-bys on many occasions. Ace
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#488047 - 12/29/07 09:41 AM
Re: Winter Coyote Syndrome
[Re: Asa Lenon]
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traprjo
trapper
Registered: 12/29/06
Posts: 432
Loc: pa
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good posts guys i am still trying to figure out what i am doing wrong i beginning to think that i can be more sloppy in winter than fall and that somehow the coyotes will get dumber or something but i do know when the snow flies my catch goes way off and tracks show they are still there but another thing we have in the northeast is more activity by everybody in winter and i think the yotes are shy of everything not exactly natural.
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#488055 - 12/29/07 09:44 AM
Re: Winter Coyote Syndrome
[Re: Asa Lenon]
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k9.
trapper
Registered: 12/23/06
Posts: 3192
Loc: Brooklyn, Iowa 45 years old st...
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The only lull I experience is during our December shotgun deer season. Here, our deer hunters form large groups and push all the ground, all day long. I have seen our coyotes hole up in brush piles and culverts just to find a place to rest and be undisturbed.
This will be my worst coyote winter, because of the ice/rain/snow storm combinations that we are experiencing. Normally I can function well in snow conditions, but this has been impossible. A good friend suggested bale sets, and he is right, but the deer and pheasants here are so hard up trying to scratch down through the ice for food, that I know what would happen if I start making bale sets.
I have never trapped a December without the pressure of deer hunters. Happens to me every year. However OGorman talks about the December lull, and the coyote's stand offishness in December. I have heard other good coyote men speak of this too, so I know there is something to it. I just have never trapped anywhere in December to evaluate it, that I did not have an overwhelming number of hunters afield for that same month influencing the coyotes movements and behavior.
There are no quiet areas here in Dec. Gut piles are everywhere for the coyotes to eat also. You are not trapping "normal" coyotes during that time. As soon as deer season is over, I see good catches again.
You can have the best lures and methods in the world, but when severe ice storms hit, or there is a deer hunter pushing EVERY draw and field, there is nothing you can do about it.
I do not sift snow on my traps, Magnum I will let Asa advise you on your conditions. Our snow here, even on a good year, if you start messing with it it just gets hard as a rock. Even if you hold your sifter up high etc. I am assuming guys in deep woods with powder can get away with stuff I cannot, but I consider snow to be the worst covering to use.
I brush away the set area in snowy times. However this year you can't even do that here due to the ice snow layering we have, so blending a set properly becomes impossible.
_________________________
2008 One coon One skunk 
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#488111 - 12/29/07 10:11 AM
Re: Winter Coyote Syndrome
[Re: k9.]
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possum5676
trapper
Registered: 01/02/07
Posts: 936
Loc: kansas
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i am a believer of the lull in coyotes in early winter, the cause of it im not sure of but i do know it exist in the places i have trapped, heck even ogorman spend several pages talking about his problems with it in his book hoofbeats, many factors i see could be the problem combined with maybe just fickle coyotes at this time, consider that for all of a young coyotes life man has meant food, farmers, fisherman, campers etc., human actvity is a good thing, most important the sound of tractors, pickups etc., the odors man leaves are always mixed with dead mice, leftover food, cattle afterbirth etc., then fall comes and the pheasant hunters busting every square inch of cover and slinging shot into every coyote that gets up, plus varmit callers, deer hunters, and every dude with a rifle in the truck, now those sounds start to mean pain and loss, odors left by man are mingled with food but at a price if that man is around and he is around alot, so instead of the sounds man makes, the strange odors he leaves behind being something to investigate its something to just pass by in a hurry, many times im convinced coyotes wathcor listen to stakes being driven and instead of using that travel way just avoid it for several weeks, lack of food, interest in sex, and trying to establish a home range along with less human activity in later winter causes them to start using the old two tracks, trails, fencerows again and they become much better about working scent.
_________________________
none
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#488121 - 12/29/07 10:18 AM
Re: Winter Coyote Syndrome
[Re: possum5676]
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CharlesKS
trapper
Registered: 12/23/06
Posts: 7035
Loc: Kansas,31,6-1,220,B/B NS
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ill share an instance that happened yesterday.
matt jerry and andy where checking sets, and at one of matts set the coyote dug a hole 2 foot from the set. it was almost like, if not the actuall reason, is he couldnt locate the exact set becasue of the snow.
Andy had a set, the coyote circled behind it, but NEVER worked it. the hole set was covered in snow, so there was nothing to make it suspicious.
perhaps the second instance the coyote didnt feel like digging in the snow.
ive had them dig the heck out of a set when the trap was fozen down and snow covered, it looked like a bomb went off.
ive had them get caught with new snow covering a set and the trap was never freshened.
ive had them caught when after sweeiping off sets.
ive had them avoid sets.
ive had them never show bcak up.
WHO KNOWS!
_________________________
without farm subsidies, you box of cornflakes will cost you 15$ 
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#488315 - 12/29/07 01:22 PM
Re: Winter Coyote Syndrome
[Re: CharlesKS]
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k9.
trapper
Registered: 12/23/06
Posts: 3192
Loc: Brooklyn, Iowa 45 years old st...
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"ive had them never show bcak up."
And maybe you killed them somewhere else. That happens a lot around here, miss a coyote at one set and kill him at another.
_________________________
2008 One coon One skunk
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