This is my BIL and nephew. I would put $ on it Jim and Ryan have crossed paths. Jim you met Ryan's wife, my wife's sister, at the campground a few yrs back
JB’s K9 Trapping Adventures
- Thread starter jagermeister
- Start date
What kind of cousin kissing program you guys running up that way? Seriously, how’d you talk them into it? I’ve got some pretty hot cousins. I need to know.
If you ice fish the Sandusky Bay I have have probably run into you at whites landing.
Another day of empty traps and snares today. Bummer. To add insult to injury, I saw at least 3 sets of fresh coyote tracks in the snow. One set of tracks walked within 15 feet of one of my sets. It didn't alter it's path in any way, or appear to stop or hesitate. I'm beginning to think that one of my problems is lack of sufficient bait. I've been relying on gland lure alone, and really not putting more than a teaspoon or so into each set. So far this doesn't seem to be getting their attention. I think I need to order some actual "bait" and put it down in earnest. At least then I'll know that I can rule out that variable.
You might be putting too much gland on. I don’t put nearly that much on a set and only apply more after a 10 days- 2 weeks. I use a glob of lute about the size of the end of a
q-tip. They have a really good nose; your scent might be too strong.
Yea, that’s about the average amount I’ve been using. The most I used was maybe a teaspoon in one set. If it was too strong, wouldn’t a coyote at least make a movement toward the set, in some way? By the look of the tracks, they just walk right by like the set isn’t even there.
Did the yote walk up or down wind of the set? I try to position my sets so a sw wind will carry the sent into the travel route.
The set was on the north side of the path, which was good for the NE wind we had the night that I made it. But I’m not sure what the wind direction was last night. As close as he was, I wouldn’t have thought wind direction would’ve mattered. But I could be wrong. I don’t know... I’ve seen my Lab catch the scent of plenty of birds and other things even when she wasn’t perfectly downwind. I may just order some more bait and maybe remake a couple sets based on my most recent observations of sign in the area.
Back in my serious trapping days we learned by the golden rule. If what you're doing is not working...do something different.
I'm no genius but by learning what did not work, I eventually figured out what does.
I'm no genius but by learning what did not work, I eventually figured out what does.
Final check at this property today and again came up empty. I did have a deer set off yet another trap, and this one I got really lucky on. The deer nearly pulled the entire length of anchor out of the ground before getting free. How I didn't lose this trap is beyond me. Very lucky. I decided that, with the hard freeze coming later this week and my busier-than-normal afternoon schedule, I would pull all my traps and start again at another property next week. I figure that as long as I'm learning and working the kinks out of my system, I might as well do it a little closer to home. So I'm going to order some bait and go back to the drawing board. Stay tuned...