Coyote Trapping

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How To Trap

A Coyote

Cooperative Extension

Kansas State University

Manhattan, Kansas


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How to Trap a CoyoteCoyotes are members of the dog family. They have

the ability to reason and are intelligent. They are mam-mals that are at home in flat, open country. In the springand summer coyotes are primarily limited to one area. Inlate summer, fall and winter they may roam over a larger

area. Coyotes are opportunists and tend to kill and/or eatwhatever is easiest to obtain.Coyotes follow regular paths and crossing places.

They like high hills or knolls from where they can surveythe situation. They establish regular scent posts alongtheir paths. They depend upon their ears, nose, and eyesto protect them from danger. Their instinct to sense dan-ger is present only when something arouses that instinct.

In the above description lie all the secrets you need tocatch a coyote in a leg-hold trap. The greatest factor incoyote trapping is knowledge about the habits of the coy-ote and the ability to use common sense and sensible tac-tics. Beyond this knowledge there are no secrets.

Use two No. 3N coyotes traps per set.

Place three to five sets near the area where you areexperiencing losses and when you are experiencing losses.You should not set traps when you are not having losses.

1. The first step is to walk around the area where you arehaving losses. Look for tracks and droppings. Be surewhat kind of an animal is at fault for killing your livestock.Study the paths used by the predators.

2. Once you have done this, the next step is to decidewhere to place the trap sets. You always should place thetrap sets in an open, flat area. Wind currents, dispersionof scent, and visibility are all important factors why youshould pick an open place. Look for open places where thecoyote tracks indicate the animal milled around orstopped. It may be at a gate opening, hilltop, fence cor-

ner, or crossing.

3. After you have decided on the place where you are go-ing to place a set, consider the prevailing wind direction.Place the set upwind from the path so the wind will carrythe scent stream across the path where the scent can bepicked up by the coyotes keen nose and followed to theset.

4. The next step is to choose a level spot as close as possi-ble to the coyotes path. Place the set so the coyotes ap-proach is over level, open ground . . . never uphill ordownhill, always level. . . never over dry leaves, tall grass,stones, sticks, weeds or rough ground . . . always flat,

barren, sand, short grass and/or open. Make each setwhere the coyote has clear visibility as it approaches.

5. After you have selected the site, place the set using twoNo. 3N traps with a cold shut chain repair link through ahole in the top of a steel stake. The stake should be at least18 inches long or longer if the soil is loose.

The co y o te tra pper s to o l s .


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1. A piece of canvas, about 3 feet by 6 feet, used as a 4. Pile the dirt dugout of the trench on the kneeling cloth.

kneeling cloth makes preparing the trapping site mucheasier.

2. Kneel down on the cloth and outline a trench approxi-mately 3 feet long, 7 inches wide and 3 inches deep. Digthe trench so that it runs len gthwise to the prevailingwind.

5. Place one of the traps on your left leg just above yourknee. Grasp the trap spring nearest your right leg asshown and compress the spring.

6. Compress this one spring below the jaw hinge, thenbend-the spring as she--above.

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7. Hold this one compressed spring with your right leg asshown above, then compress the left spring. Hold thisspring down with your left hand.

10* Drive a steel stake in the center of the trench so thatthe top of the stake is even with the bottom of thetrench. Place one of the set traps at each end of thetrench. Place the trap so it sits solidly and will not tipif the coyote stepson the spring or jaws.

9. Twist the springs back toward the trigger. Always setthe trap in the ground so that the animal walks in to thetrap over the jaw that is nearest the bottom of the abovepicture.

11. Place canvas, plastic, cloth or wax paper pan coverover the pan cover and under the trap jaws. Be surethe pan sits level with the trap jaws.

12. Take out or add soil until the trap pan and jaws areabout one-half inch below the level of the surroundingground. Build a ridge for the jaw opposite the triggerto set on. On the side of the trap that has the trigger,place soil under the trap pan cover on either side ofthe trigger so as to hold the pan up tight against thebottom of the jaws e


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13. The pan cover can be stretched tightly across the panand under the jaws. The pan and jaws should be leveland flat. In cold weather plastic can be placed underthe trap. Plastic baggies can be placed on each springand table salt mixed with dry soil or peat moss cover-ing the trap. Set the other trap as shown above. Whenplacing the pan cover, be sure that the dog or triggercan move upwards without binding in the pan cover.Anything that slows the action of the trap can cause amiss or a toe hold.

15. The trap should be set a little below the level of thesurrounding ground-not much, but about one-quarter inch. The set must look natural. The soilaround the trap and over the springs, chains andstake should be packed so that the firmness of theground duplicates the same firmness the coyote walkson as it approaches the set location. Only soft soilshould be directly over the trap pan within the set jawarea. Use a rib bone to level soil over the trap.

14. Use a sifter of one-fourth-inch h ail screen on a woodframe, 7 inches by 10 inches and 2 inches deep. Siftsoil from the canvas kneeling cloth over the set cover-ing the entire trench back to-ground level with the ex-ception of directly over the traps.

16. Over the buried stake, in the center of the trench,

place an object that can be easily seen. The farther itcan be seen, the better. It is very important. You canuse an old dried bleached bone, a dried cow chip, asmall bush or clump of grass, old dried root, a smallstake or a stump. It should project very visibly, about6 to 8 inches high.

17. When this is completed, place a good quantity of coy-ote urine (a tablespoon) on the projection. Whensmelling the scent and seeing the projection the coy-

ote very likely will walk directly into the wind and as itapproaches the projection it will very likely step intothe traps.


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18. Carefully brush out all tracks and signs of activity. 21. Leave the trap area, as nearly as possible, in the origi-nal condition. The coyotes keen sense of sight andsmell will quickly alert him to danger.

There are many different ways to set traps and catchcoyotes. This method just described is one of the best.Whatever kind of method you use, always bury the trap in

the ground. Use dry, finely sifted soil to cover the trap andstake. If the ground is frozen, muddy, wet, or damp, or ifyou anticipate the weather to turn cold and/or wet, youshould use Canadian sphagnum peat moss, very dry soil,dry manure, or finely chopped hay in which to set yourtraps and use as a trap covering. By using a mixture of saltor calcium chloride with dry soil covering, you can ensurethat the trap will work properly. When using peat moss orother dry fluffy material, it is important to put a thin layerof dry soil with a mixture of 1/4 teaspoon of table salt thatblends with the surrounding soil. This thin layer is alsonecessary so as to prevent the wind from blowing peatmoss away from the trap.

Locating the Best Places to Set TrapsThe person who lives on the land has the best chance

of locating the proper place to set the traps. This is espe-cially true if that person will get in the habit of watchingfor coyote sign year around. Coyotes travel where it is easywalking, like down old roads. Coyotes have favorite placesto travel, hunt, rest, howl and roam. The list below showslikely places on most farms and ranches in Kansas thattend to be good locations to set traps. Watch the wind; al-ways make sets so that the prevailing wind (southwest insummer; northwest in winter) will drift the scent acrossthe path of the coyote. Do not set traps directly in a trail.Set traps to one side at a place where coyotes may stop,

such as a hilltop, gate, or where cover changes. Make theset on level ground so that the coyote walks across levelground to the set. Good locations are best indicated bytracks. Some good locations tend to be near:

Saddles in high hillsHigh hillsIsolated land featuresIsolated bales of hayTrail junctionsPasture roadsLivestock trails


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WaterwaysDry or shallow creek bedsGame trailsPond damsField bordersField cornersGroves of trees

Eroded gulliesNear animal carcassesBrush pilesStream crossingsUnder rim rocksNear old cowhide or bone pileFence Crossing

Care of Coyote Traps

New traps can be used to trap coyotes. When trapsare used, rusting soon occurs. Rusting does not harm thetraps, but after continued use the rust often will slow theaction of the trap, so as to cause a coyote to be missed.Traps also become contaminated with skunk, gasoline,oil, blood and other odors. It is important that traps beclean and in good working condition when you use them tocatch a coyote.

Cleanliness and fast action regarding coyote traps is a

must if you are going to have continued success. So takeheed to the following tips. After the traps have been in useand are rusted, traps should be gone over with a wirebrush.

Check over your traps. Be sure the trigger and panwork freely. Check the chains and links for an open link.File the triggers and receivers to eliminate all roundededges. Make any adjustments that are necessary so thepan will set level and the trap will perform perfectly.

Put traps in a clean container out in the open, addingmore than enough clean water to cover them. Obtain somewalnut bark, sumac or walnut hulls mixed in the water.Sumac heads and cedar leaves have a natural wax whichacts as a rust inhibitor.

Add the material to the water. Cover the traps withwater but do not let the traps sit on the bottom of the con-tainer close to the fire. The solution is then brought to aboiling point and immediately tempered down. Let thetraps simmer for one hour. Any scum which forms on thetop of the solution when simmering should be skimmedoff. When ready, the traps should be lifted out of the dye-ing solution with an iron hook. Some trapping instruc-tions recommend a final boiling waxing treatment, butthe writer has found this unnecessary. When salt is used inthe winter, this will rust your traps. Waxing traps will help

prevent this. Waxing traps can be dangerous as wax canexplode, so be careful if wax is used.

Best Traps for Coyotes

In the authors opinion the best coyote trap is the Vic-tor 3N with malleable offset jaws and superweld kinklesschain. Other good traps are any No. 3 or No. 4 double-

spring or coil spring traps. The No. 1.75 coil spring is agood coyote trap. But, generally, the No. 3N trap is thebest bet if you are interested in coyotes. The new soft catchtrap is questionable for coyotes in Kansas. Conibear trapsare dangerous and illegal in some states (Kansas) to set forcoyotes. Coyotes will not normally go into live traps or boxtraps.

Anchoring a Trapped Coyote

Chain swivels are necessary in trapping coyotes. Oneat the stake, one in the middle of the chain, and one at thetrap would be most desirable. When staking the trapdown, a relatively short chain can be used. However, real

short chains will allow the coyote to pull the stake out ofthe ground.Stakes for anchoring traps in open areas are an im-

portant item and should be at least eighteen inches longand one-half inch in diameter, or made of iron rod. Oneway to make a good trap stake is of angle iron materialwith a washer welded on the upper end. The other end canbe a tapered point for easier driving in hard ground. Thestake should be 18 to 28 inches long. The trap should befastened to the stake with a chain repair link and the linkshould be welded shut. In real loose soil such as sand youcan cross-stake the traps, using two stakes driven at dif-ferent angles and the stakes fastened at the top and thenattached to the trap chains.

Drags instead of stakes can be used where there isabundant brush or trees or where the ground is too rockyto use a stake. Use a long chain (5 or more) on a drag. Oneof the best type trap drags and how to construct it is shown


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Problems in Coyote Trapping

Each coyote is an individual. All of them are differentin some way. You can trap any coyote as long as you dontgive up. You need to spend more time and thought onsome individually smart coyotes than on others. Dont cre-ate a situation where you convince yourself the coyote issmarter than you.

If a coyote digs up or springs your trap without get-ting caught, reset your trap in the same place. Then care-fully reset one or two traps near the first set. Be careful tohide the trap using gloves and a clean trap. The coyote willbe intent on again digging up the first trap and step in thesecond better hidden trap. Sometimes you can changescents or use a lone feather as a visual attraction, or acheap alarm clock in a dirt hole set to attract a coyote bythe sound of the ticking. Natural baits such as field mice,rabbits or pocket gophers are good baits. A dead fish hungin a bush about 4 feet off the ground is a good coyote at-tractant.

Resetting Traps and Checking Traps Sets

Once you catch a coyote at a set, reset the trap in thesame place, or remake the set into a dirt hole set at theedge of the disturbed set area. Leave all sets out for at least2 weeks before moving the traps to a new location. Checkthe traps once every 24 hours, preferably in the morningaround 9-10 A.M. Re-scent the set every four days, using

only 8 to 10 drops when re-scenting the scent.This picture illustrates the fact that sets of traps lo-

cated close together can at times (especially in the earlywinter) produce multiple catches.

Human Scent and Coyote Trappings

If traps are being set in warm months, sets should beplaced in late afternoon by a person who has recentlybathed, has clean clothes, and one who is not sweating.Leave no unnecessary foreign odors like cigarette butts,etc. You can wear clean gloves and rubber footwear any-time while setting traps, but these are not, normally neces-sary. Coyotes are more difficult to catch with traps in wet

The sets can be placed close together, once a coyote is caught other coyotes are attracted to the area.


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weather/high humidity than in dry weather conditions.Gloves, waxing traps, and other extra precautionary pro-cedures may be more important in areas other than Kan-sas.

Killing a Trapped Coyote

The coyote will make its most desperate attempt toget out of the trap as a human being approaches. Do nottake any chance of the coyote getting out of the trap as youapproach. Look first at the hold the trap has on the coy-otes foot. If it is a good hold, then shoot the coyote justbehind the front leg in the lower chest with a .22 long rifle.A shot to the chest will result in little blood being spilled atthe set. If the coyotes foot is not caught with a good hold,then shoot the coyote quickly in the head with a .22 longrifle. The blood at a set will not harm the set, as long asthere is no blood on the trap or soil over the traps.

Guiding Coyote Foot Steps

In a plowed field or other area where there are dirtclods, sticks, small rocks, stickers, etc., you can placethese around your covered trap set to guide the coyotesfoot to your traps. Coyotes tend not to step on clods, rocks,sticks and stickers. Dont get worried if the coyote visitsyour set and doesnt step on the trap; the coyote will re-turn.

Draw Stations

Draw stations are places set up intentionally or placesyou find that tend to draw coyotes to a particular spot.Clean out a chicken house, place the straw and cleaningsin an area where you find coyote tracks, set traps aroundthe edges of this straw pile. Place carcasses or parts of ani-mals, such as beef head and blood, in good trapping spot.

Once coyotes start feeding, set traps 20 to 60 feet upwindfrom the carcasses or draw station. Never set traps rightnext to carcass because you will tend to catch animals youdo not want to catch, such as buzzards, eagles, hawks,skunks, and opossums. There are exceptions. If you are alivestock producer (and this booklet is written mainly forlivestock producers who are experiencing problems withcoyotes) and you know that the coyotes will return to thefreshly killed livestock you find on a particular evening,then set a trap set next to the carcass. Wire the carcass toanother stake driven out of sight into the ground. Then setanother trap set 20-60 feet upwind. Do not scent at thecarcass set. If necessary, in sheep pastures, during theday-time cover trap sets with disc blades so as to prevent

sheep from getting into traps. Uncover at night when coy-otes are likely to return and sheep are penned up.

Dirt Hole Set

Another way to set a coyote trap is to find a burrowdug by an animal or dig a hole to look like a burrow, and

Dirt hole set.


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set traps in front of this burrow. Some people dig a burrowand bait it with meat. Then, when coyotes are known tovisit this place and take the bait, traps are set. Coyoteshave a tendency to investigate all newly dug burrows. Theangle of the burrow and diameter of the opening have aninfluence on where you should place the traps. Coyotestend to look where they smell. If the opening is straight up

and down (like a post hole), then set one trap close to theopening, within 4 inches, and set the other trap back as faras the chain will reach, preferably where the soil from theburrow trails out. The opening size does not have to bevery large2 to 3 inches is large enough. All bait shouldbe buried under a layer of soil at the bottom of the burrow.The burrow should be dug at a place where there is somebacking (like a bush or a bank). This will cause the coyoteto approach the burrow from the side on which you haveyour traps set. Bacon grease or crackling scatteredaround the burrow will help draw the coyote. A smallamount of coyote urine placed on the backing behind theopening will not hurt the set.

SummaryIf you were to ask 50 professional coyote trappers how

to catch a coyote, youd probably get 500 ways. Basically,the contents of this small leaflet provide you with all theknowledge you will need. Coyotes generally do not killlivestock. Sometimes though individual coyotes do ac-

quire the habit. These killer coyotes are the ones you needto remove. By keeping extra good care and offering ade-quate protection to livestock, coyote losses can be pre-vented. It seems to be next to impossible to kill all coyotes.So if you do not have problems with coyotes it might bewise to continue affording protection to livestock, espe-cially young livestock, and keep the coyotes you have onyour place. Because if those coyotes are killed or die, thenother coyotes will move in and replace the lost coyotes. Ifyou live in Kansas, chances are that youll be sharing yourland with coyotes for a long time into the future.

Possible Trap Sites


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F. Robert Henderson

Extension SpecialistWildlife Damage Control

The use of trade names is not intended as an endorsement nor is

criticism of unnamed products implied.

Coyote Trapping

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