Coyote trapping

[OhZark Biddies]

I can catch foxes all day long. Coyotes not so much. Since I’m always honest and it pains me to say this but I was after a few this year. I caught zero!

You’re probably doing the opposite as me ... setting close... whereas I get way back and catching them dancing around the set, before they start tip toeing in ... I think it’s why I’m not very good at foxes though, I set too far back thinking more about coyotes ... that and just more coyotes than (red) foxes here.... and likely there is other stuff that I don’t yet know, that I don’t know!

 

[duluthralphie]

Drowning a predator is relatively fast and easy. It is safer than on trying to shoot a thrashing animal in a trap and risk a richocet or errant piece of lead hitting a person or doing damage to property or a domestic animal. In addition in many towns and cities shooting is illegal. Keeping and transporting an animal in a trap to a place shooting is allowed is dangerous and cruel to the animal.

Releasing the animal is just making the animal someone else’s problem. Stabbing the animal to death is crueler and less certain to work.

Now I have seriously thought about live trapping my pests and taking them into the city to release them, I am that tired of city people live trapping and bringing them out here to “release them in the wild”.

 

[Fishkeeper]

Drowning an animal takes several minutes, and the lungs filling with water is agonizing, plus whatever damage it does to itself thrashing to get free of the trap. And that's not to mention the terror that comes with something drowning. It is not humane, and should never be recommended to anyone as a method of dispatching an animal.
Pellet guns will do the job up close, and are legal in a lot more places than actual guns.

If you cannot humanely kill an animal that you've trapped, you need to find an alternative other than trapping that animal.

 

[duluthralphie]

Drowning an animal takes several minutes, and the lungs filling with water is agonizing, plus whatever damage it does to itself thrashing to get free of the trap. And that's not to mention the terror that comes with something drowning. It is not humane, and should never be recommended to anyone as a method of dispatching an animal.
Pellet guns will do the job up close, and are legal in a lot more places than actual guns.

If you cannot humanely kill an animal that you've trapped, you need to find an alternative other than trapping that animal.

Thanks, but I am fine with it. I doubt the predator worries about the pain and fear it inflicts on our birds.

 

[Fishkeeper]

Right, but the predator is an animal. It doesn't know what it's doing. Its cruelty isn't intentional, or conscious. It has to eat to survive, and it has to do this to eat. As an animal, it is incapable of malice. It's not the fox's fault that the chicken suffers. There is no fault when animals interact in a way that harms one of them.
You are fully capable of understanding what your actions do to other beings, and that you cause them pain. You are therefore responsible for finding ways to cause as little pain as possible. If you cause an animal pain, the cruelty of the situation is your fault.
One way to cause minimal pain in this situation is to find an alternate way of killing an animal. Another way is to predator-proof your setup entirely, eliminating the need to kill the predators. Which is probably the better solution in the long run- you can't, and shouldn't, kill off all the predators in your area.

 

[007Sean]

Coyotes rarely travel in packs. They are notoriously difficult to trap. If you want to relocate you need to check with your local DNR about regulations. I suggest a havahart trap and a live bird in a bait cage. You can also use rotten eggs or coyote urine.

Here in South Texas, coyotes travel/hunt in groups...3 to 5 sometimes more. I've watch them stalk jackrabbits and trade off stalking until they wore the jackrabbit down and caught it. They have ganged up on cows calving here, too!...waiting for the cow to give birth, then running in and taking the calf. Actually, stalking the cows.
I've seen them hunting in broad daylight, too. Usually by themselves but also in groups or pairs. Usually their main stay prey is scarce when seen hunting in mid day or early afternoon hours.

 

[duluthralphie]

Right, but the predator is an animal. It doesn't know what it's doing. Its cruelty isn't intentional, or conscious. It has to eat to survive, and it has to do this to eat. As an animal, it is incapable of malice. It's not the fox's fault that the chicken suffers. There is no fault when animals interact in a way that harms one of them.
You are fully capable of understanding what your actions do to other beings, and that you cause them pain. You are therefore responsible for finding ways to cause as little pain as possible. If you cause an animal pain, the cruelty of the situation is your fault.
One way to cause minimal pain in this situation is to find an alternate way of killing an animal. Another way is to predator-proof your setup entirely, eliminating the need to kill the predators. Which is probably the better solution in the long run- you can't, and shouldn't, kill off all the predators in your area.

 

[Root's Roost]

Coyotes do live and hunt in packs and the best way to get rid of them is with a shotgun. I have heard the yipping when they get a kill and saw one dragging a fawn across my yard one night. I am sorry for your loss but the best advice is to keep your critters locked up from dusk to dawn.

 

[Eggscaping]

I just reread your post...

They make a trap just for raccoons and possums, it takes an animal that is able to reach into the trap and “pull” the trigger release. These are the only two predators we have that can do this..

Just use peanut butter around and in the trap and some small marshmellows. These traps will not catch cats or dogs. They are around 20 bucks each.. the egg steal points to a raccoon I think..View attachment 1708651

That trap can catch cats if you use something cats like, and will catch skunks as well. They apparently love marshmallows. Here is a tip for releasing skunks from this type of trap. Approach slowly and quietly, holding a blanket in front of you so the animal doesn't see you. Drape the blanket over the skunk. Pinning it in place, reach down and release the trap. Move slowly and quietly. The skunk will have a severely injured paw from all the thrashing around it does to try to get free, but it can survive that and live.
I speak from experience.

 

[Backyard Bruce]

Either a kill pole or a sawed off hickory shovel handle