Went back to cornfields this afternoon

[frozentoes]

After trying to get as wet as possible in the shortest amount of time this morning, I decided to go back to the cornfields until I am laid off (this is my last week of work for the season). I thought I knew my way around all the deep holes and logs until I tried it in the dark this morning at 5 a.m. :oops: . Sure was fun though, NOT! Oh well, there is still plenty of time to get water sets in. The corn was just picked three days ago. After the gun hunting is over I am going to bury myself in trapping. Bythe end of the season I have a modest goal of catching one each of red and gray fox as well as a coyote.
The coyote I have actually seen. The fox I have not. The yote usually works an alfalfa field that is hidden from the road. I have seen him on numerous occasions while bowhunting earlier in the year. The field has quite a few round hay bales scattered around it. Seems the farmer bales them and then moves them to the woods when the get to rotten to use. Do not understand his theory. Anyway, the yote will work almost all of the bales before going into the woods. I am going to try and set some traps around these bales, but am unsure of which type of set.
I received Asa book on canine trapping. I found it to be very interesting. Of course I will read it about thirty more times before the weekend. I love reading informative stuff like that. I do not think there is enough books out there to fill my head. There also numerous logging roads throughout the property. I am sure the fox are using these, just not sure where yet. And I thought I would have another boring winter. Nope, not this year. Too much to learn and so little time. Man this trapping is addictive. The the more times I do my checks and have nothing, the more determined I get. Well I am off to do some more reading.

[Wackyquacker]

I've not trapped around those big bales...you'd have to bale half the state to get ONE   But, trying to get a coyote to a trap that is backed up to a large obstecale is a no no out here.   Things are differ from habitat to habitat so...hopefully one of the more local guys will respond.

 I probably would set out away from the bale with the prevaling wind in consideration and make some dirt holes and maybe a bone set.  Also if there are apparent travel routes among the bales I would use these as set locations most  likely a flat with gland lure.

[rascal (Joe Duncan)]

frozentoes;

  In my area, a lot of the farmers put up the big round bales of hay and  they are frequented by coyotes.  As a matter of fact, I will be trapping one spot where last year the round bales were stacked together and coyotes were actually denning in it.   Those  large stacks of round bales around here are an attractor to canine since lots of mice, rats, etc. are around the bales.  It is not uncommon to catch coyotes here around the bales.  However, I do try and back off from the bales about 25 to 50 ft since it will put the coyote more at ease.  
  Like WQ says, out west it would take a lot of acres just to make one bale. :grin:  Maybe that is why it also takes a lot more "home territory" for one coyote in his area.  He mentioned an estimate of one coyote per section.   Here, I would estimate more like 6 per section or even more.  My first triple came off a 40 acre block only one mile from town.  All three coyotes were within 25 ft of each other.   But of course we have some pretty dumb coyotes here or I wouldn't be catching them :lol:
  We also have a lot of poultry farms here with the poultry houses raising 10 to 20 thousand birds per house.  Some die and often the growers throw the dead birds in one spot.  That is another place to catch a lot of coyotes.  
  The main problem here is not numbers of coyotes but the amount that have mange.  It is really bad here and when I catch one, I dispatch it-leave it lay and move my trap.  I also find that if I catch a mangy coyote, often the others in that immediate area will also have it.  I go ahead and try and catch those as well to remove them so that they can't pass it on.
  WQ mentioned coyotes not liking to work a set where their vision is blocked.  He is exactly right.  But here I find that the coyotes are used to seeing a lot of large bales of hay and are used to them.  So if you don't crowd to close to the bales, I think you should be ok.  As mentioned in this thread as well as others, it has a lot to do with the habitat the coyote is used to.

[RdFx]

I trap right up to the big round hay bales here with dirt holes under hay bales  and catch yotes plus i keep two or three sets off about 15 to 25 feet and  catch the wary ones  or if i have yote right at bale i double with yotes on a flat or urine post type set when yote investigates another yote caught at hay bale...... every area is differant , adapt and catch them.

[Asa Lenon]

Coyotes, especially older adults around my locality are sometimes quite wary about lowering their heads anywhere where they can't see clearly around them for 30 feet or so. It is best to stay back that distance from large objects that obstruct this view or like RdFx says, make some of the sets back from the object for the wary ones.  Ace

[frozentoes]

Let me hear what you think of this setup. In this same field, there are bare spots where bales ahve been removed. They have a definite contrast to the green field. If I were to make the sets in this area, would that be enough to catch their attention? This particular field is approximately 300 yards long by 120 yards wide. One part was corn and the other is alfalfa. It is bordered on all sides by woods. On the South side there is a narrow stretch of woods that seperate a larger corn/alfalfa field bordered by pines. This area is thick with turkeys, squirrel, and deer. The area definitely has plenty of food sources for canines. I still need some heavy duty scouting to find exact areas.I guess I should really put sets in both locations and see what works. How many sets could I put in this area and not spook the animals I am after? Is there such a thing as too much?

Joe-if you read this, when I pulled the fox set yesterday I took a good look at the set. It finally sunk in about where my stick was. I really need to pay more attention to the details. If a fox or yote were to stick his nose up to the lure, his feet would have never come close to the trap. Trap was bedded to close to the stick. Also, if something would have visited this set, it would never have got caught due to too much sand under the pan. Big time rookie mistake. Asa-I have read your book a few times. I can see where I have been way off on setup. My traps have not been distanced properly from the dirthole nor offset to the side. Also, location needs to be studied much more.
Now my only problem is rain!! It rained cats and dogs here all night. Now if I can only catch one of those dogs, LOL. Seriously though, my few sets out were all washed out. I have been bedding with sand mixed with calcium chloride to prevent freezing. I am not sure of the CC but I use it at work (concrete) so figured I would try it. I do know sand does not hold very well when it rains. I do not have any dry dirt anymore. Most all our ground here is heavy clay or sand. Well that is all my rambling for now.

[RdFx]

If you want to find dry dirt you can look under bridges, inside old barns, under stumps ect..... You can use this dirt as is or treat it with glycol or wax it.    As far as sets where round bales have been removed i caught my l last two yotes in that specific spot and they were both adults not pups.  Both sets were  a modified step down set  where yote had to stand back to look into hole that was dug not down but back horizontally  into ground .   As far as the site with corn , alfalfa, woods, make some sets at the  area where  corn, and alfalfa or woods come together...... like alfalfa and corn ect or alfalfa and woods .  At a corner of such locations is usually good.  Sometimes though  a very good LOOKING site doesnt produce at all and when it snows you see the yotes going in a completely off the wall  direction........ ive capitalized on that and set in those areas and picked up yotes right away.  This comes with time in area and OBSERVING and of course PATIENCE too lol.....   Minimum of two to three sets in each area and USE DIFFERANT TYPE  OF SETS AND LURE in the two differant areas to keep yotes on their toes and hopefully committing that foot on yr trap pan... Good Luck.

[Big B]

I have found that spots lick you are describing (where the bales have been moved)are very forgiving as far as blending a set goes, I was once told that a set either needs to look very old or very new, its whats inbetween that kills you( I think Steve said that). I agree and around here blended to look the same as the surrondings is best. The old bale spots would make good spots for say a mouse hole set.....B.....

[jim-NE]

Not sure if this will help you or not, but around this little corner of Nebraska our winds get vicious in winter, as does the whole "freeze/thaw" with daytime sun and temps above freezing but well below after the sun goes down.
A little trick my uncle taught me was to make my coyote/fox sets on the shady side of those big bales. If the set never gets direct sunlight, for the most part the ground in the trap bed never has a chance to thaw out and the dry dirt stays a little drier for longer period of time for me. Since the sun seems lower toward the Southern half of the sky in winter, I make my sets on the North side of these bales to take advantage of the frozen ground. (seems to work best later in season after average temps are around freeze point) Also, I found if I made sets on the South side of the bales, and the old North wind started whipping snow our way that the South side of the bales got the most drifting and snow cover. The sets made tighter up to the bales and placed on the North side of the bale had little snow cover proportionately and were easier to maintain throughout winter.
Anyway, take it for what its worth but that has saved me some digging out and rebedding time over the years.
Jim-NE