Author Topic: Coyote/Fox Trap Questions (Read 789 times)

keithf · « **on:** April 05, 2006, 04:03:49 PM »

I'm new to trapping. The area that I want to trap next year in Michigan has red/gray fox and alot of coyotes. I understand that one trap is not best for everything. What trap would you suggest for my best chances at catching both animals?

Bogmaster · « **Reply #1 on:** April 06, 2006, 04:49:25 AM »

Keith, a lot of trappers in the same situation as you,go with the #1 3/4 coilsprings.You are right about no one trap working perfectly for all situations. Experimentation with different traps ,may be best to see what works best for you.
Tom

coyotero · « **Reply #2 on:** April 15, 2006, 05:51:59 PM »

KeithF I have mixed country on some of my coyote lines that have pockets of fox.I use #2 Bridger coilsprings.They hold coyotes just fine and they work great on fox.I like the #2's for coyotes as if you get a skiff of snow or have to cover the trap a little deeper due to the strong wind blowing the dirt off your set you still get a nice pad catch.Back in the late 70's early 80's when we had lots of red fox all I used was # 2 Montgomery coils.They worked great for me.

RdFx · « **Reply #3 on:** April 15, 2006, 08:23:34 PM »

Keith i also use nbr 2s for fox and yotes and they work fine... Most of mine are Northwoods nbr 2s and as Yotero says they do a good job. The Northwoods is what the Bridger traps are designed after...

BC Trapper · « **Reply #4 on:** April 18, 2006, 01:23:17 PM »

Hi Keith
I like the # 3 - 4 coil Bridger with the off set laminated jaws with the center swivel. I use this trap for the majority of fur that I take, Coyote, Lynx, Bobcat and Fox. The other trap that I use is a modified 4 coil # 3 Soft Catch that is really very effective on Lynx and Bobcat
Cheers

jim-NE · « **Reply #5 on:** April 23, 2006, 06:34:00 PM »

Our coyotes here run on the smallish side (in my opinion, anyway) finding a compromise between fox and coyote maybe isn't as big a deal as it may be elsewhere. I use mostly #2s and #1.75s now. I have dukes, montgomerys, and a few old northwoods. I run a lot of #2 longs, too. The jaw spread is smaller than #2 coils, but the mechanics of longsprings give you a high lockup and very little loss from pullouts. These have worked for me anyway on both species very well.
I've held a lot of fox in #11 longs, and a few coyotes too...but we have enough coyotes in the places where I trap fox that I had to shy away from the #11s and move to the the #2s and #1.75s instead. I catch a ton of coon in my dryland sets, so that was my original reason for using the little #11s...that was my compromise for coon/fox sets. I started picking up a lot of toe caught coyotes (yes, the #11s held them...I check sets often though) and I got one cat in a #11, too. Its way too small a trap to use it for all of these species specifically though. I'd say stick with a #2 or #1.75 and you will be fine across the board.
Jim

Newt · « **Reply #6 on:** April 24, 2006, 01:23:18 AM »

I'm a Long spring man.
From what your say'n.
I myself would be set'n #3 Sleepy Creek DLS with offset jaws.
Offset- because the coon wont chew ,with a front foot catch. Better say -Coon, most of the time wont chew with a front foot catch.In the offset jaws.

jim-NE · « **Reply #7 on:** April 25, 2006, 05:30:08 PM »

thanks, Newt. I actually took a big step economically forward (for me, anyway...I'm generally too cheap to buy new traps but hey, I'm trying new stuff out once and awhile anyway) and purchased some of those #2 Sleepy longs and had very good success with them for the mixed bag catches I tend to get here in farm country (coons, coyotes, fox, cats, badger, skunk, possum...you name it, if it can visit a dirthole or post set it can and will here). The areas I trap have a very high coon population but also fox and coyote. I try to make "coon" dirtholes next to cover, creeks, or ponds and then fox or coyote dirtholes back from the edges a ways...but man those coons can show up just about anywhere seems like. Nice thing I've noticed though is that the farther out in middle of nowhere, the bigger the coons run so the larger trap sizes aren't much of a big deal or comprimise then. I have a few #3s I tried but they really grabbed front foot caught coon way high. Those were no offset jaw models though. I have a few offsets and maybe I'll give those a try next season as you suggested. Thanks again for the tip.
Jim