RDFX I'm in Homestead MT.I'm 16 miles from North Dakota and about 40 from Saskatchewan.Bait piles here for coyotes attrack Eagles,Bald and Golden.They land outside the brush and hop down the trails to the bait.You then ,possibly, end up with a non target catch.This year it's not the lack of snow that is hampering snaring it's the 42 degrees during the day.In my area the packs of younger coyotes are running the best gamed up cover.When they come through an area you kill lots of them in one trip.Then they are off to the next spot,they might not be back for a long time.It has been my plan over the years to run snares once a week.It usually stays below freezing,you can run lots of brush patches,river and creek bottoms,sloughs,etc.It's a numbers game,3 to 4 snares seem to equal 1 trap as far as catch ratio goes.I used to use cam locks,then Amberg locks and now a Grawes bullet lock.They all kill quick with the break away device.The break aways will release on livestock and adult deer.Fawns,deer and antelope,are a different story.Farmers and ranchers are 1000% more inclined to let you trap than snare.Back in the fur boom days snares were abused,hung with out permission,left out after the season, not tagged,set by deer yards,etc.If coyote prices hit $60.00 then it's 1200 to 1500 snares out with long lines.Most guys I know that trap or snare coyotes set their lines within.20 miles of where they live.The big numbers guys trap/snare 3 to 6 counties. 280 to 400 miles at the end of the day isn't an unreal mileage figure out here.You have to cover the numbers of litters to make the catch.Once you caught them it's time to move to new territory.I can't do it like I use to.I'm too old and crippled to pickup and reset 200 to 300 coyotes traps several times during the season,plus put up fur and work.I use to save my vacation and take 5 weeks to 2 months off and run.Not any more I make too much at my job to chase 30-45 dollar coyotes hard.Lots of guys think Montana,the Dakotas,Wyoming are full of coyotes,not so.We just have pale coyotes.They have large home territories.We don't have the rodent forage base that some states have.Our rabbits,at least here,are none existent.It's mice and deer.I know I'm preaching to the choir,too much coffee this morning so I have motor mouth.Just thought I'd share my experience,thoughts,theories and ideas.You know the only guys in the trapping world that are"cuttin' a fat hog" are the lure dealers,smile.
