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Author Topic: what am i doing wrong?  (Read 3751 times)

Offline prdtrkilr223

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what am i doing wrong?
« on: November 16, 2011, 03:50:47 PM »
I went an checked my traps this morning. I had nothing in any of them. I checked them again on the way home today. I had one chewed off fox foot, an two sets with sprung traps with coyote hair in the jaws an a muddy circle around em. All the traps are number two victors cable staked with 12 inches of chain from stake to chain. All were at dirt hole sets an the traps were bedded 6-8 inches off center to the right. Am I doing something wrong or are those traps just not strong enough for yotes? I'm guessing the problem with the fox was the trap was too big an he had room to chew between the base an jaws an was able to chew off his foot an pull out?
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Offline prdtrkilr223

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Re: what am i doing wrong?
« Reply #1 on: November 16, 2011, 03:55:14 PM »
Forgot to mention they were all on different properties too. So it wasn't the same smart dog diggin em out or anything
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Offline Lookn4Fur

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Re: what am i doing wrong?
« Reply #2 on: November 16, 2011, 04:32:51 PM »
I'm not the best trapper but it sounds like your traps aren't heavy enough or your pan tension is too light and your just not catching them right.  I'm sure someone who knows more will chime in shortly.  Could be a coyote got your Fox also.
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"Predators are either active & feeding, semi-active & callable, or utterly inactive & then practically speaking, no call is needed; we're just taking our guns for a walk. We can & should get used to it, & follow their leed cuz they just ain't eager nor apt to follow our’s any time soon!

Offline jeremybrua

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Re: what am i doing wrong?
« Reply #3 on: November 16, 2011, 05:31:19 PM »
i have never heard of a fox chewing out.  how many swivels do you have on the trap?  as for a yote i dont think a #2 is big enough.  but if your targeting fox than it would be ok.
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Offline RyanX

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Re: what am i doing wrong?
« Reply #4 on: November 17, 2011, 06:57:45 AM »
My dad and I use duke # 1 3/4s, but we have heavy duty music wire springs. I would defiantly check your pan tension, but I sounds like you don't have enough swivels on it. We use 4 heavy duty universal swivels on our traps. I would also recommend base plating your traps if they are not already. Does the foot belong to a red or a grey fox? Because grey fox are just as bad as coons for chewing IMO. Have you ever trap the area where you lose the coyote before? If so it might be a coyote that has seen another animal in a trap there so it might be weary of the set.
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Offline prdtrkilr223

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Re: what am i doing wrong?
« Reply #5 on: November 17, 2011, 07:34:10 AM »
I have one swivel at the trap, one in the middle of the chain an one where it connects to the stake. I think I am going to get some new springs just to play it safe. The one place is where one other guy I know traps an he has taken one yote off that farm so far this year. The other two places are farms where nobody has trapped for a while. What's the big difference in a trap that's base plated an one that ain't?
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Offline Lookn4Fur

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Re: what am i doing wrong?
« Reply #6 on: November 17, 2011, 03:57:51 PM »
A base plate sures up the frame and helps to hold the critter.  Some frames will bend and twist under pressure and the animal can pop jaws or twist out.  Did it look like the coyote rolled on your trap?  If so the hair you are seeing could be back or side hair.  Sometimes a coyote will roll on top of a dirty trap.  Do your best to keep your trap scent free.  After you set, check from affar and don't go near unless you have to re-lure or re-set.

Remake the original set and put a blind set in twenty or thirty feet down wind but in line of travel.  Just my two cents.
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"Predators are either active & feeding, semi-active & callable, or utterly inactive & then practically speaking, no call is needed; we're just taking our guns for a walk. We can & should get used to it, & follow their leed cuz they just ain't eager nor apt to follow our’s any time soon!

Offline RyanX

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Re: what am i doing wrong?
« Reply #7 on: November 17, 2011, 05:49:13 PM »
Base plating not only makes the trap strong but also has it center swiveled. Which means when the animal pulls on the trap instead of pull to the side which may cause it to  slowly opening the jaws the animal pulls straight down. 
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Offline Hern

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Re: what am i doing wrong?
« Reply #8 on: November 17, 2011, 06:27:37 PM »
pk223 says-
I had one chewed off fox foot, an two sets with sprung traps with coyote hair in the jaws an a muddy circle around em.
One chewed off Fox foot? Are you sure a Coyote didn't pull the Fox from the trap?

and two sprung traps with Coyote hair and a muddy catch circle...
Was the hair from a foot? or elbow? if so, Coyote powered out.
Very doubtful back hair, roller with a muddy catch circle.
For the most part, Canines roll on set when there is too much odor, scent, strong smell. Any Canine (even domesticated) will roll on smelly odors to mask it's own scent.
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Offline prdtrkilr223

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Re: what am i doing wrong?
« Reply #9 on: November 17, 2011, 06:58:11 PM »
Not sure if the fox chewed out or a yote got it. The traps were in kinda high grass along a tractor road an I didn't see any yote tracks around that one. It definately wasn't long wavy back hair either. Looked like foot fur to me. I think I'm gonna keep these traps just for fox from now on. Any suggestions on what size an brand to replace them with? For all the hassle of modifying these I may as well buy a few new ones instead. Sounds like a good excuse to go shoppin to me.
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Offline Hern

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Re: what am i doing wrong?
« Reply #10 on: November 17, 2011, 07:38:12 PM »
You may get 10 different answers if you ask 10 fellas, what trap to purchase.
I think an all around Fox/Coyote trap is the #2 Bridger, but modified with extrabase plate and center swiveled. I use offset jaw, #2 Bridgers and #3 Bridgers, but the mainstay is the #2.
Not sure on prices, but the #3 Duke, modified with extra baseplate & center swiveled may fit your needs.

New traps (and used traps)...
remove the nut, washer and bolt. Spread the posts apart (a little) and insert washer to the inside of post, push bolt thur and tighten nut as hard as you can, then back off nut to desired pan tenision.
By placing the washer on the inside of post and tightening nut and backing off, you will take the side to side wobble out of the pan. Check your used traps for this needed turning.
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Offline jeremybrua

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Re: what am i doing wrong?
« Reply #11 on: November 17, 2011, 08:34:23 PM »
I hear very good things about the bridger #2.
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