
Coyotes 
Are 
a menace 

To useful 
wild 
life. 
Trapping the Coyote 
Some Helpful Hints from an Expertenced Trapper 
HE coyote, or prairie wolf, as 
TT he is sometimes called, is one 
of the hardest of the fur 
bearers to entice into a trap by means 
of either a scent or bait. He 
seemingly possesses a_ sixth 
sense which warns him when 
he is about to approach a piece 
of metal, especially if that 
piece of metal is formed into a 
trap, and one seldom comes 
within range of one of the 
beasts when he has a gun 
along! 
The ordinary trapper usually 
has a lot of traps of different 
sizes and makes, because he 
has picked them up at odd 
times. But the kind of trap 
makes little difference as long 
as it is near the size of a No. 
2 or No. 3 of a standard make. 
Even a No. 4 may be used if it is a 
single spring. There is a decided dif- 
ference between makes of traps, both 
in the quality of the spring and in the 
spread of the jaws. Those 
having the strongest 
springs are too apt to 
break the leg bone when 
snapping up, thus leav- 
ing only the skin and 
sinews holding which the 
coyote will quickly gnaw 
off, freeing himself. 
The most satisfactory 
trap not only has a large 
spread of jaw _ which 
takes hold well up on the 
leg and insure it holding 
even though there is a 
little fouling in the hinge, 
but the extra large pan 
has its advantages. 
Page 1389 
By RODNEY GREGG 
The one precaution which is abso- 
lutely necessary, no matter what trap 
you are using, is to make sure that it 
is in perfect working order at all 
PUTIVVULVUUUUGUUIILUTESUTUUULTUT TUT 
The coyote is one of the most sagacious and 
sly of all four-footed creatures. 
dations on useful wild life have put him in 
the front ranks of the vermin group. That 
his capture is fraught with difficulty, every 
outdoorsman knows.. We believe this article 
will prove helpful to those engaged in trap- 
ping coyotes, in the interest of conservation. 
HIITVUUUVUTTUTUU UTE UT TE 
times when set. That means, when 
set on a nice sunny day, the trap must 
be covered with the material at hand 
to properly conceal it and yet have it 

PART OF THE WINTER'S CATCH 
His depre- 
ready to snap shut when the time 
comes. Perhaps on the following 
morning the ground will be frozen, 
hard as a brick; or the day after, a 
heavy rain has washed over the 
set; or perhaps a week later a 
few inches of new snow is over 
it, or there has been a foot of 
snow that has melted off, leav- 
ing everything wetted down 
and muddy. 
If a trap works when more 
than an inch or two of snow 
is on the ground, it has to be 
dug up and reset, so it can 
spring, although I have known 
a trap to spring from the 
weight of a coyote on a foot of 
snow above it, when probably 
the coyote didn’t even hear it 
click. 
To have a set which will 
stand several days without getting out 
of order, a great deal depends upon 
the selection of a site. A sunny slope, 
a wind swept ridge, or a_ grassy 
meadow, is_ preferable, 
and as coyotes have fa- 
vorite routes, these must 
be ascertained or _ the 
greatest number of visits 
to the trap line cannot be 
expected. 
When the general loca- 
tion for a set has been 
determined, the _ exact 
spot should be selected to 
afford, first of all, a set 
showing no. disturbance 
of surrounding condi- 
tions. This is perhaps a 
red ant nest, a sandy 
bank, a dusty bedding 
(Continued on page 176) 
