The One That DIDN'T Get Away!

WHAT ARE THE CHANCES?!?!

OMG I can't even believe what just happened to me! I check my email quick before work and see this from a woman named Pam, "our foreman found one of your coyotes hanging from our poles, do you still want it?" I google the company and see they are nearly a mile down the railroad tracks.

Two weeks ago, when I got those double males in cable restraints, I actually caught a third coyote but the quick link opened and she got away. Embarrassed, I didn't say anything to anyone. Well it turns out this female was trying to jump across a pile of poles at their site and the snare end got wedged, so she hung herself and died instantly. Looks like she died just a couple days ago so what the hell I'm going to skin her out. I think I can now call that double a TRIPLE!!

Coyote in a Cable Restraint

I caught this cute little female in a cable restraint this morning.  I loved all the dark markings on her and the white tip on her tail.  Unfortunately though, when I went to skin her out, I noticed her pelt smelled horrible, and she was just ridden with lice.  Her skin was oozing a foul brown juice and her hair was matted and falling out as I brushed her.  So, after trying my best to salvage her, I disposed of this carcass so no other animals could be infected.

All those little "seeds" are lice crawling in and out of the skin and mats of fur.

Wisconsin Cable Restraints; My Second Season

Coyote held securely and humanely in a cable restraint with a relaxing lock.   

 Last year I didn't do so good using cable restraints.  I made alot of stupid beginner mistakes, and after being skunked, I worked really hard to figure out what I was doing wrong.  It looks like I finally figured it out because I got these two males the night after setting, and only had 6 sets out in this area.  Please visit the WI DNR trapping page for the cable restraint handbook.

Two males within 25 feet of each other, caught in cable restraints set on trails and crossing intersections.

Before the catch, notice the cable restraint loop hanging...

After the catch.  The key to successful cable restraint catches is NO entanglement; notice the HUGE catch circle that a cable restraint creates, and that the coyote was not able to reach another that could catch on the cable and not to wrap around that barbed wire fence in the background.

Turned out to be a nice big male.  The landowner was especially pleased, as he is a sheep farmer and loses lambs every year, as well as his cocker spaniel was attacked by coyotes last summer.

PERFECT NECK CATCH!

This is a perfect cable restraint catch.  The coyote went under the fence, and down the path, putting a perfect neck catch on himself.  No entanglement, no fur damage.

Before/After, set hung for 3 weeks

Beautiful Wisconsin Coyote!

 I caught a nice 34 pound Wisconsin coyote this morning.  Her fur was so thick that it took me longer than usual to skin her because I could hardly get through her thick hindquarter fur! 3rd female coyote in this same spot this season.

This is the set I used, a urine post.  I found this anthill that a big male I've name Two Toes has been using (L), and set a Duke #4 coilspring accordingly (R).  I then put both coyote and red fox urine on the grass and that's it, brushed out my tracks and left it alone.  It had nothing hit it for a few days, I refreshed the urine last night, and caught her this morning! She was running with Two Toes, for I found his track right next to hers, but he's just too smart to catch! Stay tuned...