"I make a 'U' shaped enclosure about four feet long with bait wired to bush in the farther end. The pen should be about a foot wide inside of the brush. Dig a hole just inside the entrance of the pen for the trap, which set lengthwise, and cover even with the surface. Also be sure and cover the trap chain. Instead of cotton under the pan, I use a piece of canvas that just fits inside of jaws and put over the pan and cover all with sifted dirt from the hole until level with the surface. Place a stick across the entrance so that when the coyote goes up, if he wants to get the meat, he will have to go over the stick. It should be about eight inches in front of the trap. This keeps him from digging in the trap."
"Now fill in on both sides of the trap between it and the side of the pen with small brush or twigs so as to guide his foot into the trap. Do not put the twigs on the trap where you want him to step. I guide his feet right into my traps that way. Always lay the bait on the ground in the pen, wired to the brush or stake in rear end, as coyotes will not enter pen if bait is hung up. I use horse meat mostly, but sometimes rabbits and beef. Hawks and ravens are bad on rabbit baits, and cattle paw the traps up if set with beef."
"I set my traps from one-fourth to one-half mile apart, and use a fresh rabbit or fresh piece of meat and drag from one trap to the other, when making my rounds. Also spoiled fish scent is good for a trail. I never use gloves to prevent human scent in setting traps, and I consider it nonsense. After the first night a set has been out, almost any coyote will go into the trap. I use No. 14 Newhouse traps, and when they catch they never let go."
"I never set traps at a large carcass of a horse or other animal, for when one does when the coyotes come there to feed and one of their number steps into a trap, that generally settles it for the rest of them, and they will not come back. Set traps from one-eighth to one-fourth of a mile all around the carcass and bait with meat from the carcass is a good plan."
"I visit my coyote traps daily if possible, as they should not be left in the traps to frighten others away that would get caught, if the trap was set, and seeing that coyote in trouble, they will be very shy about coming up to the place afterward. I ride horse-back looking after my traps, and am able to get over a good deal of ground in that way."
Another coyote trapper from Texas gives the same method, and adds: "For bait take cracklings from either lard or tallow. Heat them in a skillet and when hot, cut up some garlic and drop in, but don't let it cook too much. Put the mixture in the pen the same as any other bait and see how it works. It does fine here, but it might be that there are so many coyotes here that they will eat any old thing. The best thing about that kind of bait is the buzzards will not bother it. I have tried it for coyotes, skunk and badger, and it is good for all of them."
This is the mode of trapping employed by a party from Southern California: "Now a word about trapping those cute little coyotes. As every one has his way of trapping for them so do I. The best way to catch anything that walks on four legs is to make a fool of them. Some people may think that is 'hot air', but I know better. The way to fool an old coyote is to take a fresh sheep skin and drag it, you riding, on a horse, for a mile or so in the hills near where your man is in the habit of going, (now be sure you do not touch it with your hands), until you find an open hill not too high. Have a stake there beforehand and have your traps set. The traps should be left lying in the sheep pen for a week before setting. When you get to the stake, hang your pelt on it, so when the wind blows the pelt will move."
"Mr. Coyote will be sure to find the trail you have made and will follow it until he sees the pelt, and then he will walk around it for a night or so, but he will not get too near the first night or for three or four nights, but he will be sure to get there after a while and try to pull the skin down, and he will forget about the traps and everything else, and he will be taken in just like all the other suckers."