Page 27 - Kansas Sportsman

PREDATORS

COYOTE PROBLEMS? NOW WHAT?
USE FOOTHOLD TRAPS AND SNARES

By Major L. Boddicker, Ph.D.

Several years ago, a sheep rancher friend called me. He had Since the invention of the Coyote Getter in 1936, there are not
lost over 100 head of ewes over the summer and fall, primarily many new tools or methodologies to assist livestock men in
to coyotes. He ranches on the eastern plains of Colorado in dealing with predators. Learning to use the old tried-and-true
rough country that is well suited for sheep, if the predators are methods of trapping, snaring, and shooting predators is as
kept at bay. good as it gets.

He uses guard dogs, a full-time herder, herd dogs, and propane
exploders. There are several excellent coyote hunters who
hunt his place, including me. USDA trappers occasionally fly
his ranch, shooting coyotes, and a Colorado Department of
Ag. trapper frequently traps his neighbors’ places. With all of
that effort put into coyote control, one would expect that there
would be no sheep lost to predators.

“Come down and get rid of these coyotes for me,” he requested.

What could I do? On the plains of Kansas and Colorado, a pri-
vate trapper can use only foothold traps, snares, and shooting.
Everything else is illegal or out of reach because of cost. Any
coyote control method takes skill and patience.

Impossible? No! We pulled out the #3 foothold traps and #4
Gregerson and Graham snares and went to work. It took 26
days to catch 32 coyotes. Three of the coyotes were peg-legs or
had old debilitating injuries. These coyotes kill ewes because
When you catch your first coyote, you will never forget it,
they can’t catch anything else.
and you will want to do it again.

In addition to the 32 adult coyotes that were removed, there
were 48 pups eliminated. There was a significant decrease in STEEL FOOTHOLD TRAPS
his losses in the following years. Conclusion—traps and snares
are practical, affordable, and they work! The first record of the basic iron-steel foothold traps date
from Austria in the 1400s. When France issued equipment
For many years I worked for the Colorado State University Ex- to the settlers sent over to Canada in 1620, they included #1
tension Service. I spent my research time and money figuring long-spring foothold traps. All New World blacksmiths made
out more efficient ways to kill coyotes. I am not interested in foothold traps, long before Sewell Newhouse mass produced
esoteric research. I couldn’t see spending the public’s money them in the early 1800s.
and my time on theoretical, but politically correct, non-lethal
methods when the need for quick and efficient lethal control From the tiny #1 long-spring used for weasels and pocket
was needed. gophers to the massive #6 double long-spring used for grizzly

THE KANSAS SPORTSMAN | SPRING 2024 27