![Looks like wily coyote backed into a snare after sidestepping traps with ease](https://cdn.magzter.com/1387573731/1664392699/articles/rdVibBYGT1664974654168/LOOKS-LIKE-WILY-COYOTE-BACKED-INTO-A-SNARE-AFTER-SIDESTEPPING-TRAPS-WITH-EASE.jpg)
It always pays to scout a trapline before you set traps, and I admit that I am comes to my old home trapline. After all of these years I pretty much know where the critters are going to be and rarely scout before the season opens. But I do spend half of the first day checking out the locations I know should be good. Sometimes things change over the summer.
There's a good stretch on my 'line where a creek empties into a river. For the last 15 years or so, the fields along the riverbank have been left fallow in head-high weeds. Pretty good habitat, if you ask me. About 50 yards from the river, the little creek goes under a tractor lane. Pretty good location, if you ask me. I can't tell you how many coyotes I've caught at that culvert. I'm too lazy to review the notes. Somewhere between 40 and 50 is a good guess.
When I topped the rise last fall, I noticed a drastic change in the bottomland. The fields had been cleared and were dotted with soybean stubble. For certain, the culvert would still be a good place for a set, but I thought I had better poke around a little before I set any traps.
A narrow neck of land parallel to the creek stretching away from the river had been skinned off for planting. A bulldozer pile sat at the edge of the creek at the head of the draw. I went looking for evidence coyotes might be coming down the bank and skirting that dozer pile. What I found instead was a dead goat. Or at least what was left of it. I don't know from which farm it came, but someone had dumped the carcass by the dozer pile.
This story is from the November 2022 edition of FUR-FISH-GAME.
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This story is from the November 2022 edition of FUR-FISH-GAME.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
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