Description
The Black Box: Kellen’s Coyote Kit
These highly effective, highly versatile attractants are all you need to put more fur on the stretchers. As outlined in Kellen’s book, The Black Book of Coyote Trapping, these are the attractants that Kellen personally uses on the coyote line. For more information on the systematic approach to boosting your coyote catch, purchase the book and get to work.
What you’re getting:
Wicked - This unique mink gland based lure has become my top coyote catcher over the past few seasons. A thumb nail sized smear on a rock, broom-handle sized vertical post, t-bone, or firewood chunk makes for a great combo. For the dirtholer, add a smear to your backing. Wicked performs well opening day, and because it’s pungent mink gland pop, paired with smoky notes and a hint of skunk essence, it continues to catch coyotes throughout the winter and breeding season.
Toxi-Dog - A combination of red fox glands, several key enhancers, and a healthy dosage of skunk essence has made Toxi-Dog one of our top selling all-around predator call lures. It is also very versatile as a coyote catcher, in that it has the pop to produce in cold temperatures, and the red fox gland base continues to intrigue into the breeding season.
Evanesce - Mink glands and beaver castor are the base of this intriguing call lure. If you have a good bobcat or fox population on your coyote trap line, Evanesce really cleans up. A thumb nail sized glob should be smeared on a larger backing, whether at a dirthole or a flat set, because coyotes will usually want to shoulder rub on Evanesce. If you’re using a toothpick sized backing, the coyote can potentially go to it’s back, with all four feet airborne, resulting in a snapped trap. Larger backings are a must. Here in Illinois, Evanesce performs best in the first 6 weeks of our trapping season, from early November until the 1st of the new year.
1-800 - Because of it’s loud, overpowering odor profile, I prefer to use only a capful of 1-800. If the weather is mild during the first week of season, I’ll just dip a blade of grass, so it’s probably only 10 drops at the set. As the temperature drops, the snow flies, and the season progresses, I’ll use the full capful quantity per set, whether that’s any variety of flat sets, or dirtholes.
Karac - In states where your trapping season runs into the coyote breeding season, a high quality coyote gland lure is a necessity. Here in Illinois, Karac kicks up in performance the last week of trapping season (mid January) although the majority of our coyotes are not breeding until February. I rarely use Karac before January 1st here in Illinois.
Coyote Urine - An ideal ‘suspicion remover’ at any set. Coyotes may be wary of any set, and using a 1/4 to 1/2 ounce of strong, clean coyote urine helps lower their guard. After a few catches at a location, a simple, subtle vertical post set with a shot of coyote urine will take those coyotes that might be unsure of working those loud, blown-out, catch circles, and key in on the backing to hike a leg. The overall effectiveness of coyote urine jumps substantially as the breeding season approaches. When the breeding season is in full-swing, it’s tough to keep coyotes off of good, clean urine.
Red Fox Urine - Red fox urine throws a curveball at coyotes, since it amps up the coyote’s instinctual curiosity. I feel that fox urine actually does better on coyotes during the first 6 weeks of the trapping season (early November until Christmas time) than coyote urine. Using 1/4 ounce to 1/2 ounce (or more) of strong fox urine on a backing at either flat sets or dirtholes will add coyotes to your catch. And after a few catches are made, adding a simple, subtle red fox urine post set will take any coyotes are leery of working those catch circles, especially in the earlier season.
Red Label - A powerful, aged muskrat meat based bait, with a healthy shot of skunk essence and a few enhancing ingredients. Ideal for use from opening day of season to the last day. Use 1/4 oz to 1/2 oz at dirtholes big or small, buried bait sets, or in conjunction with another call lure of your preference. Smashes the coyotes, fox, coon, and 'cats.
Gold Label - Kellen’s Gold Label provides the modern trapper with a ground, slightly aged, preserved fox meat bait with a couple extra enhancer ingredients. Smear an acorn-sized glob around inside a dirthole, or cover a couple globs with a football-sized flat rock in frozen ground for a truly vintage, throw-back buried bait flat set that will produce coyotes quickly. Truly a one-of-a-kind bait! Also, there’s no skunk essence in the formula, so works well alongside Red Label at a second set. Two dynamite attractants, two completely different odor profiles.
How to use:
By implementing a variety of sets, as well as a variety of lures/baits, you’ll maximize your predator catch. You’ll experience fewer set refusals from cautious coyotes, and take the bulk of the fur in the shortest possible time.
As an example, let’s say I have a great location with heavy sign, let’s call it Location A. Considering the wind direction, I decide to put in a dirthole, and a pair of flat sets. The dirthole. with a blended, aged look, will get baited with Red Label, and a smear of Evanesce on the large backing. A football-sized rock flat set will get lured with Wicked, and a more subtle t-bone flat set will get a small smear of Toxi-Dog and a shot of red fox urine. At another location on this same farm, let’s say 1/2 mile down the two-track, at another pinch-point, I’ll add another trio of sets, with a dirthole and two flat sets. At Location B, I’ll dig a big messy dirthole baited only with Gold Label, then add another broom-handle sized 12 inch vertical post set anywhere from 10 feet to 20 yards away with a shot of red fox urine, and a dribble of 1-800. At the other flat set, perhaps a softball-sized smooth rock, will get a smear of Wicked, and a shot of coyote urine. Stylistically, I’m exposing the coyotes to a variety of sets, with a variety of odor combinations. With this aggressive gang-setting approach, you’ll also catch more doubles. Pay attention to the primary prevailing wind direction, but also be sure that one of these sets will take advantage of the secondary prevailing wind direction. Over the course of 30 days, the prevailing wind might be between SW and NW for 15 days, still with almost no wind for 5 days, and from SE to NE for a few days. You’ll notice a difference in the overall catch when a set is facing towards the East. Oftentimes, when the wind is coming from the secondary prevailing direction, I’ll make a catch in that eastward set, and the next coyote will get caught a nearby flat set even though the wind direction is incorrect. The surveying coyote spots that big backing and goes to hike a leg in the midst of the chaos and confusion of the other caught coyote.
Here in Illinois, our 9-week coyote season runs from early November until mid-January. The bulk of our coyotes are still about 2 weeks away from getting into the breeding season hot-and-heavy. The last week of our coyote season, I do notice an increased response to both coyote urine, coyote gland lures, bobcat or fox gland lures, and mink gland lures. In states where you’re able to trap into the breeding season, you’ll definitely need to use more Karac, and coyote urine. In the previous example, if it was the final week of our trapping season, I’d swap out Evanesce for Karac at both locations. Generally during mid-January, I’m facing snow and frozen ground, so I wouldn’t have dirtholes at either location, instead having large firewood chunk flat sets with a smear of gland lure and shot of coyote urine.
Kellen's Coyote Kit - Designed for a trapper working 40-80 sets. Includes 32 oz. red fox urine, 32 oz. coyote urine, 16 oz. Gold Label, 16 oz. Red Label, 4 oz 1-800, 4 oz. Karac, 4 oz Toxi-Dog, 4 oz. Evanesce, and 4 oz. Wicked. Reg Retail $165.50 ONLY $134.00
Kellen's Coyote "Mini" Kit - Ideal for a predator trapper checking 1 - 2 dozen sets before work or school. Includes 16oz. red fox urine, 16oz. coyote urine,8 oz. Gold Label, 8 oz. Red Label, 1 oz 1-800, 1 oz. Karac, 1 oz Toxi-Dog, 1 oz. Evanesce, and 1 oz. Wicked. Reg Retail $63.25 ONLY $54.00
