Coyote traps come in plenty of different styles, designs, shapes, and sizes. Depending on why you’re trapping a coyote will determine what kind of trap you should get.
In this guide, I’ll outline a few of the key factors you want to keep in mind when you buy your coyote trap, by going through a quick buyer’s guide, then I’ll get into the top 5 coyote traps out there, outlining their specific features as well as the pros and cons of each.
By the end of the article, you should have a much better idea of what options are out there when it comes to coyote traps. Plus, hopefully, you’ll know exactly which coyote trap is right for you.
Different Styles of Coyote Trap
The first decision you’re going to have to make is what style of trap to get. Coyote traps come in coil spring traps, snare traps, and cage traps.
Leg-hold Traps
Leg-hold traps, sometimes called restraining traps, are the main type of traps used for coyote as well as fox, raccoon, wolf, bobcat, and lynx. Trappers place a leg-hold trap where the animal will walk, thus stepping on, and springing the trap.
The leg-hold trap comprises a metal footplate and curved metal jaws, powered by springs. Often, a chain and spike anchor the trap to the ground or a nearby tree.
Leg-hold traps immobilize the animal who is either killed by the trapper or dies from blood loss, dehydration, exhaustion, or hypothermia. Animals trapped in leg-hold traps will often try to chew off their trapped limb to escape.
Snare Traps
Snare traps are relatively common traps often used on small animals like rodents. However, they are also somewhat popular traps for coyote. A snare trap is essentially a wire loop. A trapper places it on a path or trail where the animal is likely to walk.
As the animal walks through, if it goes in headfirst, the wire loop tightens around its neck. As the animal struggles to free itself, the snare gets tighter and tighter, thus strangling the animal.
If an animal steps in a snare, their limb may become trapped. The snare works in the same way, tightening as the animal struggles. Similar to a leg-hold trap, the animal is immobilized and can be disposed of by the trapper.
Snare traps are indiscriminate and pose a significant risk to non-target animals like deer or elk.
Cage Traps
Cage traps are the easiest ways to live catch large animals. If you have a problem with coyotes but don’t want to kill the animal or are concerned about trapping and injuring non-target species, then a cage trap is a great option.
A cage trap is essentially a cage with a trap door. Bait is laid in a bait tray and the door is set. Once an animal enters the trap, the trap door falls. Cage traps benefit from their simple design and the fact that they use gravity to operate. Most cage traps are well built and are designed to last a long time and repeated uses.
Conibear Traps
Named after their inventor, Frank Conibear, the Conibear trap is an alternative to leg-hold traps and is designed to kill the animal instantly. Conibear traps consist of two rotating rectangular frames with a trigger that, when activated, snap shut on the animal’s body.
Since the design came out in the 1950s, Conibear, or body traps, have grown in popularity because of their versatility and effectiveness. Many state and federal wildlife agencies accept the Conibear trap as the most effective and humane traps.
If you’re looking to quickly catch and dispatch a wild animal like a coyote, then you can’t go wrong with a Conibear trap. One of the few downsides is that they are indiscriminate traps, so you can’t be sure you won’t catch non-target species.
The 6 Best Coyote Traps, Snares, and Cages Available
Here are the top 5 coyote traps on the market. On the list, you will find a range of styles, prices, and designs.
Features:
- Comes in packs of 12
- Lightweight, simple, and easy to use
- Made from galvanized aircraft-grade cables
- L-locks and adjustable loop end
The Coyote Eliminator Snares are some of the most popular coyote traps on the market because of their simplicity and effectiveness. Each order comes in a pack of 12 lightweight snares. The simple design makes installing the Coyote Eliminator quick and easy.
Every snare is 7 feet in length and is made from strong galvanized aircraft-grade cable so you shouldn’t have a problem with coyotes chewing through the wire. With a dozen of these snares set up, you’ll quickly make a dent in a troublesome predator population.
The snare design makes the Coyote Eliminator simple, safe, and quick to set up. The simple design also improves their effectiveness and they shouldn’t be tripped by small game, sticks, or people. The only downside is they aren’t very humane and the coyote will undoubtedly suffer.
Check price of the Coyote Eliminator Snares
- Lightweight
- Simple design makes them easy to use
- Comes in pack of 12
- Reasonable price
- Strong, aircraft-grade cable
- Good reputation and customer reviews
- Not humane
- Often only single-use
- Indiscriminate
Features:
- Each pack comes with 12 snares
- Simple snare design
- Comes with optional floating deer stop
- 60 inches long
Designed for various species, the Redneck Convent comes in packs of 12 snares. Each snare is 60 inches long of 3/32nd 7 x 7 cable with a 9-gauge HD end swivel. Its 12-inch loop stop-limit allows the snare to catch a wide range when it comes to the size of the animal.
Each snare comes with an optional floating deer stop that prohibits the snare from shutting fully. Some state laws and hunting regulations require snares to be fitted with the deer stop, and the Redneck Convent is easy to convert into a legal snare.
The snare-design makes the Redneck Convent simple and easy to both set up and use. The 12 pack of reusable snares are affordable, simple and straightforward. If you’re looking for a simple snare with good value, the Redneck Convent is the snare for you.
Check price of the Redneck Convent
- Easy to use
- Lightweight
- Comes in pack of 12
- Includes optional floating deer stop
- Reusable
- Not humane
- Often only single-use
- Indiscriminate
Features:
- Coil spring design
- 6.5” jaw spread
- Target species – bobcat, coyote, lynx
Designed for various species, Duke #4 CS is a coil spring trap designed to catch and hold large wild animals like coyotes. Duke #4 CS trap benefits from being an age-tested design, widely accepted as one of the best cost-effective and efficient traps for managing wildlife.
Duke #4 CS traps are manufactured with steel components. Its trap mechanism is powered by compact coil springs. The 6.5-inch jaw spread is big enough to handle even large coyotes and there are plenty of examples of the Duke #4 CS successfully catching coyotes in their customer reviews.
Duke has a history of outfitting trappers dating back to the early 1900s. They have combined their reputation and size to bring out a high-quality trap at a competitive price point and the Duke #4 CS is one of the best coil spring traps on the market.
Check price of the Dukes #4 Coil Spring
- Reputable company
- Well made
- Great
- Strong and heavy-duty
- Easy to set
- Animal rarely escapes
- Not legal in all states
- Not legal in many countries outside of the States
Features:
- Cage design
- Dimensions – 36” x 15” x 20” (L x W x H)
- Target species – coyote, bobcat, dog
Duke’s heavy-duty traps offer trappers some of the best humane live catch cage traps on the market today. Their XXL model is the perfect size to handle a coyote. It features an all-steel rod gravity-drop door, bait protected cage mesh, as well as an internal steel frame.
Duke has a reputation for making exceptionally durable traps and has built a strong reputation on its coil spring traps. Now, Duke has brought its expertise to the cage trap game and brought out one of the best on the market.
Cage traps provide trappers with the ability to catch an animal without doing any harm to it. They are particularly useful in instances where an animal has to be relocated. They are also useful in areas where there are dogs or other domestic animals who you don’t want to injure.
Check price of the Dukes HD X-Large Cage Trap
- Reputable company
- Strong and durable
- All-steel construction
- Humane trapping method
- Big enough for large coyotes
- Some people find the set up relatively difficult to other trap styles
- Big and bulky
- Expensive
Features:
- Offset jaw design
- 6” jaw spread
- 3” x 3” pan
- 7.5” of MB #3 straight link chain
- 2 MB crunch-proof swivels
- Weighs 2.65 pounds
Minnesota Brand’s 550 is a heavy-duty offset jaw trap. Each custom-made trap has 4 coil springs, a base plate, and center swivel. Plus, the 550 has a heavy-duty over-sized pan giving the trap a large kill area.
The Minnesota Brand 550 comes with an adjustable pan tension, allowing trappers to adjust the setting. The jaws are held down by a patented trigger system that keeps the jaws from being accidentally flipped up.
Minnesota Brand has a reputation for building heavy-duty, durable traps and the 550 is no different. They feel sturdy and will stand up to the biggest target species. There are plenty of reasons why the Minnesota Brand 550 is one of the most popular coyote traps out there.
Check price of the Minnesota Brand 550
- Heavy-duty offset jaw trap
- Strong chain
- High-quality steel components
- Great customer reviews
- Made in the U.S.A
- Reusable
- Hard to set
- Relatively expensive
- Steel tends to rust
- Inhumane
Features:
- Conibear or body trap design
- 10” jaw spread
- Target species – beaver, bobcat, otter, coyote
- Steel parts
Duke body traps, or body-gripping traps, are rotating jaw traps perfect for quickly catching and dispatching your target animal. Inspired by the popular Conibear design, the body trap is designed to snap closed on the animal’s body, thus quickly killing it.
The Duke #330 benefits from being an exceptionally strong trap, so strong in fact that many of the customer reviews recommend getting the setting tool to help you set the trap, especially when it’s new and the springs are stiff.
If you’re looking for a heavy-duty, reusable trap that will kill coyotes, the Duke #330 is a solid choice from a reputable company.
Check price of the Duke #330 Body Trap
- Dispatches the animals quickly and efficiently
- Good design
- Reputable company
- Heavy duty
- Good customer reviews
- Indiscriminate
- Kills animals
- Hard to set, especially when new
- Might not be strong enough for a large coyote
Buyer’s Guide
Take a look at these key points to keep in mind when you’re buying a coyote trap. Hopefully, they’ll help you make the right decision and get the one best suited for your needs.
What’s it for?
Are you trying to eliminate a pest population or are you trying to relocate a coyote? Do you want to kill the animal or live-trap it? The answers to these questions will help you decide what style of trap you should get.
What style suits your needs?
Are you able to use a truck or a quad to get the trap in place or will you be hiking five miles with it in your pack? Is it going to be placed on a trail or a residential neighborhood? Again, the answers to these questions will help you narrow down which style of trap is right for you.
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