How do you deal with "Diggers"...those animals, usually coyote or fox, that seem to know what's going on, and dig up or uncover your trap ?
I have used several methods, but probably the easiest and simplest legal method I have used was ... I made the set back exactly like it was, then I blended in another trap slightly behind and offset from the first trap...but I want the ground/dirt over this one to look completely undisturbed.
Another..... When I walk up to a set and see that it has been "dug out", or disturbed in any way...before I walk on up and track the place up, I study the ground. If you look closely you can generally find where the animal stands to dig... I put a trap in right here, and blend it to look like the ground was undisturbed... When the animal returns he will most likely stand in the same place to dig it out again...only this time you have a trap waiting.
Something else you can do is to go a short distance away, say 10 to 20 feet, and make another set... I generally make a dirthole here, but I use no lure, urine, bait, or any scent of any kind at this set.... Just the trap and the hole.
One of my favorites was to make the set back exactly like it was... EXCEPT, I move the entire set, except the trap, about 8 to 10 inches straight back... In other words the entire set is remade so it looks just the same as it did, but it is about 8 or 10 inches behind where it was orginally. If I used a rock or grass clump as a backing, I moved these too. I want everything to look exactly the same... The only thing I don't move is the trap... I put the trap back exactly where it was to begin with. The animal, approaching the set, will naturally expect everything, includeing the trap, to be just the same as it was the last time...and it is........ almost.
But believe me, I have had more than a few diggers that are still out there too... I don't think it's possible to catch them all....
How do you deal with diggers ?