The Black Book of Coyote Trapping – Kellen Kaatz

A lot has changed in the coyote trapping world over the past few decades.  New trap designs, staking methods and setting techniques have made leaps and bounds with the innovative tools and technology we have available today.  Kellen Kaatz is a modern coyote trapper, and his new book, “The Black Book of Coyote Trapping” is the go-to resource for coyote trappers looking to leverage today’s methods for greater success.

In a little over 100 pages, Kellen takes coyote trappers through all the important aspects of running a coyote trapline, and explains things in a simple, easy to understand manner.  The book is absolutely loaded with pictures of gear, set locations, trap sets, and catches, so you can get a visual understanding of each of the concepts covered.

In his attempt to prepare you for success on the coyote line, Kellen starts by talking about coyote biology and behavior, and explains how that translates to where and how you set up your line.  His goal is to help trappers understand how to ensure they are making sets over the maximum number of coyotes possible, instead of trapping over the same coyotes on multiple farms or wasting time in places less likely to produce.

Traps, hardware, dirt and gear are given a good going-over in this book.  Kellen reviews a wide variety of suitable coyote traps, giving you options, but an understanding of why some can be expected to work better than others.

A great deal of time is spent on identifying proper location and making sets in the right place.  Successful trappers need to understand the difference between micro and macro location, which means getting yourself in a good coyote area, and putting your set in the exact place that animal will be travelling.  Then, proper set construction is covered to ensure you make the catch more times than not.

If you’re looking to get into coyote trapping for the first time, or you want to brush up on your skills and maybe pick up a few new tips, I highly recommend “The Black Book of Coyote Trapping”.  For a quick and easy read that provides real value to the coyote trapper, this one gets the job done.