Raccoon set

[poutpro]

What does everyone prefer to use for raccoon sets?

[Nova]

If it's not real cold I use a can of tuna in my live traps. I get some cats too, but they don't belong near my nesting pheasants or ducks any more than the coons. If it's real cold, I use dead minnows from the minnow pail. Even when it's below zero they seem to work, but the coons aren't out that much then unless it gets warm at night.

[Gissert]

Pocket sets for mink take their fair share of coon too, just make sure you have a good drowner rig or the set location will get trashed.

I also like the pvc pipe sets. Basically it is a 2 inch piece of pvc pipe shoved into a bank with lure in back. Again, a good drowner rig is a must. The big drawback with this set is it sticks out like a sore thumb, so don't set it where Johnny Sneakum might be a problem.

I have friends that have good luck with square buckets and 160 or 220 conibars used as cubbies, but I dont care for them much. They are very effective for coon, but if somone's dog sticks their head in there is a bad outcome. Unless you are deep on private land, I do not reccommend this set at all.

It is expensive to buy them, but a live trap can work well in populated areas, and you can release the non target catches unharmed.

Dirt hole sets for fox/'yotes on dry land will also take a fair number of coon.

I notice you are asking a lot of questions about predator hunting and trapping, and that is good. You'll get good answers here, but they are brief and general. The best suggestion I have for you is this: Subscribe to the Trapper and Predator Caller magazine, and join the Minnesota Trappers Association. For the price of a few box of shells, you will get a magazine that has a wealth of great articles and will give you a great education base to learn from. I have been reading this publication since I was 10 years old. Thirty years later, I still learn stuff every month. Buy back issues if you can get them. Worth every penny. That magazine has a number of good books for sale on trapping various furberares, and I suggest investing in a few of them too.

[catman71]

I had a few sets on winter when I drove by my friends land on my way to where i was working and got a few coon in a plain 5 gallon bucket (with slots cut in it for the springs) and a 220 in the front. I used tuna and a little salt to keep it from freezing (don't know if that worked that well) anyway, i got 3 coons over a few days and everytime one coon was dead in the trap, the tuna was always gone, you would think eating next to your dead buddy would ruin your appitite, but not a racoon, i guess.

Do us all a favor and trap a bunch, my dog still has a scar from one of those dang things........

[poutpro]

Gissert thanks for all the good info. I did recently subscribe to Fur Fish and Game, which I found has a good amount of info on trapping. I will have to look into your magazine also. It is hard to get into trapping when no one in your family or friends can assist in the learning. I have been looking for someone to go with. Now that I go to school, I'd probably be restricted to a Christmas break trapping session.

[Gissert]

Don't overlook some spring beaver trapping. I suggest the beaver book by Charlie Dobbins for some good reading.

Trapper and Preadator Caller is published by Krause Publications.

[Mark Christianson]

Gissert

You gonna come and get our Peefers this spring?

[Gissert]

If my job thing pans out, I'll be running a big beaver line this spring, and I'll get down there.

With my current situation, the line will stay close to home. Lots of colonies to work within 5 miles of my place, and some have a pretty high priorty due to flooding when the pumps are on.

[protrapper]

poutpro,

Look up North Dakota Trappers Assoc. Rick Tchisfear is the president. Get a membership. They most likely have a trappers Ed class to take. Get a subscription to Trapper and Predator Caller. All trapping and the best mag out there.

Be very carefull with the larger conibrears please. it sounds like you have no experience with these. you could hurt yourself our worse. Find a trapper in you area and see if they will help you. Thats the best way to learn.

Good Luck,

Trapper

[icehousebob]

When I was young and foolish, I trapped a lot of private creek land. Well before season, I would locate narrow creek rapids and put in a short length of metal culvert about 12 to 15 inches diameter. Then put rocks or logs to partially dam it so a good flow of water went through it. Come season, I would set a good sized double spring inside it under the water. No coon can resist going through them. I would get multiple coons out of each set every year, as long as the water kept flowing. Anything that makes a good tunnel would substitute for metal culvert. Covering it with a few branches will keep the curious and lightfingered from your traps. Another set was to cut willow branches and drive them into the bottom of the creek narrows, making a fence-type funnel, with your trap at the narrowest point. If your trap is set in the shallow rapids, covering the pan with crinkled aluminum foil will often make a coon curious and will check it out with his paw. SNAP!

[poutpro]

So if someone else I know has a trapping lisc. I can authorize them to check my traps say on Wednesday, and I could check them on Friday when I get home from school and Sunday before I went back? This would be legal considering I were using a set capable of killing the catch?

[fishermann222]

poutpro-

Protrapper gave you some great advice. Do contact the state trappers association. If they dont have a trapper ed course coming up, they can hook you up with a mentor. This is the BEST way to learn. There are some great internet sites out there to help you learn how to set those large connibear traps. They ARE dangerous. If you join the 330 club you will be very sorry . When you use those large connibears you should either have a partner with you while making your sets, OR know the one handed rope trick to get yourself out WHEN you manage to set one on yourself. there is a great site out there to learn from, I will follow rules and not post the HSOforum, but do a google for traps 4 kids. You will find it. TONS of usefull information on that site.

Good luck and post some pics when you get them

[poutpro]

Yeah I know they can be dangerous cause I have already joined the 220 club, it didn't getme too good though. Wasn't planning on using the 330. Are they just mostly used for beaver?

[Gissert]

You cannot set a 330 on a dry land set, they need to be in water sets as they are too big by law. Any body gripper or snare with an opening bigger than 7.5 inches can only be used in water sets.

You cannot set any body gripper in a culvert area that is bigger that a 6.5 inch jaw opening, unless that trap is FULLY submerged.

Please, please be very careful with 220 size traps on dry land sets. Non target catches can get you in hot water.

[poutpro]

I havent set any out anywhere yet was just playing around with the different traps and how they worked. How does a snare exactly work? How does it close and what keeps it closed?

[fishermann222]

Different snares work different ways. Some of the "locking" devices are meant to hold it down tight, and the more the critter pulls the tighter it gets. Other snares have other locking devices that let the cable relax a bit so as not to kill the animal, more to hold them like a leash so you can release your non targets. I am not familiar with the laws in minnesota anymore when it comes to snaring, but you should look into them. If snares are an option, they are a great resource. You might also hear them referred to as cable restraints, I think that is the new term for some with the relaxing locks?? not sure though

[protrapper]

Poutpro,

You need to get intouch with the North Dakota Trappers Assoc. By law in your state I believe you must go through a trappers education class. Sanres are for only experienced trappers. Look up the HSOforum on the internet.

[poutpro]

I shot a few coons the other night, are they worth anything yet, or is it too late to sell them?

[Gissert]

Go to Runningens and see what they offer.

[poutpro]

brought them in $10 each