trapping coon

[troutmaster]

So i use to do alot of trapping when i was younger and caught everything from cat's to coyotes, but have only caught a handful of coon and that is my main target animal, so i started up again but all i have caught so far are about 10 opposums and no coon. so does anybody out there know of a sure fire way of catching those little rascals? right now what i've been doing is digging a shallow hole and sticking some scent in a seperate smaller hole next to where the trap is, so if anybody has any suggestions that would be great.

thanks in advance

[HC Eye Hunter]

It sounds like you are land trapping?

Move to the water and make a bank set around a tangle or a sharp bank in shallow water.

Dig a hole in to the bank at or just above water level. Then scent the hole with strawberry and anise escents or put down some fish oil or stuff a Northern head back in to the hole.

Coons can't resist a hole in the bank so eye appeal is as important as smell. Heck anything that smells sweet or fishy will work.

Seat the trap solid at the water level offset in front of the hole and anchore with a long stake. The best is to use a drowning set. That can be made by attaching one end of a piece of wire to a stake (in shallow)and then attach the other end to a brick or something heavy (out deep). The trap chain should slide up and down the wire freely and when the critter caught he will eventually end up in deeper water and drown.

You could also use a 220 conibear in a baited five gallon pail but be carefull!! Conibears will kill anything that gets in to them and dogs are no exception!

[jkcmj]

I have trapped all around Winona, Wiscoy Valley, etc. with live coon traps and have caught a couple hundred over the last couple of years. I can then let go the little guys and unwanted vermin like possums,skunks,etc. I never did learn all the ins and outs of legholds, but may have to give some of these suggestions a try!

[J48jake]

Hey trout, I am with HC, river banks are great. I usually use a fox scent on a hole in the river bank (I dug a bunch of them before the ground freezes). I then throw little hunks of fish deep into the hole. Then I just set a 1 1/2 right at the entrance. This method seems to work pretty well for me.

[jkcmj]

I just bought a redtick English Coonhound, planning to thin those Winona Racoons a little bit! Can't wait for next season!

[poutpro]

whered you get the hound from?

[jkcmj]

I bought him from a hound hunter over by Millville, MN. I have high hopes for him. He had a litter of pups out of this dog and his Walker hound that he will be selling!

[uptracker]

Honestly, I'm not sure of your location, but a lot of coons den up in cold weather and this may be your problem.

I use two methods though.

I get most of my big boar coon on dry land in big woods on ridges with a dirt hole and a 1 1/2 CS. Set the trap close to the hole and use a tad of food lure or coon gland lure.

Or, I use bucket sets. I simply get a square bucket and cut notches to hold a 160. I then throw a couple big marshmellows and a piece of fish in the back of the bucket.

Check your regs though since I'm in a different State.

I do get a few skunks in these sets though, but that's not a bad thing. I'm getting $10 for a coon pelt and $10 for an ounce of essence. You can get 1-2 ounces out of a skunk that hasn't sprayed. He's one from this past year:

[jkcmj]

You actually get that kind of money for skunk [PoorWordUsage]??? I have been throwing away more money than I care to remember over the years! How do you go about saving the [PoorWordUsage] without spoiling? Do you have to refrigerate it?

[uptracker]

I don't beieve you have to refrigerate it, but some do. You have to make a small and careful slit around the vent and then extract it with a syringe. You HAVE to store it in glass bottles preferably amber colored. Bob Wednt's videos show exactly how to do it. Your fur shed or garage will absolutly reek though.