Water Trapping- trap avoidance

[rk660]

Steve, yup I have been using some guide sticks like you use, one next to dog. I use these on flat bank sets where a jam a pvc tub into bank at 45 degrees, usually water is fairly shallow on these flat banks and you cant really dig down much. It does help, although a flat bank set is my last resort, i prefer a bank I can dig into and get at 8-12 verticle ledge. sometimes coon just aint in right spot and I have to make do with where they are at. I have found the guide sticks to help when setting shallow when I'm forced to. I never have tried rocks as I got very few in my water. I see your point and think it would work as you said, except I many times see coon climbing all over stuff in water. If water is cold and coon get reluctant to enter they will hang or climb on about anything to avoid getting wet at times. I used to use a lot of rock guides cat trapping, but found if you get too large of rocks, cats will at time walk on the rocks, I could see coon doing the same thing at times too. Ive found guide sticks not to really make a heck of a lot of difference if Im setting a good vertical bank with a bigger trap (no 2) with a deep trap bed (4-6" ). thats my preferred setup and try to get that if I can. Much to your thanks over a similer subject me and you discussed on trapperman a while back, I do use more guides on shallower sets and flat bank sets where I dont have a bank to force the coon over the trap. Also on my smaller traps when I have to break them out when running low on 2's. It definatly does help! I'm kinda of the opinion these days of coon and traps similer to the post on canines traps/big or small a week or so back. A guy with smaller traps probibly can do about a s well as a guy with bigger traps, he just has to be more careful and be more precise and take a little more time doing it. OH MY GOD, WHAT DID I JUST SAY! I cant beleive I just said a small trap coon trapper MAY do just as well as a large trap coon trapper.
Probibly can although I'll never admit it in public. ;D ;D ;D

Another thing Ive played with especailly in shallow sand is putting saran wrap over the trap and covering a little with sand. Helps hide the trap and keeps pan from sanding in, it does help but is somewhat timeconsuming and more junk to pack around, havent really decided yet if the payoff is worth the trouble.

One thing I saw this year and have in past is when working with a low coon popualtion, you will get much higher % of sprung/flipped/pulled out traps. High coon population and it seems there is a competitiveness to them to get the bait and they dont jack around with the trap near as much. Stretch of river I trapped was wiped out from distemper and what coon where left would really cause fits jacking around with traps. them low population coon must be more well fed and aint so quick to dive into set as when you got numbers, hence more trap problems. Ive often wondered why some places do great and others its a constant battle with trap flippers, same sets, same baits, worse yet is hole traps and conibears in buckets in low populations, hole traps dont catch squat and buckets are usless. I talked over my theory with a friend who does a 1000-1500 coon a year, he has been hard hit with distemper last 3 years much more than me. He said your exactly right, when coon numbers are way down your trap flipping goes way up. If I find myself in a distemper die off again and am forced to operate in it, I'll putting guides and such and maybe even pack in a few rocks. When you run a 150-180 traps and are doing 50-80 a day, a guy can stomach a few flipped sprung traps here and there, but in a low population and your killing yourself just to get 20 in the truck, every lost/missed coon really hurts! Ill put all the odds I can in my favor i can get when in that situation again.

[trappnman]

I never thought of flipped traps being related to low or high populations. I think about that next year.

Something else to consider- I'm not water trapping until after 99% of the water trappers are done. So all of my water is cold weather work- which might indicate why less fooling around.

You are correct on saying that coon will climb up on things. I have to be careful when using log drags not to get the logs too close to the set or the coon just work it from the log- I do however use the log as a another "guide".

Concerning the rocks, I'm talking smaller rocks here. A lot of my streams are full of rocks, and I use fist size- often "flat" rocks. My thought is that a few of these rocks "scattered" (really carefully placed) by the trap gives the coon something to feel first- before the trap- and perhaps it makes the trap blend more on clear streams.

I don't use the rocks on soft bottoms- there I just wiggle the trap in- but on hard, smooth bottoms (dare I say the J-Lo of creek bottoms?) I use then quite a bit.

Same theroy as making the dirt pattern extra large at coon dirtholes- give them something to satisfy their curiosity BEFORE the set

[mustelameister]

RK660 - Back in '88 at the Nationals in Peoria, I had a chance to chat with Charlie Dobbins about setting traps in sand in strong current. I always had problems with sand sifting under the pan and over the trap, nullifying the action.

He suggested using brown paper toweling, like the kind that schools use. After a "bed" is scooped out for the trap, the trap is wrapped in a single layer of this brown paper toweling, firmly set into the bed, then carefully sift sand over the toweling to come up to level with the surrounding sand.

This kind of paper toweling has the correct thickness to keep from tearing under the weight of the sand, yet rip through when the trap fires.

We were specifically discussing #4 dls, but I've used the same on #2 dls for 'coon and have had very good success in strong current. The key is to make sure the finished set is level with the surrounding sand.

You might give this a try in addition to the saranwrap you mentioned.

[rk660]

Mustelwhatever, LOL, sounds like an idea worth trying, paper towel would be much handier than dinking around with that sticky cling wrap. I'll lock that one away for future use, thanks!

[Getrz]

rk660.....question for you.....

In one of your posts above you mentioned, "hole traps don't catch squat"..... just curious...... what kind of trap or set are you referring to?

Getrz

[rk660]

Duffers, coon cuffs, grizz getters, egg traps. My % on any of them goes to pot when coon are finicky. they work relativly well when coon are thick and are hungry, but I see times when they wont catch much for me. Could be me and only me, dont really know. But they go all got to pot on me when the pocket set trapping gets tough.

[Getrz]

rk660,

No, its not you.....I've had very simular experiences.....finicky coon can be APITA at times.....even when you throw everything at 'em.

I've found when the water temps go down, (around here) coon are reluctant to enter the water....often work pocket sets from behind or avoid them entirely. Breeding season is another......coon are wanting to take care of something else and do not care what their belly is telling them.

Always thought about putting a little bit of beaver fur around the entrance of the Grizz trap for better "eye" appeal during the coon breeding season......sure wouldn't hurt....

Getrz

[trappnman]

Putting beaver fur around the entrance to the round trap...I don't know about you Gary.....

This water avoidance thing is weird.

Let me make a point- about hydrothermia. I have read and I have heard- keep the coon in the water and in cold temps they will succumb by morning. Well- not here. I have only had coon die of hypothermia at one time of the year- spring. And that was during otter trapping. I had this happen with several small coon.

About this same time, I was talking to Dave Hamilton about otter, and the subject of hypothermia came up. Dave said in some of his studies- the % was as high as 10%.

When I mentioned that in fur season I had taken 1000s of coon in water without 1 death- we decided it had to be because of the heavy under fur and belly fur our coon have here.

Be that as it may- the coon here have no adversion to working water throughtout the cold winter months. My whole winter system is set up based on that very trait- that the coon will come out of the bluffs and down to the creeks- to certain areas that I have narrowed down over the years. Looking for food and water both. Many, many times in Jan, Feb I see where a coon wanders a creek just like a mink- going in and out of the water- and swimming in many places- at will. Many times I can follow the tracks right to the set.

And at this time of the year- again, for me- I find that the pipes and grizs become the best option.

BUT- you just flat out are not going to get away with using average bait or lure during this time.

As both Gary and Rich said- coon ARE finicky this time of year. But they can be consistently caught WITH a good loud lure and the proper applications. Many people trap 99% of their coon in the early days of Oct and Nov. Slap in snares or pockets and you take in the coon- as some say "baiting/luring with everything and anything"

Late coon are a different breed. One major difference is size and sex- around here, the vast majority of my winter coon are both male and big. You got to gets their attention....