drowning sets

[foxtrappersteph]

How many pounds on the drowner weight is needed for coons? And how deep should the water be min?

I have a creek near a road I can trap and I want to drown everything and must be done right, as I don't want live coons attracting attention nor me having to shoot them also drawing attention. I figure a cement block is enough weight, but I have some rr tie plates and maybe can get some window sash weights. The tie plates are 5 and 6 pounds each. Cement blocks are kinda bulky.

[foxtail]

I don't like RxR plates as a drowning weight. I use them for drags, but they slide over the bottom to easily for use as a drowner weight.

Since you all have smaller coon than we here in MN for the most part, I think A cinder block is good. If you lack the ability to haul them, use sand bags filled with small rocks or sand. Avoid dirt in your terminal ends because it is too light and washes out of the bag.

[lobo]

hi steph
steph i think that the r.r.plates would be more than ample for drowing coon.
i'd think that the water should be at least 2' deep for getting the coon down,in water less than this depth it's gonna be near impossible to drown a coon.
also keep the distance between the plate and trap as short as possible.
"what about the 2 toed grey?"
good luck

[foxtail]

A 15 or 20 lb coon can move quite a bit of weight over the bottom if it is smooth or rocky. It can also be held in less than 2 feet of water and drowned. I regularly drown coon in water a foot deep. They do not last long when the water is cold. If they can't get their belly out of the water, they will die rather fast.
If you rely on the average size of PA coon, which are usually much smaller than MN ones, you will end up with one that is really nice. It is the law of the jungle.

If you have to use plates, use 2 more than you feel that are required.

After a couple of years of reading posts from the PA people, I have come to the conclusion that the typical stream in PA is the same glacial till we have here in some of the places I trap. Driving a stake is a joke at best. I presume that this is the reason that the need for weights exists.

I still feel that your best bet in this case is to use a sandbag filled with golfball sized rocks.

What ever you do, do not take JW Crawford's advice and use those 8 inch long red bricks he advises in his video. I would not use one of them on a mink even if coon were extinct.

[trappnman]

went to using chicken wire instead of bags this year- nice system.

Since most of my streams are rocky- rocks aren't a problem. I cut the pieces 36" X 22"....a compromise size that fits most occasions. Put a few rocks in them, fold them up and lace them up with a piece of wire.

[Mallard]

I have a mixed bottom of gravels and stones. I went to 1/2 rebar in 30" lengths with a 5" T on the top and really took a liking to them. I can get in a couple feet of water and get them started, then stomp them in. Works real nice, and with a point ground on the tip they cut through the gravel/rock pretty well.

[trappnman]

I'm continually amazed at how little a weight some can use and more importantly, how little water it takes to drown some coon.

I WILL NOT set a coon set on a drowning slide in less than 4 feet of water.

I have to KNOW my coon are down----and in 2-3 feet of water that isn't even close to a 100% certainty here.

I think some of you would be absolutely shocked at the size and power of northern coon. As a side note- I've held 1000s of coon in cold water on stakes, drags over the years- I have never, in fur trapping, had one dead of hypotherrmia.....trappnman

[dj88ryr]

THE RR TIE PLATES WORK RATHER WELL IF YOU PUT 2, 4" CARRIAGE BOLTS THROUGH THEM, WHERE THE SPIKE HOLES ARE. Bolt these on, and they provide some extra grab. I use bricks all the time for muskrats and mink, they are ALWAYS drowned, no problem, with coon I have had them move two bricks wired together, but they are usually tangled up close by, if you are real concerned Steph, just use 2 RR tie plates set up with the bolts, you will be fine, oh, I also regularly drown coon in a foot of water.

[trappnman]

old brake rotors with bolts through a few holes work well also...

[mustelameister]

I too, need to drown all 'coon. In sets where the water is less than 2' deep, yet at least a foot plus, I specifically target front foot catches. Small pocket, #11 DJ LS centered in the hole, bait skewered back in the ceiling held in cheesecloth bag. Forces the 'coon to center the front foot while reaching for the white bag, right on the pan. Never a hind foot catch, and the 'coon's head will be held underwater at the end of the slide. This works for me. Maybe it won't work for others.

Something to add here---river dropped almost a foot in two days, and two 'coon that must've got into the sets on day #2 didn't drown. There they were at the end of the drowning system, now too shallow, but dead. Both had been shotgunned at close range.

One trap was gone, the other thrown up on the bank, drowner rod and all. Looked like a duck hunter did me the "favor" of dispatching my catch for me.

The rivers I trap are well traveled by 'coon hunters on the bank and duck jumpers in canoes. I've got to make sure these 'coon are out of sight.

[dj88ryr]

Man I sypathize with you guys that have to deal with this kind of crap. I now work way too hard to trap where no one else wants to be, and spend more time checking because of access, private, exclusive rights are the only way for me, yes, lots of work, but spares me those kinds of frustrations and probably goes a long way toward keeping me out of jail.

[trappnman]

DJ- 3 day check is why I do it....

[walkercoonhunter(Aaron L.)]

holy cow steph i think you could drown a critter a mile from any creek or body of water here...lol we have had so much stinking rain that the fields are laying full of water....lol....drowning in a creek is easiest with sandbags with rocks..take them in empty and fill them up as needed...very light and easy to carry(when empty)lol ....

[dblcoil]

O.K. now I understand why trappnman said he wants 4 ft. of water to drown his coon. Having a 3 day check I understand why you need them literally out of sight. I couldnt for the life of me figure out why you would need that deep of water to drown a coon, since Ive drown the majority of mine on slide cables this year in knee deep water. Or is drown the proper word? Ive been told that if they dont actually drown, that coon get hypothermia from being in the water and expire that way?

[trappnman]

thats a part of it dblcoil- but when you get a big coon by a back foot- and we all know it happens even with precautions- a couple feet of water won't do it. With 3 days- I need to KNOW hes down and out.

as an added point- the steeper the wire goes down the better....I've seen coon go down slides and fast,deep water with a good angle really helps.

[dj88ryr]

In this situation, I prefer 1 foot of swift water over 2 feet of slack water anyday, might as well have the stream work for you as well, cause everyone knows, it works against you every chance it gets.

[thefoxtrapper]

Ok Steve, I know you have caught tons more coon than me, your a lot older too ;D, hehehehe, but anyways, the only way I see that you you've never had one die from hypothermia is because you only set like you said, real deep water...I have quite a few every year I just stake in a foot of water with wire just reaching bank with trap, coon wraps around and 9 out of 10 are dead in the morning, not right now, but say January on it is usually cold enough to do the trick....but on 3 day checks your method is definetly better, we all know what the coon can do given the chance and time....

I use a mix bag to drown, I use a lot of the method described above when river trapping, in fact that is how I do all of them, the faster and deeper right off the bank the better, coon only has to go out in it, and hes done, he just floats after he drowns....I use long re-rod poles to anchor in rocky streams, used to use sand bags, and still do a little, but dont like filling them up, but they work....Ive switched to pogo this year for anchoring traps, so going to try that for drowners, on these grizzs Ive been catching coon in, many of them I can just grab with one hand and easily pull out of ground (2 inch washer), but no coon is going to do it pulling to the side like they do, he will rot before he gets the stake out, they are fast quick and easy to pull in sandy muddy conditions, so very reusable....

My favorite drowning set on the river is the pole pushed in the mud in deep water as described above, fast, very effective, and complete set in about 3 minutes flat, foolproof too, hahahahaha

Winston

[Mark]

I really like that chicken wire idea. It sure would beat lugging around heavy stuff. I am going to try a bigger wire and use it for beaver in some stream areas around here.

Mark

[trappnman]

Mark- I've been using it for beaver no problem- took a 70 lber yesterday.

winston- actually, I have my "town route" that is all in springs but in water only inches deep. I double stake these sets in the water and keep them out all winter- and have never had one dead in them. I check these daily. My guess is that its just the deep wooly bellies that our coon have.

Have had some die in the spring from what I guess was hypothermia.... real thin bellied small ones..

[bblwi]

I agree with Steve on the hindfoot catch. It takes a lot of water to drown a large coon when caught by the hindfoot. Water depth may not even be all the issue here either. The angle of descent down the slide cable or wire is totally different when comparing front to hindfoot catches. The animal is always looking and scratching away from the location or center of the area instead of working more in the center of the area.

That is why I target the front foot on my drowners for coon on my daily checks. I have gone totally to staking and have never used rocks or any other item than a stake. I use 5 foot cables and keep my chains short on the attachment to the cable. With a frontfoot catch the coon seems to slide down better. I can drown a front foot in 18-24 inches of water, but I like 30 plus much better. WHY? Some large coon will get the trap wound around a stake top and set on the trap and with their hind feet push down on the levers and get free. Victor 1.5 seem to be more vulnerable to this. I now have T stakes that I can shove to the bottom and ther is now chain winding. The disposable anchoring systems are probably better yet. With 24 hour checks I have been going to drags and can set and check faster and cover more ground. There are places to set where an animal can hide from view if alive near a road. Those really good cover areas are probably the best set locations too.

Bryce