January 'coon movement on WI river banks---???

[mustelameister]

This January being one of the milder ones I can recall in awhile, I've decided to run a river line with a multitude of different looks for 'coon. More experimental than power trapping for numbers.

Sets include: #220s in blind enclosures (10"x10"), #220s in baited/lured enclosures (8"x10"x8"), pipe sets on drowners, blind sets on drowners, and pocket sets on drowners.

Set #1 by far is the #220s in baited/lured enclosures (8-10-8). Best sets are right in 'coon trails, especially those coming down to shelf ice.

Set #2 are baited/lured pocket sets, yielding both 'coon, mink and 'rats.

Set #3 are pipe sets with 'coon and 1 'rat.

The blind #220s (10-10-10) held 1 'coon. These blind sets were right in trails up on the bank.

I thought the blind #220s would do better. They're a big producer of 'coon in October, so long as I continue to move the set up or down the trail a ways.

The baited/lured #220s somewhat surprised me, though my fish mix is something most 'coon can't resist!

Total number of sets out were fifty, with ten of each set represented in/along the river bank. Total 'coon taken in two week-period so far is 37. Stretch of river bank is about 1 mile. Just enough to keep things interesting after work.

Now, the biggest question I have is this: what causes 'coon to work sets one night, and not touch a thing the next?

Best example: Recently it was 44 degrees one evening, no wind, slight mist. Thought I'd score bigtime. Next day: nothing. Next night it stayed in the 20s, strong winds, full moon, and you guessed it--my best night ever.

Sure is different (at least on this short experimental line) than November trapping. Any thoughts?

[primetime]

I sort of seen the same thing. On nights when I'd figure the coon should be moving, the next morning I'd have nothing. On the colder nights that I figure the coon won't move. I connect. I put 7 PVC sets in yesterday along a creek that had a good number of Coon tracks. This morning - Nothing. Last night stayed warm, but the Moon was almost Full and there wasn't any cloud cover. I'm wondering if that doesn't have something to do with it??

[trappnman]

Its simple. And I mean that literally and figuratively.

The coon don't care. I've trapped Dec-March coon ever since it became legal 20 or so years ago. I might, just might... say I've caught as many in in non barn saituations in below freezing as any man out there. If someone catches more, I'd like to shake his hand because I know the work involved. A normal winter has these thaws come and go, and I work them. Hard.

To make the lines pay off, I've learned a couple of things. I'd mentioned these often, yet most people think they know better. Heres my thoughts:

1) January coon are NOT November coon.
2) January coon are NOT Spring coon.

and January coon trapping is NOT fall trapping or spring trapping. Its a whole new thoguht concept. At least for me, in my area, using my methods.

Because they:
1) wander w/o rhyhme nor reason
2) are NOT really interested in food.

To trap these coon you need to find that locations where they come the MOST when wandering. Consider this- the coon will run a night, then he will hole up a night or 2, then he will run 2 nights- or some mixed up version of that pattern.

It is NOT continous and it is NOT the same areas.

Forget gang setting. I do have 2 traps usually at a location, rearly more. These coon usually aren't in family groups, and even on a 3 day check...doubles aren't the norm. I did take 2 triples this warm spell, but each of those was in an exceptional location w 4-5 sets on a 3 day check. Gangsetting locations or trails is wasting traps.

And spread out. Run some country. I have 25 or so coon traps spread out over 100 miles (along my normal mink waterline).

Be ready. In winter, be a day ahead rather than a day behind. Know when to lure, when to let things idle. When to change up. and most importantly, know the singular locations that the MAJORITY of travelling coon will visit. ALL parts of a creek will have coon come by, not all will be visited regularly. It took me many years to get my winter coonline laid out and managed properly.

You mentioned all those coon tracks.? I've been sitting on my creeks for 4 weeks waiting for all those coon to come by. They did.

[trappnman]

temps, I forgot that questions, are tied into long term patterns. That is, often what determines if coo nrun is not how this night is, its how the past 2-3 nights have been. Where an individual night is in a long term pattern.

[primetime]

You are so right, and I'm guessing I'm sitting here doing the same things you tried unsuccessfully 20 years ago. First year, and things are tough, because I have no idea what is going to happen. Things start to freeze up, I see NO sign, I pull my traps. Weeks - a month later I go back, and see coon tracks on all the banks. MAN!!! I set it up - to late.

I'm always 1 day behind.

Key - and you said it best.

"I've been sitting on my creeks for 4 weeks waiting for all those coon to come by. They did."

I haven't had my sets out waiting for those coon to come by, They did, but just kept going...

Now this is the problem. Finding areas that stay open, with deep enough water to drown coon. One thing I have noticed though. In weather that contains Coon movement, you also have weather that keeps the creeks open. And in real cold weather when the coon don't move, your creeks freeze up. So do you set up areas that you know will be frozen over for weeks at a time, but that will open up just as the coon start moving? And if so, do you keep those sets lured also?

I'm continually setting and pulling traps and it gets very tiring. My setting occurs once I see sign again, but then it's usually to late.

PT

[rk660]

mustel, surprised you didnt do better in your 220 trail sets. I do well snaring them in January if setting trails w/ fresh sign. Fresh sign seems to be the key at this time of year. Lots of older coon trails I run cat snares on dont pick up many wandering coons. But if setting on tracks in snow or other readable fresh sign I do well in trails. Seems if there is a hot trail this time of year, you will find a den close by. Think they pretty much stay on main trails when heading out of den, then wander around alot once they get a little ways from den. I have set on fresh trails and took a week before Ive caught them at times. Think they use different dens, stay a week at this den, and stay a week at that den.

One consistant location for me this time of year are small to medium sized creeks that are frozen over. They will run the ice alot and can be snared easy on smaller creeks that can be fenced off. I find lots of coon living in old beaver holes this time of year.

[bblwi2]

Mike I have not trapped post Christmas coons for about 7 years now, time constraints, work and the pelts diminishing values for me in Eastern WI.
When I ran the line later I was typically trapping near buildings and along easily accessed roads etc. not the extensive line that you had on a larger river.
I found that the winter coons were driven to find food and seemed to wander more from their normal trails as they seemed to search more like a mink than the fall coons that used trails to go from one location to the next and then the next. They seemed to more like grinner's in a way too, just wandering to find the nearest morsel of food.
I noticed that in the barns once a warm spell came and they were out for a while that the colder nights got me more coons. I surmised and maybe not correctly that when warm they were going further from the buildings and when cold were staying closer to home, but I never caught more than say 20-30 late season coons to help establish a pattern.
I appreciate the info as part of my plan for next year was to make and use cubbies and buckets for late season. I use none for fall trapping and you have helped confirm that making a few dozen of these will be a worthwhile venture.

Bryce

[mustelameister]

Fresh trails are hard to tell. The snow is all gone. Only the thicker ice shelves remain, and they're disappearing one by one as they tilt and slide into the river.

The trails I set up blind are grassed in, up on top. And that might be anywhere from two feet up to ten feet up.

The muddy/sandy tracks on shelf ice tells me these 'coon are running on ice and just above the shelf ice. They're also using logs quite a bit for rapid movement up/down bank above to river's edge below.

Snares are illegal here. I should've thrown in some #160s, but wanted to see if there was any difference between the unbaited/unscented #220s and those with bait and lure.

I like two things I've read above: A 'coon "run" may be continuous over several nights, even if one of the nights happens to be colder. Now that pattern makes sense.

The second: the use of different den sites.

So . . 'coon at this time of year are simply roaming? Do they have a destination? Come morning light, are they already tucked into a known den, or are they snugging into whatever they can find?

Time for Steve to write a book on January 'coon!

[primetime]

And boy could he right a book!

But when you think about it, Coyotes "R" Us is a book updated daily from some of the best trappers around - Including Steve. And the best part, it's free.

The only thing I don't like about trapping forums is that a LOT of awesome info gets lost in a pile of trash. The Archives are great, but so much info like the post above by Steve will be forever lost in a year. To bad great individual posts on a subject couldn't be saved to one "Master Post" on a subject. Like "Winter Coon" for example and then every good post could be added there. Steve is that even possible?

[trappnman]

One thing I have noticed though. In weather that contains Coon movement, you also have weather that keeps the creeks open. And in real cold weather when the coon don't move, your creeks freeze up. So do you set up areas that you know will be frozen over for weeks at a time, but that will open up just as the coon start moving? And if so, do you keep those sets lured also?

primetime- you hit it exactly right. Over the years, I both know what my creeks do in any kind of weather, I also know where the drowning holes are and know where the maximum movement is. And that knowledge comes from years of sunning same locations in all types of weather.

Yes, I do have several locations that freeze over and freeze over hard. I try to break the ice as best I can, some days I just cannot and those traps are out of commission for a few checks. But rarely do I leave a set iced in.

You lure in anticipation. I've lured 2 times during this warm up. Once, right before...and middle of last week. End of this week, first part of next I'll re-lure. Extended cold snaps I don't lure coon sets, thats when I break out the mink lure.

Patience. Take today. We got 2 nice coon in snares, and checked a handful of daily check water traps- had 3 more coon and 1 pullout.

1 water coon- two sets that are in nice springhole. They caught 5-6 coon early- during this warm-up have caught zero coon there. Today- procoon dong its job, a coon. Just a matter of time. Now I could caught 2,3, there boom boom, or not.

2nd water coon, a set I've checked 2 weeks, untouched...bingo

Now tomorrow my 3 day check-I'll pick up 4-6 coon from 20+ sets.

And that will put me over 100 for this little run.

[trappnman]

bryce- why did you conclude the coon were hungry and looking for food- just because they were wandering? Not a smart ass question, but am curious.

Many years ago, when I was a mere lad and we actually had winters, I'd be out mink trapping, and notice fresh coon tracks in the snow. I spent many hours following these tracks, trying to follow them to their den holes (after all its, winter, they have to be close I thought). I would follow those racks sometimes literally for a mile or more- winding up and down hills, along the banks, all over. I NEVER tracked one back to its den. After 45 minutes or an hour- I'd simply give up. Part of it might simply be early mating urges, and part of it I believe is simply wanderlust. By far the majority of these coon are 20+ lb males , some big sows and very few small coon. It was mentioned they go like a coyote, and thats for sure true- they wander seemingly without any plan. I never saw much if any evidence of them hunting- they mostly walked on the bare banks, open fields, or on the open parts of the hills.

I also believe, that one reason coon wander to the creeks is as simple as it can be- they are thirsty.

I believe that in many cases, they just curl up where they are at night. Every winter hunter has tales of finding sleeping coon in corn fields or under brush piles.

The downfall of winter coon on the creeks is that you couldn't really afford to run the line w/o mink, beaver, and rats. Before this warm spell, I had 2+ weeks without a coon. Same 25 traps. But I still had to check and maintain them.

I know many including rk do good with conibears in the trails. But up here, with the open terrian, they just are a waste of time for me. I've fooled with them for so many years- and yes, I've caught coon in them- but for every coon I catch, I get 25 that walk around them. I've had the most success, as logically I should have, in 220s that could be set in grassy trails or real brushy trails. Just don't have them here, now.

But those snares aren't even noticed.

[bblwi2]

Steve did not really think about the other options much especially the mature boar coon roaming due to rut.; but here are my thoughts as simple as they may be.
In the fall and or up until hard freezes or deep snows the coons have specific areas that they travel to to eat and eat to get ready for winter. As the food supplies disappear the coon move to the next supply and frequent that until it is exhausted or the coon den.
I just felt that most coon working the habitat and area after hard freezes and or denning were larger animals and that they would come out ready to eat something, especially protein they have enough fat energy but protein, may be needed to keep the mature coons going while being successful in finding mates.
It just seemed that the wandering was mostly aimed at areas that may hold food and not so much of a direct line to a known food source at least until one was found.
It just seemed to me more logical that a wandering path in late December or early January in WI would be more likely in the search of food then sex as the females probably are not denned in little crevices etc. Also the fact that on the cold nights they would be eating more or searching for food more as fewer of the smaller and or females would be out running on the colder nights of a thaw then the warmer nights of the thaw.
I probably not correct in thinking that way but I feel that a big male coon has a better idea of where a denning female may be than a meal when they start crawling around searching for food and mating. Similar to a rut buck while they are finding a doe they may eat little and when they are with her for 1-2 days they get some chance to eat. If a male is with an estrus female for 2-5 days they may take short runs out to eat and return back before she goes out of estrus and they journey to the next female and or meals.

Bryce

[trappnman]

I don't know the answer, but I suspect that food is not the key. All my practical findings tell me fod isa not the reason coon wander.

[bblwi2]

Steve, just an added thought.

I think the bigger older coon wander way more than we suspect they do. It is that I trap most of my coons in late Oct and November and early Dec. The population is larger and there is a real mix of YOY, females and older males. As the seasons change and the mortality rates increase the patterns change. With fewer total coons and a higher percentage of mating age coons those wandering patterns are more noticeable than earlier in the year. Also the fact that coon are polygamous and travel such as Tom Cats to find mates, increases the travel and the wandering. Food plays a a part of this needed journey, how much and to what affect is interesting. Also with coon being less olfactory (my guess, and could be wrong) how to males connect with females. Wandering and stumble on them,? Wandering and find a track or trail and follow it? Or a combination of several. Also if large males den in an area of good habitat there will be several females denning close by. What tactics do the coons use to complete the coon mating process? That will help us unlock that wandering mystery.

Bryce

[Steve Gappa]

some good thoughts. Are coon wandering in late Nov- Dec wandering for the beginning of mating? Maybe...but thats a long ways before mating occurs. My honest conclusion is that they simply have wanderlust. Cabin fever. Want to go somewhere. I suspect many factors are the cause- but I do feel food is low on the list. Just with the reactions I see with coon and bait vs coon and lure this time of year.

[primetime]

When exactly does mating occur?

And I'd like to add. Waterways though they contain food, are also one of the best (not man made) travel routes available. I feel and this is only as of late (yesterday ;D) that the reason for the wandering along water is that it gives the coon a point of reference to follow on it's path from here to there. It contains food, it definetly has water, and it goes for miles and miles and miles through everything the coon could ever want to visit in a given season. Like a buck working the edges of feilds in November to interesect a hot doe, the Coon can work the stream in hopes of interesting a mate or food. If you want to cut a set of tracks, you don't wander around out in a field, you pick a straight line and follow it. I feel this may also be true with Coon's and water.

[mustelameister]

I've come to the conclusion I have a lot to learn yet about trapping January 'coon. And now our season is close to being done, closing up the 31st of this month. Too bad.

But, there's a good week and a half left yet. Plenty of time for a bit more experimenting. Perhaps it's time to run identical sets, but change the lure up.

I've noticed my castor mound sets for beaver have always got 'coon tracks all over 'em. Hmmmm . . . straight castor down a pipe with cotton as an absorbent?

I'd like to continue experimenting through the end of the month, take good notes, review and formulate a working plan for next December/January on a larger scale.

[rk660]

Remember reading once that coon have a helluva homing insticnt, kinda like bears. So I bet some of them 2-4 year old know where a pile of dens, tree holes, barn are across a lot of country, and can find their way right to them when needed to take shelter.

Naw Steve, Im not really a big 220 trail setter, I use snares mostly. ive got same problem as you, lots of trails too open and they go around them, no matter how much fencing.

I watched that Ron Hauser 220 video last week, man, does he ever cream them in 220's. One thing i found interesting was that he pulles on the first check after 2 days setting. he says so he dont hurt population. I really wonder if its because 2nd check catch goes down dramatically. Ive found after 1-2 coon on a good trail, the 220s go dead, like they know its something harmful or smelled their dead buddy. Sure Ive gotten 3-6 off one trail a time or 2 but 220 in trails go to pot way faster than snares. Many times Ive pulled the 220 after a week of nothing and hung snares, then creamed them. I cant really see a guy like him hurting his coon population trapping from the road, as a pile of coon in middle of sections dont even get out of the section at times for quite some time. i really wonder if the real reason he pulls so quick is that the 220's go to pot that quick. He does have a slick system though, Ive never been able to get catch rates like that in 220s. thinking back it seems if I get 1 out of 4-5 traps ave that was pretty fair for me. He makes it look so damn easy. he does have a lot of nice trails to work with I noticed.

[trappnman]

Good points RK.

I have no doubt that is true about the memory. Back when living at home, we trapped coon in a sweet corn patch. Back then, only way to do it leagally was with a Hancock trap (dnr gave us one to use) and we had to release the coon elsewhere. We took them 10-15 miles away, and released them. After a while, my dad said these coon look familar, so he spraypainted spots on a couple. Within a day or 2, we were catching same coon over again.

I've often thought also, that 220s work better in high populations.

From the coon we've caught not trying to catch coon in snares these past 2 weeks, I can see how you can really bang them with snares. What locks do you use Rich? On coon, since they aren't dead anyways, a washer lock is MUCH easier to remove. Talked to Marty, and he said don't be afraid to try the Stingers on coon. He said hes been getting reports that even body snared coon are DOA with the Stingers.

[17HMR]

I have caught 3 coons in stinger assisted snares all body caught and 2 were DOA, the other 1 the coon had a stick in the snare with him.