Dryland coon

[buckfreak]

Was wondering for dryland coon sets just how crude you can be and still be successful? I am not talking about snares and conibears. Specifically foothold sets. I know in the water you can be pretty crude and get by with it but on dryland does it still work to a successful degree? I have a few places on my line that I could smear bait on a corner post or dry culvert and bed a trap but never have. Just pondering stuff like this because it makes time go a little faster. ;D

[trappinwi]

The only thing I would be concerned about would be trying to narrow down how he gets to the bait. If it's too crude or "wide open" he might get the bait but not the trap.

If your thinking about not bedding, or covering the trap properly I think you will miss coon.

Others with much more experience than me will chime in.

[trappnman]

A very good question!

Crude works very well for coon. As far as presentation. Fish oil/lure squirted on something, with a trap underneath, does work.

But many times, these type of sets would be equally suited as just blind sets. Such as a culvert, bridge abutment.

the main thing is bedding the trap well. Coon are touchy feelly, and I believe that they also do a lot of rooting in dirt with their noses. Make the beds no bigger than needed and pack the trap well. If you are in sandy, drier stuff, all the better.

The downfall of these sets, is they have no eye appeal, and I think coon are as much visual as using their noses. pvc pipe works well as eye appeal. Its the reason I like dirtholes in woodlands for coon- you can really spread out the dirt and it stands out. Set on a incline, and you can cover a lot of territory.
Because unless directed in travel by stuff like bridges, culverts- they do a lot of random wandering, never seeming to take the same exact routes.

I am talking upland coon now...the solitary ones.

[trappinwi]

How big of a hole, and how big of a dirt pattern?

[buckfreak]

The bedding part I got but I was just thinking about some fence rows that don't lend to a conibear or snare for some reason or another. Was figuring you could put a smear set on a post or log and take them. If its a funnel type area why wouldn't smell alone from a good bait be sufficient? Water sets for coon alot of times have no eye appeal, just bait smeared on the bank and take coon after coon. I know you gotta be on location but if you are on location for dryland coon is the eye appeal all that important or will smell cover your butt to a sufficient degree?

[johnthomas]

coons see a stick in the water all the time but pay no attention to it, but a stick with a good lure smeared on it and downwind 10 feet he will go in the water to get it and get caught, a couple guide sticks always helps in the water set and will do the same on dryland, thats plenty crude for coon seems to me, lure on a post or a stick uopwind from him and guided with a couple guide sticks, but that coon is going to have to be close enough to smell it and the wind is going to have to be right just like the water set.

[trappnman]

water coon are more directed.....

upland coon not nearly so...

if oyu got a good trial location, then a smear set works fine- but as mentioned, they better bne going close by.

on dirthole size- I like a hole 4-6 inches big and deep- much deeper for coon than canines- coon love to work a set from behind.

pattenr- make the actual trap bed small- but a wide extended pattern... I'll broadcast dirt 3-4 feet or so- will reduce dug up, flipped and snapped traps.

[johnthomas]

when pray tell are you going to write the book on coon we are all wanting lol??? no one speaks it as well as you and its all in your head, just start writing lol, we want a big one, as big and thick as hoofbeats, with coonology and the whole bit, we will pay ya know lol, yer gonna take a spill from ya motor pidder one these days and fergit it all or have an ephifany and take up wearin robes er somethin and we are all gonna be out the know how ya have gained. now how bout the book trappnman?

[k9]

Na John his wife's a better trapper than he is. She'll just write it for him.

[Yancy]

if all else fails then use Yancy's dog proof coon traps. ;D Yancy

[Steve Gappa]

Actually, Lori has been hounding me to write again. And I'm doing it. While there are plenty of books out there, I do think I can offer at least a few insights. A coyote book is well underway, and mustelameister and myself are going to collaborate on a coon book, that I honestly think with indeed be the definitive book on coon. Hows that for confidence LOL

[mac]

I will buy one of each and wed don't even have many coon around.
Mac

[17HMR]

Steve, Get them in print and on the shelves!

[fishadict]

Steve, singing the praises of the 11 double jaw... LOL. Sorry, couldn't help it.

I too, miss your writing.

fa

[foxtail]

Steve said:
"and I believe that they also do a lot of rooting in dirt with their noses. "

I know that he is correct.

I have caught 2 coon by the beak and this, in my mind, confirms this as I have heard other expound this theory as well.