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Post by thebeav2 on Apr 27, 2008 10:00:16 GMT -6
To start off I will say that body grip boxes In my opinion are pretty much a waste of time.That goes for buckets as well. Now I'm not saying they don't work but In my area they are a low percentage set. But there is a kicker here. In Dec and Jan and Feb When things get really tough for old coon then the baited body grip box or bucket will catch you some coon. But you must be on location And location Is even more Important at this time of year then any other time.
Here are a few tests that I have I have done with body grip box sets. And we will toss In a few Pipe sets too.
I have these classic trails that I trap each and every year they will produce at least 15 to 20 coon each season. They lead out of miles of big Hard wood ridges. And they end up at corn Fields or bean Fields but on the other side of the crop land Is a major stream. Now over the years I have set these trails with 160 or 220s I have been very happy with the results. So I thought why couldn't I catch these coon In baited boxes. Well with all this talk about catching coon In boxes and buckets It should work. Well It didn't. I built boxes In every style and description yes they did catch some coon but caught a lot more trash then coon. I even built the box so the coon didn't have to get down on It's belly to get to the bait. As to bait I tied everything. Nothing seemed to stand out above the rest. My daughter and son In Law live In Alaska and they all ways smoke some Copper River Reds for us every year. Well this stuff Is to die for. So I thought what could be a better coon bait. When you opened a jaw In the House the whole house smelled like salmon instantly. You know what I caught 3 coon In those boxes on those trails baited with salmon. Now your going to say well there just weren't any coon walking that trail WRONG. I had White Pipe sets scattered along that trail And I did give the coon a chance to get to the boxes before getting to the pipe sets. And I didn't place the pipe until I gave the boxes a chance. The boxes where placed right at the road tube and some were placed where the trail entered the crop land all the pipe sets were placed between the boxes. Those Pipe sets caught 15 coon, they were baited with the same salmon. I just figured the coon were to darn lazy and and just weren't Interested at working for a snack. I'm sure they weren't very hungry since they had planted corn that year. My conclusion was that the pipe was just so much simpler for the coon to work and the white color was a curiosity factor. The pipe was off the trail about the same distance as the boxes. Now I want every one on this forum to chime In on this. If you catch 5 coon In pails or boxes chime in maybe we can all learn something about the use of buckets or boxes. But I still think It's a low percentage set In my area In the fall of the year. And a lot of extra work.
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Post by trappnman on Apr 27, 2008 10:07:05 GMT -6
its for sure a low % set for me also- when I first heard of buckets, my thought was perfect on 3 day checks up some walk in creeks. I was absolutely stunned to see the number of refusals in the snow- where coon would come up 3-5 feet away, and no further.
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Griz
Demoman...
Posts: 240
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Post by Griz on Apr 27, 2008 16:50:48 GMT -6
I agree with what has been said so far. Body grips in buckets are a great possum set, but a low percentage set for coon in my hands.
I have run about the same percentages as TheBeav (Boxes 3; white pipe sets 15) or less when running #220's in buckets at the same time that I am snaring. I can catch far more in snares and with less effort.
I also see a lot of sign of refusal in the snow.
Bottom line: #220's in buckets are not my preferred set for coon.
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Post by bill1306 (Phil) on Apr 27, 2008 17:19:21 GMT -6
Small boxes with 160's or the large boxes with the 220's stack the coons up for me. Normally I set the boxes for three days and when I pull them there isn't any fresh coon tracks in the area where I trap. Of course I don't run the large coon numbers that you guys in the east do, but I think it is safe for me to say that I catch more coons than anyone else around here. If I'm out after coons and skunks, all I set is the 160 boxes. In late winter when I'm wanting to catch cats and coons I will use the 220 boxes. I know that I can clean the coons out of the areas faster with 160 boxes than any other set that I use. When I am using live cage traps for cats I will use 160 boxes around the live trap to catch coons, skunks and grinners before they can make it to the live trap. I know if a coons shows up around one of my boxes and there isn't already something in the trap, he will be waiting there for me when I run my line.
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Post by Stef on Apr 27, 2008 18:39:08 GMT -6
The Beav, did you try it with 160 or 220?
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Post by walkercoonhunter(Aaron L.) on Apr 27, 2008 19:11:55 GMT -6
i find that in my area i will set up a under cut bank,cluster of exposed roots,etc on waters edge or in a water coarse instead of dicking with the boxes...boxes got out produced by far when i tried the 160 a few years ago for coon....
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Post by thebeav2 on Apr 27, 2008 20:47:24 GMT -6
1306 (Phil) Any specific style box or bait you use ? How are you setting them up? I know we talked about this a few years back but I think It was cats we where discussing. I used all 160s since we have no restrictions on them while the 220 would probably work better they are so restricted It's just not worth the trouble. I know we used 220s In 5 gallon buckets when I trapped In Canada and had no problem with fox sticking their heads In the bucket. But that won't happen around here.
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Post by humptulips on Apr 27, 2008 21:08:46 GMT -6
Admittedly I don't have many coons but when I tried the buckets they were a complete flop as you describe. Tried them on cats also without any success. beeb 8or 9 years since I bothered to set one.
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Post by love2trap on Apr 27, 2008 22:07:50 GMT -6
I do pretty good with them along marsh edges or stream banks...places where coon are actively hunting for food. I haven't had as much luck with them along trails for some reason. I've always thought of coon as opportunistic feeders, but maybe they aren't as interested while traveling as they are while hunting?! Who knows...
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Post by thebeav2 on Apr 28, 2008 6:49:23 GMT -6
I think that may be a valid point about the hunting traveling scenario.
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Post by bill1306 (Phil) on Apr 28, 2008 7:22:14 GMT -6
For coons and skunks the size of the boxes I make and use are 9"x9"x12"long. I use a 2 foot long 3/8" T-stale to go down through the top of the box. The trap chain ring is set under the box and the stake goes through it, so you don't have to tie off to anything and the pull on the chain is at ground level. They work great, I bait, lure the boxes and set the coil springs on the 160's before I leave home and they are quick to set. The box it's self is a good visual to attract the coons. I paint boxes black, because I had lots of black paint around the house. Most of the time I use fresh shad for bait. I put a wood screw in the side of the box to hold the bait off of the ground or the mice will eat the bait before the coons come to the set. With the bait hanging up high on the side of the box, the coons won't just reach for the bait with one of their front feet, but will try and take it out of the box by using their mouths. If I have a dead coon in the trap and the bait is gone, I just take a piece of fish and stick it on the screw and continue on checking sets. I also prefer to cluster set the boxes. When I find a area that the coons are using, I set it heavy. At times I will have 7-8 boxes less than four feet from each other. The first night I have the boxes set, I make a big dent in the coon population in the area that I'm trapping and after three days there aren't any coons left in that area to trap. For the guy that doesn't have water to trap (I don't have) and just works over different coon family groups this is a great method. Very fast to put the sets in and easy to move them to a new area when you are done with the area you are at. If I had a good stream, I would leave them longer than three days. All winter long I have a couple of small boxes set along my driveway here at my house. The first couple of days I will catch the coons that live here all summer. Whenever a new coon shows up here at my house and it walks by on of these boxes, I skin it.......
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Post by trappnman on Apr 28, 2008 7:32:49 GMT -6
I'll vouch for Phil doing what he says on coon with boxes-
I've never used boxes, only round and square white buckets. While I caught some coon, it wasn't worth my time to mess with them- and my confidence level in them is very low. Occasionally, I'll see a bridge trapper here putting sq buckets under the briedges- I've seen exactly 1 coon in the buckets- with snow, its esy to see if they were connectting or not- and meanwhile, i'm walking by them with coon most checks.
I think I'll try a couple with 160s here with boxes and see what happens-
Perhaps this is a factor? I think those KS coon have a lot smaller food base than ours here- so perhaps hungry more often?
just a thought.....
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Post by walkercoonhunter(Aaron L.) on Apr 28, 2008 8:22:35 GMT -6
just a thought here but im thinking that the wire boxes that someone makes on here would be better then boxes....it would be just like a live trap....can see inside and surronding area when they are entering....just a thought....
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Post by ohiyotee on Apr 28, 2008 12:01:10 GMT -6
When i set a box it becomes part of the landscape, under a bank , grass pulled over the top it looks natural and is always in the water( ohio law with a 160) that maybe the difference. when a coon sees my set it would just be like he is sticking his head in a natural hole. I feel i have great success with them , but i will add that use them primarily where the water is to shallow to drowned the catch. If the water is deep i use a pocket and a foot hold so i have a better chance at mink and rats too.
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Post by ohiyotee on Apr 28, 2008 12:03:27 GMT -6
I should also add that boxes are never set more than 100 feet from the vehicle , to heavy , not working that hard.....lol
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Post by mustelameister on Apr 28, 2008 12:49:53 GMT -6
These #220 enclosures could funtion like boxes, if you wanted them to. I've set these up and then run a trail of minimarshmallows through 'em, after I bent the bottom 2" at a right angle to allow the #220 to follow Wisconsin regs. I've posted this before. I grass 'em over and place cross sticks at either end to encourage the 'coon to enter. My percentage of 'coon taken with these is higher than when I ran boxes.
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Post by knoll on Apr 28, 2008 13:13:35 GMT -6
A few years ago I built a bunch and did some pre-baiting thinking I could rack up a good catch with just a few days of vacation available. I pre-baited with cheap dry cat food as it was easy to handle and it was still warm (Oct in Iowa). I had trails beat down like you wouldn't believe and was set for a huge opening day catch. Almost every 220 the next day held a possum, the sets that weren't pre-baited held possums too. I caught all my coon that vacation on sets that I slapped in quickly after removing possums all day.
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Post by jessmatthews on Apr 28, 2008 13:30:05 GMT -6
i started with square white buckets like all of you have stated, didnt catch much, so I made wooden boxes about 9x9x24" and the back of the box is see through with wire mesh so the coon can see what he is after and that helped my catch a lot compared to them no good buckets.
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Post by bill1306 (Phil) on Apr 28, 2008 14:07:22 GMT -6
On the backs of all of my boxes I use hardware cloth (1/4 hail screen). This allows the bait or lure to smell up the area. I also agree that the ability for the animal to see through the boxes will make the animals less cautious to enter the boxes. Years ago I tried buckets and had lots of refusals. I also prefer to set the triggers off to one side of the trap, this makes the opening look less dangerous for the animal to enter. Move the triggers to the middle of the trap will cause refusals. One of the things I have learned over the years, is if you are getting refusals, there is a reason, figure out why your getting the refusals. I have set four or five boxes really close to each other and placed the triggers in the doors of the boxes differently to determine which trigger set up works the best. The same thing with using bait. When I tried dried cat food, tree rats and grinners liked it the best and the skunks and coons would just walk by it.
Steve you might be on to something when it comes to food on our coons. Again most of the coons in the country where I trap are a long way from water. Around streams there are always dead fish or crawdads for the coons to eat. Most of our coons are grain fed. All year long they eat corn or milo. One of the food sources, the coons use, are deer feeders that hunters and guides have. Around deer feeders the coons really like to eat corn, but they will run into a box, with fresh fish for bait, and give up their pajamas. lol
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Post by thebeav2 on Apr 28, 2008 16:48:23 GMT -6
I have used wire cages as cubbies I have used the types of enclosures Mike uses None work for me. Well they all catch some coon but they also miss a lot of coon do to refusals. All my wooden body grip boxes have wire on the backs They still don't work on coon. When i built them I made them for fisher trapping. And they did work for that. It must be a local thing.
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