DPs vs conibear bucket

[CoonDuke]

If you had two guys running similar areas with similar raccoon populations...one used nothing but DPs and the other used baited conibear buckets. Who would have more coon on the barn wall at the end of the season?

[mustelameister]

I'd say the fella that was setting #160s in trails and moving them often. Why not set up a category for that and see how it goes?

[blackhammer]

Don't think it would be close CoonDuke.Buckets I feel only work well when the coon are extremely hungry.The only advantages they have is not having to check them daily and a dead coon.DPs in the winter however can become problematic in stabilizing securely and bait freezing.But if my fur check depended on it I would take the dps without doubt.

[CoonDuke]

I chose these two methods because a lot of guys consider them the "easiest" methods. We can't trail set here in PA but quite a few guys use conibears in buckets near streams.

My opinion is the same as blackhammers. I think a guy using DPs will catch more coon and have less "garbage" to haul around.

[coalminer]

Coonduke, ran bout 2 dz. of dp's this year really like that set up. As to the freezin issue, I got froze out at Xmas. Playing now, seems boliled out trap and dry cat food might be the ticket, still playing with that.

[trappnman]

you still cannot beat a foothold, IMO.

heres a question- how many set a lot of coon trail sets with footholds?

I know I set zero, yet, my experiences on trail sets on the otters, showed that is a tremendous set- and you don't even need to cover the trap fully. On the otter, I covered the springs (dls) but left the pan and between the jaws uncovered, and those sets took otter, plus COON too numerous to remember.

[braveheart]

The Dp's out preformed the buckets hands down.With my new bait and 14 in of snow on the ground .The Dp still shined no freeze and no mess.Had the Duke -Griz- and the Dagger.They just catch only draw back was a frozen trap from mud and water once in a while but got that all figured out.And a few mouse problems but I am sure that will be a thing of the past also. My 2 cents

[motrapperjohn]

The dps will win hands down against coni's any way you use them, especially with the buckets. And Steve, I am no expert but what I've seen and experiecned this year I would tend to lean toward the dps. I have got the frozen ground system built into the Dagger for this year. Its a slip fit that goes over a 3/16" rod thats been driven into the ground. One can pick up a 20' peice of rod for about $3. Thats cheaper than zip ties and reusable. Heck that, and the much lower price of the trap even the Beav might have to crack his wallet.LOL!

[Bob Jameson]

trail setting on active trails will net alot of catches of all kinds and when used with lure and baited set ups not too many animals get past a gang set up like that

[trappnman]

bob- I was waiting for that- what lured set doesn't take incidentals?

I used your arguement once to JC- and his answer was the same as mine-

I've never found a baited lured set that didn't take possums, skunks, etc and etc.

the arguement for dps is that it eliminates most incidentals- and its also the arguement against them.

but my point was this- dps for me outperform buckets, but footholds outproduce them.

and the trail set, made in coon country with a foothold, is no different than a coni or a snare

[blackhammer]

Footholds in water with all this snow on the ground are money.But I don't care how good you are or your leghold trap is .You will have misses and losses.With dps refusals.The question is,does one catch you more coon and hold than the other.I'm not sure.I have a small coon line out I put in Saturday.This morning I toed a coon in a Duke for no reason I can see.It just happens ,yesterday a coon escaping after being held for a while and a snapped trap.I do believe blind sets on coon tracks this time of the year work much better than pockets as far as getting a good catch on the coon any time of the year.If the coon are running every night forget buckets.I also think coon chew more later in the season.

[Bob Jameson]

Traps in general dont discriminate much. Dp's do to a degree no doubt but every trap has its advantages or its non selectivity aspect.

I perfer to use what is most practical and fitting for the best coverage of a situation.In many cases the use of a variety of devices serves best depending upon what you are targeting. Over all the foothold and snare covers many of these bases very well for a skilled individual.

But when you factor in speed and efficiency the Dp's are hard to beat for sheer speed,set up efficiency and multiple catches on target specific animals like coon when comparing to bucket type or trail conibear setups adding the bonus of minimal concern for domestic catches.

[motrapperjohn]

One thing that got a little off track is that we are talking Raccoon, sure when we are talkng animals the foothold hands down. One thing a lot dont realize is that a dead coon is not an attractant, in fact the coon will quite using a trail and start avoiding buckets altogether when they start seeing their dead buddies in them. On the otherhand a live coon in a DP will attract other coons thats where the gang setting comes in and one can stack up the #'s. I have used a lot of blind sets, conis, footholds, and snares over the years , but really had my eyes opened this year with gang setting DP's. And like BOB said the shear speed thet can be gotten out.

[trappnman]

you can for sure get an equal number of traps out quicker with prebaited dps- but in a winter line, or an ADC line, speed really isn't the factor, its the effectiveness of the set/trap.

lets look at it another way- if I had to catch 1 speicfic coon coon the fastest, for me, I pick a foothold.

I understand others would pick cages, dps, snares, conis first.

I too use them all-

[garman]

I will stand by my pm to steve all depends on the time of the year, this year I prefer buckets and live traps, live traps being #1, early conis in trails or dp's, then footholds and dp's...there is no sure fire year round trap IMO