Baiting DPS

[trappnman]

I do agree with beav, that much of their use is visual.

When I first used them (before P.C.) I was using them in woods, and had zero success with the fallen leaves and fall colors. I finally painted them white, and immediately started having success- and agree, that after a coon or two they get a nice shiny polished silver so paint is unneeded

[thebeav2]

The point I'm trying to make Is I believe a visual of any kind Is very important In any kind of trapping. I believe, no I should say I'm convinced It's going to give you that edge and put more fur on your stretchers.

I'm convinced that you need something In the hole or In the DP to take advantage of the cuorisosity factor all animals have.

[trappnman]

I agree- you need something good in the hole.

as far as viuals, I'd agree they are important, more so with some animals than others.

I DO think coon can be very visual- a dirthole surrounded by leaves, will almost always be outproduced by one wher its a bare circle around it. same with a bare spot on a bank of snow.

but I also know coon have a far better nose than they are often credited with, and if they WANT something, they find it.

[trappincoyotes39]

Agree 110% location is it! Doesn't matter what color that DP's is, if you have it on location in the woods and leaves packed around them and a good bait down them you will catch coons plain and simple.

[Coon King IV]

Use the trailing scent like its free and the color is irrelevant IMO.

[thebeav2]

The whole thing boils down to LOCATION Be spot on or very close and you will put fur In the shed.
Trailing scents visuals a good tasting bait/lure a strong call type lure at or near the set will all up your odds on making a catch, Use every tool available.

[trappnman]

beav- how far, do you think a good call lure, will call in coon?

[blackhammer]

IMO trailing sets are a waste of time.Soaking up an area in fish oil to me makes little sense.A well placed call lure along with bait is a better option. A good edible bait in the dp a must.But there are more than one way to skin a cat. A call lure bringing in a coon ?I don't know 10,20 yards.Maybe not that much,I think their nose is better than we think.I'm just not sure their hunting behavior lends itself to them being called very far.

[thebeav2]

Not very far. That's why spot on location Is critical. I think when coon are on the move It takes a lot to make them change coarse. But If your In their face your catch ratio will Increase 10 fold.

[trappnman]

of course you will catch more if smack dab on THE spot..........

but thats different from how far a coon comes to respond to lure.

Nearest Squrrels to me, are 2 blocks away. I hardly ever see one in the yard during summer- but if I put out sunflowers- within hours they are here. So, obviously squirrels can detact scents from a fair bit away & come a fair bit if they want it......

I think coon have good noses, in fact very good noses- but they are finicky. Another example, is look how far coon come to milk sweet corn- miles.

I often see in winter where coon are on one path route, and deviate 100 yards or more direct to a set. I often can smell the sets 30-40 or more yards away on a good day so how far is a coon's nose picking up the odor?

I truly believe, you can call a coon a long way- IF he doesn't have his mind on other things. And coon are as singleminded at times as any coyote.

[Coon King IV]

That last statement is dead on the money tman.

[motrapperjohn]

Beav, back to the rats with lure. Had some beaver lure that some was useing and having good success with so I tied some on top of a stake In THE cattails, had 2 traps on the pole and took 23 rats in 13 days. Not once was it relured.

[thebeav2]

i did a small experiment with rat lure and visuals this spring.
I cut 2" pieces of 3/4" white PVC drilled a hole In the side and shoved them on my bait wires on my stools. I stuffed them with cotton dipped In Lennons rat lure and Dobbins rat lure. No difference In results between the two lures. BUT In this small experiment(10 set ups) the PVC caught as many rats as the just plain baited sets did. I placed one of each type set within 4' of each other. The best part of this experiment Is that you might be able to cut out the bait. I also placed both lures on my wood stakes without the benefit of the PVC and In just about 100% of the time the stakes were chewed just about In to by the close of the season. Wood stakes with out lure were not chewed on. The other thing I noticed was when I had a rat In the trap the PVC was In most cases pulled right down to the water. But this could have been do to the rat fighting the trap. So I sprung some of the traps at these sets. Guess what all the lured PVC was bent down and In some case where pulled down Into the water. This beyond a shadow of doubt tells me these rats were attracted and then committed to working these lured pieces of PVC
I also wrapped that lime green flagging around my stakes at about 8" above the trap. Had some chewing on the flagging but not enough to say It was attracting the rats.
But of coarse we all know that lure and visuals have no benefit when It comes to rat trapping so we are probably just spinning our heels and keeping the lure makers In business.

As to coon traveling long distances to a food source because of It's smell. I believe It's a conditioned response and not a long range odor thing.They know when the cherries are ripe same as with when the Mast crop Is ready and the same with the corn crop. These food sources are In the same spots year after year and the coon know this. They aren't travailing any great distance because of the odor Imitated from a sweet corn field or a cheery tree. I believe that's a bit of a stretch of ones Imagination.

[blackhammer]

I think they can locate food sources for a lond distance. A new sweet corn patch out in the middle of open residental land. A long way from a denning areas and coon somehow find it.They locate food sources and I'm sure smell is a factor.I do not believe for the most part you call them like canines to a dirthole from much of a distance.But can locate large food sources in some matter like they know it was there.And it's not memory related when they locate a new feed source.They will locate silage bags just about anywhere you put them even a great distance from their normal home area.

[thebeav2]

Coon are everywhere and they are not using denning sites during the spring summer or fall seasons. They are roaming everywhere.
If you have a small 200 acre farm and you have placed silage bags on that property I bet there are coon most likely In very close proximity. In fact most of those bags are pretty close to farm buildings and you know where coon hang out.
We have to remember that coon are everywhere they are In the storm drains they live and feed out of dumpsters In the middle of town. They hang around the Wallmart parking lots and the fast food places. If there Is a food source coon won't be far away. I still believe It's a conditioned response.

[blackhammer]

I do agree they are everywhere particularly in the spring and summer.More so than a canine there whole life revolves around filling their belly. I'm seeing a lot of roads kills right now as there really have to work for their food.I noticed in late summer and early fall as food becomes more available they tend to disappear for a while and I wonder where did the coon go.They just aren't moving much because there's food everywhere.

[calvin]

Beave, contrary to your findings, I found no value in that same lure in the spring. However, I pulled out before they quit hitting floats....and too many coon around to try it in punch in sets. I found a couple baits that worked better than others, however.

Probably correct on the PVC. Had a friend cathing rats in his coon PVC sets last fall. They like white.

[thebeav2]

We used carrots and apples didn't see any difference between the two.
We didn't use floats since they had to be covered and the stools had to be completely under water,2" rule on the traps. So since we didn't have a visual focal point for the rat to climb on to I think the bait + the lure was used to our benefit.
My buddy used parsnips and really wore out the rats. But his main bait was a short piece of popple screwed on to his bait holder. In some cases he used nothing but popple poles for his stools. In just about every case all the poles were chewed In to or griddle as high as the rat could reach by the time he left.

[blackhammer]

In may depend on the year with bait.The first year in South Dakota the rats were darn near climbing trees to chew on them.The rat chewing was so high you would swear they got on each others back to feed on branches.A friend who used just bait stools or platforms basically just destroyed rats even checking some traps twice a day.The last year out there they worked ok but the guys with floats did better.Less rats,more food or maybe a combination.I know that first spring in South Dakota I just about put the truck in the ditch everyday trying to hit rats.One Sunday morning in the town of Webster I counted ten road killed rats,one really nice one right in front of the post office. lol Man they were thick.Carrots were easier to fasten and a tougher bait and worked well.With the whole marsh smelling like rat glands I'm not sure lure would be a big advantage but I can;t say that for a fact.

[thorsmightyhammer]

If I had to chose one rat bait it would be popple like gary alludes too.

Problem is in my neck of the woods the beaver would drive you nuts.