For the 'coon: it's been cold and it's gonna get colder

[mustelameister]

I've yet to set out my winter "walk in" lines for 'coon, mink and 'rats on open streams and creeks. That's cause most of 'em are frozen over. The few that are open have few or no 'coon tracks. Now I'm looking at Intellicast for next week here in southern Wisconsin and I see lows of -16 and -12. This isn't normal for the "banana belt" down here. Been a dismal season: last year's drought followed by the June flood here resulted in few 'rats. 'Coon population was down to start with and at least a third of the 'coon catch were these runt 'coon.

It's dismal. I may have to learn how to trap coyote this winter.

[RdFx]

WHoa , Did i hear the lowly river trapper is going to match wits with the lowly YOTE?? Might as well use cables with those below zero temps coming.....when its real cold those yotes will sit tight and as soon as milder weather comes, they buggi around like coon do . Pays to be all set up and cables hung even where you dont think that yote will come thru.... only problem is whenever things are froze up the yotes travel the frozen waterways going up and down or across and it pays to have those areas set up at pinch points and also on pts coming out of waterways and set up like a bottom edge set but above on top of ice....works great.....

[trappnman]

misery loves company I guess- same situation here

I've never, ever seen coon populations so low- to the point of almost non existent

I too have several locations where I haven't set up, waiting for the creeks to thaw out enough to set up and have open water a few days.

mink were ok first few checks, but they too have seemed to disappear- did take an otter, and set a couple more traps on fresh sign last check

rats are down substantially but am getting enough, between the ice, to make it worth running-

but dismal sums it up quite nicely

dang thing is, yotes are most likely rubbing like crazy-