Coon sets/water sets-pics

[soggybtmboys]

Ok fellas, I went ahead with the opening of water trapping here, I went ahead and pulled down my buckets out of the trees and got them right on the trails or next to the heavily used trails for coons. I am hoping this will start yielding some results. I also did a little more scouting and found some great sites that got some steel in them today. Here are a couple of pics with a description of the set. Fell free to give advice if I did something wrong.....second year trapping and first season targeting animals other than muskrat.


http://i192.photobucket.com/albums/z7/soggybtmboys/coontrapping003.jpg?t=1194743039

I didn't get my butt to the store to get pvc so I improvised and used a marshmellow on a stick and put some night bandit on it. This is a HUGE coon crossing going to and from the corn, the trail is 3 ft wide and littered with coon tracks. I threw in those logs to try and guid the coons towards the trap site, you can see it laying in front of the bait stick, it is a 1.5 longspring stoploss Victor.

Here is another pic of the same set, back a little. Told ya it was a big trail!

http://i192.photobucket.com/albums/z7/soggybtmboys/coontrapping002.jpg?t=1194743200



I found this den site which I missed before, took a peek inside and it is being used, but I think the occupant wasn't home. I am thinking it must be a coon in the bank here under this tree. I stuck another 1.5 stoploss Victor longspring at the foot of the hole in the water about 3 inches back. I wanted to throw a conniber here but was not real sure how I would get it to stay put, the den entrance drops right into the water and no lip.

http://i192.photobucket.com/albums/z7/soggybtmboys/coontrapping001.jpg?t=1194743257



Here is another water set I set blind as well with no bait, the coons are walking down this log across the creek, I put a 1.5 stoploss LS Victor at the foot of the log, cannot see it though.

http://i192.photobucket.com/albums/z7/soggybtmboys/coontrapping016.jpg?t=1194743414


Here I dug a hole for a pocket set, could not get it close enough to the water for a leghold, so I threw in a 160 to guard the hole. Where that wishbone looking stick is, I dug right next to it there, didn't snap a pic of that one when I was done, get one soon, Baited with sardines.


http://i192.photobucket.com/albums/z7/soggybtmboys/coontrapping015.jpg?t=1194743596



I found a great spot that was a trail coming of a high bank and a tight trail on the other side. I didn't take pics of that and will tomorrow, it set 2 legholds more 1.5 LS Stoploss Victors on either side of the trail where it comes up out of the water and left the traps in the water with about 1 inch of water over the pan.

So we will find out tomorrow. Gonna run my line early because I have to work tomorrow.:sad: I am holding off on Muskrats till I can get into the main marsh that does not allow trapping till after the close of duck season. Unless I find a good spot that is not too far I may go ahead and play with the rats. Good luck everyone!

[SNAREMAN]

WOW,that coon trail is well used.A spot like that need's to be gang set.Did you make more than one set there? I see coon's for you tomorrow.:)

[soggybtmboys]

Naa, I had thought about it, I will probably throw a few coni's in where the trail gets necked down some. I may throw another ls in there tomorrow. I sure hope I start hitting a few soon, just one grinner so far this season. But I am learning and trying to learn fast!:D

[USMCSniper]

don't you worry with territory like that your gonna clean house

[David G Duncan]

soggybtmboys,

You are going catch some raccoons.

The only problem I can see is that stoploss traps are not a very good trap to use for catching raccoon. They are design for mink and muskrat where the animal will be drowned.

Raccoon caught in a stoploss trap will fight the stoploss arm.

So you might want to reconsider use the stoploss trap in locations that target raccoons and stick with the 1.5 coilsprings or 160 conibears.

Good Luck.

Here is a posting I made a while back on raccoon water trapping.

http://www.michigan-sportsman.com/forum/showthread.php?t=159441

[wannabapro]

I second that the 1.5 stoploss would not hold too many coons.

You have a non-drowning situation due to shallow water, so here is my recommendation.


Use a double longspring (#11) or a #1 coil and rig on a slide-wire with as short as chain as possible. Either of these traps with precise placement would hold better than the stop-losses you are using and if you use a shorter chain than the depth of the water, the coon will get out away from your set location, and his foot will be under water where he cannot chew and fight it as hard, and he will either succomb to hypothermia, or will be sitting there quietly in the morning.

[soggybtmboys]

I went out early this morning before work at around 430 am and walked the line. Bunch of no hitters on the baited buckets gonna pull them at trap trails blind. Well the legholds with the stoploss produced. I catch and one pullout. Here is my first coon in the marshmellow bait set.


http://i192.photobucket.com/albums/z7/soggybtmboys/coontrapping004.jpg?t=1194832871

http://i192.photobucket.com/albums/z7/soggybtmboys/coontrapping005.jpg?t=1194833056

http://i192.photobucket.com/albums/z7/soggybtmboys/coontrapping006-1.jpg?t=1194833071

Decent size boar.

The double blind set hit one and apparently I left too much wire on it and the coon managed to get tangled up in a mess and pulled himself out and left me a small present in the trap. I think I see what you guys are saying about the stoploss in a non drowning situation.

What do you guys think about that New, newhouse by Victor #1 double jaw? I do not have any 1.5 coilsprings or #11 longsprings either. I have 1 3/4 Sleepy creek Coilsprings, but was gonna save those for canines. Like I said earlier as well, pulling the baited buckets and gona wipe down the triggers good and set them blind on well used trails.

Let me know what you all think please. Thanks

SBB

[wannabapro]

If your 1.75 coils do not have heavy laminated jaws, they may have too much clearance and may leave you with foot damage in the shallow water allowing for a lost/crippled animal. 1.5s may not be too bad. Try my trick of using a slidewire to keep him in as much water a possible. Shorten the chain to the drowing lock from the trap to only one or links and you may be able to use the 1.75 coils by keeping his foot underwater. If you do not know how to do a slidewire, PM me and I'll explain.

Glad you held one. I'll never forget my first coon. Weighed 23 lbs.

That was 15 years ago when I was in high school in Ohio.

[HunterHawk]

haha now your name on here makes sense:dizzy: that looks like very good coon habitat.... good luck and i will never forget after being frustrated last season with muskrat traps trying to catch coons... the 1st night i set out the 1.5 coils i had 3 coons the next morning.... they just kept pulling right out of those muskrat traps... and they fight like a son of a gun with those stop losses... save your pennies and go with the 1.5 coils.. i have bridgers that just came out like within the last couple years and they are dynamite.. havent lost one yet.... sure would like to get a fox in one in the morning to see how they do on those.. i would have to think pretty good... ill keep my fingers crossed :)

good luck soggybottom.... wont be long and we will be calling you coon trapper

[soggybtmboys]

Pulled the stoploss today after everyones advice, had another coon pull himself out of the same stoploss same set as I did the other day. Man you guys aren't joking about how a coon will fight a stoploss arm, it went bezerk! Should have seen the stuff it tore up!:yikes:

In place of the stoploss traps on that trail, I went ahead and put one 160 on the far bank same trail and fenced it in and brushed it in a little. Figured I would have them come down the trail and see the hole in the brush and funnel em into the trap. They really seem to use this one trail everyday and its not the one that is almost 3 ft wide. Small trail off on its own, but a coon or two are using it every single night. The marshmellow set I am gonna try that #1 double jaw victor on a slide that should keep the trap under water. Let you know how it goes, gonna pull my sets either tomorrow or Wed and set them out on the farm I am gonna hunt. Not gonna have enough time between work and kids to trap 2 location that far apart.

[THUMBTRAPPER]

I just use duke 1 1/2's for coon. They work good. You gotta watch because i have had the base's bend on my dukes. kinda cheap! #2 OS duke is a great traps by the way.

[Big Reds]

The dukes are cheaper for a reason. I took a micrometer to almost every part of a Duke and was shocked to find that most of these parts ver far smaller than the victor counterpart. The reason I di this is because I almost lost a critter due to him alsmost straightening the chain swivel on a duke. Not with the victors though! Needless to say I will only use a victor on my sets. You loose a critter AND a trap and it gets costly.

[soggybtmboys]

Well, nothing today and I went ahead and pulled my line as well. I will be done trapping that farm till after the firearms season. I will be putting out a few coon traps on the other farm that I hunt, maybe if time permits.

I have to agree, I really do not care for the duke traps. I have a few #1 LS dukes and they are ok for rats, but would not bother with them for anything bigger. The Victors and Sleepy Creeks are the way to go in my opinion, and they are made in America too! I really like the 160's I got this year...Belisle, made in Canada, I suppose that is better than Korea or someplace like that.:coolgleam

Ohh btw, I forgot to tell you guys. Skinned that coon out and fleshed him. Skinning isn't so bad, but the fleshing......WOW those things sure know how to put on the fat!!!!!:yikes: Took me an hour to skin, flesh and stretch him out. I sure hope I get faster as I catch more, otherwise I may be in trouble!!!!!
Do fur buyers buy green coon????????

[Windnots]

SB, some fur buyers will buy in the round. Meaning you won't have to skin, flesh and streatch. That's what I am doing now until I get my fur shed constructed. I would rather do it myself but I can't have all the snot all over my garage. Don't know where you live but there is one in White Lk (havn't used him yet) and one just North of Standish, J&K Furs (M65 & 23).

[mhodnettjr]

I just use duke 1 1/2's for coon. They work good. You gotta watch because i have had the base's bend on my dukes. kinda cheap! #2 OS duke is a great traps by the way.

The dukes are cheaper for a reason. I took a micrometer to almost every part of a Duke and was shocked to find that most of these parts ver far smaller than the victor counterpart. The reason I di this is because I almost lost a critter due to him alsmost straightening the chain swivel on a duke. Not with the victors though! Needless to say I will only use a victor on my sets. You loose a critter AND a trap and it gets costly.

these kinds of comments kill me:lol: I catch coyotes (toughest animal on a trap) in unmodified duke #2 and dont get my traps bent, broken or otherwise torn up. Dukes are a good trap!

[THUMBTRAPPER]

I personally love my #2 duck OS...they set flat and are heavy duty. My 1 1/2's seem weak and i have had them bend on me before. dosent matter what my opinion is i will still buy duck traps! they are the best trap for the money your going to spend.

these kinds of comments kill me:lol: I catch coyotes (toughest animal on a trap) in unmodified duke #2 and dont get my traps bent, broken or otherwise torn up. Dukes are a good trap!