Raccoon boxes w/6" high opening

[Beaverhunter2]

Has anyone been using them? Are you having success?

I'd be very interested in hearing how these things are working out! (and I'll bet others would as well!)

Thanks for anything you can share.

John

[mitch h]

john,
I have used them to clean some out of a barn, I used 2 at one location and had 2 coon in each one until I got 10! guess I shouldhave used 10 in 1 night!! a few of them were big ol boars, no refusals, no traps snapped, the only problem is gettin the big ones out of the box---they seem to kinda get stuck in there with the small opening and the recessed slots-- I'll try to get a few pics of my boxes.

[chucky22250]

mitch if you take pic of the boxes do it with the coon in the traps please

[Beaverhunter2]

That's good news, Mitch! Are you willing to share some dimensions? Width? height? length? Did you use 220s or 160s? Trigger on the inside jaw or the outside? I'm not trying to "grill" you, but you seem to have these things figured out.

Thanks for helping your fellow trappers meet this new challenge!

John

[mitch h]

o.k., heres the pics I promised.

these were just 3 of the largest coon I took in the boxes, sorry no pics of them in the trap! these measured all jumbo, and like I said, seemed to have no problem fitting in there. I did make sure I had the back and sides of the boxes braced though!

they were all caught useing 160's, and they were in boxes that I had modified from previous years, to stay legal!

one note---- in the regs it says "an opening height" of 6 inches or smaller. as you can see from the pics, all I did to modify them was to add a 1.5 inch piece along the bottom, I know in the regs what the picture shows so I took a box and the regs and showed a local conservation officer and asked what his idea of "opening height" was. He agreed mine was o.k.!

I believe you have less refusals if the coon has to step over a slight lip instead of ducking under a lip. just my thoughts anyway!

oh, and a final----I tried both ways, trigger in side , and trigger outside,







almost forgot, dimensions

side pieces 7" x 19" (with slots cut in)
top piece 8.5" x ?(depends if you want an overhang) this box was 22"
bottom piece 8.5 x 18"
bottom strip across the front 1.5" x8.5"
back 8.5"x 8.0

I used scrap 7/16 osb . hope this helps

[SNAREMAN]

Thanks for the pics.I agree that it is probley works better the way you have them over forceing the coon to duck/crawl under.Sounds to me like you did everthing/went out of your way to make sure you were legal.But,what your CO says is good may not be with another CO I say that because like you pointed-out,your set-up is differnt from the diagrams in the guide Maybe i'm making to much out of the diagrams,John,Mike, what do you guys think?

[19rabbit52]

Last year I tried some boxes like the ones shown and found them to be very effective. I used 110's with the triggers on top and inside. I also spread the trigger wires so as to make opening appear larger. All coon were caught around the neck with this configuration.

[griffondog]

Originally Posted by SNAREMAN

Thanks for the pics.I agree that it is probley works better the way you have them over forceing the coon to duck/crawl under.Sounds to me like you did everthing/went out of your way to make sure you were legal.But,what your CO says is good may not be with another CO I say that because like you pointed-out,your set-up is differnt from the diagrams in the guide Maybe i'm making to much out of the diagrams,John,Mike, what do you guys think?

Law only says 6 in height, so box meets the requirements.

Griff

[Blaze]

Here is my experience with the new bucket regulations. This was my first attempt at using buckets, I normally wait until the first of November to start trapping coon using primarily pocket and dirt hole sets. Anyway I made up nine (9) bucket sets in compliance with new regulations. I used plastic kitty litter pails for the buckets, cut the slot 8" back and cut the lids so the opening was 6", top to bottom. I set them 4' off the ground, and baited them with fish heads. I used #220 conibear traps. I run the line for two weeks and caught nothing. I have since set two (2) of the buckets on the ground and still have caught nothing in either one.

Just my two cents worth, I must be doing something wrong?

[SNAREMAN]

Originally Posted by griffondog

Law only says 6 in height, so box meets the requirements.

Griff

OK,thanks mike

[Beaverhunter2]

Actually, I have some bad news. This was clarified by MDNR Wildlife and Law Enforcement a few weeks ago. A diagram explaining this is in the current issue of "The Trapline".

That box does NOT meet the DNR's interpretation of the law (and since they wrote it- I guess they get to interpret it). The requirement states that the opening "Height" can be no more than 6". The DNR has interpreted that as being from the inside bottom of the box as the drawing in the regs shows. Also, for boxes with angled fronts, the measurement for slot depth and trigger position would be from point "C" on my poor representation of a box with an angled front. (The angling of the front didn't come through. Imagine a box like some of the mail tubes that is tapered toward the back from the top.)

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Mitch (and everybody else),
Remember, that boxes are only required on Public Land. We were able to get the Private Land released from these restrictions at the NRC Meetings last spring (before the proposed regs were approved by the NRC).

Sorry to bear the bad news.

John

[mitch h]

well, guess Im glad I set them on private land----anyways I'm very leary of setting any conibear on state land, just to much risk!

but, I'm a little confused. (doesnt take much) why would a conservation officer tell me one thing, and the law is another? looks like I might have to do a little talking to the local dnr again!

anyways, if I just move the little 1.5" strip from the bottom to the top, it would then be legal, correct? or---just flip the box upside down-- sometimes ya gotta wonder what there thinkin is!!!! like I said---I just dont play on state land----no matter what you might always be wrong.

[Beaverhunter2]

Internal communication isn't one of the DNR's strengths.

Yes- flipping it over or moving the strip from the bottom to the top would do it. I think having the box like you designed it would reduce the risk of refusals because the 'coon wouldn't have to lay down and scoot in on his belly- it could step over the strip. But unless they decide to change their "official" interpretation, I'm quite certain about the measurement being from inside the bottom of the box. This was discussed a bit at Convention and recently I confirmed it.

It really mattered to me because I trap public land almost exclusively and I used to use a lot of bodygrippers. I also have a bunch of boxes with no bottom (so they could stack together ala Noonan's Marten video). They are pretty much useless now. They aren't deep enough for an 8" slot and adding a bottom would prevent them from fitting together.

Mitch, sending you an email.

John

[mitch h]

e-mail sent back john,


I might just have to go set a few of these boxes now , maybe 2 at each location, 1 upright and 1 upside down. just to experiment and see if one catches more over the other, of course on private land

[mitch h]

oops, e-mail wouldnt go through?????? I sent you a p.m., John.