couple of tips, if I could pass anything on to you from my experience with dryland coon trapping.
1.) coons are hard to hold. they have tapered flat feet that are rubbery and it takes a very strong trap to hold them. but on other hand, you don't want too big of a trap to hold them in either or else you will get "parts" in your trap from too high a grab on them. I like #11s for land trapping coons, but 1-1/2s are about as big as I would go for them if I had to use other traps. also, clear the area around your set as far out as the length of the chain+trap+body length of a large coon. reason is that coons can also grasp with all four feet. a hind caught coon can grasp anything nearby with its front feet and literally "power" out of your trap. Same with a front foot caught coon, too. since eye appeal is actually a good thing in dryland coon sets, the first thing I do is clear about a 4 to 5 foot circle around my set location of all brush, tall weeds, grasses, etc. right down to the ground itself. Then make your set right in the middle of this cleared circle. don't give them anything to grab onto to power out of your trap with. short chains on traps are also a big bonus, as are as many swivels as you can put in the chain and trap attachment areas. I center-mount my chains to the bottom of the trap with a swivel, then put an in-line swivel 1/2 way down the length of the chain, then the stake attachment is also a swivel point. total chain length on my dryland coon traps is only 10" max but most are less than this even.
2.) key in on that eye-appeal thing I mentioned. coons are somewhat near sighted and are also very interested in torn-up looking sets. mowing down a 5 foot circle is a great way to catch their eye. Then use a big dirthole. don't skimp on the bait or lure, either.
3.) coons are curious by nature. work on that curiousity, but never satisfy it. as soon as it is satisfied, they move on and lose interest fast. pinning your bait at a right angle in the bottom of the hole, so that it is hard to steal the bait, keeps them interested and moving their feet around over your trap location. liquid baits and lures also pique their curiosity. they know the smell says food, but can't seem to grab anything to satisfy their curiosity.
4.) coons can be finicky, too. mixing odors doesn't seem to bother them much, so if you don't get activity at a set for a few days try a new smell right on top of the old smell at the same set, and see what that does for renewing their interest. might have to do this to renew the interest in the one you pinched, too. they learn fast so that odor may get associated with a bad experience of the short period in your trap.
5.) check your sets often
6.) try fox, bobcat, or mink gland lures or urines, too. All of these are terrific producers for me on dryland coons as a change-up
7.) don't get frustrated, cause dryland coons will do that to you once and awhile. put some different looking and smelling "new" sets in next to the old ones, too. again, work on that curiosity factor as much as you can with coons.
8.) try a few blind sets on trails they are using. you can differentiate deer trails from pure coon trails simply by following the trail a ways. deer are big, and a deer cannot physically negotiate a coon trail. coons can travel deer trails, but deer cannot travel a coon trail where it cuts under thick underbrush, under fencerows, etc. and also look at the connecting points of the trail. food to water, food to denning cover, etc. will tell you a lot about the user of the trail.
hope this helps a little...
Jim-NE
