Author Topic: first year (Read 491 times)

wannabetrapper · « **on:** November 18, 2003, 02:31:21 PM »

i just set my first trap.. hoping to get a big ole coon in it. around here they arent prime yet and i am supposed to go out with somone who has trapped before on thanksgiving break and i am trying to get one to have something under my belt. The place i put my trap was loaded with coon tracks.. holy cow. i used a dirthole set......... not pretty. and i heard that fish is a really good lure.. and the only thing i could find in my house was some tuna.. lol. would it work? i also heard that a gun wrapper and maybe a piece of gum would work because the cover is shiny and the gum smells alot. just something to ponder on :?

Wackyquacker · « **Reply #1 on:** November 18, 2003, 02:45:12 PM »

Welcome Wannabe

I don't know much on coon so you'll have to wait on someone who does. Glad to have you on the forum.

rascal (Joe Duncan) · « **Reply #2 on:** November 18, 2003, 03:26:41 PM »

Wannabe;
Welcome to the forum. My guess is RdFx or Boggy will answer your questions on coon better than I could. Wackyquacker and I aren't much on coon trapping (I manage to catch a few by accident probably) since he and I mostly trap possums and thumbs. WQ; don't go lying and tell Wannabe you never do that!! :twisted:

I do know that coon do have a taste for fish so the tuna should be a good bait. I have caught coon in dirtholes and pockets on everything from tuna to a fish flavored cat food, to sweetcorn oil and persimmon oil, to salmon oil and shimp oil or and other fish type oil. Also just for fun, I mixed up some lanolin, molasses, and peanut butter, and they took to that just fine. Caught them on coyote lures, fox lures, and cat lures. Also on straight beaver castor. Guess what I am saying here is that since coon an omnivorous and opportunist, they can be snagged with a large variety of lures and baits. I try to use different attractors at sets in a location. If I have 3 coon sets in a close proximity to each other, I will vary the smells that I offer to him and see which one he likes best. But the fact is that the first set he comes to is probably going to be the one he takes the bait.

Wackyquacker · « **Reply #3 on:** November 18, 2003, 04:22:15 PM »

I don't catch no possums, never!

Asa Lenon · « **Reply #4 on:** November 19, 2003, 02:28:46 AM »

Hey wacky, how about gila monsters, javelinas and armadillos? LOL! Ace :-D

Wackyquacker · « **Reply #5 on:** November 19, 2003, 08:43:16 AM »

Nope Asa, now of then either. I have this secret routine that keeps me from catchin all those non-target critters. As a matter of fact, I offer on the line training on exactly that issue...yep $500 and I'll teach you or anyone my secret :roll:

wannabetrapper · « **Reply #6 on:** November 19, 2003, 12:53:59 PM »

i have also heard that marshmellows work.. lOL (nojoke)

somone told me it would work..

ive been trying to find some real bait around here but i couldnt find any.. ill just use old fashon stuf.. we got some walleye and northern in our freezer but i dont think my dad would like if i used that good fishhaha

KYtrapper17 · « **Reply #7 on:** November 19, 2003, 01:35:22 PM »

Almost anything will work for bait on a coon. Tuna is good as well as marshmallows. I have caught them on both. This year I am using blugill fish cut up that I caught over the summer and froze. They are working real well.

Something to remeber is coons can't smell very well so use a visual set. A pvc pipe put in the bank about an inch above the water line with a coilspring set in front of it is a real good set. Also pocket sets, cubby sets, bucket sets are good. I trap most of my coons on water and these four sets are my main sets. If you have found coon tracks and made a good set right next to them, you should catch a coon.

Happy Trapping,
Zach Ellis

wannabetrapper · « **Reply #8 on:** November 19, 2003, 01:41:57 PM »

tonight i walked around my whole trapping area and.. there a TONS! of tracks.. holy cow.. tracks over tracks even. i just gotta practice on making some good sets and maybe a little beginners luck

rookie · « **Reply #9 on:** November 22, 2003, 06:11:35 PM »

wannabetrapper,
I'm still learnin but last year i trapped an old barn. I tried all kinds of bait and almost everything work;marshmallows, malasis, tuna, vanilla, peppermint and all kinds of things. But the things they hit more than others were the malasis, tuna and the marshmallows. i really don't know why they like marshmallows but i used to have pet coons and they would always favor the marshmallows over what ever else i gave em.

frozentoes · « **Reply #10 on:** November 23, 2003, 12:14:39 PM »

Welcome- I am also just starting out trapping. Listen to the advice everybody has for you. It has been very helpful to me so far. I have not tried the marshmellow yet, but plan on it soon. I wonder why they work, they really do not smell, must be the visual aspect?

rascal (Joe Duncan) · « **Reply #11 on:** November 23, 2003, 12:35:00 PM »

toes;
On the marshmallows-- I think it is both visual and scent. Although a raccoon does not have the nose that the canines do, they are very much able to smell much better than we can. Have you ever cut open a marshmallow and smelled it? It does have a smell to it.
I still like the fishy baits better. I recently put out ONE live trap for fun using mackerel only. 6 nights-6 coon. BTW, this was at a location where there was plenty of persimmon, grain, and other food, so I don't think the coons were starving. :lol: The coon can't resist it and it is cheap!
When the weather gets bad with cold temps, I will normally use the mac or other fish and add a good food based lure or curiousity lure. Good lures are compounded so as to keep working in cold weather even if the bait loses its strength.
But-- it is not necessary to use a "straight" coon lure. This morning, I caught a coon in a scent post set that was made for coyote and the set had only a coyote urine/gland combo.

wannabetrapper · « **Reply #12 on:** November 25, 2003, 12:33:50 PM »

i started useing beef liver from my freezer.. i set out 8 traps and NOTHING!

only one set off trap.. omg.. there are a ton of tracks compared to what ive seen other people trap on and i still have nothing.

I am covering the traps good and the chain and steak... so idk.

maybe i am changing too much so they know what is going on?