IS IT POSSIBLE TO SETUP A DRONWNING RIG FOR COONS?

yes, a simple drowning rig can be made easily if you have deep enough water near your set.

You will need a one way sliding lock,wire(also can use cable or rods),and two stakes or a weight and one stake.
Basicly you stretch a wire (#11 works good) from your stake by your set to a stake or heavy weight in deep water,with your one way slider on the wire so that it will slide toward the deep water with you trap affixed to the slider. Make your set at waters edge when coon gets into the trap he will move around and pull the trap,slider and himself down the wire into the deep water and will not be able to go back,therefore humanely dispacthing him quickly.

#2 you can also use a longer chain or wire on your trap and stake at the set also put another stake in deep water inside the circle the trapped raccoon can reach so when he's moving around he tangles the trap wire/chain around the extra stake in deep water and will drown quickly. This works as long as there is nothing else inside the catch circle for the animal to get tangled on except what you want them to.

Check the archives on this site I think there is info in them that you will find useful!!!!!!

How deep does the water have to be?

18 " should be good if you attach the slider close to the trap that should give you a comfortable margin of error,of course deeper is better!

Is a #11/2 coil spring good for coons?

one in good shape with strong spring is perfect!!

Is there a certain type of bait to use for coons?I was thinking sardines or should I use a comercial bait?

even if you make a slide at a set where there isn't deep enough water, you can still make the slide angling down stream to pull the coons away from your set and keep you from doing a whole lot of work to remake it......and you only need water just high shin deep to drown a coon, especially if you use a 1.5 coil with a short chain, they are heavy and the coon will tire trying to keep his head above water, but if you are in moving water, always angle down stream to help the coon on his way....

if you want a good home made paste bait, take sardines, marshmellows, spoon of peanut butter and grind it all up into a paste, put it in a jar and keep it frozen til season comes around, if you would rather a commercial bait, I would go with Dobbin's Coon Candy on a PVC set....

Set in water deep enough to allow for a back foot catch.

Thank you for the info.

If you have somewhere you can practice and Make a "mock" set, that would help when it comes time.... I make up drowning slides pre-season so that way when it comes time, just throw everything down and pay more attention to location and Quality....

I make these, take a piece of wood that is 1"x2.75"x16"-18", Drill a holed at the tip of one end of the wood stake, put your cable through it,put a washer on and then crimp a stopper on the end, then slip a lock onto the cable, then another washer or disposable stake...there are many different ways to secure the end with disposable stakes...I use washers because I can use them after pulled out of the creek bottom....

when making a drowning set, I prefer to make a front foot catch with a short chain, keeps their head closer to the bottom, in other sets, if deep enough, I set for back foot....

neat grahics coonsetter only thing I noticed from the pictures that I do differently is place my stake either under the trap or at the same level or below the trap. not above. usually out and away the distance the chain set up allows. not allowing a inch more of slack than necassary towards the shoreline ... this is just a habit I started.

I don't actually stake it above it, It was just for show, to show how it works...i stake mine beside or under...I usually use wooden stakes when I put the trap in mud or water cuz it'll soak up the water and expand.....

if it is going to be pretty deep, I will use one where I have made a loop on the bottom end with a cable stake off the end of that....

also those PVC Pipes, I found, that with the 90 on the end is a great director, if you place it in the water, then a trap between it and land, you dont have to use Directional sticks, They also are good for putting in the Pasture around the edges for fox, the white pvc is an awesome EYE grabber...