220 bucket sets:
Bucket sets are generally used to target raccoon. For trapping coon, you can go with a water set or a land set. However, I have noticed that generally the younger coon like to hang around cricks. When I set pocket sets for muskrat, I rarely catch large coon, like I do with a bucket set. So there are two reasons to use a bucket set. 1) to increase coon catch numbers 2) to catch larger coon. The bucket set is also fast and easy, especially for a beginner. You will need several pieces of equipment. This includes (for each set): a 5 gallon round or square bucket(sq. ones work best) , a size 220 (if legal) or 160(if 220 is not legal) conibear, a short length of chain or cable, and a stake(at least 25” long). What brand of trap you use doesn’t matter. I like Duke just because they are cheap. Square buckets work better because they fit the shape of the bodygrip trap tighter. Coons love to reach between the trap and the bucket if there is room to do so, which will lead to misfires. In each bucket, you need to cut two notches for the conibear to sit in. They should be on the rim of the bcket directly across from each other. Cut ½ inch wide by 2 inches deep. Tin snips or a hacksaw works well with cutting buckets. You also need to drill two holes in each bucket, on the sides of the bucket close to the bottom, so you can stick a stake through them and then stake the bucket sideways to the ground. This will ensure it will be really stable. You can also run your trap chain or cable to this stake. Paint the buckets black or brown, just to disguise it from the passer-by. Next thing is location. Find the coon travel routes and set where two or more trails intersect. Find out where the coons go for food, water, and trees, and dens. Corn fields with tree lines running through them or corn/timber are good locations. Corn seems to do better than bean fields. Set 10 ft off of their trails. Since this is a baited set, they will come to you. So you don’t have to get right in their den. Just set along fairly used trails. If there is good enough sign to set one bucket, set another 10ft from that. For bait, dry cat food mixed with fish oil. (1 oz. shellfish oil / 16 oz fish oil). Mix it in a 5 gall bucket. You may also want to put a few drops of fish oil on a branch nearby. You should also pre-bait. That is why this set works so well. Take some of the same bait you use during trapping season and put out the buckets with bait, but no trap. Keep them baited about 3 times a week for about 2-3 weeks before season opens. That way, coons and possums will make it a habit to visit your set every night. Then you will catch many more coon that way. Trigger configuration is something that I have not figured out yet. It is hard to tell if one works better than others. Watch these videos closely and you will see that these coons like to reach between the trap and the bucket and pull food out, which leads to misfires. After watching my trail cam videos, I switched to square buckets and square plywood cubbies. The plywood cubbies I make fit the 220 perfectly, but they are bulky to haul around. I put a small block of wood under the front of them to raise the front of the cubby up about 4 inches. That way the coon doesnt have to lay on its belly to stick its head in and feels more compfortable. I have yet to figure out how to do this to plastic buckets though. Spend the $150 for a trail cam that takes video and learn for yourself. I know if there are coons visiting my sets or not before I even set a trap in front if the bucket / cubby. Yes, i did catch a coon here the next night, but thought i better not include the video of a kill. These coon do not just come once at night, they come all night long about every 2 hours or so and eat a little at a time until it is all gone. They are at the set all night. In the last video, the possum actually walks thru the 220, sits on the trap, and eats the bait. The trap was still set in the morning. He's the luckiest possum i've ever seen!!

http://s201.photobucket.com/albums/aa178/kgruhn/?action=view&current=PICT0003.mp4
http://s201.photobucket.com/albums/aa178/kgruhn/?action=view&current=PICT0015.mp4
http://s201.photobucket.com/albums/aa178/kgruhn/?action=view&current=PICT0009.mp4

i try to only put the 220 in as far as it needs to be to be stabilized. a longer bucket would help though. the round bucket leaves lots of speace around the square trap for coons to reach in. with trail cameras, sooner or later a person can modify the set for optimum performance. this year im going to run my cameras at each set when i am prebaiting so if there is no coon action at a set before i even set a trap.

i try to only put the 220 in as far as it needs to be to be stabilized. a longer bucket would help though. the round bucket leaves lots of speace around the square trap for coons to reach in. with trail cameras, sooner or later a person can modify the set for optimum performance. this year im going to run my cameras at each set when i am prebaiting so if there is no coon action at a set before i even set a trap.

Some really great information by all!

Love the pictures and the graffics! Keep 'em coming.
This could turn out to be the best 'coon information anywhere written because it comes from so many valuable sourses.

But, it needs everyones imput! [size:14pt]Everyone who traps 'coons is a great sourse of information![/size]

LT, It looks like you have two profiles of cage traps for coons. Do you build them yourself, or are they available retail somewhere?

Guys I think you are forgetting one of the most important parts of the bucket set and that is the LID. A lid with a hole just big enough for a coon to squeeze in and he cant upset the trap and has to trip the trap to reach the bait in the back.
The slots cut for the trap springs are just wide enough to slide the springs in and deep enough to hold the trap un set. I have all my buckets set up this way and they always produce. No bait stealers or ever had a tripped trap. This is what I set when I have a coon that likes to dig up traps. NEVER failed me yet.