I take very few coon trapping pictures as I worry about carrying the digital camera when rolling hard after coon. My hands are always muddy and wet, etc, so I have taken no good coon set photos.

Coon can be taken in big numbers with very simple sets, and frankly most people make more work out of it than they need to. Trap placement in water sets is not rocket science either. Just keep in mind he is likely going to be using his front feet constantly at your set, and any loose trap or chain that he can get ahold of will likely result in a flipped trap.

Most of my sets are slap sets and with the verticle structure of the bank or bridge piling in deep water I get hind foot catches, shallower water I catch them both ways.

Most trappers put more thought to the set type, rather than the coon itself, which is why they are unsuccessful. Read sign at the location and set accordingly, or you may not be on the coon. A simple slap set placed where the coon are will outdo a fancy pocket where the coon aren't any day of the week.

Found that out this past season!

k9 taught me the ropes of water trapping coon.

Find where the coon enters the water, take a smelly/sticky bait, smear on vertical bank, set trap under it, collect coon next day

I always thought there was more to it.

My biggest obstacle was convincing myself that water trapping coon isn't hard, as making simple things complicated, often handicaps one self.

I wish I could figure these river coon out. The sign is there and I think I am putting them in the right places, but I have only caught 6 coon so far on the water line.
My best set has been setting traps next to a vertical bank that has trails coming from land into shallower water. I squirt a trail of fish oil from the bank to the water and also add a few guides to make them walk between the bank and the sticks. I have caught 2 sets of doubles doing this, but for some reason I can't get it to work consistantly.

no pics but some real good info on sets i thought of myself...
1. Find a nice tree where ya think a coon will pass by or travels by often

2. Find some stciks and lay on the tree pointing outwards and make a 2 walls one on each side of the tree

3. Take a #1 1/2 or whatever ya use to trap ur coons with and set it about 3 in. away from the base of the tree and bed it in.

4. Next take some P-nutbutter and maplesyrup mix it in a sandwich bag and take it and smear it on the base of the tree infront of where ur trap is set

5. Steple the traps chain to the tree...be sure to have extra swivel points on it or ull have a wringout like i did

I have caught a coon on it before so far this year and had a wringout

Another set i thought of myself is a well idk the name havent made one yet for it...lol

1. Grab ur #1 1/2,stake,trowel,and scent killer and head on down to ur creek/stream

2. Find a spot where coon will travel on the waterline thing

3. Make a bed for ur trap and take sticks and lay on the ground up to the top of the bank to form a tunnel type thing

4. Take ur finger and about 2-3 in. infront of the trap poke a hole in soil then take some crawdads or minnows and break them up and stick them in the hole stake trap and use scent killer if neccisary and ull have a coon in the mornin...it is also good for mink too!!!

Hope this helps,
Luke

Please Refer to my post about complicating simple things.

I am not a river expert like Dave P is, but I do know every river bank usually has a travelway up top that needs a dry land set. A snare or 220 on that high bank run. If I was hitting a river big I would set every waterway coming into the river with multiple sets. I would also set up any beaver or deer trails I saw coming down to the river, if coon sign was also evident, one side or the other so your trap is not being snapped off. I would also be aware of any brush piles or other places on the banks aboveme that would hold numbers of coon and look for locations there.

If a big enough river that permission is not needed on the bank, I would get out at every location and also set a high bank trail set for those travelling there, that might not get down in the water.

How'd I do Dave?

No offense redneck but you are thinking way too hard about this.

naaa.....i think its very simple ok ill sum it up...find a tree lay some sticks out tgro in a trap and hope for a coon....i like to be specific....i dont think hard....its impossible for me...i have nothing to use for thinking

o yeh....i alrady started typin the post before u posted that...lol..it took me while

I agree.

Here's a fast/easy/effective coon set.

You can see where I slapped the bait on the concrete culvert wall. Set trap under it.

Only got to trap this location for 4 days, and it had a coon every day. Who knows how long I would of kept that streak going.

Bait looks familiar.

Redneck while you are trying to find that perfect tree scenario you are driving by a lot of coons. Find the coons and make the set, don't try to find the set and make the coons. I agree if you find such a situation and want to you should take advantage of it. But getting on the coons is the key, and adapt to what you have to work with at the site. All you have to do is give him a reason to stop at your trap, and then he is yours.

A simple set that has caught me hundreds of coons through the years is the old tin foil on the pan set. Wrap foil on the pan of a number 11 longspring or 1 coil and set it in the ripples in about 2 to 6 inches of water. This works best if the current keeps silt from covering the foil. Put some fish oil on the bank and some lure over trap. I use this set at log crossings. Dribble coon lure down side of log and set trap in water below.
When I make my land dirt holes for coon I make it like a fox dirthole but I make a big dirt pattern in front of set. I think this gives the coon more dirt to run his hands through before he gets to the trap and keeps him from flipping the trap. Also all that dirt is added eye appeal.

The tinfoil trick is golden for me!! My most favorite and one of my most productive coon sets!! Get em by the front feet EVERYTIME!!

I still dont see what is so confusion about what i said...it might look like alot but realy its not...IMO

Have you guys really had that much luck with the tin foil trick? I have tried it several times before without ANY success. Maybe I'm doing something wrong... idk. Redneck I think what they are trying to say is that when you are lookin for the perfect tree you are also walking past other areas that could be set with different kinds of sets that are easy also and catch more coons doing it. You have to put your traps where the coons are.. you can't put the coons where your traps are (unfortunately). I am also pretty new to trapping, but one thing I can tell you is that you just have to adapt and set where they are..

just bed traps in trails and go no bait no lure .ive caught a few coon like that when i traped where they were coon.

i trap a liitle creek and i look at it all the time and i never see any trails i just see tracks were they walk the whole creek any ideas on how to locate a good set location

thats what im sayin find a good spot because u wont catch nothin on a bad spot

use the set i posted above garett for the creek/stream

you dont understand there all over not in one spot

Don't worry the coon will respond to fish. Use fish and you will succeed if you have coons there to trap.

CoontrapperD with your attitude you will catch coons. You have it figured out.

P-nut butter and maplesyrup mix and use...also add a marshmelllow for some more bait

If you bait it they will come

You have probably already seen this but the coon crowd along the verticle walls of the culvert as they pass through. Trap is attached to cement block, and bait is in top hole of cement block.



I have caught around a dozen coon and a mink in these two sets alone. They will work along any vertical structure like a creek bank or bridge wall.

That creek bottom is pure sand so I could not use a stake. Also somewhere down there there is probably a cement floor.

You may have seen this from the other day. These coon are both in slap sets, taking advantage of where the coons walk by the vertical creek bank in the water. Bait is slapped on the bank, trap down front. I have also caught many many coon here by just squirting fish oil or slapping bait on that big rock in years past, and setting in front of it.

Nick owuld you please post that picture of me you took the other day with the two coon? It shows some vertical bank structure I think. I just haven't taken many coon photos over the years.

Sheesh that was quick. The coon in front has his belly and a verticle piece of the bank that they were crowding by as they travel the stream bed, bait was slapped there, and trap out front. Can't see the bank by the other coon, but it is a vertical part of the bank that they crowd past. Think "pinch points" in any kind of trapping you do, be it coyote, coon, mink, you name it. Think in those terms and you can adapt to almost all trapping situations you encounter and catch animals.

Thanks Nick

"If you bait it they will come"

Young fella, trust me, you are trying to bring the coons to you, and you need to go to the coons. They will not come very far. Get on top of them and you will succeed.

No problemo Sheriff.

Try looking in the water too. If you pay attention you can see "underwater coon trails". Get out there and look! Some locations will just hit you like "Duh!" Make your sets and collect the coon the next day.

Is that my bait you got slapped on that wall there Nick????

Yep, the coons knock it off after the catch, of course, but that's where I slapped it. I mixed it with fish though and added some honey for some extra special sticky icky ness.

I wonder how many coons I could of caught there before it went dead. Coming out of a farm place with a few corn cribs and barns, and a nice stand of trees. Only water source within a half mile or so.

Next year it's getting 2 traps instead of one!

Good to see you catching some in the good old water. I doubled again yesterday in the block set pic above. I have lost count on how many coons I have taken out of there, but better than a dozen.

Any coyotes today?

Nope not even a track. This bad snow/blow we had all night holed everything up tight. Thought I would have at least one but can't catch them if they don't move.

So k9, a coon won't drag a cinderblock off to space? Is it good enough?

If they do drag it the yare not going very far with a block. Try tying one to your foot, and go in the shallow water, and sand. My bets you would'nt make it very far . The only problem I have ever had with a cinder block is once with a thin rusty peice crap wire I used to tie the trap to it, coon broke it off, nobodys fault except for my own

No they can't drag it and I use snare cable to attach them so wire breakage is not a concern.

That pic of the cinder blocked coons is great.Can't wait to use that one when our season kicks off.
On a side note,you think shad catfish bait would work for coon or do ya think it'd be to loud?I've used catfish blood bait before for 'yotes and it was deadly.

thanks yall i geuse the reason i wasnt cathing cause i was trying to make them com,e to me but i going to them next time

Any fish will do, loud might gain you some possums but I'd rather have a good stout fish smell than only a mild odor. Just stopped in to eat lunch and headed back out the door.

i use a dirthole in location in the nearest bend

On the debate over the color of buckets used, aren't coon like most animals color blind, only see in grey scale?

They are just jacking around. The blue bucket joke has been ongoing since Paul was a pup.