Shane.... that's the difference between southern trappers and northern guys. Animals down your way just don't have to feed till they puke in the fall in order to survive winter....so Bait is far less effective for the southern guys. Many northern guys would have a big and disappointing learning curve if they trapped coon in the south certain times of the year (I did). Made me a far better trapper though.

RV6....I don't do the crossed stick in front of the trap. I do a "V" on each side of the trap with one of the sticks touching one jaw edge.
I don't spend much time bedding. I set in the low spots. If you look at any trail you most likely see natural depressions where critters have stepped around a rock, clod of grass, etc.

Really good post guys. Thanks for sharing.
Mac

I just wanted to clarify that when I said I bed the trap solid I just make sure it is sitting solid. I am not packing dirt arund it and such beyond what it takes to get it where it isn't tippy.

I was thinking of just using about twice the normal length of chain and a 24" rebar stake for the high and dry coon trails, but when some of you mentioned picking up the occasional coyote, it makes me wonder if that would hold a coyote. Are you guys using disposable anchors, or cabling off to trees, or drags, or what??

You could add another lap link at the end of your chain, RV. That way if you're in coyote country, not hard to pound in another stake. I use rebar, personally.

Earth anchors weren't for me. Added too much time and maintenance.

Thank you for your honesty! I know when I trapped a season in PA it was totally different with bait than down here! They love too eat here as well but not with the aggressive reckless abandon I saw in PA and that winter i saw why. I'd say 90% of everything I catch here is blind set. And I have had 200 coon yrs. I know that's not big numbers in a lot of place' s but that's a lot of ringtails in my part of the state!
Colt

RV I use 18" of chain on the trap with a mid swivel (1.5s) if I stake I cross stake 18" rebar to hold yotes! But I have drags made up with 40" of chain on them j hokk um to the trap and pretangle or even wire too a tree or bush! That set up gives me options with 5' of chain and grapple on the trap! You can also use heavy chucks of scrape iron if you prefer that to the grapple. I also keep 5' chain extinctions too tie off to trees or bushes cable would work too! Hope that gives you some ideas.
Colt

I use earth anchors on land most of the time. They are attached to the trap chain in the shop using J-hooks. Way lighter and less hassle than rebar for me. I also carry traps without them attached in case I want to slide them are cable off etc.

Just curious why you guys use long chains? I like mine short. The shorter the better for me if I am staking solid or sliding. Less tangles and less lunge in my experience.

Probably my favorite way to trap coon. Corn fields, culverts, and other place where coon just naturally travel. And sometimes you get mink or fox. Not to mention grinners and squirrels, lol. I've caught way more coon in blind sets than other type sets. Just a matter of learning where to look for trails. It's a very simple form of trapping. Just traps and digging hammer, and stakes or grapples depending on the terrain. I lightly cover the traps with whatever is at the set. They are bedded, but not necessarily packed in. I still like my #11's for this type of trapping, although 1.5s are ok.

Shane if I staked everything I like short chains as well I use long chains because the rock around here dictates I mostly drag every thang! When rd trapping I like a long chain to get them off in the bushes or over the bank ! I fill they get more comfortable hidd and don't fight AS hard! And when I'm trapping cross overs or blind setting in water the extra long chains tangle the otter up good! So for me the answer is rock and shallow water is why I long chain!
Skinner I like my 11s aswell
Colt

I like short chains for most anything on land (coyotes especially). But all my 1.5s are set up for the water where they are used for Coon, mink and rats (uniformity and using ONE trap for all 3 is a great time saver...every trap the same. No hodgepodge of different traps). I have not had an issue with coon and long chain like you can with coyotes using smaller (or weaker) traps and long chains.

I LOVE blind setting for coons. Most effective method for me, in most situations. I tried different methods to tie off. When there are trees, I use 1/8" cable extensions. I tried lighter cable, but it kinks too easily, then becomes a mess from season to season. I prefer my #11's because they're easy to set, they set flat, there's not much room for the coon to chew, and they hold anything that steps in them. I put a couple sticks on each side of the trap to get them to step over, but not a big enough stick that they'll step on it instead. Lots of times I don't even bother with stepping sticks, or do anything other than take advantage of where the coon is gonna step anyways. Much easier and faster to figure out where they're stepping already, rather than attempting to move them out of their normal routine. If nothing is available to cable off to, I use a 24" rebar stake. I don't bed the trap, but I'll take advantage of a low spot in a trail. I don't cover with anything.

The DP is an effective tool, but it's more effective in some hands, in some areas, than others. Like our corn fields. I can set DP's on the edges of corn fields and catch several coons. If I set the trails coming into the corn fields, using blind trail sets, I catch more coons faster. And since I can buy two dz footholds to the price of a dz DP's (prices when I started}, I started off with a dz #11's and 2 DP's. The DP hype has kind-of died down due to the drop in coon prices, and the price has dropped with all the different brands now available. Still, it would be my recommendation to get, at least, double the footholds to the amount of DP's you have. Weather conditions can shut the DP's down, while the footholds just go right on catching. And they'll catch more than just coons.

Blind set on them smaller Culverts with a 1.5 Deadly.

You can also add chew guards on the traps if you worry about the coon able to chew under the jaws.I add some to my traps for that reason .If you trap them in water If you keep them in the water and no way to get them self out you will have them. You do not have to drown them as long they in the water they are yours.If this will help anyone.Also in the north doing this. they will die at time because of the cold and not able to get dry.