Coons are easy to trap with cages, but cages are a pita to lug around. Also a cage will allow you to just walk up and release the animal without having to get up close and personal with it and risk a bite/scratch etc. Simply remove the rear door to the cage and it's gone.

Is there any relationship to catching big coons and using similar methods to canines?

Most if our bigger boars come in coyote sets, well away from traditional coon locations, and late in season.
Any baits or lures for coyote, fox, or cats are interesting to coon.
We run a lot of DPs and 160s in trails near our coyote sets just to keep coyote sets operating in locations where we have a lot of coon.
Get off the beaten path a little more to get those big boys, too.
Jim

The best coon I ever caught were In fox and coyote sets a long ways from traditional coon locations. The other hot locations for great big coon are lime stone quarry's.

There must be - they mess up my K-9 sets all season long!! LOL

I don't buy into the "ridge coon are bigger, better". I think they are one and the same. They spend some time in the hills, then go to the water for a different diet. Ive got some scrappy coon in my canine sets too. I think the illusion is they are dry and not muddy (usually) in a canine set and look big and of quality.

Well the question is, not just water versus land, but where specifically are you catching them? You might be on land but right in the Denning area. In that case you're going to get little ones and females. Seems like the boars will sometimes hunt non-typical coon locations though. And that's all I got to say about that,

Bigger coon by location has worked for myself

In this part of the country momma coon raise her litters near water and corn fields. Food Is plentiful so raising those pups Is easy. By time trapping season Is In full swing those young of the year are still near water and living In those corn fields. While those big old boar coon are traveling the ridges and fence lines. Sure your going to catch some big coon In and near the water and corn fields. But for the most part the better boar coon are traveling around.

Caught the coon that has been raiding the bird feeder. Took him or her for a two mile ride and released it. Took off like a true coon. This fall we will see him again. They can really run fast.

Is two miles far enough? Bet he's back at the feeder before fall.

2 miles? I'd say that was well within his home range already.

How long does it take a person to walk 2 miles? 30 minutes? That coon trotted those 2 miles and almost beat Birdman382 back to the trap site....lol.

Whos to say he didn't head off in the opposite direction? I doubt coon go far every night, considering hes scavenging a lot and when he isn't hes layed up in a tree somewhere.

He could have as that "opposite direction" is still likely his home range too...

You got it. Last night he or she was back. So funny it stood in the grass across the road, could just see it's mask. Then it came onto the deck and walked past the slidder while I was watching it. Well this morning had it again and another one in another cage but it got out somehow. So I took this feller for a three jmile ride and let it go. It jumped off the tailgate heading for the tree's. This coon walked behind our cat within three feet and no fight. Sure was fun watching it watch to see if it was clear. Now of course it had plenty of dirt in the cage as well the other cage trap had dirt with a flat spot where it layed. So we will see what we have in the morning.

average coon home range is 2 to 4 square miles, but certain times in some areas can go up to 18 square miles (boars looking for love)..

Here in IA if you trap after the second week in November I will catch very few small coon. If you release small female coon at that time they will be the sows with little ones the following years. I am a water trapper and at the time crops are out of the fields they all are at the water. LLL

For the most part that Is true but It you have lots of hard wood forests and there Is a good mast crop some of those coon will never travel to water.
We also trap every lime stone quarry we can find. Great denning areas and once the young of the year are gone the large boars kind of take over the dens. This Is where we catch those super prime boars late In the year. They don't travel far but they are out even In late winter.

X2

Depending on the mast crop, big 'coon may be down to the water earlier this year since there is so little corn planted, at least in this area. Couple that with a late gun deer season, this might be a good year to spank the 'coon on the water. What will mid-November weather be like this year? Would love to see open water through Christmas. That and Guy telling us at the fall rondy he wants 'coon this year.

Huge floods then 10 degrees for three nights. Then deep snow followed by 65 degrees- repeat of last season. Ha!