How long should the chain be for coons? I got a few drags for coons I am going to use this yr. I have a few places I want the coon out of sight.

Oh, they will be out of sight alright and most likely out of reach too. You might want to rethinknthe drag. Use a slide like on beaver sets maybe but I would advise against drags.

Yep Climbers and Hole seekers they are. The force is strong within them.

3-4’ of chain on a cheap fox grapple in this area of the world works fantastic. Prehook the drag in brush and they will just hide themselves.

I’ve always found it much easier to use clogs instead of drags for coons. I do a lot of trapping on public land river trapping and just look for a log about 3 inches in diameter and 6’ long. Seems to get the coons out of sight but never farther than 15-20 yards. They also can’t drag the clog up an tree; the same cannot be said about a drag.

good thinking ^^

Hi and thanks. I have always use limbs off good size trees. They dont go far. I was going to try fox drags with 5 ft of chain. I always pre hook my drags around a tree so they cant go far. That's how I do my Bobcats and coyotes on drags.

Good common sense method right there. Thanks for sharing. This will help out some newbie. Actually can work well for coyote, fox, and fisher as well if in the woods. Lots of time I will add a clog to a long chain and grapple.

How do you attach to the clog? I have used fence staples for coon traps but curious as to what you do.

Green Bay - how long of fence staples you use?

They are1.5".

Brian

Growing up I never had a medal drag to use. I always use good size limbs. Find them anywhere. Make sure there solid . I used them on cats coyotes fox and coons. I tie it about 1 ft to 1 1/2 ft from end. They will hang up good.

I typically wire my coon traps to the clogs when I do it. 4 foot of chain with 6 swivel points, then wire to a clog. Haven’t lost a coon to any broken wire, and even pinched an otter last season that was waiting for me in the morning.

Drags are meant for grass land, imo, the woods is chock full of good clogs that don't have to be hauled around, I like to pass the chain around the clog twice, so that it binds, and wire it back to itself in a way that the wire is not taking the primary strain but just keeping the chain tightly in place. I use doubled haywire. If only tie wire is available use 14ga rather than 16 ga or triple it. When using wire it is important that you do not over twist it while tightening it one twist too many will cause a broken wire from the stress and heat of binding against itself. The other important thing about wire is to never use it in a way that lets the animal put any twist in it. Twist kills wire. Position the chain about 25% of the clog length so that the clog drags at an angle. 5' of chain is enough with a clog, I think. I use ~10' with a drag.

We could use a pictorial around here of how to and how not to use cable and wire.
Many pros will say not to even use wire but truth is, thousands of feet of "trapping wire" sold annually.

Says the guy (me) with no picture skills lol.

True story: I
t was late December and things were frozen up so hard you could not drive a stake. I saw where these coon were coming up from a big ravine with lots of den trees into a corn field across the road. I had an old truck rotor I was using as a drag because I could set the dp stake into the hole in the rotor. I found that coon and rotor almost a section away as it drug that thing on hard ground through all kinds of dead falls and terrain not fit to travel. I stake or forget it now. Wire is a sin on my line also. LLL

Well I'm not going to be running around looking for or cutting large branches and dragging them to my coon locations. At least not for $8.00 coon.

They want size now beav. Color doesn't matter any more so your school bus colors wont hurt their value. I caught some of the ugliest coon in my life in Northern WI. Just saying... LLL

I hate very few things, wire is one. Especially on the trapline. My adage for trapping, if it can break it will!! You may trap 100 coon without a problem but trust me you will. Most coon only go 6 feet but then there's climbers, and the marathoners that go way to far LOL. Iv'e had coon go up trees and go a long ways with 8 foot of chain and a grapple.


LL spot on, 3x and up, color isn't the focus. Prime and big is!

I hear that.