I checked 2 sets on my way out to deer hunt with my 10 year old this morning. One was an aluminum dog proof. It was fired laying no the ground wire pulled tight, fresh blood on the outside on the spring and on the rim none inside. Ground was not distributed at all.

I have had them fired before I just figured they were fired from the outside. I'm guessing maybe this one fired from the outside and got caught between the dog and spring but got loose without spending much time to distribute the ground?

I'm not sure. I Guess its time to add a box trap with a sweet bait to try to get this one now. Fur is an afterthought this is primarily trapping with my young boys and reduction of future farm problem animal populations.

We've had mice fire them (getting caught), then something else come along, and pull the trap(to get the mouse). what was your bait?

Canned tuna I found that the kids had put in the fridge and gotten pushed to th back.

Well then, I'm not sure...don't know if a mouse eats tuna.

Mice eat anything. Same goes for any other rodent

Sometimes on DP traps with a push/pull trigger ive had where I put in too much bait and as the coon starts digging at the bait inside it'll push the trigger with the bait and fire the trap resulting in toe caught coons. And it doesn't take much for a coon to get out if he has just a couple toes in the trap. That's my theory as I've had it happen a couple times in the past.

I thought about that but they are pull only. And I only put a spoon full or so of bait in. Never even level with the trigger.
All the blood was on the outside on the spring. None on the inside. I was at a loss and the only thing I could come up with was maybe it got a finger caught between the dog and the spring but I honestly have no idea.

Someone steal your coon?

Highly unlikely. Is in my woods 1/2 +mile from a road. I walked 150 yards back from my back field. My fields are fences and gated. And honestly if anyone wanted them they can have them. I'm no good at fleshing and as much as I hate wasting an animal wasting my time for a $2 coon. .03c an hour. My freezer is full if rolled up hides from last year.

Do you put any lure, bait or attractant that would be on the outside of the trap or on the external dog mechanism. If a coon started pawing at the outside etc. the trap could have fired and pinned a paw etc.

Bryce

Not that I noticed but my boys were doing the baiting so? But getting pinned was the only thing that made since.

Just reset, and put a Styrofoam, or paper cup over the top (i guess golf balls work too). I have not used dps until this year, and have had NO luck whatsoever, I've tried seemingly everything, but maybe I'm not on sign (with a million tracks everywhere)...Been sticking a marshmallow on the trigger, with some dog food over top, with/without a cup, and am getting nowhere (caught 1 in 5 weeks, with 6 traps). Seems like I'm hijacking your thread, maybe we can all learn together!

I have been using them for many years. I never saw a need for anything over the top of the trap unless its going to be pouring down rain all night.

PF if you are sure there was nothing caught in the trap, like the tip of a tongue from a fox or something, I'd say it was just a fluke accident as I have never seen it before.

I didn't think about that. Could be. There are some trails 20' away that lead into sink holes I need to hang a few snares on. If i get a coon with fresh damage the mystery will be solved. We caught one in a dog proof and in snares there last year. I'm just not able to keep from running out of daylight this week.

I have always had good luck with dog proofs. I like them because they are so quick to set my boys can set them by themselves and they work well. I have 3 different brands and prefer the pull only type the most but they all work. I have never covered them and normally just put a spoon full of mackerel or tuna in them with a small dab on the rim.

Had a 2-3x coon in the offending dog proof this morning. It had no previous damage.

The trap was not rebaited after the first incident becuse it still had some fish left in it. I didn't reset just dispatched grabbed and moved. In a hurry this morning and didn't take any bait with me. Didnt even check may still have been enough in it to reset. Darn just realized that.

I covered mine just to try and keep the mice/rats out. I'll get some tuna or something similar, and try that. Thanks guys, for the info, and letting me vent. Lol

To avoid mice, I only push about 1/2 of the stabilizer into the ground so they set higher off the ground. If they still manage to rob me I move the trap 3-4' down the trail, often that will buy a day or two before they find it again and if there are coons there you'll be catching them by then. I don't want anything on the top of the trap to hinder the coons seeing and getting to the bait. Also I fill the traps, push/pull or pull only traps with bait and put some on the ground, takes a lot longer for mice to clean them out and it works great for me, has for many years. Shoot me a PM if you want. I'll get you some more baiting advice.

The world may never know now. lol

Thanks ADC, I'll give all that a try, truly appreciate it!

We had another coon in that dp. It was held by 2 toes when I got there. It had hide missing over an inch up past it's wrist and had nearly pulled out. So my conclusion is the first catch in question had done the same leaving a little blood and empty trap.
It's not but a 2 year old trap one of the aluminum ones. Makes me question throwing them out now.