Looking for tips, tricks and techniques for DPs. I dont have alot of them maybe only 10 right now, but would like to know a few tricks and stuff for using them.
Anything is appreciated!!

Golf ball on top, or Mashmellow

Always gang set them. I tend to put in three at every set.

I use 2 at every set and use dry cat food. Sometimes with a little lure on the rim. Up to 5 dozen now but will be ordering another dozen this week.

As with all traps, set ON sign. Make it so they'll trip over the trap.

Set in the middle of the trail and have at it

And make sure they can pull the trap out of the ground.

Whatever you use for bait make sure it is something they will want to eat, so they will actually work the trap and get caught.

Anchor them with stakes or a lanyard around a branch, root, or tree so that it pulls tight when they pull on it. Anchor far enough away from anything they can get ahold of and use to pull against.

If you can't set right on sign then make a scent trail from the sign to the trap. Use fish oil or a honey/molassas/anise mix. Marshmellow on the trigger, fish oil or honey mix on top. I liked a little canned mackerel in the bottom under the trigger.

Put a piece of fuel line on the trigger so it feels like food instead of metal. A bit of heat helps it slide on and hold when it cools.

Don't let the stake attached to the DP freeze solid to the ground. They need to be able to pull it out and let the swivels work.

If there are cats around stick with sweet bait instead of fishey stuff.

Coons often travel together. Set multiples with that in mind.

Here's a tip: Set two on a trail. Then set a foothold in the middle of them....and watch the foothold catch most of the coon

I was releasing a lot of feral felines that made it clear they did not appreciate my help. I switched to sweet corn - with a little fish oil drizzle to get their attention.

Mixed fruit Gummy Savers! They love'em.

Another vote for marshmallows. The fruity kind. Admittedly, I am not even close the the same league as a bunch of the guys here. 30 is a good year for me.

marshmellow under the trigger.i spray liquid smoke on floating catfish food.sprinkle a little on the marshmellow. 2-4 traps per location.i cable mine to trees.make shure they are far enough apart that you wouln't get one coon with 2 traps!

Fill those suckers mounding full of dry catfood,dead center of a trail (assuming they are pull only triggers),nothing more needed really, I've played with a few things that are mentioned here, but I never noticed a real difference in catch %. Cat food is cheap, and quick to fill a tube. Dps in my opinion are a dynamite early season trap.

DPs have been around a LONG time. Some of my first experiences with hem were the egg trap, and duffers DPs.


I bought a bunch of both in early 1990s and realized hers a tool for right place, right time.
Pic of coon I caught in...1992, in duffers DP prototype I bought from him at NE fur harvesters convention.


Tricks Ive learned over the years. Coon like eye appeal. Coon like things that smell like food. Coon like to eat. Coon are reachers and grabbers. Can grab with all four feet. Stake for an elephant, and gang set (more than one trap at each location).

Stick it right under their nose, i.e. right in middle of trail.



I use cheap dry cat food mixed with molasses and I only put enough right up to trigger, I don't fill up the trap. Others do and maybe i should but havent yet. A little good smelling coon lure on lip of trap like caverns moonshine, Blackies midnight coon lure, hawbakers coon lure, any lures like that work for me.
Pic of my stuff ready to go this year. I made 2.5 gallons of cat food mixed with other goodies. Molasses works, dry shelled corn works, fish works, fruity smelling stuff works too. Trap coon like trapping coon. Variety of baits is good but not always necessary. Variety of sets and traps have been more important for me.



I haven't had a such success with fish oil as attractor but still playing with it. I dont think it tastes as good to them so maybe as a trailing scent its better. When I ran a lot of pocket sets I used fish oil squirtrd around outside of slicked up pocket and it worked well at water sets. For some reason not quite as successful for me on land I do better with sets without it.

I use golf balls on top of DPs sometimes, and sometimes I dont. Works either way. If mice steal the bait use the golf ball.

Main thing is set on sign.

Also, DPs are not always most effective tool. Ive had them walk right by a pair of DPs only to end up in a 220 or 160 a little farther down same trail. DPs are great but like any coon set they have limits. Coon can be finicky at times. Ive had them work dirtholes with fish and loud coon lure and sometimes they walk right by and end up in a blind set 160 just down the same trail. Point is trap coon like trapping coon and DPs are just another tool you can use.

Ive learned long time ago and especially in later season colder weather coon to alway mix in a blind set or two also.

Fishy baits work in DPs but also attract other critters.



I have brown DPs, and some ive painted white. They all work. Set on sign. Have fun. Eye appeal though, and scent, and stick it right under their nose. Then dont be surprised if you check empty DPs from time to time but still see fresh or new tracks by your DPs. Throw in a blind set and take those coon.




Jim

Great post JabNE.

Thanks for everything guys!
Amazing post JabNE!

I like Gatorade bottles to cover them

the 32 ounce clear bottle with the orange cap I cut the bottoms out

clear so you can see your bait , they stack , , the orange makes it easy to see them .

they are durable enough to hold up to several coon although they can get very chewed up even if they do they tend to be one piece yet and not a thousand little pieces of Styrofoam.

plenty of other things work , these are just continent and over the summer we go through a few cases of these bottles , just have to remember to save them.

Thoughts on push/pull triggers vs. pull only?

I've got both, but mostly set the latter.