Water trapping is going to be pretty dead here for a little while yet and I still need something to scratch the itch. Was planning on running a small coon line of less than 30 traps and maybe running a few coyote sets. I have a lot of commercial bait and lure for both but was wondering if anyone has anything special they use. Coon especially, I have more lure than I do bait, wondering if I should just go buy the cheapest bag of cat food or what I should grab. Also, any other advice set wise for coyotes or coon would be highly appreciated. I can hold my own well when it comes to coon but I very rarely set any coyote sets and have never caught one before. Any special sets I should be doing for coon when it's cold out? I have conibears, footholds, dogproofs, and a live trap. I have everything from MB550s, Duke 550s, Bridger #2 dogless fully modified 4 coils, and a few other odd traps for coyotes. I can send some pictures of my coon lure/bait and my coyote lure/bait if that would help too. Like I said any advice would be helpful as I'm trying to show someone how to trap and not just wing it. Thanks in advance!

-TheYouthTrapper

What's yah got so faah ...how many coon..mink..rats..beaver...otter..?

Or yah waiting till they prime up some more ?

I've gotten

30 rats (1 of which was sacrificed to learn how to skin, the other must have got tagged a few times by other rats or mink because it was pretty damaged. So 2 damaged in total)

2 Mink (Both being tanned)

1 coon (Also being tanned since it was a rare catch, caught it on a 1.5 coil with a 6' fiberglass pole as the stake in a slough on a 'rat feedbed)

Was hoping to get on beaver before ice up but didn't get to it but will get them in spring when I can run drowning slides and rods. Otter quota already got passed a few days ago here in South Dakota so I can't catch anymore of them.

If it has iced up and you’ve got snow on the ground, put the coon traps away…get out the beaver traps.

$1.25 store jack mack, sardines, any kind of fishy bait, or grape jelly for a sweet bait, especially in DP's.

Not quite enough ice yet... I don't think. I also still need to cut some poles for 330s then.

Look in the archives for foundational information.
Much great info there.
Best wishes!

Amount of ice can be a problem….No need to cut poles…you’ll find more than enough peeled sticks to do what you need around beaver colonies.

Put some deep step down dirtholes on travel ways you know coyotes use. a junk of muskrat or beaver meat down the hole or any skunky lure

It usually takes a few days for coon to move much after a snow, but when they do trails become easy to find.

Go for skunks. Easy to catch. Most profitable and I've heard their numbers are pretty good up there. But they will den up when it's really cold too. Once you learn how to handle them you will enjoy trapping them. But if want to be a coyote trapper the only way to learn is to start letting them teach you. No secret sets for them just find a good dirthole to make and a flat set to make and learn how to catch them with those. Snares might be a good option for coyotes especially in your weather conditions.

S.D. coyotes get a lot of pressure. Your not going to get numbers like guys in KS do. Its why they all come to KS. So dont compare yourself to others. just go trapping. The more you trap the more you will learn. Yes sir gave good advice. Those big skunks you got have the potential to at least buy your gas. Usually catch a few around abanded farm buildings, piles of fence posts unused machinery, stuff like that.

Sir I’m not even going to start setting traps here until nov 30th and my line will be primarily coyotes and coon. You are certainly north of me so your animals tend to prime up faster than ours. Hammering coon is certainly an earlier season game but going for quality you have to wait until thanksgiving or later.
Coon do hole up in extreme weather, but I’ve found they are a little like us eventually they get used to the temps and move again. They don’t completely hibernate. My best coon are always Christmas coon.
Also watch the weather forecasts. You see a warm up coming go set ahead of that and sharpen your knife.
Coyotes are good during December. I know market stinks for them but again quality counts more than volume and take the time to put up the good ones.
Have fun and you can always PM me, happy to help out.
Jim