We’ve had what I consider an unhealthy coon population for the last few years Always some distemper in the population over the years but our coon numbers are probably the lowest I’ve seen in decades.A lot of the coon here den in the limestone bluffs in steam holes which I think get distemper in them and basically spread to coon over the course of several years and ruin the denning site.

This is correct
Natures way of re setting,when trappers arent doing the job.

Way less skunks here very few, hawk numbers are way down also past years seeing 2-3 per mile was common heck they might of starved to death.

i totally agree here this yr has been the worse i have seen for coon populations. trapping was low and calling has been even worse. up here alot of landowners poison coon too. i have found lots of coon dead in the woods this winter . we have lost a huge amount to distemper. i have never seen it this low in my area before.

Sign was massive around me this spring, summer and into the end of corn silage harvest. I had lots of sign old and new on my stream lines in early November, but there seems to be less sign and fewer coon and dead coon on the roads the last couple of months based on earlier sign. If coon do some communal denning and disease hits will most die in those dens or come out to be near water etc.? I did not see one dead coon on my line this fall.

Bryce

I still can’t figure how limits are being put on species more and more if hunting/trapping is reduced why draws on species that never needed them before? Is it the influence of the AR people being brought into the Game Depts more?

My catch is off about 50%. Most of the ones I’m catching are 2x,3x, and 4x. Nice run of coon, just not as many.
Probably came accross 20 dead ones so far.

Been talking about it over at Iowatrapperstalk for a while now.
I haven't been able to trap this year so I don't have any real knowledge about ti. Did have distemper here last year.
just

Been getting calls for sick raccoons over the holidays, none took me up on the holiday price lol.

But the one I picked up today at regular price was not distemper. I can't say it was rabies but if I had to guess I'd say rabies.

Five or six years ago the state was airdropping bait pellets laced with some kind of rabies vaccine in them. Just a few hundred yards from my cabin. We're loaded with coon.

Yes in NY. Myself and my friend also have remarked on an apparent coon decline this year.

Same thing on my 'line...very few coon but more possums than ever.

The telling tale for coon numbers will be this spring and early summer. If there are fewer coons we will certainly notice that numbers drop then.

Bryce

We have coon like that here regularly now get a call to dispatch a few a month, dnr said it was maybe some kind of brain worm / infection they spread to each other when the population gets to high. Don't quote me on the disease part all I know is I only ever touch em with them shovel I use to bury em

Coon numbers are definitely down in my area. Have not found any dead ones though like some of you have.

[quote=Tommyran]There's a kid in Iowa who has over 2,100 + raccoons as of now this season. No shortage there. [/quote
I would call him out, lol

It sure seems that way

Coon numbers are down here also. I found a couple dead ones near a water holes late spring /early summer and shot one in my back yard that was acting funny in the middle of the day. I have only caught 2 this year in areas I would have 10-15 normally.

Coyotes seem to be down also. I normally catch 4-5 on my property and have only caught 1 with a bad case of mange so far.

Nate, no need to call him out, you can watch him catch them every day. NextGenTrapper on YouTube.

The kid is for real, and an impressive young man. He is putting a hurt on the coon population the hard way!