My brother called me this morning all perplexed cuz he’s got tracks in the snow that go right around his dp with anchovies in it right on a main small game trail. It’s his first year trapping. I’ve read that coon/possum/skunk this time of year do not care about food due to mating season. It’s been below freezing everyday now and will continue until Tuesday. It’s his third check with nothing in 4 dps and 1 cage. My advice to him was to set a cable restraint a few yards down the trail in the case that the critter isn’t interested in the bait and to make sure the critter can pull the dp out of the frozen ground if he does get lucky. Do y’all find that coons dont care about food this time of year? Could the cold be keeping them from moving much? Can’t use footholds in NJ so it’s dps or cr’s.

Coons always care about food lol. Animals need to consume more calories in this cold. Coons around me are not out with this much snow and cold. When we get a warmer spell they will be back out and moving. I have seen coons that won't work a dp.

Love is in the air- food becomes a 2nd priority.

Yep . I find a dose of boar gland lure gets their attention during the rut , just as castor base lure does a beaver

For whatever reason, Coons will often ignore DPs no matter what the bait is or the time of year.

Snares or trail set legholds

Put a tiny drop of long distance gland lure like Hawbakers 900 near the DPs to make him spend more time at the set until he forgets about trying curry comb the countryside looking for stinky females and remembers that he is hungry.
Put some in the cage trap too.
I wear out coons during the breeding season with footholds set for fox in dirt hole sets.