Never heard of it.

OH MY GOD EVERYONE ON HERE WILL DISOWN YOU

Should of stayed quite lol

If you have 500 acres with no water on properties that are all near together, you may not even HAVE 75 coon on there to catch. No way you'll have 250.

You're going to be really limited in the number of critters you can catch until you can drive and spread out to areas further away from each other. I think with 50 dps you could easily catch 75 coon IF you had 75 to catch but that likely isn't the case.

Just being realistic.

Instead, you should use these years from now until you can drive focusing on improving your ability as a trapper and in catching all those firsts you mention.

This year, I would try to catch 30 coons. That's an attainable number, and more than you caught last year. I would try to catch that red fox, coyote, and skunk for sure. And then try to catch some more of them. Do you have bobcat and fisher on your properties? If so, by all means, try to catch them too!

Since you won't have high numbers of any critter on just 500 acres, you'll need to focus on more of a mixed bag approach.

I have 6 acres I'm trapping that has big creek loaded with coon tracks. And a another properties is woods with the same creek

Lake also!

Ok, in your first post you said no water so I thought you meant you had no water. A big creek and a lake will definitely mean more coons. Your goal of 75 is pushing it, but maybe not totally out of the question.

Yah I meant not trapping muskrat and stuff

Om the PTA thing you definitely
want the publication.
And be sure and fill in what district you live in
so they send you mail too.

It was best money and time spent when I started out.

I think that’s a better idea!

In fact I think you could even raise your goal on the red fox and coyotes a bit and lesson the raccoon goal a touch. Putting some extra effort in the canines will probably benefit you more and be more enjoyable too!

Raccoons are cool, but not as cool as a fox!

goals are nothing---
unless you set them high, very high, just about out of reach.

**A must watch** watching it again for the ???? time






From the Pennsylvania Game Commission -
Average raccoon population; "Population concentrations vary with habitat; researchers have estimated one raccoon per 0.63 acres of excellent habitat and one raccoon per two acres of good habitat."
How does the habitat of all 500 acres rate for your target species? And what percentage of the overall population will you catch while leaving seed stock for future repopulation?

Setting goals -
Be conservative with goals until you have experience. It always feels good to meet and/or exceed a conservative goal then it is to miss an inflated goal, set without experience. Once you have met a goal, you can always set a new goal. Avoid disappointments, and build on what you have learned.

Yes, join your Pennsylvania Trappers Association.
As a junior member you won't receive there publication. With a full membership their publication is included. Not being near Pennsylvania, I don't know what their publication contains. Just a thought, several trapping publications may be available through your library system.



Patience is the trappers' virtue if you did everything else right; setting directly 'on sign' and having the correct set for the occasion.
If it were me, I would contact my state trapping district director by phone or email, introduce yourself and ask about joining, what the district may offer as youth activities, and if there may be a members willing to provide some mentorship to help catching those fox and coyotes
I would direct you toward your Pennsylvania Trapping course:
Pennsylvania Cable Device Certification
I would take this course in person; however, to learn the practicalities of using cables restraints for fox and coyote. Another tool in the toolbox.

Have you already taken the PA trapper education course?