People say coon are land and others say they are water. Which is the best location to set for them? I caught a few coon by creeks and water but never made a pocket set for em or anything like that

They're a land animal that visits water occasionally.

I prefer to trap em on land because skinning wet coon sucks. Find the trails is the easiest way to catch them.

I always liked to slide them out in the water away from hunters and dogs.

Every critter needs a drink time to time. I trap on water and away from it.

the Latin name for racoon, Procyon lotor

Lotor translates to "the Washer" they frequently wash if given the opportunity they use creeks and river banks like a highway

they will be found in many places but concentration with a water source around seems to be higher.

muddy coons are a Mess and extra work if your skinning

trails near water , near den locations are ideal for catching dry coon

water sets can be very effective as well and will catch mink a more desirable fur

hiding your catch under water while more work keeps it your catch if it is a busy area.

Coon are where you find them. They don't stay put, they move with the food sources. Early on, that might be corn fields and trails, later, it might be on the edge of the water. The only way to know is to scout the area.

I find a higher percentage of larger, boar coon the further I get away from water.

Both I trap them where they are. Easier to find around water because wet dirt leaves clear tracks.

Around here (Generally speaking) Coon start out more on land and in the fields where grain and mast crops are common. As those things become more scarce, picked over and tilled under, they gravitate "More" to waterways hunting creeks and rivers.

It's all about the available food in each specific area.

Around here during the rut there are MASSIVE (25+ Lbs) boar coon during the rut in the most random places

I look for trails coming from groves of big cottonwood and crossing roads going to corn fields and set 220s. Dead dry coons. I find the trails and mark them with a piece of brick so I can see them in the dark. Set the traps after dark and pick them up before daylight. Nobody exercising their dogs after dark and very little traffic. Can even trap culverts along state highways. Very effective way to harvest coons. And an occasional bobcat. Its hard to get on private land.

Most of their food source is in the water in the majority of areas where they live. Family groups are in the water a lot. Those big ridge runner males go to water from time to time but I have definitely caught most of my largest male coons away from water.

I do not like to foot trap them on land, they chew on their toes too much. Snares and bodygrips were the way to go for me. Although if I was trying to trap numbers of them today I would have a big box of dog-proofs in the back of the truck for sure.

Yes, during rut the males will cover a LOT of ground. But I am not setting traps in RANDOM places. Set traps on sign. In travel ways.
I trap both water and land for coon. I tend to catch more big males on dry land and more females and dinks in water sets.

Land animal and an opportunist lol garbage can panda

Look for tracks along sandbars on waterways & on woods roads and trails in muddy spots.
Check out the base of any large trees along waterways or edges of fields for droppings. Coon love to use these spots as toilets

I catch more “land” coon than near water coon. But that’s just are area. Set cams or traps and see what produces. Move more sets where you’re catching and figure out why you’re catching there.

^^ Yep, dead, dry, fluffy coon in 220's...This is the way.

If only conibears were legal on land in pa that would be my go to set using buckets

Body gripping trap is a conibear right?