Hey you cooners. New trapper here. got a few in DP trail sets. want to try river trapping them here.

Coon opens Nov 1st and I don't see too many tracks for coon along our river, nor many in the woods when hunting but does that mean there aren't many? I know somewhat well how to locate buck beds follow a deer or bear trail etc, but how do I find a lot of coons?

It's been a big drought here, maybe biggest in history in Atlantic Canada (nova scotia) and riverbank is so dry unless you're right at waters edge it's not really muddy enough for tracks.

Should I just dig a pocket set and put footholds in front? How do I locate good coon areas? hardly see their trails in the woods

Do you have a game camera? Can you pre bait or lure? I’m asking because where I am you have to watch where you walk because you’ll trip over em’

I can't speak for up in Nova Scotia, but down there there are two key areas I focus on to find raton laveur, or as we say down here chaoui. First one is I try to find areas they are feeding and hunting. There will be sign such as tracks, scat and holes where they have been digging. Lots of times I don't see a lot of sign, but I know they are using the area. Second is I find trails where they are moving from a den tree or feeding area to feeding area. You will know they are using the trail as it will be beat down and very defined. Normally what they do is come out of a den tree and take a trail to where they hunt at, once they get to the hunting area they go all over the place.

If you can find a defined travel route your catch ratio will be a lot higher than trying to trap them in they hunting areas. You know they will be running around anyplace with water, but I would focus on trying to find those travel routes.

For areas they are hunting pocket sets will hammer them. On travel routes footholds and if legal in your area , its hard to beat a well placed 220.

We can do footholds on land if they are soft catch or offset. we can't do dry land conibears unless elevated in a box 5 ft.

I will try trapping areas near water. mostly deer trails, I will try some though.

We don't have cottonwoods for big den trees. where else do coons nest? I think once I learn more about them I'll start getting more.

For where they hunt riverbank pocket sets work because they are baited making them follow their stomach/nose when hunting? for trails they walk, but don't hunt?

Down here in South Louisiana racoons will nest anywhere there is a hole in a tree. Cypress, oak, hickory....any place you have a hollow, they will den up.

When they are traveling the only way I found to use a DP is put it in the middle of the trail. They literally have to bump it with their nose. When they get to where they are going they get into everything looking for food. I've found that in warmer weather they love anything sweet and when it is cooler they love fatty fish, crawfish, meat, etc.

Best advice is read everything you can find on the animal, how to trap them and spend the time in the field scouting.

Sounds great gunny. Thank you. I especially like the advice about seasonal diets.

I found when hunting whitetails and bears etc, I learned better about hunting them not from hunting videos and such (though they help) but from reading about their biology and lifecycle, habits etc. I think I will do the same about the animals.

I'm really enjoying trapping because I spend more time outside and learn more about the animals themselves.

Sounds like you have the enthusiasm. Now you’ll need to do the scouting. And YouTube searches. Iowa Coon Trapper>youtube. Or dalebillingsleyslures>youtube, should give you a good start. However, you’re in Nova Scotia and conditions will be different where you are.

I like DPs on drowners on stream banks. I also use a lot of snares on high bank trails. Foot traps and DPs are also great on high bank trails. You see, coon don’t always go to the water. Many run between favorite wet spots by running a trail up on the bank. And these trails will be used for years, by countless coon in the area.

Ron Jones of New Jersey, says boar coon will use trails about once every 12-17 days. Females with litters will use an area (trails) once every 7-11 days. So, you may not be seeing a lot of fresh tracks, all the time.