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.

Teacher, where would I find Jones' explanation of his trail use theory? I'd like to learn his reasoning. Thanks.

I had cameras on a couple trails last year before season. The coon were using them almost nightly. But, but, those trails barely produced later. Coon are where you find them, meaning, they don't stick to one food source. So you have to be where they are now, not where they were last week. Of course, if it's easy checking, you can afford to wait for them. It's a lot easier when it's a concentrated food source. Always check the big trees for droppings, even if they aren't hollow. But like others said, the best location is usually a travel route between food and denning areas. The dens here can be anything from woodchuck holes, to trees, to old dry beaver lodges, etc. I found a coon in a muskrat hut out in the swamp once. Of course, everyone knows they love corn, but you still have to locate the trails around the field. It might not be like the Midwest , especially if you have woods instead of farms. But you always have to look for sign.

big trees here would be white pines for an idea. We also have

Oaks (not many)

Ash (not many)

tons of maple

good amount of birch

red and white pine

Fir

Spruce can be big

fruit trees, not many back in woods but lots by roads and homes. Apples mostly odd plum and pincherry (size of your pinky nail at best)

Where would they den in numbers if not a tree? most trees around woods don't have big holes like cotton woods.

Coons will den in old buildings, rock piles, brush piles, whatever.

That's good to know. I wouldn't have guessed brush or rock piles. I would of thought up high but I guess most things den/nest on the ground

Any logging waste piles especially if they are large enough to be windrows are good denning sights in woodland environments. Any rocky areas with exposure for cracks and crags with be used but the key for your country is a consistent food source close to denning areas. Food is not an issue in the central U.S. as cover becomes the limiting factor for coon survival. ...........................the mike

X2 and in holes in the ground at times. Don't forget old cars, stacks of hay, scrap metal piles, dry culverts, and out on the wide open ground in some grass if it's warm and dry.

They leave pretty obvious sign if they are around. Look for tracks and coon poop, you'll find them if they are there.

I'd too like to hear where Jones came to that conclusion, I've never really studied it but that seems like a long time between visits from coons that don't have a very big home range.

I'd like to hear that too.

I have been to Nova Scotia. I don't think you have the coon numbers to get a lot of them. 1 good set here can take 20 coons. We have a lot of raccoons. I took 90 out of 12 sets on a 200 yard stretch of creek in ten checks. I would think 50 would be a good catch for your area.
Pocket sets are great and you can et mink and rats too
Trails are good

Your coon are going to want to cross roads. Look for brushy areas coming out to a point coming to a road that has a point on either side of the road. Look for faint trails that go across the road. Set these. Look for droppings on high spots where they like to defecate before crossing. Your rivers have more rock than the ones in the Midwest. You may be better off with rock cubbies instead of pockets in places. Less food makes for larger home ranges which means less coons too.

Can you road trap? If so, set every creek crossing and every dry culvert.

Love a great pocket set. Caught my first coon on one.

Like do a blind set coil spring on dirt roads? Kind of. if it's an actual trail we can't, but I would say if it's just a turn off or something no one uses it would be okay. We can't do conibears on dry land though