1000 coons sounds good, when you say it fast, but take out ALL your expenses, don't count your time and figure what the per coon average is, and you'll still qualify for SNAP benefits...
You want to trap, that's great, but it's still a poor part time job...sorry, but someone has to say it, lol

In reality, there are only a handful of guys that catch a thousand coon a year.

Hemlock, I like your ambition, good thoughts and plans, like as already mentioned the most important item MIGHT be a big chest freezer. Ma' Nature and her goofy weather can be a curse for trapper with too big of a pile of fur, warm weather and restricted time. Go to a state convention and buy used quality traps CHEAPER and start freezer hunting.
Good luck!

Why not trap mink, they are lighter, pay more and you will still catch some coon.

Best of luck if that is what you want to do. I plant a garden every year. I can buy fruit and vegetables at the grocery store way cheaper than I can grow them if I figure my cost and labor - and I still do it. Have at it

why trap coon in this market ?
so why not use this as an example
you trap for 30 days using a $100 dollars a day in gas thats an expense of $3000
and in that 30 days you catch 1000 raccoons in todays market they average around $7 but only 30% sell and thats only the xxxl ones you would only take in $2100 and thats not counting for money spent on food for the day,the cost of new equipment ,bait or lure let alone if you have to hire some one to put your raccoon i know we all do it for the passion but long lining has come and gone i believe unless the fur market booms again like the 70s and 80s

To me the #11 are fine, the hold anything. But the target is smaller for their foot to fit into. they will work though. And keep it fun, don't over do it. Start next year as you learning year. %0 traps if you are in a target rich environment. You might be able to set in the morning before noon then have lunch and easily skin your catch. Let the coon hang for a day or two the flesh when you have a small catch. You don;t want too many catches your first year, you will get burn out if you get a pile of coon unskinned and the pile just gets bigger and bigger/ You know your limits, keep it fun......jk

Back in good old days when a man could make some money trapping coons it wasn't unusual for us to run a line with 200 plus traps going. Mostly 1-1/2 coil springs for pocket set and 220's in trails and boxes with several snares throwed in also. This was before DP coon traps were invented.

First, consider the value of Indiana coon. In today’s market, a $10 average MIGHT be a good price.
250 coon = $2,500 etc

Second consideration
200 baited traps @ 2 oz per set = 400 oz =25 pounds of bait.
200 lured sets @ 1/8 oz per set = 25 oz.

Third consideration
Cable stakes can be $0.50 each (you make) to $18 a doz. if purchased.

Fourth consideration
#11 used $5 each
#1 1/2 coils (used) $3-$5 each
Trap dye and wax or paint or dip $25-$100
Stretchers. I use metal and some wood based hybrids. Current price is $6.00 each

Fifth consideration
Family issues. There’s no way, outside of being single, to overcome this. Plus, personal injury or illness recovery.
Freakish vehicle breakdowns that keep you off the line for a day or longer.

Plus, what everyone else has written!

I envy your ambition and your energy. If you ever figure out how to bottle it, let me know. I’d buy it by the case!

I’m going dp’s for a straight coon line.

Welcome aboard, great first post for joining 16 hours ago!

He's gotta eat whether he's trapping or not,and you can always make your own bait

Something else to consider.

Deaver of Iowa, runs heavily with dogproofs and grocery store cat food. He has at least a half dozen chest freezers. He starts at some ungodly hour in the morning so he can be home for family issues into the evening. I think he pays a skinner, or, he has non-stop energy. Therefore, he’s buying Mtn Dew by the case=another expense.

He has a regular job which provides insurance and it wouldn’t surprise me if his wife works at a place big enough to offer health insurance also. Family obligations do play into trapping time, but they often have benefits.

Jeez,sounds exactly like farming

Don't worry about traps. Get a GOOD skinning machine first and a good pair of looping shears. Wack the front feet off first then rip the hide off. Good luck but small steps first.

Size 52 jacket...and size 3 hat...are bare minimum requirements for long lining coon

If it was me, I would run DPs on dry ground for the extra skunks and 1 1/2s wherever they conveniently fit in. Some days will be mediocre and some will be banner, have a plan for both. If you took a few pics and updated your learnings, many here would love to follow along.
Good luck

Like some have already mentioned, it depends on how hard and long you want to work. After one or two 20 to 30 coon days you won't have to ask any more advice. You better have a couple of extra freezers on hand to handle the load if it really comes to that.

You better start slow with reasonable expectations and see how you perform. We will all keep tabs on you this coming fall and see how things are rolling along for you.

If you have the coon and cherry pick your locations, you can run a high percentage on your trap to catch ratio when trapping coon. Set 50 traps and catch 30 - 40 plus coon your first check.

Anyone that thinks they want to catch 1000 coon in today’s market should see a psychiatrist. Especially if you plan to process your own catch…and you’d have to cuz you won’t be able to make it profitable otherwise. Even if you process your own, you will likely just loose less money than if you hired it out.

But if you insist and you’re dispatching your coon on arrival, one thing you will want to do is setup some sort of rack in the back of your truck that allows air flow and them to cool. If you stack a bunch of freshly killed coon on top of each other, you’re going to get green belly by the time you get home at night.

You’re better off with lethal sets. It will speed you up and they will be cooled off already. I always did my high volume coon trapping on land but if you are making water sets, you’re going to need a good way to dry them. Here again a rack that allows air flow while driving would help.

Well.....the Op hasn't replied since the original post.

I think his dream was squashed after reading these posts.....lol