Trapping 1-square mile

I typically run all over the place setting what I consider the best spots I can get to quickly. Usually it’s 2-6 traps per location. I was reading the book One Square Mile and it sort of dawned on me (I’m old and it takes a while) that I’m missing a lot of coon that are going to be on the interior of that section. So, it seems to me that if I concentrate the heck out of one section at a time, I may put more on the boards. Is this mindset wrong or is this what I should have been doing all along? Other than possibly missing some family groups, can anyone see a down side to this?

Teacher, are coons your target?

Yes.

I have and read the book "One Square Mile" and it applies very well to ADC work or land that canines would always be moving through because it would never become depleted of fur, but for coon I believe you could trap a section out of fur by using this principle. While coon move around to some degree I don't think it is on the level of a coyote. By trapping the way you are currently you take the cream off and will always have seed for years to come. It also depends on how much time you have to check traps that are at one area or are spread over a larger area.

I know I’m missing a lot by just taking the cream and learned that about 10 years ago. Two farms that are touching but a mile apart (by road) killed over 75 coon with golden malrin fly bait. They told me that and i don’t hold a grudge, because they were protecting their crops. But I still took 13. Both farms contribute a bunch of coon every year. Anyway, I’d bet I’m still just going to scratch the surface and I want to do more than that. Gosh, THEY want me to do more than that too.

I was just wondering if others did this sort of intensity

If the fur is there, as it looks like it is, then set it up heavy and take out what you think the land will give up. You can always pull up stakes when the catch drops off so as not to over trap the area. If you are doing ADC work then take all that the land owner wants gone.

2X

If time is important (it may or may not be) find the areas where coons are feeding and traveling. Set those areas and all areas by which you need to drive. It's a time saver.

You can kinda do both. When I am trying to rack up a good number of coyotes I run and gun the easiest places to get to then when the weather gets bad and muddy and I have to haul my Ranger I will Hit the areas that are harder to access and set heavier and multispecies trap. With low fur prices your expenses will be lower by setting one area heavier.

If you're looking for numbers I think focusing on one section is a sure way to catch less coons. Here's my theory, even though they may have killed 70 some coons on that property they didn't do that in one night. The coons don't all line up, and run across the section every night. Why do I mention that? I look at numbers. You set 24 traps on 1 square mile you might have a shot at one or two families of coons that night if they run hard. So Best case scenario you're looking at 10 coons walking by your 24 traps. Now set those same 24 traps on 12 different square miles, and have a shot at 12-24 different family groups. I think I know which one will produce more coon, but I guess you can decide.

You do miss alot of animals if you only hit the best and easiest spots but in my opinion if your trapping for numbers, not predator control you are better off hitting just the prime spots and moving on to a different area, plus if u dont concentrate on a single area as hard it will be great year after year where as when you hammer a spot year after year it will start to show in the quality and numbers u catch from that area with some animals such as coon but for coyote it probably doesnt matter.

Thanks everyone. Your input is appreciated.

Let me clarify this a little. The idea of the square mile means several corn fields of 40-100 acres interspersed with wood lots, small creeks and tiny ponds, and grassy waterways. Light setting on corner trails, prebait sites, etc would be 2-6 traps. Heavy setting the area for a week to 10-days could mean 50 or more. This could be called carpet bombing, I suppose. In this scenario I’ll have permission from all land owners. But I know there are adjoining 1-mile tracts where my permissions are already limited. Thus, recharge of the trapped area will take place.

I know the middle of those corn fields hold little for attraction compared to the edges. I suspect a family of coon working one area of a 40-100 acre field isn’t going to be the only family working it. I found an 8 acre cornfield, surrounded on 2 sides with wood lots and a wooded drainage area that produced a pile of coon last fall. Based on size, I doubt they were from the same family.

I'm still going to say if you are after numbers, you will catch more raccoons spread out over a number of stops rather than "carpet bombing," one square mile. You mention up to 50 or more traps. No offense but even in the densest coon country in the United States I think you'd be hard pressed to kill 25 coons per square mile over night. Over a season maybe, but you're wasting your time with traps sitting empty over time.

Now say you set those 50 traps on 25 locations. Most of the time a 50% average isn't out of line on a first night catch. That's 25 coons on the first night. There's just no way you're going to catch those same 25 coons on 1 square mile of farm ground/woods/cornfield etc consistently. If you want to trap one location all season and catch 50-100 coons as you wait for new coons to move in go at it, but if I'm looking at numbers/productivity/cost/time I'd be setting multiple locations over a shorter time frame to put up numbers.

Guess you just blew that idea out of the water and you did it with experience to boot.

Thanks Wade

One last note. My wife, who is tired of my constant talk about trapping, suggested I do this one square mile approach next fall. Who would have believed it only took 45 years to convince her trapping was worth talking about?!!