What would you do?

So got into trapping late last year and loved it. I was only able to catch 6 coons and was too late for any serious yote/fox trapping. I had big plans for purchasing equipment and taking vacation to allow for several weeks of uninterrupted trapping, work changed that by not allowing vacation on weekends so on so forth. Coon season just came in and I have that itch still but can't ethically set out footholds because of (dog) deer season till Jan. My question is I work a 12hr shift working every other Fri-Sun so checking traps after work at 8pm is a no go. So my trap in ground time is limited. Is it really ethical and or realistic to even trap? Keep in mind I must check every 24hrs and I have to walk in to set/check traps. Yes we trap nuisance animals so every one helps but the skinning and put up of fur for so little bothers me. I'd like to at least try and justify my kills with numbers or some pay?

We sell skinned coons for $20 and unskinned possums for $5 each...should justify your trapping in your mind at least. If you’re just after coons then DP’s should fit your style. Set them when you can check and trip when you can’t. They are a lot easier than foodholds with limited time.

Yea I only set Dp's for coons but I still have to check the traps every 24 which means I can only have them out 2 days when working. I have never see anyone in my state get $20 for a coon. Basically story of my hunting life for the past 25yrs no time, no where to hunt/trap, and a day late.

Got to head to the right part of town to sell them. I trap a guys place for turkey rights and he’ll check the traps before I can even get there and call if there’s a coon in the trap, lol. All I ask for is a pic and sex of it and I get to reset. A buddy and I sold $250 worth of possums to one guy last year. Think he was selling them for $10, but $5 beats nothing.
Coon and Possum are delicacies down South.

check your mail box

I have to keep my lines relatively small because of work and other commitments. I check traps at 4:45 in the am and then come home to drop them off and go to work. I skin and clean at night along with coaching football and wrestling and kids school activities it keeps me on a rail for a few weeks at a time. I usually run a line for a week and pull it unless it is still producing and then rest sort of for a week scouting and getting permissions for another line to run. This setup works for me. I don't have to check every 24 but i do always. It is just how i run things. Finding a niche way to run a line is part of the fun for me anywyas. Like others have said DP's can save you a ton. Especially if you can set them up on drags. You can bait and drop and roll on. Very quick.

Thedude, what are you using for drags on DPs? I like that idea!

I make them myself out of scrap but freedom brand has the small drags and then they have a hanger bracket they have made for their brand dp's. I seen that on a clint locklear video. myself i just use a small drag and throw it in the brush and hten stick the DP in the ground wherever i want it. I think my small drags are 1-1,5 lbs or so. nothing crazy.

Wow Dude, that’s about my schedule as well. Up at 0430 to run my line then back home to jump in work truck and be there by 0700. Off at 1600 to reset (if necessary) or just ride the line again to see what might have come in after daylight. Think the before daylight checks hurt some, but I still catch a critter every now and then, and even an occasional one on the evening check. I use cell cams also on some out of the way traps which really help out.

Thanks,
Thats kind of what I was thinking.
I've got some scrap I may play with over the weekend. Would sure be nice not to spend time pounding stakes for DP's.

I have a cable with a loop on the end that my dp will fit thru that is attached to the dp chain so all I do is loop it around a 2-8 inch tree next to the coon trail and set the trap. Very fast and lighter than a drag setup.