So, when do I stop targeting coon?

Serious question...seems like the last week or so, they're really starting to get active. Happenstance, or is something going on? They're the main thing I've caught this season, just don't want to keep going for them if they're not worth going for.

If you start seeing rubs it's time to quit

Around here they already have pee-burn. Don't know if you get them holed up enough there for that to be a problem

Every area is different and some years if the weather turns cold and lots of snow they will den early and come out during the warm ups. For me most years Christmas time the coons have started to go backwards. For me it is when they start to smell like rotten urine and their bellies get urine stained and that can be over a long time frame. Many times young of the year will be mobile longer trying to grow and gain some fat condition and won't be as further degraded as the older males. Many times females get better by late November too.

Bryce

They weren't worth anything when you started, just keep going!!

You win!!! As a correct of a response as possible.



Either warm weather or the rut starting will get the Coon moving this time of year.

Yeah, I get that, that's why I put serious question, lol. By the activity I'm seeing, I'd say rut is around the corner, at the least. Past few days all I seem to be getting are young ones, so, will the big boys be coming along, or are they gone? I know everywhere is different, but patterns should stay fairly similar. Just curious, thanks!

I'm already getting the bigger boars here. I would think so. So be well worth your while. Never gets old when you catching big coon.

Thanks, I've caught some good ones already, but new to how the coon rut works...I'll stick with it a little longer...just wondering if it was worth it to dig into the wife's tuna supply, lol!

Not just that. Idk how overpopulated you are in your area. But they are nesting predators. The turkey hunters will really like you

By now you are going to see a certain % of them that are rubbed, it'll be luck of the draw and increasingly more. Trap them until the % is higher than you like. For some its 1 in 10 other guys trap til its 50%. Like was stated they ain't worth much of anything anyway and the original purpose of trapping is controlling predator populations, not making money.

You didn’t say how you are catching them but if you want big boars put a drop of fox gland on the lip of your dog proof . But don’t use it if you are wanting to catch any and all coon .

about 2018

I normally keep trapping them until the season closes. I will admit, the amount of effort put towards coon and coyote decreases as I shift to more beaver and bobcat as those furs prime up here in Kansas, but I do not stop trapping coon and coyote. I would probably loose access to several properties if I did that! I have caught 2 rubbed coon so far, and that was before this current cold snap. Most have big to bigger boar coon so if the rut is not on yet, it is close. I'll bet when this weather moves out there is going to be a bunch of activity. With all the deer leased properties I trap, where I know no one else is bothering with the "lowly" coon, I personally don't think you could trap them hard enough. Getting the ones I am currently trapping I hope is enough to keep a population crash back. I sure hope the market recovers to even a $10 KS coon market, bc then I will go hard at them because I know there is a pile of them in my area!

Watching one of Grony's live fur buying stops in Iowa the other day. One guy had 918 coon. I don't think you can catch too many.

wonder what grony thought about that haha

$3 or $4 when you started trapping them.

$3 or $4 when you have to legally stop.

Kill 'em!

Done in Wy scratch backs urine stained and yellow backs which all adds up to a 75% drop in price they are now a $1 dollar average.

A few weeks ago here. Most seasons here they are done around 1st of year. We get about thanksgiving through Jan 1st for the good stuff.
Jim

I am an idiot ,what?

2016 or so

I scrape 90% of my coon and when I start seeing a dark stripe start forming just behind the ears and progressing down to the shoulders, this tells me my $4 coon are not worth taking anymore. In a great year, coon like this would get a downgrade to $5 or less.

Sold my coon last Thursday. Most were scraped and dried. Top of $10. Low of $2. Average was a touch over $7. The green coon went for $5 each. Dried skunks were $6 across the board. ‘Rats were a $2.50 average. Coyotes ranged from $40 to $10. I was very pleased with the results.

Who did you sell to?

That's what I'm wondering

It seems in our area, you can see a big difference by Jan 15. They are nothing compared to ones caught in late nov and dec. IMO