I've never caught one if thats what your asking. Again a dog isn't agile enough to arch his back to get into the box. Remember the trap is also recessed 7" to 8" in the box. It has worked great in my area. I've never had a problem.

J

Duke DP

Here it is with a bucket,you can do the same with a box pretty much.I realize he was describing vertical but it is pretty much the same.

Here is a better description and more pics.

These are what we have to use in NY.

What is thought to be a big number of coons? Is it figured on number of trap or by how many days trapping them? or miles traveled on the line? what the largest one season take any one heared about?

I want to say there is a guy who supposed to have trapped around 4,500 raccoons in one season...
No, I didn't stutter...although I did when I heard it, I've never seen any pics.

I do know there are guys on here, one I've PM-ed a few times...who's taken over 2,000.
I guess these guys don't sleep...

Did not get much trapping done this year only about 35 coon...but put up over 500 for other trappers and hunters. Plus bobcats, coyotes, mmuskrat,beaver, skunk, etc..
Next season will be back to trapping again. Tom

Think of a 3/4 ton truck with 200/300 coons in it. Be a pretty big load! 4500 coons would full many truck beds up.

Nice illustrations !

220 bucket sets:
Bucket sets are generally used to target raccoon. For trapping coon, you can go with a water set or a land set. However, I have noticed that generally the younger coon like to hang around cricks. When I set pocket sets for muskrat, I rarely catch large coon, like I do with a bucket set. So there are two reasons to use a bucket set. 1) to increase coon catch numbers 2) to catch larger coon. The bucket set is also fast and easy, especially for a beginner. You will need several pieces of equipment. This includes (for each set): a 5 gallon round or square bucket(sq. ones work best) , a size 220 (if legal) or 160(if 220 is not legal) conibear, a short length of chain or cable, and a stake(at least 25” long). What brand of trap you use doesn’t matter. I like Duke just because they are cheap. Square buckets work better because they fit the shape of the bodygrip trap tighter. Coons love to reach between the trap and the bucket if there is room to do so, which will lead to misfires. In each bucket, you need to cut two notches for the conibear to sit in. They should be on the rim of the bcket directly across from each other. Cut ½ inch wide by 2 inches deep. Tin snips or a hacksaw works well with cutting buckets. You also need to drill two holes in each bucket, on the sides of the bucket close to the bottom, so you can stick a stake through them and then stake the bucket sideways to the ground. This will ensure it will be really stable. You can also run your trap chain or cable to this stake. Paint the buckets black or brown, just to disguise it from the passer-by. Next thing is location. Find the coon travel routes and set where two or more trails intersect. Find out where the coons go for food, water, and trees, and dens. Corn fields with tree lines running through them or corn/timber are good locations. Corn seems to do better than bean fields. Set 10 ft off of their trails. Since this is a baited set, they will come to you. So you don’t have to get right in their den. Just set along fairly used trails. If there is good enough sign to set one bucket, set another 10ft from that. For bait, dry cat food mixed with fish oil. (1 oz. shellfish oil / 16 oz fish oil). Mix it in a 5 gall bucket. You may also want to put a few drops of fish oil on a branch nearby. You should also pre-bait. That is why this set works so well. Take some of the same bait you use during trapping season and put out the buckets with bait, but no trap. Keep them baited about 3 times a week for about 2-3 weeks before season opens. That way, coons and possums will make it a habit to visit your set every night. Then you will catch many more coon that way. Trigger configuration is something that I have not figured out yet. It is hard to tell if one works better than others. Watch these videos closely and you will see that these coons like to reach between the trap and the bucket and pull food out, which leads to misfires. After watching my trail cam videos, I switched to square buckets and square plywood cubbies. The plywood cubbies I make fit the 220 perfectly, but they are bulky to haul around. I put a small block of wood under the front of them to raise the front of the cubby up about 4 inches. That way the coon doesnt have to lay on its belly to stick its head in and feels more compfortable. I have yet to figure out how to do this to plastic buckets though. Spend the $150 for a trail cam that takes video and learn for yourself. I know if there are coons visiting my sets or not before I even set a trap in front if the bucket / cubby. Yes, i did catch a coon here the next night, but thought i better not include the video of a kill. These coon do not just come once at night, they come all night long about every 2 hours or so and eat a little at a time until it is all gone. They are at the set all night. In the last video, the possum actually walks thru the 220, sits on the trap, and eats the bait. The trap was still set in the morning. He's the luckiest possum i've ever seen!!

numbers is a mind game that has set a lot of trappers back.
I DON'T CARE WHO YOU ARE . you can't catch 11 coon if only two is there.
now if you have very few coon and you catch 10 in that area that is a good number for that area but you can't catch what you don't have.that goes for any animal..

my point is stay focused on making sets and don't get hung up on numbers let them build up 1 coon at a time and then and only then will you see your numbers start to grow

Thanks for the videos. That was a lucky possum.

I use the square buckets, with similar cutouts for the springs, only I use a hole saw about 1.5" at the back of the cutouts so the eye sits better. So the spring cutout looks like a key shape. Without that it bows out the sides and doesn't seem as stable. I usually just back the bucket up to a tree and staple the trap with a fence staple to the same tree. I put a small log (stick) under the front to lift it up too, like you said.

I need a trailcam.

i have had very little luck in the winter with them.... but i think in the winter here they look for the big stuff that smells alot. I did have luck with the dps where i had a coon constantly reaching in and not committing to my boxes.

when using boxes here i use mainly fish gut and other scrap game parts and i give them a bunch they seem more interested in a lot of smell than a little smell i got way less walk byes when i used larger baits my two best baits used are fish remains and pheasant remains eqaully as good

i have had very little luck in the winter with them.... but i think in the winter here they look for the big stuff that smells alot. I did have luck with the dps where i had a coon constantly reaching in and not committing to my boxes.

when using boxes here i use mainly fish gut and other scrap game parts and i give them a bunch they seem more interested in a lot of smell than a little smell i got way less walk byes when i used larger baits my two best baits used are fish remains and pheasant remains eqaully as good

Like any trapping, much will depend on the location of your DP traps in winter conditions.
Trails that are leading from den to den will be your best choice.

great pics. post more!!!!!!!!!!!

Thanks LT GREY for this post ...it is wild to think this post has been going on for three years now... hopefully I will be able to post some info this coming up coon season.!!!!

agreed LT,
i have better luck in the winter with dp's than in the early season for some reason. settin em right outside an avtive den seems to work or like LT said on trails between dens. i use rat scrapings and pieces of fish in mine. only problem with that is ya gotta make sure its clear of the trigger. stuff likes to freeze to the trigger and it renders em useless. jus my 2 cents