Have any of you used them for nuisance work? I know that cage traps are the "go to" for coon problems but I have a job where a guy has had raccoon doing some pretty significant damage and we set out a few cage traps and a few DP's and the DP's have taken four coon in two days and the cage traps have taken zero. Have any of you experienced this or do you use cage traps exclusively? I know that footholds are a no no but I only used them due to the fact that I can completely hide the caught animals and I know the guy rather well. But had I not used them, I would not have had the success in that short of a time frame. So what are your thoughts?
Gumby

Obviously the DP's were good to use in that situation.

Maybe show a picture as to how the cages were used, baited, and set. Could explain a lot.

I agree with Kirk. You need to start with where everything was positioned, set and baited. If he put the DP's on a travel pathway with the coons then coming into contact with them first, I'd expect these results. Also, if the DP's had a bait that was more attractive to the coons at this time I can also see this happening. In terms of will a coon prefer a DP over a cage trap, the only way to know would be to set both almost side by side in the middle of an open area and use the same bait and amount then see what happens.

All traps were baited wit the exact same bait. The cage traps are bedding solid and staked, I have had one cage trap fired without animal in it but I caught that coon in the DP about 6 feet away. They seem to prefer the DP's as I have seen them walk up to one of the cages and then proceed down the trail to a DP. Still caught them and making the customer happy.

I had the exact opposite happen. Set two cages and two DP's with the same bait in both and caught the coon in the cages. I was surprised to say the least as we have a lot of people in our area catching coon in cages and releasing them down the road a ways. I figured the coon would go straight for the DP's because they were unfamilear with them. I have had this happen on two different occasions and still find it a mystery. However, I believe that if I had only set one type of trap I would have still caught the coons.

in many cities towns or villages it is illegal to set a dp coon trap as it is for all intense and purposes a foot hold trap and foot holds are illegal to set in almost every one of the above mentioned. the ohio regulations state that only a cage trap can be set within so many feet of a dwelling. so how many feet back are you?more than 150 feet ? utoh you may have just broke the law twice!

90% of my jobs are outside any city limits. And 99% of the time I set cages for the coon.

Mousie, I just read the regs three times and there is nothing in there about setting footholds 150' from a dwelling. I read the training manual and the revised code for nisance trappers just to be sure I didn't miss something.

http://wildlife.ohiodnr.gov/Portals/wild...on%20Manual.pdf

http://codes.ohio.gov/oac/1501%3A31-15-03

The 150 ft rule only applies to fur trapping and is under OAC 1501:31-15-09 section (O before 7/1/2014 and section K 6 starting 7/1/2014) whereas nuisance wild animal rules are under OAC 1501:31-15-03.

(O) It shall be unlawful for any person to set, use, or maintain any type of a trap on land, except a live trap, for the purpose of taking a wild animal within one hundred fifty feet of an occupied residence without advising a person residing therein. Persons trapping on land that they own or where they reside are exempt from the provisions in this paragraph.

(K) (6) It shall be unlawful for any person to set, use, or maintain any type of a trap on land, except a cage trap, for the purpose of taking a wild animal within one hundred fifty feet of an occupied residence without advising a person residing therein. Persons trapping on land that they own or where they reside are exempt from the provisions in this paragraph.

^^^^^^^^^
Incorrect information.

Eric explained it, the 150' rule is for fur trapping. But one can still use footholds, foot encapsulating and snares etc. Anyone within 150' just has to be notified. Unless on your own property,
.

Well, I still think the mouse brought up a GOOD POINT.
If you set a DP and didn't inform the NEIGHBOR(S) within 150 feet of that set trap, that you set...YOU broke the law !

So is that 150 feet of their house? Or their property line ?

That could be a violation quite easily as 150 in the city might be three yards!!!

He's not fur trapping. No laws were broke. I thought at one point the 150' rule was in the nuisance regs, but not anymore.

If you're fur trapping, then yes you would have to notify all parties within 150' of there residence. Residence, by definition is where a person dwells. Common sense would hopefully prevail and the trapper would let those know even if set 150' from property lines.

Different rules for nuisance trapper and home owner/tenants, doesn't have to notify anybody.

Pasadena,

It was referenced in the previous nuisance rule with the following statement: "Provided further, it shall be unlawful to set or maintain any trap outside of a building which does not comply with rule 1501:31-15-09 of the Administrative Code."

Other Ohio Opertors:

When you look at the current rule that expires on 6/30/2014 (option O from above post) you'll see that the words used are "live" trap while the rule that takes effect 7/1/2014 now says "cage" trap. As a DP or foothold trap is a "live" trap, it was still legal to use either a DP or foothold trap close to an occupied structure until 6/30/2014. Starting 7/1/2014, you can only place a cage trap within the 150 foot range without having to notify occupied residences while fur trapping.

Defining the different types of traps legal to use in Ohio was one of the reasons they updated the administrative code. If you look at the expiring code it says that you can only use a live trap, body gripping trap, snare, or foothold trap. There is no mention of DP traps as being legal or anything defining them as foothold traps. Hence, the new rule states cage trap, body gripping trap, foot encapsulating trap, foothold trap, or snare.

Also, note that for fur trapping there has been a change that requires a minimum of 2 swivel points for any foothold trap with an inside diameter jaw spread of 5 3/8 or smaller and encapsulated foothold traps set on land (this will include drowning sets), a minimum capture surface of 5/16 on any foothold trap greater than 5 3/8 inside diameter set on land, a maximum inside jaw spread of 6 inches for foothold traps set on land, a minimum of 3 swivel points for any foothold traps set on land with a jaw spread greater than 5 3/8, a maximum jaw spread of 8 1/4 for any trap set underwater, and allowing measurements of foothold traps from modifications plus other changes as well. You can read the new rule at http://codes.ohio.gov/oac/1501:31-15-09v2.

For wildlife control operators, the concern needs to be if division will change our rule to include these new requirements. For instance, starting July 1, 2014 it will be legal for wildlife control operators to set and use Bridger #2 foothold traps (unmodified) for wildlife control problems, but for fur trapping the traps would need to be modified to have a capture surface (which I still have not found a definition of) of at least 5/16". I know that division wants to update the nuisance rule; however, at this time I am not sure of what updates they plan to make.

Ohio Definitions as of 7/1/2014 http://codes.ohio.gov/oac/1501:31-1-02v2:

(I) "Body gripping trap" means a device used to capture or restrain an animal by the body.

(K) "Cage trap" means a device used to capture or restrain an animal that fully encloses the animal within wood, wire, plastic or metal.

(SS) "Foot encapsulating trap" means a device used to capture or restrain an animal with a trigger enclosed within a housing only accessible through a single opening when set.

(TT) "Foothold trap" means a device used to capture or restrain an animal by the foot.

(FFFF) "Nuisance wild animal" means a wild animal that interferes with the use or enjoyment of property, is causing a threat to public safety, or may cause damage or harm to a structure, property, or person.

(UUUU) "Relaxing lock" means a lock that stops tightening the snare loop when the captured animal stops pulling against the snare.

(EEEEE) "Snare" means a device used to capture or restrain an animal by means of a loop which closes under the force of the animal pulling against it.

(FFF) "Hunting" means pursuing, shooting, killing, following after or on the trail of, lying in wait for, shooting at, or wounding wild birds or wild quadrupeds while employing any device commonly used to kill or wound wild birds or wild quadrupeds whether the acts result in killing or wounding or not. It includes every attempt to kill or wound and every act of assistance to any other person in killing or wounding or attempting to kill or wound wild birds or wild quadrupeds.

(NNNNN) "Trapping" means securing or attempting to secure possession of a wild bird or wild quadruped by means of setting, placing, drawing, or using any device that is designed to close upon, hold fast, confine, or otherwise capture a wild bird or wild quadruped whether the means result in capturing it or not. It includes every act of assistance to any other person in capturing wild birds or wild quadrupeds by means of the device whether the means result in capturing or not.

No other houses anywhere close to being within 150' of the DP's.

Going back to the first question about using DP’s in control work. (Yards or what I call insight control work) They are great tools for the right places, not so great for others. I used them last season around houses for data that I needed for both the trapping school Newt and I give and for control work methods with them that I am writing for my state. There was not one problem. But I did not set them out in the open in sight of people. They were all in places that the coon can get into cover and out of sight. I have learned with snares or DP’s that if you give a coon a place to hide it will. As far as the DP as a target speieces trap, you can't get any closer. So with the DP trap, the problem is the emotions of the trap. A foot hold!!!!!! The 2 words envision legs being broken; toe's chewed off, animals running around with peg legs. Traps the size of bear traps. I turned coon loose out of these traps and some of the coon was caught the next night in a DP again. All coons when released showed no sign of damage other than a line and a little swollen. No limping and could climb a tree when released. Note; these were coon caught and hide in cover do not know if this is the same results as coon caught out in the open where the coon will fight the trap harder because of being out in the open.

In areas where the home owners have the right to do their own control work and do not really fall under any enforceable regs, there are going to be cage trap shy and smart coon. The DP is a great tool IF THE CONTROL AGENT USES THEIR HEAD!!!!!! The statement I use, "A good control person knows what to do before they see they need to do it" not only applies to methods!!!!!!!!! If the state allows the tool it is a good tool just as the killer, cage foot trap and snare. In the right place and time.

By the way the trap is classified as a Foot encapsulating trap not a foot trap. I know this is just playing with words, but in today’s times on the legal side word playing means everything.

Thank You Eric, I thought it used to be referenced in the Nuisance Regs.




The 150' rule does not apply to what you were doing. You are nuisance trapping, not fur trapping. You broke no laws by how you described what you were doing.

I set 13 on an ADC job this morning. Hopefully they will all be full of coons in the morning.

Mousie may have brought up a GOOD POINT LT, but no laws were broken.