If you where getting paid to kill nest predators ( coon, skunk, possum ) how would you go about doing it, what would be your strategy? What would be your fastest , most effective way to run 150-200 or more sets. This is Not fur trapping this is take no prisoner thousands of acres of Nasty nest predator bonanza. Bear in mind catching a possum or a skunk is just as equally important as a coon, so we don’t want to exclude any one animal. This is not water trapping, it’s rough, rocky, arid, hard packed and full of thorns. Would you use DPs, body grips, conibear boxes, blind sets? What would you use for bait, lure?

Id blind set every trail I find and DP or conobox the ones you can't blind set.

What about fox and coyotes? They are much more effective in raiding ground nests.
What kind of vehicular access will you have? Truck? ATV? On foot? This plays huge in your decision on what equipment you will use.
I would use lots of DPs for raccoon and opossums. Don't limit yourself to any specific bait. Find out what they want by offering several different choices until you dial in what they want.
I prefer DPs for this kind of work because I can make 3-4 DP sets in the time it takes to make one foothold set. It is a numbers game.
I use a lot of snares for raccoon and the same sets will catch opossums.
I use snares in the same areas where I set the DPs so that I have a shot at catching what turns its nose up to my DPs.
I can't help you on skunk trapping. We don't have them where I do ground nest predator trapping.
One more thing. Don't get wrapped up in worrying about protecting the actual nesting areas. Your goal should be overall, wide ranging population control of predators. These predators cover much more ground than what the nesting areas encompass. If you limit yourself to just trapping the smaller nesting areas, you will be missing lots of predators and you will fail.
Feel free to PM me for more.

Way I do it on waterfowl/pheasant production ranches is focus on the smaller nest predators skunk, coon with conibear boxes first. U'll catch most every possum that wanders by too. I don't have to deal with them here in MT.

Coyotes will nest predate for sure if they come across a nest, but they are more of a small mammal predator. Red foxes are serious nest predators, but if u have coyotes they will help handle the red fox. Cant speak for grays. Setting conibears allowed me a longer check time vs having to check with footholds/DP trap daily. If deer arnt an issue than snaring will take care of the larger animals. But be warned snaring trails in the summer will result in deer fawns if they are around.

Your best bet will be to get in early, prior to nesting starts and knock them back hard with a lot of sets. Then it will be more of a maintenance type routine. Once you knock them back you will find the funnels/corridor areas will produce the bulk of your catch.

I personally like to focus heavy on nesting areas as it cuts down on the amount of area I have to set....plus that's the goal...nest predation. I try to really knock down the core area animals while also scattering sets in funnel/corridor areas.

Cage traps. Though I doubt you own 200 cages.

Access is great as long as roads stay dry. So hauling equipment is no problem. Coyotes will not be overlooked but will be dealt with separately and at a different price point. I like the idea of cage traps, but expense and practicality of purchasing 100s probably won’t happen. My experience with DPs has been dismal. I’ve had a very low catch rate percentage, even trying multiple attractants in them. I like the idea of coni boxes so that my catch will be dead, and for the most part shouldn’t be effected by deer. I’ve previously snared these properties but found the flaw in snaring is the deer. There’s hardly anywhere the deer aren’t or any trail there not on.

Coon are a big threat to nests even turtle we are barely frost out and I see they have been digging turtle eggs out.

I do exactly what you ask about. Years ago, I experimented with some early dog proof traps that were lousy. Last year I finally added many excellent dog proof traps. They changed my methods for the better on nest predator management trapping jobs for raccoons and opossums.

Feather Light dog proof traps from PCS Outdoors. Cast aluminum bodies. Stainless steel components. Excellent chains and swivels. Made in the USA. Pull only trigger. No misfires and no pullouts. Great results and no excuses. I would not want to use any other dog proof trap.

I have done a lot of shore bird predator jobs. The key is use any and all methods and traps that you are legally allowed. Like you stated it is not fur trapping, your job is reduce the population. I have no pride in how I catch them I just have to catch them. what ever legal methods and traps are used. This is where I found working the 20% mindset really excels. (80 / 20 concept) the 80% will get caught in the sets made to catch the harder 20% Again you are not fur trapping catching the dumb ones and moving on. Also this is where the method based on location trumps location base on method trapping systems. You hopefully are getting paid for this so results has to be made. setting traps that are fast meaning DP's, cages and if allowed killers will be more efficient in speed and results for the 3 that you mentioned. Also for skunks and opossums if you want them in DP traps more get the dp lower. the skunk and opossum has shorter legs being lower allows them to reach deeper in the DP. Also bait stations really increase speed and catch %. Again this is not fur trapping so cost of added baits and time for the stations will be incorporated in the cost of the job.

great advise so far

I'd add that I'd use canned and dry cat food and Blackies Fur King for baits.

They were my GO TO baits when I had to get vermin out of places.

Dry cat food 1/2 full in a DP with some Fur King smeared on the lip

Canned cat food in cubbies and cages. Fur King is good in cages too but costs more.

stab a stick into baits and dab a scent trail to the trap leading back to the mother lode HANGING in the cage or cubby

T

When I was after coyotes this past season in texas,alot of the coon were walking right past my sets not even stopping to sniff. They were fat as were the coyotes. There was no corn feeders that I could see. So not sure what the coon and coyotes were feeding on but was very fat.

My point being the info above is spot on, use everything possible that's fast and effective. To me the hardest part would be to find what they wanted to eat that trumps what they already have.

In your situation I would consider asking the landowner to feed them good for awhile before you got there (deer feeders) then shut the food off when you start trapping. That way they will still show up and be hungry.

I just had a great idea for you.

Just read minkguys post on the blue bucket set. That is exactly what you need for nest predator armageddon!!

You might want to look up the studies done by Delta Waterfowl.

What I found in the shore bird work was the skunks and coon had one thing on their minds depending on the phase it seemed. when the birds was sitting they keyed in on the nest and eggs in them. I learned that baited sets cages and DP's did not have as much catch results as blind sets, Cable in my situation or killers where they would be allowed. As soon as the nests was hatched then the coon and skunks switched to crabs fish and grubs, baited sets out produced in the crab fish wash up and grub areas. The travel routes changed to open shore line and adding flagging and sound (Flapping trash bag strips) the baited sets produced better. See what the animal wants and give it to them.