Dryland foothold sets for coon

Let me preface this question with A I know coons are of little value B I could pile them up in a big way with DPs and conibers. Of which I have access to as well as explosives and other things lol I haven't trapped coon in 40 years being a coyote control guy in multiple states etc. I now have access to some river bottom and want to use some #2 DBLS for fun and nostalgia----- sport trapping if you will--- similar to using a stick bow rather than a crossbow ---sorry for the long lead in but figured I better try to explain why I am asking for your favorite dry land coon sets with footholds

If you think about it, a DP is just a portable dirt hole set. Dirt holes with bait that's hard to remove work great, but trail sets are #1, assuming you have good trails. The difference with real dirt holes is that they don't have to reach in for you to catch them, just check it out...and you can guide them heavy.

If you see good coon trails just blind set trails with a foot hold. Here's a video that'll show how to blind set for coon. https://www.youtube.com/watch?app=desktop&v=H7kK8zppOdw

Other than blind setting, just a good dirt hole as mentioned, works great around travel routes or den trees.

I used to trap a place that had red fox and coons. Wanted to catch both, so I would just make a dirt hole set for fox. Caught plenty of both.

Focus on trails. Pretty simple. Find a trail, make whatever sort of floats your boat. DPs are quick, but make sure to put it somewhere where Mr. Raccoon is going to stop and take a look-for example, don't put it in a trail in the middle of a field, Mr. Raccoon is in a hurry to get across there and probably won't stop to take a look. Put it at the end of the trail, like at a culvert, tree line, etc, where Mr. Raccoon is going to pause and look around and make sure the coast is clear. He'll be more open to having a bite to eat there.
Blind sets and dirtholes with footholds are more fun than DPs, though. Of course, you'll still want to focus on trails.

I'll be watching this...thinking the same with longsprings...

Good stuff. Keep them coming

I've had very good luck with double dirt hole sets regarding coon

Double dirt hole here too. Find the trails. Food, water, shelter, trails connect the dots.
Put the set right under their nose. But can also put them along edge of fields where trails come out into the fields. If that’s where they are going to get their groceries (fields) then set where they feed and forage around.
Short chains, lots of swivels, and keep the trap to a 1.5 or so. #11 longs are awesome for coon land sets.
Coon are reachers and grabbers. Make the holes deep enough for them to work them without getting a free meal and a miss. I do a big backing or none at all.
Bait can be anything but I had best luck with bait early in season then later add a gland lure, ANY gland lure like coon, fox, coyote, etc. they all are interesting to late season coon.
Basically a good fox or coyote set with a coon sized trap and targeting coon.
Bed the traps tight because if they move coon will dig up your trap.

Your main issue is going to be holding coons on dry land with a #2 DLS. They are very open under the jaws and coons on dry ground will chew the soft tissue below the jaws off since it's numb, and then pull the two little slick bones left from the jaws.

Thats a good point---- 40 plus years ago the places I trapped coon had water I could set in and or utilize---- no water now---

I'm no coonrapper but couldnt you use No.1 dls double jaw trap?

Boco, yes.
Like this. Double dirt hole with fish in one hole and coon lure in other, and a #11 double jaw bedded right in front and center between both holes. Use lots of swivels and they will be there when you check next day. This was a huge old boar, missing one ear.
Jim

I will add, if you only have a relatively short period of time to coon trap, efficiency is important. But also keep in mind there is something to be said about variety of sets. DPs are a great coon tool, but they are only one tool in the bag. In late season I don’t have as much luck with DPs no matter where I set them or what I put in them, but other sets like blind sets with footholds or body grips really shine. Double dirt hole sets with a bait and a gland lure are also an important set on my line.
You miss some coon if you don’t mix it up a bit.
Jim

Very good Jabne. No proponents for old school cubbies to keep the trap inside out of the weather. No hole drilled in the fence post sets ?? And not even a mention of the mirror set----- what the heck LOL

Yes a #11 DJ is a great coon trap,,,, especially good to avoid chew outs.



A little foil on the pan... lol No, everyone knows the best constructed most perfect dirthole set for coyotes is sure to catch a coon, if they can beat the possums to it! LOL

Well that's how I have been taking the incidental non target coon and skunk. This is a trapping for fun thing of which is the opposite of stock killer coyote catch them to stop the carnage high pressure situations I usually deal with. Figure bad weather is going to shut me down in the remote ranch country targeting coyotes and will sport trap some coon close to home for fun. Somebody back in the day was using stakes with bait worked into the saw cuts. Sort of a baited post set? Might be fun to play with. AGAIN this is for fun. Can't pay any bills with coons these days might as well have fun and lower their numbers before they reach critical mass and have a die off as in the past.

Dirt holes for me right on shore or even a dry land pocket set in any of the steep banks.

If you want to use those #2 long springs and your worried about footing some. If you place a boxed 160 with In reach of that traped coon It will run right Into that box and It's lights out. It's a lot of extra work but you won't lose any coon. No bait or lure In the box and long chains on your traps.

A long line coon trapper I knew favored foot hold traps for dry land coon. But to run a long line he would be breaking the 24 hour check law on foot holds. And of course he lost some coon do to chewing. But there wasn't a check law on Bgs. I'm betting a few of you guys know who I'm talking about.

This was back when we are talking about $40.00 coon and you didn't want to lose any.

The 160 in a box would do it-- kind of like sticking a buck with a stick bow and using 300 win mag for insurance lol

There was a set I used along the creek where I would cut a muskrat in half and wire it off to a stake driven halfway into the ground and put a trap on either side. Wiring off to the stake keeps the raccoon working the set. Makes a good mink set as well.

Humble trail set with a foothold will literally catch anything that walks . And a few that flies and probably a bunch that crawl depending on your pan sensitivity.

Was out at one of my trapping spots and saw a junk pile...so I toke some junk out and made some cubby sets about 20 feet away...old lawn mower hood made a nice cubby...

It's not about coon sets. You can catch coon 100 different ways. It's about using a certain type trap and and still have the coon In that trap when you check It.

The DP's and specifically the Original Grizz Getters made every rookie, homeowner and person off the street a coon trapper as evidenced by their (some form) presence in farm, outdoor and box stores around the country. ...................the mike

Ks wolfer, for what it’s worth, about 90% of my coon harvested over last 40+ years have come from dryland sets. For Me, DPs have really only been another tool on my bag for about last half of that and they are still not my primary tool by any stretch. I run a lot of coon-specific dryland foothold sets with #2 longs or 1.5 and 1.75 coils.
We have a daily (calendar day) check here and I can’t recall very many losses at all. Flipped traps unfired taught me I needed to bed rock solid at sets. Dirtholes are coon dirt holes with big dirt pattern, lots of eye appeal, and either a big backing or non at all. Dig the hole deep and make ‘em work for it. Finding bait a few paces away and dropped means you just satisfied a very curious animal and didn’t catch it.
In a coon book I read once the author talked about his pet coon and a crawfish in a jar. If he barely out the lid on, coon got the crawfish out and usually only played with it then left it alone. But if he screwed the kid down tight the coon worked the jar relentlessly.
Deep, big hole and pin the bait to make ‘em work for it. I get a lot of back foot catches this way and I think it’s because both hands are down in the cookie jar and the back feet are shuffling to get a better reach with the fronts. A good solid back foot coon catch, short chain, lots of swivels, it will be there at next check.
Jim

I agree on back foot catches. I don't remember any coon caught by a back foot did any chewing. But trying to target back foot catches Is a work In progress.

Thank you for the advice. Wealth of information in your post that I will certainly put to use

A simple 1 1/2 set in a coon trail. I usually set 3 to 4 per trail. No bait. No lure. Set and go. You will catch more the just raccoon on those trails. Skunks, possum, red and grey fox, coyotes,mink,muskrats,beaver,and otter. Always a bonus.

Went out to were I made those cubbies and added some leftovers to them .smooth out the sand to see what is there..well I just got back and so many tracks that I need to make more...

I read about a guy using 16 inches or so of pvc 4 or 6 inch pipe for cubbie/pocket sets by covering up one end I think it was on here a long time ago

Ks wolfer, I can’t take much credit for my techniques. Thank the likes of Charlie Dobbins, Bud Boda, Carrol Black, and my uncle Fred. I may have developed a system over the years, but it’s totally rooted in what those guys taught me in their books and conversations.
Jim

Well the cubbies I made have been visited by a coyote.
They were all dug out ....