Are there any coon hunters or trappers in Young County that could help me with my coon problem? Or point me in the direction of someone that could? Have 5 to 7 per deer feeder that are robbing me blind. All info is much appreciated

Dukes Dog Proof traps. Buy multiples on Amazon. I caught 5 last week (2 nights) around 1 feeder. Many more to go.

Bought 3 finger traps and have been catching some but just don’t have the time to catch them all.

You may have missed a previous reply. I'm trapping them across the creek from you. As I told my hunting partner Steve, I am at war with the coons this year. I was a trapper many years ago. I have multiple steel traps and a few conibears that I keep at the lease and more recently added several dog proofs traps. Next time we are both out there, I can bring some traps over and we can set them across your problem areas if you want. Along that creek we are both fighting the same coons. I have already taken out several. I would be there now, but in limbo dealing with a sick dog waiting on more info from my vet, but I will be there soon for several days to fish with a local friend. I have not been on your side of the creek so I don't know where y'alls feeders are in relation to the creek but I am sure I have trapped a few of y'alls coons. I professionally clean the skulls of everything I catch with demisted beetles and sell them though my antique/junk business.

Other than that I second the idea to order some dogproof traps. They are super east to use. I add a short chain or cable with a loop big enough to push the trap through so I can quickly loop the chain or cable around a tree or feeder leg to anchor them. No messing with wire. I got my best deal last time from https://www.nwtrappers.com/dog-proof-traps Check prices against amazon and ebay. And get one of the setting tools. Also 220 conibears aka body grip traps in bucket sets made from old 5 gallon plastic buckets are extremely effective. Again get a setting tool if you buy these. I have been doing really well with small coil spring traps in our creek too in the same area as my feeders set just under the water with nothing more than foil wrapped over the pan.

I remember way back, before a lot of you guys were born, my granddad won championships with coon dogs, everybody had 4 or 5 dogs, everybody hunted all the time, and crossed land everywhere following their dogs in the chase. All of that is changed. I had 8 coons at 1 feeder and at least 5 at all the others. That does not include the tanks and creeks. For the quail hunters, quail hang around creeks and will nest in high grass off creeks and tanks. Coons go out at night and look for eggs and food. Is it possible that 100 coons in a given area could be finding every quail and turkey nest in the country. I say it’s very possible. With that said, trap them.

What do you guys do when your coons get trap smart around DP traps? We have so many coons that they see their friends fall for the marshmellows and learn to avoid the traps even if you move them to a new location

Switch to sardines!

I used conibears in bucket sets and cubbies for years before DP traps were around and they always did extremely well for me. Usually with sardines for bait. They were my go to trap for coons. The only time I don't use them if there are any chance of catching pets from nearby and the only bad is they will catch every possum and skunk that comes along too. I'm also a fan of the old soup can traps. It is a DP type trap, but a different concept that puts the trap inside a soup can. I like them where there are fire ants as I can hang them just off the ground making it harder for the ants to get to them. I get a higher catch rate with them than I do the regular DPs.
And I still have somewhere between 50 and 75 steel traps, a few live traps, and always have snares, so I can change things up if I need to.

Good info John, thank you. Can you let me know how/where to get the soup can traps and what a bucket set would look like?

Thanks John, I’ll holler at you. Going to try and go out this coming weekend.

Coons think with their stomach you'll catch quite a few before they get Street wise.

Dukes for sure.

X2

Yep. And they can't get smart if they're DEAD.

I'm having great success with the dukes DP traps baited with marshmallows. Trapped 8 in the past 2 weeks and not seeing any at my feeders now.

Easy to set , cheap and almost a guaranteed catch

Small solar electric fence charger on the cage around the feeder stops them from spinning out all the corn.
Dukes DPs hard wired to each feeder leg takes care of them on the ground when feeder goes off.

I usually just fill the Dukes with corn and catch a bunch.
When they get trap shy, don't set them for a week or so but continue to fill them with corn and they seem to forget...until I set it again!

Use these traps, bait them with what they are stealing.

Yup. We are at about 500 coons on corn alone. No need to go by anything special, just grab some from the feeder.
During the big acorn drop a few years back deer weren't coming to corn, and it looked like a sea of yellow under the feeders. Coons are so curious we were still catching them going for the few morsels in the traps.

Z-Traps