unsuccessful trapping

[coonboonetrapper]

I have been trapping on this river for coon and fox since november and havent cought
any thing but they keep stealing my bait i have been doing dirt hole sets and bank sets
does anyone know what i should do

[david]

Are you sure it is your target animals getting your bait? Are they coming regularly? If you answer yes to both questions, I would suggest a coyote style big bait. Keep your traps away from the bait, and set the trails coming in to it. For fox, make sure your traps are clean, and make the set completely blind (no scent or attractant what so ever). If there are trails they must use to come in on, the further from the bait, the better. If you have a smart canine, always think "the back door" because that is what he is thinking. Where would you say the back door to your bait is? that is where you need to set for a smart canine. Where would you stand to look at it, even if your were going to decide it was too risky to come in? That is where you need a trap. Even a log or high point will catch a looker. Snares are actually easier to catch smart dogs with. You can leave little or no sign of your activity when setting them and they are easy to keep clean. Set in the morning, so your scent has more time to dissipate before the night moves.

[coonboonetrapper]

thanks ill try it

[Arkansas Frog]

could be a rat stealing your bait, and your trigger is set to tight put it on a hair pin trigger put bait in hole not on trap and use a backing large rock ] keep him from coming from the back.

[david]

Good point about pan tension. I was actually wondering if your traps are freezing at night? I know it is a pain in the butt to spring a trap you have worked so hard at setting, but you need to make sure your trap is ready for business all night long. If your dirt got wet, your trap will not spring at night if it is frozen. You may need to get some dry dirt out of a barn or some of the buckwheat hulls and re-set your traps with dry dirt. You might change the placement a little also, off to one side a little more or something.

The fox, I really understand. Many people trap a few years before their first red fox catch. It is really hard to understand why you are not catching the coon if they are, in fact, there. They get less active the colder it gets, but I think you should have caught one if the trap is in working order. I wish I could go with you and look at everything. But my guess is either your trap placement is off, or your traps are freezing down.

If you want to focus on the coon, do not be afraid to use obvious guides and stepping sticks and stones. Leave them only one place to step: on a working trap pan. This stuff will spook a lot of canines though. Catch the canines at the back way in. For coon, you do not really even have to put dirt on the trap if it is getting frozen down. Use a few dry leaves or dry grass just to break the outline of the trap a little, and make him step on it.

[NYCOYOTEHOUNDS]

I would also try a scent post about 20-30 yards away. If it is a fox/yote stealing bait, alot of times they will circle a set.

[live to hunt]

if you really want to know what is stealing your bait put up a trail cam for a few nights pictures do not lie?

[coonboonetrapper]

i did all those and i cought a bobcat

[NYCOYOTEHOUNDS]

congrats

[Gperkins14mms]

not a bad prizE!!!