Trapping with buckets
 

I posted this last year, and thought I would show it again. Here is a picture by picture set up of the bucket sets that I use for fox. This should work for racoon and possibly other critters like bobcats and wolverine. If this link doesn't work, you can click on my trophy photos and go to the trapping page. There is a link that shows "view slideshow" and it will take you picture by picture through all of them.

I've had a lot of success with this set up, it's cheap, easy to make, effective and it is easy to handle in and out of the field. I didn't include on their about anchoring the set though, something that should be done with all traps, be it quick kill or not. I have had animals not die right away in these traps but that doesn't happen that often.

220 conibears work great for arctic fox, so they should be adequate for coons. I haven't caught any reds in 220's, but have in 280's and 330's. A 15 gallon bucket works great with that size trap. A 220 conibear fits perfectly in a 5 gallon bucket.

Good trapping!

http://community.webshots.com/album/31923808vpNLIdujrQ
ArcticBowMan's Hunting Photo's

RE: Trapping with buckets
 

ABM-

That is very similar to one of my favorite raccon sets for back in michigan. I have never been able to get a fox to even look into one of those back home. They are killer on raccon though. I just cut the grooves for the springs stright down from the mouth of the bucket and place my trap in there that way. Not sure if it works any different than your way but seems a lot easier.

RE: Trapping with buckets
 

Josh, I do that with box sets that I make out of 1/2" plywood. The problem is that they can get nocked out real easy by fox, I haven't had much luck with them that way. The problem with the reds is that they don't like not seeing what is around them, so they are very hesitant to go in them. It is a lot easier late in the year when they are very hungry and a lot more opportunistic. The arctic fox aren't as weary, so they are fairly easy to catch with that set up.

Somebody told me they were going to try this with 330's for coyote, I wonder if that would work.

ArcticBowMan's Hunting Photo's

RE: Trapping with buckets
 

I doubt that a coyote would stick his head in it. I have used the 330s in leaning tree sets for bobcat and its hard to get the cats to walk thru it without a lot of guide sticks. I would have never thought you could get a red to stick its head into one. I have caught a lot of really big coon this way though.