Coon Hunters a Dying Breed?

Yes traps came with 2 swivels

I've seen where guys shove a large marshmallow under the trigger and use smaller ones on top.

The incentive is there. Every coon killed saves hundreds of eggs and baby rabbits. This argument I hear all the time. Fur prices low. No want to kill them. Not worth the effort to skin and flesh. The exact same breath then talk about shooting every coyote seen and leaving them lay. I even hear it from die hard turkey and bird hunters. Gladly let every skunk, coon, possum, and crow go but if they see a coyote, it becomes a coyote hunt. I'll gladly let every coyote and fox pass but nest robbers die on site.

I think the coons will be moving the next 7 days with the warmer temps and the rain. Fur prices or not I'll have traps out.

1 young female last night. I have caught 6 at the base of the same hollow beech tree.

I would say permission plays a big part in the decline of coon hunters in certain states. Perhaps more so is the time and dedication to the sport, in todays world it seems everyone is in such a rush. It takes a LOT of hours in the woods to train a good hound. I still have a bunch of friends that run hounds, because of property permissions it makes doing the sport almost a job. Takes the fun out of it when your constantly worrying the dog may jump a fence and tree a coon on the neighbors property. I could never understand why some land owners go completely off the deep end if old duke is 10 ft on their property treeing a coon.
I once had a fella in fulton county shooting at me across the field, I could hear bullets hitting the tree's. I had permission and this guy was just renting the house. Another time the dogs treed on neighbors property, I drove around and knocked on the fellas door, told him what was going on and asked if I could walk in and grab the dog without a gun, fella was a little y but said sure. I drove back around and walked the fenceline back to grab my dog, when I got out the sheriff was waiting, said he got a call from the land owner. It took me awhile to convince the sheriff I really did get permission to retrieve my dog. This was down in Indiana.
Up here in Minnesota we have the rite to retrieve, you can enter posted property to retrieve dogs or down game WITHOUT a firearm. Im now blessed with living in the Chippewa National forest. I can run dogs all year without ever having them getting on private property.

How it reads.
"Law allows hunters to trespass unless no trespassing signs are posted along the boundaries every 1000 feet or less, or in wooded areas where boundaries are less clear, at intervals of 500 feet or less, or at the primary corners of each parcel of land and at access roads or trails at points of entrance. Furthermore, the law mandates that the lettering should be at least two inches high and the name and phone number of the landowner or occupant should be listed. Lands that are cropped or grazed and show signs of tillage, crops, crop residue, or fencing for livestock containment do not require posting of signs. Hunters must ask permission to enter these lands. A person on foot may, without permission of the owner, enter land to retrieve a wounded animal that was lawfully shot. The hunter must leave the land immediately after retrieving the wounded game. A person on foot may, without permission of the owner, enter private land without a firearm to retrieve a hunting dog. After retrieving the dog, the person must immediately leave the premises."

One more big male last night at same tree to make 7. The coon rut must be kicken.

I call foxes and coyote but have NEVER called in a raccoon. Hard to believe really. Play coon fights and distress around old abandoned barns even with no success