Trapping tip

[Water Rat]

For those trappers who are lucky enough to canine trap in large open fields. I used to take my weed whacker out and make 10' circles right down to the bare earth. The higher the weeds are the better. This is a good time to do it and it gives the canines plenty of time to find them before the season opens. Kind of like "crop circles" for canines. When you go back to these spots to make your sets , you will usually find them loaded with fox and coyote scat. Another benefit is no one can see them from a distance and therefore no theft.

[turkeyfeathers]

Do you prebait or prelure in mock sets at all ?

[wolc123]

That reminds me, I have got to get my pre-season "damaging" coon traps back out there this afternoon.  Usually, I just trap the weekends, so that I can quickly dispatch and bury them, per NY state DEC recommendations.  It looks like the canines were pretty active back there over the last couple weeks, based on all the "exhumed" shallow graves I saw (and smelled) today while working on stands.         

[Water Rat]

13 minutes ago, turkeyfeathers said:

Do you prebait or prelure in mock sets at all ?

No..... I just weed whack the area. I didn't make any dirt holes or pre bait / pre lure. I did however make sure that I didn't put the weed whacker on the ground for fear of contaminating the circle with gas or oil.

[PREDATE]

That reminds me, I have got to get my pre-season "damaging" coon traps back out there this afternoon.  Usually, I just trap the weekends, so that I can quickly dispatch and bury them, per NY state DEC recommendations.  It looks like the canines were pretty active back there over the last couple weeks, based on all the "exhumed" shallow graves I saw (and smelled) today while working on stands.         

Did you have to obtain a DEC permit?

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[wolc123]

13 minutes ago, PREDATE said:

Did you have to obtain a DEC permit?

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A permit is not required for landowners to trap and destroy "damaging" coons pre-season, but the DEC recommends burying or burning the carcasses immediately.   I guess I have to start burning them or dig a little deeper.   I did not catch any last weekend, but took and burried (7) over the three day Labor-day weekend.   Prior to that, they had destroyed about 5 bushels of field corn.   There has not been much additional damage, on my three acres of corn, so it looks like I am at least keeping up with them with (4) box traps and (2) dog-proofs.   

Since the free-fall of fur prices, the local coon population has exploded.  Rabies and distemper use to help out but our county is now air dropping medicine.  The only way I can grow small acreage of corn is to take them out myself.  Fortunately, they are about the easiest furbearer there is to trap.  If I have any corn left after muzzleloading season, I will harvest it for my parents laying hens.   Last winter, a big doe got hit by a car in front of our house in February.  She had a belly-full of corn (I noticed that after the coyotes opened her up).   Harvesting the left-over corn in December should help prevent that from happening again.      

Edited September 15, 2018 by wolc123

[PREDATE]

A permit is not required for landowners to trap and destroy "damaging" coons pre-season, but the DEC recommends burying or burning the carcasses immediately.   I guess I have to start burning them or dig a little deeper.   I did not catch any last weekend, but took and burried (7) over the three day Labor-day weekend.   Prior to that, they had destroyed about 5 bushels of field corn.   There has not been much additional damage, on my three acres of corn, so it looks like I am at least keeping up with them with (4) box traps and (2) dog-proofs.   
Since the free-fall of fur prices, the local coon population has exploded.  Rabies and distemper use to help out but our county is now air dropping medicine.  The only way I can grow small acreage of corn is to take them out myself.  Fortunately, they are about the easiest furbearer there is to trap.  If I have any corn left after muzzleloading season, I will harvest it for my parents laying hens.   Last winter, a big doe got hit by a car in front of our house in February.  She had a belly-full of corn (I noticed that after the coyotes opened her up).   Harvesting the left-over corn in December should help prevent that from happening again.      

Not trying to hijack the thread or accuse you of wrongdoing. Just trying to understand the "gray areas" of the nys regs. I see under nuisance/damaging animals it states that a DEC permit is required for coons.

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[wolc123]

47 minutes ago, PREDATE said:

Not trying to hijack the thread or accuse you of wrongdoing. Just trying to understand the "gray areas" of the nys regs. I see under nuisance/damaging animals it states that a DEC permit is required for coons.

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That table is for "nuisance" coons, which is a seperate category than "damaging"   In my case, the 5 bushels of corn down on the ground (or even a single ear) surrounded by coon tracks ought to be plenty of "damage" to satisfy most game officers.      

[wolc123]

Mammals Commonly Causing Conflicts (in alphabetical order)
See Definition of "Nuisance" and "Damaging"

Animal	Take if a Nuisance	Take if Damaging Property	Take if Threatening Public Safety
Bats	Please contact a DEC Wildlife Office or a NWCO when dealing with bats. Some bat species are protected and require experts to identify them. For some helpful tips on safely removing a bat from your home, visit the little brown bat webpage
Beaver (More information on handling beaver conflicts)	DEC permit needed - refer to note 3	DEC permit needed - refer to note 3	n/a
Black Bear (More information on handling bear conflicts)	DEC permit needed	If destroying livestock or an apiary, no permit is necessary to take a black bear; however, you must promptly notify the nearest Environmental Conservation Officer (ECO) to make arrangements for delivering the carcass (find an ECO near you). Also, DEC may issue a permit for a landowner to take if there is proof that the bear is causing property damage	DEC may issue a permit for a landowner to take if there is proof that the bear is threatening public welfare or safety.
Bobcat	DEC permit needed	DEC permit needed	n/a
Chipmunk	Yes	Yes	n/a
Coyote (More information on handling coyote conflicts)	DEC permit needed	Yes	DEC may issue a permit for a landowner to take if there is proof that the coyote is threatening public welfare or safety
Deer	DEC permit needed	DEC permit needed	n/a
Eurasian Boar (More information on handling wild hog conflicts)	Please contact a local DEC Wildlife Office
Fisher	DEC permit needed	DEC permit needed	n/a
Foxes - Red Fox and Gray Fox	DEC permit needed	Yes	n/a
Hare - Snowshoe/Varying	DEC permit needed	Yes, refer to notes 1 and 2	n/a
Marten	DEC permit needed	DEC permit needed	n/a
Mice	Yes	Yes	n/a
Mink	DEC permit needed	DEC permit needed	n/a
Moles	Yes	Yes	n/a
Muskrat	Yes, refer to note 2	Yes, refer to note 2	n/a
Opossum	DEC permit needed	Yes, refer to note 2	n/a
Otter, River	DEC permit needed	DEC permit needed	n/a
Porcupine	Yes	Yes	n/a
Rabbit - Cottontail	DEC permit needed	Yes, refer to notes 1 and 2	n/a
Raccoon	DEC permit needed	Yes, refer to note 2	n/a
Rats (except Allegheny woodrat)	Yes	Yes	n/a
Shrews	Yes	Yes	n/a
Skunk	Yes, refer to note 2	Yes, refer to note 2	n/a
Squirrels - Gray, Black, and Fox	DEC permit needed	Yes, refer to note 2	n/a
Squirrels - Red and Flying	Yes	Yes	n/a
Voles	Yes	Yes	n/a
Weasels	DEC permit needed	Yes, refer to note 2	n/a
Woodchuck/Groundhog	Yes	Yes	n/a

Birds Commonly Causing Conflicts (in alphabetical order)
See Definition of "Nuisance" and "Damaging"

Animal	Take if Only a Nuisance	Take if Damaging Property
Blackbird, Red-winged	No	If destroying crops, may be taken without a permit during June - October, for all other damage refer to note 4
Canada Goose (More information on handling Canada goose conflicts)	Federal permit needed	Federal permit or DEC authorization needed, refer to note 5
Cormorants (More information on handling cormorant conflicts)	No	Federal permit needed
Cowbirds	No	If destroying crops, may be taken without a permit during June - October, for all other damage refer to note 4
Crow	No	If destroying crops, may be taken without a permit, for all other damage refer to note 4
Ducks	Federal permit needed	Federal permit needed
European starling	Yes	Yes
Grackle	No	If destroying crops, may be taken without a permit during June - October, for all other damage refer to note 4
Great Blue Heron	Federal permit Needed	Federal permit Needed
Gulls (More information on handling gull conflicts)	Federal permit needed	Federal permit needed
House (English) sparrow	Yes	Yes
Pigeon without leg band	Yes	Yes
Pigeon with leg band	No	No
Snow goose	Federal permit needed	Federal permit needed
Mute swans	DEC permit needed	DEC permit needed
Turkey	DEC permit needed	DEC permit needed
Woodpecker	Federal permit needed	Federal permit needed

Reptiles Commonly Causing Conflicts (in alphabetical order)
See Definition of "Nuisance" and "Damaging"

Animal	Take Anytime	Take if Only a Nuisance	Take if Damaging Property	Take Under Special Circumstances
Snakes	No	DEC permit needed	DEC permit needed	Contact a local DEC Wildlife Office
Turtles	No	DEC permit needed	DEC permit needed	Contact a local DEC Wildlife Office

Notes

The following notes apply to specific areas in the tables above.

• Note 1 - May not use ferrets, fitch-ferrets, or fitch to take
• Note 2 - If taking during the closed hunting or trapping season, the animal must be buried or cremated immediately

 

 

Predate:  Note the three columns in the NY State DEC table that I copied above: One for "nuisance" - a permit is required there, just like in the table you posted.   The second column is the key here: "damaging".   That is where the downed corn and coon tracks comes in.    Case closed - Verdict (for the masked bandits) : To quote one of my favorite artists " "One Dying and a Burying".  The third column about "a threat to public safety" is apparently non-applicable to the raccoon.