Trapping raccoons, help?

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horseshoe

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I have 'coons in my barn that I desperately need to be rid of.

I have been using a live trap, because of my wife's barn cats/pets.

I'm using marshmallows as bait, with them pretty securely attached to the "trigger" platform in the trap. The raccoons love the marshmallows.

However, after I caught the first one, the others have learned what the trap is and how it works. Now, they wont go fully into the trap, but leave enough of their ass hanging out so when the door drops drops down, they can back out without being caught, taking the marshmallow with them.

If not for the cats, I'd use a leg hold or something. Anyone know how I can outsmart them and get rid of them without harming the cats (thereby also saving me from harm from the wife)?
 
try putting the trap up on a beam were the cats will not bother and us a egge for bait cats will most likely not bother and a egge is hard to get a hold off Dutch
 
horseshoe said:
I have 'coons in my barn that I desperately need to be rid of.

I have been using a live trap, because of my wife's barn cats/pets.

I'm using marshmallows as bait, with them pretty securely attached to the "trigger" platform in the trap. The raccoons love the marshmallows.

However, after I caught the first one, the others have learned what the trap is and how it works. Now, they wont go fully into the trap, but leave enough of their ass hanging out so when the door drops drops down, they can back out without being caught, taking the marshmallow with them.

If not for the cats, I'd use a leg hold or something. Anyone know how I can outsmart them and get rid of them without harming the cats (thereby also saving me from harm from the wife)?
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I've also seen them get "trap smart." If they can get partially in to the trap to get the bait I'd suggest a bigger trap that requires them to get fully in. Also put the bait right at the back of the trap and rotate various baits using something they can't just snatch out like a marshmallow. I've found cat food or peanut butter to be pretty good.
 
Agree with Claybuster you need a really big trap. One that they have to fully enter to get the bait. Assume that you have the trap covered so that they cannot get at the bait through the wire at the end of the trap. I use heavy duty garbage bags or burlap. Buy a precooked chicken from the grocery store. I have used the same chicken to catch 3 racoons. also move the trap around so it is not always in the same spot. I had one racoon come back to the trap 4 times before I got him. He kept trying to reach into the trap to get the chicken which was wired to the back of the trap. He kept setting the trap. 4th time was a charm he couldn't resist and got all the way in. Wrapping the trap in a garbage bag (heavy duty contractors bag) also helps with retrieving the trap (if worried about picking it up and them attacking you) and also helps with clean up in the back of the pickup. The ones I caught were scared sh!tless and made quite a mess which was contained in the trap. I also had to clean the trap with soap and water after each catch and release. It seems the smell of racoon urine and feces kept the others away. Had a trap sit empty for a week (with lots of racoons in the vicinity until I cleaned it). Once I cleaned the trap it only took another night with fresh bait to catch another one. In addition to the cooked chicken, sardines, tinned tuna and salmon also cheap and work. Haven't tried eggs but have heard the same thing.

They are a real problem here in town, every second house has had the wildlife removal folks come and do work. The problem is that the wildlife removal folks dont actually remove them. They set one way doors at the entrance locations into peoples attics so the coons can only escape. now they become someone else's problem. :mad::mad::mad:

Claybuster said:
I've also seen them get "trap smart." If they can get partially in to the trap to get the bait I'd suggest a bigger trap that requires them to get fully in. Also put the bait right at the back of the trap and rotate various baits using something they can't just snatch out like a marshmallow. I've found cat food or peanut butter to be pretty good.
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I'm buying or borrowing a trap very soon. Had a coon get into my chicken coop. Chickens made it out safe. But there were no eggs today and I spent 30 min in the rain getting the chickens back into the coop.

Last time I got one I borrows a huge live trap from a buddy, opened a can of tuna and poured the juice onto the ground. Tossed a spoonful into the trap and then made a sandwich. Caught him that night.
 
Thanks for the suggestions so far. I don't have a lot of bait choices that won't catch more cats than coons. If I use cat food, sardines, or something like that, I know I'll be releasing a cat every morning. So far the only thing that the cats leave alone is the marshmallows.

Does anyone have experience with the dog/cat proof tube-style raccoon traps?
 
PM the Deerdr, he has just the trap for your needs and it uses marshmallows for bait. I'd post it but I can't remember the name of the company/trap?

Update......here it is. I found it for you. The way it works is you set a marshmallow right to the very back in it as far as it will go. Then you push that u-shaped bar up through, there is a slot in the bottom of the cylinder it fits through. You lock that u-shaped arm in place. The trigger is inside. The coon reaches in to get the marshmallow with his paws and that u-arm snaps down locking him in behind his paw. Deerdr uses a couple and they are deadly efficient.



http://www.amazon.com/Duke-Dog-Proof-Coon-Trap/dp/B004949EIC
 
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Top of the line Havahart trap, the one that you have a trigger to open and have to turn over. Coons can open their easy-set trap offering.

Marshmallows by far the safest bet, you wont catch a skunk with them. I put a marshmallow in the back of the cage and another one impaled in the ground on a stick inside the cage, use the bamboo sticks for holding up plants.
 
I've put the bait in a small hole in the ground (kicked a little divot with my heel) and staked the trap to the ground so they can't get at the bowl of egg/tuna mix without being inside the trap. Four less coons to deal with on the farm this spring.
 
Get a clever black lab. My Calvin would wait for the masked ba**ards by my Koi pond. I would hear the coon chattering at the dog. When I hit the backyard halogens the coon would be blinded and within three seconds the dog would break the pests neck. After 3 confirmed kills we had no more problems. (Herons would sit in the deep water out of range).
 
I live trapped a bunch using dog kibble for bait. Drilled holes in the kibble, strung it on a string to tie to the trigger of the trap. Close up one end with wire mesh if it's the double ended POS trap. Only one way in. Bait all the way at the back. Check if you can find some hog rings and hog ring pliers locally. or board it over with screws and plywood.

You could do the same, with the string, tie the marshmallows so that they cannot be reached without fully entering the trap. Run the string around a wire at the back end of the trap, then back to the trigger.

If they can get to the bait without being all the way in, get a proper size trap, because the one you have, isn't, no matter what it says on the box. Have seen a 60 pound raccoon carcass!

Cheers
Trev
 
Using wire, securely tie a t-bone with a bit of meat left on it from the top and rear of the trap so that the bone/bait is hanging inside at the back of the trap. If you tie it well enough, you can reuse it time after time with little maintenance required. You can drill the bone and run the wire through it. You may want to smear some attractant on the bone occasionally as it dries out. Bacon or ground meat grease works well.
 
Put dry dog food in an empty 500ml water bottle and zip tie it to the end of the trap. They will try to get it from outside the trap as it is right there but will end up going straight into the trap all the way to the food and get trapped. You can also use peanuts as well, or corn although it will get stinky.
 
The foothold trap isn't legal to possess unless you're a licensed trapper, more than welcome to buy one but if a CO comes around you sir will be charged.

the spank said:
PM the Deerdr, he has just the trap for your needs and it uses marshmallows for bait. I'd post it but I can't remember the name of the company/trap?

Update......here it is. I found it for you. The way it works is you set a marshmallow right to the very back in it as far as it will go. Then you push that u-shaped bar up through, there is a slot in the bottom of the cylinder it fits through. You lock that u-shaped arm in place. The trigger is inside. The coon reaches in to get the marshmallow with his paws and that u-arm snaps down locking him in behind his paw. Deerdr uses a couple and they are deadly efficient.



http://www.amazon.com/Duke-Dog-Proof-Coon-Trap/dp/B004949EIC
Click to expand...
 
15567 said:
Marshmallows by far the safest bet, you wont catch a skunk with them. I put a marshmallow in the back of the cage and another one impaled in the ground on a stick inside the cage, use the bamboo sticks for holding up plants.
Click to expand...

Glad to hear that skunks don't like marshmallows as I get mostly skunks when I'm baiting for coons. I'll certainly try the marshmallows.
 
Sardine can opened just a lil bit wired to the back of the trap.. Put the trap up on some wood blocks, skunks can't climb. ;) Bigger trap also!
 
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Set up my trap using the marshmallow method (thanks for the tip) the SOB dug under the trap and stole the marshmallow. So now the trap is sitting on a 2x12. So far the neighbors cat has stayed away.
 
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