Wily raccoon

**Tiempo** · #1 07/09/12, 09:16 AM

We have a huge coon hanging around the coops.

Last night hubby heard something going on and went out to find the live trap flipped over and the bait gone...he re-baited and reset the trap and this morning the trap was empty of bait, tripped and upside down.

Any ideas? I won't set kill/maim traps or poison as the neighbor's cat likes to come hang out here, she's a good cat..leaves our birds alone and mouses for us.

**Cabin Fever** · #2 07/09/12, 09:30 AM

I'd find a way to stake the live trap to the ground so he couldn't flip it....perhaps using some bailing wire and tent stakes.

**Tiempo** · #3 07/09/12, 09:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cabin Fever

I'd find a way to stake the live trap to the ground so he couldn't flip it....perhaps using some bailing wire and tent stakes.

I was thinking about that, I have some landscape fabric stakes that should work.

Hubby saw it run off into some shrubbery last night and swears it's too big to fit in the trap, but I'm sure it could if it tried, even a monster coon can squeeze itself into some pretty tight spaces.

**Cabin Fever** · #4 07/09/12, 09:46 AM

In my best imitation of Roy Schnieder in Jaws, "We're gonna need a bigger trap!"

42" x 15" x 15"
Wily raccoon - Homesteading Questions

fishhead · #5 07/09/12, 09:47 AM

He'd be surprised at how small a big coon can slip through. A coon hunter who takes several hundred coon a year claims that a big coon can go through a 6" hole.

I second the idea to stake it down or place concrete blocks on both sides of the trap or put it against a wall and put them on the other side.

I'd also put some bait in front of the trap to give the coon a free taste before asking it to commit to going in the trap.

**Cabin Fever** · #6 07/09/12, 09:52 AM

You may want to consider going to the cooking or Outdoors forum now and ask for coon recipe ideas.

**Tiempo** · #7 07/09/12, 09:52 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cabin Fever

In my best imitation of Roy Schnieder in Jaws, "We're gonna need a bigger trap!"

42" x 15" x 15"
Wily raccoon - Homesteading Questions

LOL...from hubby's description this thing was about the size of a baby elephant.

Tracy Rimmer · #8 07/09/12, 09:53 AM

A date with a rifle? Coon is edible, you know...

**Tiempo** · #9 07/09/12, 09:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cabin Fever

You may want to consider going to the cooking or Outdoors forum now and ask for coon recipe ideas.

Ick...I let my neighbor take them and skin them.

I don't think he uses the meat, but he might.

JanO · #10 07/09/12, 11:11 AM

I don't have any advice since I've never had a problem with coons, but I sure would love to see pictures of this monster when you get him. Good luck.

7thswan · #11 07/09/12, 11:15 AM

Put cat food out of a can behind the trigger. Get runny stinky cat food( I know they all stink). We had a smart coon coming in,would reach in and remove the can and never touch the trigger. Putting just the food in there worked. Got one real mad coon.

Ardie/WI · #12 07/09/12, 11:20 AM

We had a female raccoon here that was far too large to fit in our trap!

It died of unnatural causes.

houndlover · #13 07/09/12, 11:57 AM

Agree that the trap probably isn't big enough. My hounds have treed many coons in the 40 lb range - more bobcat size than house cat size. Never had any luck trapping a coon in a hav-a-hart trap, husband built one that is basically a box and the door slides straight down, the box is solid not wire, and the coons, possoms, and porkies are more likely to go into them.

HeelSpur · #14 07/09/12, 12:02 PM

Finally caught our little cat food thief last night,
and he WUZ a frisky booger too.

Wily raccoon - Homesteading Questions

Darren · #15 07/09/12, 12:41 PM

It helps to use wire fastened to something that the coon can't move. They almost always pull up a lot stuff into the trap while they're trying to get out. I have an empty dog kennel that I set the trap inside and close the door. I wire the trap to enough of the chain link, to keep the trap from moving. So far the cats haven't been able to get into the pen. Coons scramble up and down chain link with no problem.

In the morning I provide a .22 calber breakfast since they've eaten all of the sardines.

frankva · #16 07/09/12, 12:49 PM

Did he hiss and scream at you?

I leave the cat food in the can, and push the can away from the back of the trap with a stick. They can reach thru if it is all the way to the back.

I found that a little WD-40 is in order after catching one as they slime the trap with dirt and mud trying to dig out.

Any coon too big for that one door trap- biggest I have- needs a shotgun.

**Tiempo** · #17 07/09/12, 01:12 PM

Hubby said it was the neighbors cat that ran the coon off last night, he may be wily, but he's a wimp.

Going to head out and buy a bigger trap here in a bit.

edcopp · #18 07/09/12, 01:38 PM

When you catch the coon, learn how to cook and eat it. Seniors can no longer afford to eat cat food on a regular basis.

**Tiempo** · #19 07/09/12, 02:04 PM

Well hubby just came in and said he flipped it and reset it 3 times last night.

We're going to try boxing the trap in on 3 sides with heavy straw bales tonight (we have a few that got rain soaked and are hefty) and putting a little bait by the entrance as well as inside.

I called around and none of the local stores have a bigger than coon size trap in stock.

geo in mi · #20 07/09/12, 02:32 PM

Try some kind of hold down for the trap, then use three marshmellows. One outside, two tossed into the very back. That way you won't get a stray cat. Cats don't eat marshmellows, but coons love 'em.

geo