Posted: 8/8/2012 3:52:05 AM EDT
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I need to start killing some coons off on my parents small farm. We have lost two full grown ducks and all of our baby chicks this year. The chicks could have been killed by hawks but I am certain that it is coons that have killed the ducks. We have killed a few coons in the evening coming into the pen with .22s but the coons are getting smarter and coming out later at night. I tried leaving the fly bait and coke trick out and managed to kill one coon and 4 possums. I am worried about the neighborhood pets so I picked up the poison.
One TV show from my neck of the woods (Michigan Out of Doors) had an episode where the guy was trapping coons with a dog proof trap. Have any of you had any experience with this type of trap? What is a good coon bait? On the TV show I think they used some sort of peanut butter mixture. Trapping will be a new experience for me so can you guys recommend any good websites or books I should check out? |
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i like the DUKE Coon Cuffs with marshmallows behind the trigger, in the trap and a few on the ground. for added sweetness, use any type of commercial made lure, personally i like Dobbins' Coon Candy.
one suggestion, work on the trigger on the Duke's to fine tune them. i rarely caught anything until after i worked on the trigger. i stay away from fish, attracts too many cats and other non-target animals. several stores sell trapping equipment. check out Cabela's, Scheels or your local hardware store. specialty traps, lures and baits might have to be purchased online. finally, check out the archives at trapperman.com. there's a TON of knowledge there and opinions there. GOOD LUCK! |
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This style has worked great for me. They work by a ring (trigger) that is pulled when the coon reaches inside the cylinder for the bait. Grab the ring, snap! It holds their paw and if you have the trap properly staked they can't get away. note: if the coon is gigantic the paw can't fit in, if the coon is tiny the paw won't reach the trigger.  ETA here's a link from google: http://www.wildlifecontrolsupplies.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=NWS001&Product_Code=WCSGrizz |
| Just had a suburban coon hit my rash can and dig out some kalbi bones and chocolate cake, trash can is right next to my box trap that I use for feral cats that has a big chunk of cooked salmon skin inside. I have a feeling this coon already knows what the box trap is, hence the reason he passed up the salmon. |
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Box trap (live trap) Peanut butter I have done quite a bit of nuisance animal trapping and this works, it also allows you to release non target animals. The peanut butter is the best bait for coons as other critters "mostly" leave it alone. Good luck This, but I use eggs (whole, still in shell) for bait. Our barn cats aren't interested in them, but WILL go for peanut butter. |
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Got up this morning and found myself victorious, the same coon came back and went for the salmon skin and a ball of aluminum foil. http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v669/nf9648/DSC02114.jpg Wait, something's wrong... I don't see a bullet hole yet. 
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Got up this morning and found myself victorious, the same coon came back and went for the salmon skin and a ball of aluminum foil. http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v669/nf9648/DSC02114.jpg Wait, something's wrong... I don't see a bullet hole yet.
Well within city limits and I dont have any .22 subs... 
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Got up this morning and found myself victorious, the same coon came back and went for the salmon skin and a ball of aluminum foil. http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v669/nf9648/DSC02114.jpg Wait, something's wrong... I don't see a bullet hole yet.
He just wants to cuddle. 
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Got up this morning and found myself victorious, the same coon came back and went for the salmon skin and a ball of aluminum foil. http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v669/nf9648/DSC02114.jpg Wait, something's wrong... I don't see a bullet hole yet.
He just wants to cuddle. My kids have been feeding it chicken liver leftovers all morning, it probably wont want to come out the trap by the time Im ready to get him out. Suprised it doesnt have a name already. |
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Got up this morning and found myself victorious, the same coon came back and went for the salmon skin and a ball of aluminum foil. http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v669/nf9648/DSC02114.jpg Wait, something's wrong... I don't see a bullet hole yet.
Well within city limits and I dont have any .22 subs... Try a long barrelled .22 rifle with CB caps. Almost as quiet a a pellet gun. You better keep that trap set, I'll be that one has a lot of friends. |
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Got up this morning and found myself victorious, the same coon came back and went for the salmon skin and a ball of aluminum foil. http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v669/nf9648/DSC02114.jpg Wait, something's wrong... I don't see a bullet hole yet.
Well within city limits and I dont have any .22 subs... Try a long barrelled .22 rifle with CB caps. Almost as quiet a a pellet gun. You better keep that trap set, I'll be that one has a lot of friends. (S)He's out, didnt look like much in the cage but felt like a 45# plate picking it up and loading into my truck. This one was either very fat from people trash or pregnant. Im gonna check my attic tonight anyways just to be sure there arent any kittens or other critters running around. |
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Got up this morning and found myself victorious, the same coon came back and went for the salmon skin and a ball of aluminum foil. http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v669/nf9648/DSC02114.jpg Wait, something's wrong... I don't see a bullet hole yet.
Well within city limits and I dont have any .22 subs... Try a long barrelled .22 rifle with CB caps. Almost as quiet a a pellet gun. You better keep that trap set, I'll be that one has a lot of friends. (S)He's out, didnt look like much in the cage but felt like a 45# plate picking it up and loading into my truck. This one was either very fat from people trash or pregnant. Im gonna check my attic tonight anyways just to be sure there arent any kittens or other critters running around. That's a young un, just wait until you catch one that can't turn around in the cage trap. I've caught a few that I still don't know how they got into the trap at all. |
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Box trap (live trap) Peanut butter I have done quite a bit of nuisance animal trapping and this works, it also allows you to release non target animals. The peanut butter is the best bait for coons as other critters "mostly" leave it alone. Good luck This, but I use eggs (whole, still in shell) for bait. Our barn cats aren't interested in them, but WILL go for peanut butter. Do whole eggs have a smell to them? Or is it strictly a visual lure? One of the great things about peanut butter is that it will stick to anything, I'd just stick a glob of it on any piece or cardboard, jar lid, flattened beer can, just about anything. |
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Just go to Tractor Supply and buy their two live cage traps. Its comes as a pair. They're inexpensive. Set up the big one and start capturing the buggers.
You don't have to worry about maiming the neighbors animals or some wildlife guy nailing your butt to the wall for trapping the wrong animal. Tj |
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Box trap (live trap) Peanut butter I have done quite a bit of nuisance animal trapping and this works, it also allows you to release non target animals. The peanut butter is the best bait for coons as other critters "mostly" leave it alone. Good luck This, but I use eggs (whole, still in shell) for bait. Our barn cats aren't interested in them, but WILL go for peanut butter. Do whole eggs have a smell to them? Or is it strictly a visual lure? One of the great things about peanut butter is that it will stick to anything, I'd just stick a glob of it on any piece or cardboard, jar lid, flattened beer can, just about anything. I'm guessing it's just visual, but they sure do like 'em. |
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We had a full grown duck sitting on a nest she made out by our apple tree. The coons came one night and fought her off the nest and ate the eggs. The next night the duck would not go into the barn so we left her out and the coons came and ate her. I would have never guessed that they would eat a full size duck. We have had ducks and chickens for at least 6 years now and this is the first summer that we have lost any to anything besides hawks. Maybe we were just lucky. Now all ducks and chickens are in the barn at night.
Back to my point...the coons came to the duck sitting on whole eggs. Also the ducks will lay eggs anywhere, even out in the middle of our pasture. I am sure the coons can either smell the eggs or just know where to look. Either way, they love eggs. |
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killin' coons is good business.... wait until you get a skunk instead though... whoosh! I'm here to testify after you kill him and he sprays inside your trap, it takes a couple of days for that odor to leave your property.  Walking up to your trap and seeing a skunk in there is definitely a "what are you going to do now, smartass?..." moment. |
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killin' coons is good business.... wait until you get a skunk instead though... whoosh! I'm here to testify after you kill him and he sprays inside your trap, it takes a couple of days for that odor to leave your property. Walking up to your trap and seeing a skunk in there is definitely a "what are you going to do now, smartass?..." moment. With any luck he'll be a fat one that can't turn around in the cage. Approach from in front of him, cover trap with something (old towel maybe), take trap somewhere to release him, open trap and step way back until he wanders off. |
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killin' coons is good business.... wait until you get a skunk instead though... whoosh! I'm here to testify after you kill him and he sprays inside your trap, it takes a couple of days for that odor to leave your property. Walking up to your trap and seeing a skunk in there is definitely a "what are you going to do now, smartass?..." moment. With any luck he'll be a fat one that can't turn around in the cage. Approach from in front of him, cover trap with something (old towel maybe), take trap somewhere to release him, open trap and step way back until he wanders off. Getting a skunk out of a trap is a bit like being in a knife fight... you have to take it as a given that you're going to get cut, and the only question is how bad it's going to be. |