What is the best bait for raccoons in a live trap?

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zebralady

In the Brooder
7 Years
Jan 12, 2013
33
3
34
Vancouver, Washington
Neighbor has a HUGE raccoon problem in her coop. She is using a large live trap. (I have recommended a dukes trap) What is the best bait to use? She has tried raw pork chop, wet cat food, dry cat food, live rats, eggs, cooked bacon, and honey. Any other suggestions. Still NO luck!!!! she is down to 1 chicken, 1 quail, a few ducks, and a goose.....any ideas would be eagerly accepted and tried. Thank you so much!! (Oh, I think she has tried both covering and uncovering the trap as well)
 
Has the predator been stealing the bait out of the trap or ignoring it completely? I used some left-overs from our refrigerator... left-over gravy and a chicken foot that we had from processing some birds a few weeks ago. We had our bait stolen 3 nights in a row before my hubby attached it to the trap securely and also oiled the door so it would close more easily. That did the trick and we caught Mr. Coon the next night. Is your friend's coop secure? Until we caught the coon, I had to put the girls away earlier than usual for their own protection (which they did not like one bit!).
 
The raccoon has been totally ignoring the bait! The coop is secure (or so we though) but, to get to the quail the raccoon chewed a hole through the wire (hardware cloth) and grabbed the quail out. we are really not sure how it is getting the hens!!
 


I have had great success with marshmallows. I take an empty tuna can, punch two holes in the bottom with a screwdriver and zip tie the can to the floor of the cage, so the raccoon cannot reach in from the sides or top and grab it. I put 7-8 large marshmallows in the can, stuffed tightly together so they won't come out easily. Have caught many raccoons with this method. Happy trapping!
 
I am learning about this too so I do not have any information to offer, just a question to add to this... What are we legally allowed to do with the racoons once we catch them if they have been a eating our livestock?
 
The raccoon has been totally ignoring the bait! The coop is secure (or so we though) but, to get to the quail the raccoon chewed a hole through the wire (hardware cloth) and grabbed the quail out. we are really not sure how it is getting the hens!!
Can you provide a picture of this?
 
When you catch one Dispatch it. Don't release it somewhere to be another persons problem... All of mine get a 22 short or CB cap to the head, others may stick the cage and all in water. This may offend some people but it offends me more when they are killing chickens.
 
I had good luck with sardines. I crack open the tin(Don't open all the way), wrap the tin in hardware cloth a wire it to the back of the trap. It really draws them in after a couple of days, when the sardines get "Seasoned".
Jack
 
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