What predator is doing this and what's the best way to eliminate it?

[bluere11e]

Here in So. Fl. I have LOTS of Papaya and citrus trees loaded with fruit. Occasionally, my Basenji trees possums and we take them out with the 22. I got a large cage trap (coyote/bobcat) and we put a broken open papaya in the live bait cage at the trigger end, and wired it to the outside of the trap. whatever it is this time.. it is taking the papaya out completely (through the wires) leaves NO trace. We used spagetti and meat balls the next day ( about 2 cups worth) GONE! Everything.. not trace. A cantaloupe the next. GONE.. no rind, no seeds, nothing left. Now, there's a worn track back and forth on one side of the bait cage.. So I know it's an animal, not an alien..

I don't mind feeding the guy this way as it keeps him out of my brids, but it's only a matter of time. I have to do something.

So, today, I bought 2 dog proof coon paw traps. ( the kind that you set, push into the ground, add bait and when they dig their little paws in there to get the goodies it snares their hand. I also bought a rubber lined steel jaw trap that I'm not sure I should use. I am considering a body trap.. I worry about using those because of my Basenji.. I would definitely keep him on a leash when those are armed, if I use them.
I track the ground looking for tracks, but because it's primarily where I spread horse manure/shavings.. there's no tracks.. I did find on my back stairs a sticky paw print that matched a front foot of a coon track, so I am leaning more towards that. He will NOT go in the trap.. so I need to resort to other traps, or maybe a snare.. Would that work on a coon?
We also have a problem with coyotes in our neighborhood. killing small dogs and cats..
If this predator that is avoiding our big trap is a coon.. He's a smart one

 

[sourland]

Wrap the back portion of the trap where the bait is with hardware cloth. Then in order to get the bait, the animal will have to enter the trap.

 

[aprophet]

dig a hole in the ground put your bait in the hole center the trigger over the bait weight/stake the trap down

 

[fishman65]

sounds like a roof rat or a baby possum. keep using the trap but loop light wire around a chicken leg bone and the lever of your trap so it trips the trap when it pulls on the chicken leg.

 

[theFox]

Well I see that the three top methods of getting the animal into the trap have been provided by the three prior posts, I'll just add good luck.

 

[WillieBoy]

Sounds like rats to me as well,but you did see coon tracks.A coon that has had experience with a live trap, will not likey go in one again.Thats one of the problems with trap and release, they learn ..! I have a BIG coon that ate every turtle and frog in my pond, trashed my summer corn crop and other deeds, he will not trap...! Lucky for my hens, the coops are well built, i see his big tracks all around and on my hen houses.
My dad lives in Fla. rats eat all the figs on his tree and his papayas...good luck catching the crooks..!

 

[bluere11e]

Last night. We dug a hole and lined it with foil. We put the left overs from dinner in there and pulled the trap over it. We blocked off the back with cinderblocks and the 2 sides with an old parakeet cage on one side and a piece ofnplywood on the other. I don't have any extra hardware cloth lying around. Well. About an hour later I was just telling DH that maybe the trigger wasn't working and we heard. Bang. We ran out and Gizmo. The Basenji was in there. I hadn't locked the back door. But at least we knew the trap worked. After. TV. We went to walk Gizmo and we put him on a leash. He just about yanked us down the stairs. We caught a BIG female coon! I ran and grabbed the 22 and we very sadly yet solemnly watched her die of lead poisoning.

It ALWAYS makes me feel bad to have to kill anything. But my kids come FIRST! She just barely fit into a layena bag. I bet she was 15-20 pounds. No obvious tests. So I'm hoping they were still in the oven and I'm glad we got her before she could bring her kids around. We reset the trap and I have the Duke coon cuffs set by my lake edge andour back canal. I'm seriously planning on trying to put a hurting on the local coon population.
Thank you. THANK YOU. For the wonderful advice. It worked !

I was so excited. I forgot to take pictures. I'm sure there will be a next time

 

[justbugged]

I am glad you were able to take care of the problem.

 

[bluere11e]

Quote:
I was trying to say no obvious teets. But my I phone corrects me sometimes and puts in words it thinks I meant and I do t always catch it
I was looking for evidence of her having a litter. But I think she was still cooking up a batch n

 

[theFox]

Bait the trap again, likely there's another.