Best Bait for Raccoons?

[Headhen3]

I can’t use cat food or tuna since I have barn cats but marshmallows work really well for me. Also icky sweet cereal. I once trapped a young raccoon and a young opossum in the same trap one night. It was cold enough that they spent the night back to back to keep warm. A through and through got them both without wasting ammo.

 

[sarahconnor]

So about a year ago on a dreary day I watched as a raccoon walked from our front yard along the side to our back yard under our deck. We didn’t see him after that. Fast forward to a few days ago, about 4 days after our fence was installed in our back yard, it was another dreary day and out was our lovely raccoon friend wandering the fence looking very confused. He eventually went under our upper building I’m pretty sure. We set a live cage trap with an apple but no luck. From experience what is the best bait to use?
We are getting chickens most likely this weekend so the faster we can relocate the boogers the better.

Cat food! Wet like pate formula. We’ve trapped many with that.

 

[mdees88]

Has anyone mentioned honeybuns? LOL. Got a raccoon night b4 last and caught this opossum last night. Only problem is I bought 2 boxes of honeybuns, baited my trap 3 times, and now I'm out. Funny how that works.....

 

[gpresdo]

Those are God's little creations and they must eat.
You cannot trap/kill and solve the problem. There are too many....also foxes, opossums, coyotes, weasels, skunks, bob cats, even feral cats, et al., etc.
Just secure your feathered friends and all will be happy.

 

[neo71665]

Has anyone mentioned honeybuns? LOL. Got a raccoon night b4 last and caught this opossum last night. Only problem is I bought 2 boxes of honeybuns, baited my trap 3 times, and now I'm out. Funny how that works.....

Yeah those would never make it to the trap around here

 

[BarredRockMom]

Those are God's little creations and they must eat.
You cannot trap/kill and solve the problem. There are too many....also foxes, opossums, coyotes, weasels, skunks, bob cats, even feral cats, et al., etc.
Just secure your feathered friends and all will be happy.

I am glad that you brought up this point of view. Trapping & killing the animal(s) is not always the right solution for everyone. Some folks secure their chickens quite well, don't feel the need to trap & kill predators and don't worry about predators. For all of them & for you, good on ya.

Someday we'll get to a state of peaceful coexistence...between people, among animals & in all interactions. But we aren't there yet.

Until then, everyone maintain peace and balance the best way you can.

 

[DixieCoFLgirl]

Yeah in Illinois supposed to get a trapper... Neighbor got one to get the coons under his desk... $150 per animal. They got 3. But I seen 7 more after I shot 2.
City People keep dumping in the forest preserve next door or in my side drive by the preserve. That or the opossums I tracked through the snow to my side drive took an Uber. Coons that have been trapped learn to stay out of traps, if released

I am glad that you brought up this point of view. Trapping & killing the animal(s) is not always the right solution for everyone. Some folks secure their chickens quite well, don't feel the need to trap & kill predators and don't worry about predators. For all of them & for you, good on ya.

Someday we'll get to a state of peaceful coexistence...between people, among animals & in all interactions. But we aren't there yet.

Until then, everyone maintain peace and balance the best way you can.

I so agree with you. I think raccoons are such fascinating creatures. I volunteered in our wildlife rehab center here in north Florida and raised several kits. They are amazing little beings. And possums are great to have in your area. They kill thousands of ticks, insects and other annoying varmints that live in your yard. We had people calling in asking us to release our possums in their yards for that reason. They are all just trying to survive in the world they live in. And low voltage electrical wiring (buried) is an amazing deterrent, btw.

 

[Molpet]

I so agree with you. I think raccoons are such fascinating creatures. I volunteered in our wildlife rehab center here in north Florida and raised several kits. They are amazing little beings. And possums are great to have in your area. They kill thousands of ticks, insects and other annoying varmints that live in your yard. We had people calling in asking us to release our possums in their yards for that reason. They are all just trying to survive in the world they live in. And low voltage electrical wiring (buried) is an amazing deterrent, btw.

Never heard of buried low voltage as a deterrent. How does that work,?

 

[spartacus_63]

I am glad that you brought up this point of view. Trapping & killing the animal(s) is not always the right solution for everyone. Some folks secure their chickens quite well, don't feel the need to trap & kill predators and don't worry about predators. For all of them & for you, good on ya.

Someday we'll get to a state of peaceful coexistence...between people, among animals & in all interactions. But we aren't there yet.

Until then, everyone maintain peace and balance the best way you can.

Peace and balance? Have you ever seen what racoons will do to a flock of chickens? They will decapitate every bird they can catch and just leave the bodies on the floor. They do not eat them, they do not only take what they need, they kill everyone they can, and the next night they will be back to get the ones that got away until there are no birds left.
I have a very secure coop with an electric fence and an Auto door. Racoons dug (clawed) through 3/4" plywood to get into my coop. They did it from underneath where it would not be noticed until it was to late. If you have racoons trolling your coop, they are not interested in peace and balance, and they get a vote on the matter.

 

[WestTNriverrat]

Marshmallows -- they LOVE them!

I agree marshmallows and or honeybuns work when more traditional baits like sardines and cat food won’t.