Best Raccoon/Opossum bait?

[6RandomBrownLayers]

So I have a Raccoon patrolling around my coop. I have found tracks twice in the past week. Once they were three feet away from the coop. I have a live trap that is currently baited with sardines but no luck so far. I had an old can of sardines outside and one morning when I went out they were all gone. Now I know he/she likes sardines but I was curious if anyone else knows a better bait? Maybe one that works for opossums as well?

 

[JenellYB]

Raw chicken.

 

[Mattemma]

I caught all mine with usually a carrot or aple in the trap.Few times I tossed in cantelope and marshmallows,but the ants went for those.

 

[redhen689]

I caught 2 in the fall using cat food. I sprinkle in around on the ground around the trap and then put a small container of it in the trap.
I have another one patroling the area now, so I'll be rebating the trap again tonight.

One thing I haven't been able to catch is that darn fox!

 

[mrcman]

I also used sardines for years. Then I switched to marshmallows. Same good results but much cheaper. We've also caught possums with the marshies.

 

[6RandomBrownLayers]

I caught 2 in the fall using cat food. I sprinkle in around on the ground around the trap and then put a small container of it in the trap.
I have another one patroling the area now, so I'll be rebating the trap again tonight.

One thing I haven't been able to catch is that darn fox!

Is that dry cat food or wet?

 

[wagoncab]

We have 3 Great Pyrenees dogs. No problems with predators.

Cindy

 

[palmettogroves]

I have baited my traps with an egg in the past. That way it doesn't attract the neighborhood cat. All the other suggestions have worked for me too.

 

[redhen689]

Is that dry cat food or wet?

I used dry. I put a small container filled with cat food in the trap and sprinked some around the container too. (It falls through the holes.)
I caught a 'coon the first night I set the trap.
A few weeks later I tried the same thing, but didn't catch anything the first night, so then I put some pieces of our leftover turkey carcass (bones) in there as well and caught one.
I attempted to catch a fox,.. no luck. He was able to get the bait without triggering the trap.

I have kept chickens for 11 years but never had problems with preditors while we owned a dog. I've had non stop raccoons and foxes since the dog is gone.

I know I need to secure the coop better, but some evenings no-one is home to close up the coop.

 

[Shawnee_b]

I've caught coon with marshmallows, canned cat food, sardines (I eat the sardines and put the can of juice out) I do lile some of these ideas of dry foods cause the wet stuff does get messy in a day or too, and yes the mallows are pretty good bait and not too messy.

I did read a good tip since coon will reach in and get bait and are tricky anyway. I put hardware cloth on the ends of my traps for 1 foot so no reach ins. The coons will also "stack" 3 deep preventing the door from going down! I stake my traps down very firm to prevent tipping. The other tip sounds good is bait in a hole under the trip plate and stake trap.

If you have cage trap problems there is a Duke Coon Cuff which is dog proof. Only a coon can trip it. They have the fingers that can wrap around the inner trip which nothing else has. Google "duke dog proof coon cuff"