Coon b gone...

[sanchoman]

Woke up tuesday morning to the sound of one of my barred rocks head being pulled off.

Bought a live trap at harbor freight on Tuesday.

Woke up this morning with a coon in my trap and an empy can of tuna.

 

[La_TomboyGirl]

Congrats on getting the deed done!

I'm glad you had better luck with your trap last night than I did with mine! I also set mine last night, using a bit of BBQ chicken 4 the bait & I even heard the thing out there banging around in the trap & I thought to myself as I fell back asleep, "Oh goody! I got him! Hehehe..."

...........This morning, the trap was EMPTY, no coon NOR bait, & the trap was TURNED COMPLETELY AROUND & WAS 2-3 FEET from where I'd placed it last night! Ugh!!!!

It never even sprung! I did remember to take off the safety clip & everything. When I tested it before setting & after the failure by poking the trigger with a stick, it worked great both times. Sigh. Could you help me figure out what I need to do differently?

This thing has taken several of my young birds & I want to get in on the COON-B-GONE celebration this weekend!!! Lolz. Thanks a bunch.

 

[Yetti]

I've said it before coons are smart. stake your traps. used 1/2" rebar drove through the wire frame in a couple spots so they can't flip the cage

 

[Noncentzter]

I use tent stakes on mine...so far I've caught three coons and two possums...of course, I still haven't caught mom and dad.

 

[La_TomboyGirl]

Thanks for the advice. This is my first foray into trapping a critter. Hehe. The trap wasn't flipped, but was spun around like it did a 180, & pushed several feet away from the starting point. I will try again, & will stake it down & secure a can of irresistably stinky tuna to the floor of the trap. Any other ideas you may have , I'd love to hear them. It also killed the bravest of the big male stray cats we have around here & ate some of it. It hasn't gotten the others, but I think he may have tried to stand up to the coon & lost, whereas the others are more fearful. I'm wondering if this guy was "relocated" after wreaking havoc @ someone else's place, as he's rather big, apparently skilled with traps, & just showed up suddenly. We never had any issues like this before, even though I did see a coon eating catfood one night several months ago, after which I simply take the food in at night. Problem solved. I live about 10 minutes away from the Vexcon folks from the "Exterminators" show. Seriously. I never watch it, as I don't have cable, but I know that "wildlife relocaion" is big around here. Idon't know. Anyways, thanks for the input, y'all. Time to try, try again tonight.

 

[EweSheep]

I know Vexcon folks (I've watched their show) and they better not reloacate those coons in your backyard! I know they said MILES from its home but how many miles did they actually go?

Coons are smart! Time to dispatch that sucker!

 

[bryan99705]

Quote:
Anchor the trap, sounds like he tried to go thru the side on in the out door.

 

[24279102]

We also had the food disappear and the trap moved until we staked it and put some branches around it to hide it a bit. That worked - but I fear it is a full time job ! I know they are only doing what is natural to them but I refuse to be their grocery store !!

 

[Abirdbrain]

Only part open the stinky tuna can at the edges with the opener making slits. Expose just enough by prying up the edge to maintain interest. Use an icepick or nail and wire the can to the cage bottom, forcing the coon or other aninmal to DANCE on the trap spring. Staking is good, so is covering the trap with a board or firewood, or tarp or other camo, to detract from its shape. Dispatch or Release in a truly WILD area. If only a coupla miles, they can be a homing type and return. Ask me how I know. I wont put up with the problem, that is local for me. Too many diseases and damage for me. I toot em, DOA.

Wow-numbers. beat me to the keys. Same ideas tho..

 

[La_TomboyGirl]

Thanks guys! Well, the Vexcon folks in particular may not be to blame, but anyone who relocates an animal might think that out here is woodsy enough for it to not be a problem. There are other companies here that do the "humane" pest control besides them, & individuals may also do so, even though it's illegal to do so without a license, since anyone can buy the traps. The Vexcon fam does live very nearby, so that I have to pass their house every day in order to get to work in town. It's kinda funny cuz they are like local celebs out here & were even the big attraction @ a Benton, La festival not long ago.

I don't have anything against them personally. I just wonder how the thing just suddenly became such a nuisance, like it just "showed up" a couple weeks ago. I talked to a different relocator & he said he's had several jobs recently with coons pulling whole pet rabbits through wire, bit by bit. Yuck! In any csase, I just want to get rid of the thing, & I do intend to "dispatch" it since it's illegal for me to transport & release in my state, & would then only be passing the same issues on to others anyway. Thanks for the tuna can ideas! I am definitely going to be trying them tonight...