home made traps. update+need ideas for second trap *several pictures*

[Tala]

Quote:
I don't doubt it. One of the raccoons I caught bent up my metal trap, it was huge and felt like a dog when I picked up the trap. Surprised it fit, I had no idea they were that strong and could bend metal like that.

My older metal trap is bent up too. I had to fix the trip plate once when they bent that part. It's not uncommon for them to shred their "hands" bloody reaching through the wires trying to get out of the trap, so I have no idea what they would do to the wood. I've often caught coons before 10pm, and I usually check on the birds after work around midnight. If I don't check at midnight, the coon would have a loooong time to try to get out.

 

[revolution rooster]

Make the door slide in a channel up and down connect a peice of 1x1 wood to the top of the door using eye hooks. It should reach 3/4 the way toward the back of the box. Now drill a hole at that 3/4 mark through the top of the box. Next step use another 1x1 and hook it to the other (again using eye hooks). The second 1x1 should hang down inside the hole be sure to notch it so that it rests slightly on the hole. When the animal walks in to get the food it will nock the piece of wood off allowing the door to slide down. Sorry no picture...

 

[cupman]

Hmmm... maybe I'll have to find some harder wood to reinforce the outside of the traps with. So far the one raccoon I caught didn't do any damage to the trap, but there's many others around. If it chews up my trap I'll probably break down and just get a wire trap. Fingers crossed.

 

[Dogfish]

Here are two traps I made. Copied the design from someone else's photos.

Some victims

That seam in the hardware cloth on your large trap is a pretty big weak point.

 

[cupman]

You'd think it's a weak point and I was even impressed by the nails. They are pretty gnarly, I put one in as a temporary nail to shut my coop door one night before I had a latch and it took a whole lot to pull it out, I was irritated. A raccoon has a better chance destroying the wood to get out.

nice trap btw

 

[FarmerRob]

Your first trap looks like the superior design in that I think it would be much harder for them to get out of. Unless you are going to add some sort of latch to the design #2 to hold the door in place after it drops it would seem that they would push their way out no matter how heavy the door is.