How about keeping a live trap going 24/7 in season?

[deerman]

Quote:
Well I don't set traps in the woods or edge, because its illegal to trap out of season. Now legal to set outside the pens, to catch predator killing your birds,or getting in the pens.

 

[Lollipop]

Quote:
Well I don't set traps in the woods or edge, because its illegal to trap out of season. Now legal to set outside the pens, to catch predator killing your birds,or getting in the pens.

Yup, I agree. Use your imagination and see if you can come up with a good entrance path into your yard and close to your pen. If you only have one trap, put it there........Pop

 

[Lollipop]

Quote:
at some point, you are going to have 'visitors', and what will you do? what WILL YOU DO? call me Carl Malden

ANYBODY that keeps chickens, needs a trap and a gun, even if the gun is only used to feed the trapped varment. Whether you choose to keep a trap set or not, depends on how much you value your birds. Changing the bait eggs once a month is cheap insurance. If the smell of eggs draws in predators better than the smell of chickens, so be it. Good luck.......Pop

 

[stevin]

gotcha..........
i just set the 2 traps i have. too bad i only have store bought eggs, i'm still waitin for them to lay.
thanks for the responses and motivation!
who knows, i might be feeding something else other than my chickens tomorrow morning.

 

[theFox]

Quote:
From the barn yard in the voice of Foghorn Leghorn comes:

"Raw eggs boy, I say raw eggs"

Just because you might not smell anything that doesn't mean your target animal can't.

hey foghorn!! good point about the target being able to smell what may seem to be low on aroma to us featherless bi-peds. hadn't thought of that. i must switch to raw eggs--in the shell of course!

The same thing is also true about hearing and eyesight.

 

[theFox]

When selecting bait you need to be aware of any other animals that may be in your area and keep the bait as specific as you can to the targeted predator.

Otherwise you may find yourself with a bigger problem than you already are trying to take care of.

In the case of using a raw egg you are only using a bait that is normally on your property anyway, it is kinda hard to keep hens and not have eggs around.

 

[D'Angelo N Va.]

I would never in a million years thought to use raw eggs....I always used tuna fish, or an empty sardine can or scraps from the meal to catch things....eggs..who would ever guessed. Thanks so much. I think I'll try it.

 

[Cloverleaf Farm]

What a great thread! I've had a skunk on my property attempting to dig into 2 of my coops. I only know it's a skunk because I can smell it. I've had a trap set with cat food (have tried wet and dry) for a week now and the only thing I've caught is a PO'd squirrel. "something" did manage to steal a piece of bread with peanut butter on it out of the trap without setting it off the 2nd night though...haven't smelled the skunk for a few days now, but I'm leaving that trap set for sure! And going to add an egg to the cat food! Thanks for the tip!

 

[Woodcutterron]

Take a ziplock bag, a table fork, and poke the bag once, so ya have 4 about 1/8 inch holes in the baggie. Put a slice of bread in the bag, pour a few teaspoons of Vanilla extract on the bread. Coons and opossums can't resist it, I've even caught the occasional fox (quite rare in that area I lived at the time) with this bait, and it isn't as messy as other stuff. We didn't have Coyotes where I used to trap, I suppose I'll have to try it and see if it works as well. Did lure Fox so I'm guessing coyotes might be attracted too. We haven't had a problem with coyotes so far even though we have'em, I think probably because I "mark" a perimeter around the property. How do I mark it? Ehh . . . . a few beers help, if that gives ya an idea.

If ya get a trap shy critter, covering the box trap with debris or a gillie cloth can putt'em at ease a bit too. (be careful not to interfere with the mechanism though) If you have a double-end trap, try leaving one end closed too. Trap-savvy coons will do a fast "run through" and steal the bait and be out the other side before it even closes. A good reason to secure the bait too.

If you're handy, and you have something killing the chickens themselves . . . they like nothing better than a "lone chicken" roped off from the flock. It's not that difficult to modify a store bought box trap to use a live chicken as bait with a divider that keeps the chicken from getting nabbed. The most effective thing is a well placed piece of lead, administered at high velocity.

Good luck with the critter control

 

[aprophet]

Quote:
I set on the sign the critter leaves what ever trail the animal is making coming to the birds. I either set right in the trail or right beside it depending on where I am and what type trap I am using.