How to Bait a Trap?! *Update on Size!*

[rodriguezpoultry]

beefy, I'm all for trying a goat on top of it...(chupacabra!)

 

[nnbreeder]

Ok this is gross but examine the piles very good and see if you can get a clue as to what this thing has been eating. Then try to match that as close as you can.

 

[zatsdeb]

I caught a coon with a homemade banana muffin

 

[rodriguezpoultry]

OK...anything I put out is not eaten...or there are no paws marks at all on the ground. HOWEVER...something is taking huge DUMPS on top of my coop.

What on EARTH poops on a coop, doesn't eat (or kill) the big birds and won't eat laced food or make tracks?

 

[cutrite]

You already know the answer. It's the chupacaba !

 

[rodriguezpoultry]

Holy freakin' goat-sucker. You posted! (Straight is gonna slap you silly!)

 

[greenfamilyfarms]

Sardines are like the miracle bait. You can get a cheap can of them at the dollar store for 50 cents or less.

 

[mmwb]

Take a picture of the scat and post it. You might sift a bit of flour on the roof and on the ground around the coop, if the ground is flat. Not thick, just a light skiff. It'll often allow you to see clear foot prints. See if you can pick up a definitive foot print and post a pic of that as well.

 

[Wolf-Kim]

I agree you need to post pictures of the scat, preferably with a ruler next to it for a size comparison. We may be able to help you identify what it is, it's amazing how much you can tell from a pile of poo...

I'm wondering if maybe it is an owl or some other bird of prey, perching on the coop at night. The neighbor used to have an owl that would sit on his tractors and watch the chickens. Then again, bird poo tends to look like bird poo, even in large quantities. Although I have seen owl pellets, which is more vomit than scat, and it tends to look like dog poo with rodent skulls and fur.

Also, you should try the leghold, many animals have experience with havaheart traps or just a phobia of cages in general and this prevents them from going into a trap regardless of the bait. Fear is a great teacher and deterent, which is why relocating predators is frowned upon, since they can and often do become trap wary.

-Kim

 

[TexasVet]

I've had excellent luck catching coons and possums with dry dog food. Ditto for chicken parts that are tied inside the trap so they're hanging right above the step plate.

Most animals are wary of traps, so set the trap and then cover it with hay, leaving just the entrance door uncovered. You can also cover it with a tarp. If it's covered, the coon thinks some other animal hid its food stash in there.

For the really, really smart ones, set a leg trap in front of the trap door and cover it lightly with straw. One or the other is bound to catch it.

I even caught a bobcat with this setup last year! Just be sure to tie the leg trap to a sturdy stake, and I mean something that it'll take a bulldozer to get back out of the ground. A trapped coon is strong and mean and will run off with anything that's not securely anchored. They've also been known to chew their foot off rather than stay in the trap, so get up extra early to check it.

Good luck!

Kathy, Bellville TX
www.CountryChickens.com