I got the raccoon - Then he got ME!

[Presidential]

In a live trap, I cought the giant raccoon that gnawed through my heavy duty, hard plastic chicken feed bin. I saw his footprints on & around my coop, so I knew it was only a matter of time before he got my girls.

That raccoon had a longer reach than I gave him credit for and he grabbed my leg! His razor claws left me bloody.

Had him tested: Rabies negative. But, I learned a lesson the HARD WAY!

 

[7L Farm]

I would attach some half inch hardware cloth around the existing wire so he can't reach into or out of the trap. Glad your OK.

 

[ChickaBamBam]

Glad you're ok! Wow.

You still going to use a live trap in the future? I've thought about getting one esp when I see dirty coon prints up and down the roof of my a frame coop but I haven't yet.

 

[Presidential]

I'll definitely use a live trap again. Got one set up right now! We have all kinds of critters in our barn, looking for a place to live. I can't leave them there. It would be dangerous for me and a health threat to my animals. Live trap is all I can think of to collect the intruders for disposal. We have set it up a couple times each year.

Any better ideas?

 

[Ted n Ms]

I got a dog proof coon trap yesterday, think i will like it. I still have livetraps out to get possums and polecats.

 

[hrhta812]

I got a dog proof coon trap yesterday, think i will like it. I still have livetraps out to get possums and polecats.

I saw that dog proof coon trap yesterday while I was on-line trap shopping! What a clever design! I didn't understand what it said about being able to catch more than one coon at a time though - how would that work?

I'm worried about a nearby fox and am looking at various traps. We have rat size and coon size live traps already. The leg traps have been recommended to me by a friend, but I hesitate to use one of those for fear of hurting a dog or cat. I'd feel really awful if out long lost barn cat turned up in the leg trap or something.

I'm thinking of buying a larger size live trap - any feedback or suggestions would be appreciated!

 

[TeamChaos]

Yikes! I'm glad you're okay! I've been trapping a ton of 'coons out at the farm lately and when I was in town the other nite, I stepped off the front stairs ON TO a 'coon! It growled and scratched my leg. Not fun.

 

[galanie]

This is why my trap has solid metal on top where the handle is. It also has a cable to attach it to something or if need be, to drag it by. If I get anything in there I have to use the cable to move, then it's going swimming in that trap. Though I do usually shoot them before opening it anyway. But you do have to move the trap first usually.

 

[ChickaBamBam]

I stepped off the front stairs ON TO a 'coon! It growled and scratched my leg. Not fun.

Uggg. Glad you're ok too.

Any better ideas?

Nope, no better ideas. I like the sound of the cable attached to galanie's trap though! Gonna keep that in mind.

 

[Greyfox Farm]

Check out Youtube for "raccoon bucket set". It's a 220 conibear (some people use a 160) in a square bucket such as kitty litter might come in. The beauty of these is that it will break the coons neck and kill him instantly instead of having to deal with a live, angry, dangerous animal. The only reason that I shy away from these is that they will kill a stray kitty if he happens by, but in an all-out war on coons these work excellently. I have zero use for live traps, I use 220's and duke dog-proofs exclusively. Check out the videos and see what suits your use. Marshmallows and DDP's stay set in the woods behind my coop. Zero loss of birds to coons to date.