Ive been thinking about getting a live trap,almost bought one on E-bay, I have an occasional hen or roo that gets gone every so often, at night or early morning . I free range all of mine they roost in the trees, I know I cant catch an owl with one, but I don't think that's what it is Im finding them and all is gone is the head, I think its a raccoon or a cat their all around where I live. maybe walking up my 2x4 walk to the nearest limb like my chickens ,any way back to the subject. I also have skunks or pole cats around where I live, I use to hunt raccoons when I was younger and some times our dogs would tree a pole cat in a hole and I couldnt get within 100 yards of them, so how do you get a pole cat out of a live trap. with out him spraying.
I had a live trap that I bought to catch the predators as well. It worked until the predators started dragging the trap away (trying to carry off the food that was still inside). Or tripping the latch from the outside only to prove the trap faulty. Check out my BYC page-or click the link in my signature. My husband built that trap for roughly the same amount as a store bought trap would cost you and it catches everything! I even caught a bull mastiff one night!! So now our trapping has consisted of cats, opossums, a humongous dog, and of course coons--lots of coons!
I was trying to catch racoons in my live trap in my barn and ended up catching a skunk. I sure didn't want him spraying in the barn, especially if I was in there. I got an old sheet from my wife, held it in front of me, and came at the trap sort of from a side wall that made it difficult for the skunk to see me coming. I put the sheet over the trap. If the skunk can't see you then he won't feel threatened and won't spray. I tied a rope to the corner of the trap and drug the trap, with she sheet over it to the side yard. I stood about 20 yards away and shot him with my rifle. He never did spray.
I've never caught a skunk but have caught raccoons. I wired my live trap to a sheet of plywood to stabilize it, then built a plywood box to set over it. The only opening is to the front where the trap door is. Supposedly a skunk will not spray if he is enclosed, either with gkeesling's sheet or my box. I figure if I catch a skunk, I can remove the box with a rope and stay far away. I would not try to release him alive. The tricky part is checking to see if I have a skunk or raccoon. That means very carefully and slowly sliding the box back enough until you can see what you have caught. Good luck!
Just a quick hint about live traps, the Havahart style. When I set mine, I get four long metal stakes and stake the trap down securely. Usually put it on a small sheet of plywood as well. I use cat food for bait, but put a very thin trail of dry cat food leading from about a foot outside the front door, then put a few crumbs inside the trap about halfway inside, then take a small can of cat food, punch two small holes in the side up near the rim and wire the can to the back wall of the cage. The critter will eat his way into the trap, hit the treadle trying to get the can off the back wall and bingo! Probably caught 70-80 coons and possums over the years that way. You can also drape a towel over the cage to reduce the side picking stuff. If you're handy mechanically, you can file down the little trigger hook a bit and put a dab of grease on it, then when you set, "arm" the hook so the slightest bump on the treadle closes the trap. At least that's how the Indians did it...(according to an old Indian friend of my dad's)
