predator trapping advice

[TeamChaos]

How many chickens are left in your coop? If it's a small number, would it be possible to move the chickens for a nite and bait the trap in the coop, then you'll know you have your culprit?

As far as catching 'coons, I've had good luck placing my trap some place w/ a little natural cover (just make sure there are no branches or roots to stop the door from closing completely) and I tie a rope from the trap to a tree trunk, some times on both sides, so that a 'coon can't get in there and flip the trap to get out (which they will do). Sardines and canned salmon have been my best bait, canned cat food comes in third. I tried marshmallows but I'm apparently the only person who has a barn cat with a sweet tooth. Good luck!

 

[Enchanted Sunrise Farms]

It's illegal in many areas to trap and relocate wild animals. Not to mention you are handing your problem off to someone else. Our County Agricultural Commission has a Federal Trapper who will come out and set a trap for $25. Once you catch something, they will humanely euthanize it on the spot and take the carcass. Additional animals caught are $12.50. We are using them to eliminate a skunk family who has taken up residence in our yard. It is well worth it for him to deal with it rather than me getting skunked.

 

[Mehjr10]

Try mating the trap to the poop door, so that the the critter can only enter through the trap. If you have a 22 cal rifle, look into some 22cal CB Ammo.. Low noise if you have neighbors close by and will dispatch them no problem. Coons make a tasty meal if prepared correctly, in the south its BBQ. Good Luck.

 

[devora]

It's illegal in many areas to trap and relocate wild animals. Not to mention you are handing your problem off to someone else. Our County Agricultural Commission has a Federal Trapper who will come out and set a trap for $25. Once you catch something, they will humanely euthanize it on the spot and take the carcass. Additional animals caught are $12.50. We are using them to eliminate a skunk family who has taken up residence in our yard. It is well worth it for him to deal with it rather than me getting skunked.

I need this service for a fox that's been slaughtering my girls. What a bargain! Thanx for the tip; hope we have it in Mendocino Co.

 

[EeyoreD]

Ensure to stake your trap well. A big coon can get out if it is not weighted down.

This.

I had a Duke trap tethered to a corkscrew dog tie out. Both the trap and the corkscrew are gone. No digging, he just pulled it out. (and I check the sturdiness of the tie out each time I bait/set.)

Somewhere out there is a monster coon with a metal pegleg trailing a corkscrew tie out...

 

[Jbrandt000]

Why do you want to kill the poor raccoon just wanting something to eat. It probably has several babies that will be with out a mother to feed them so they can eat the chickens too. My remedy is to buy a lot of chickens and just leave one out a night so the raccoon won't get in the chicken house. The best idea is to find another chicken farmer and trap the coon and move it to his place.

 

[OE Chic]

I've been having a problem also - I'm afraid to catch the neighbors cat if I use cat food - I've caught 1 raccoon, and1 possum. But now what ever it is came into my barn, in between my horses and
squeezed through an arrea about 3" x 1" and killed 2 babies that I had in a cage and tried to pull then through the wire. Today it got 2 more babies...

 

[Gadsden]

When I built our pen, I used chain link fence. The bottom of it was set into a concrete perimeter, with 2' long rebars hammered down into the ground. The 'roof' was non barbed wire fence installed in a grid pattern, tied at every point, and 2x3 garden fence on top of that. We have mountain lions and coyotes to worry about here. Never had a single issue of predators breaking in. 12' X 18'

As for removing troublesome coons, trap it and kill it. Racoons can be extremely strong though, and are vicious fighters. If possible, shoot it. If not, trap it and kill it with anything that gives a safe distance(archery/spear). They can tear up a dog in a heartbeat. Anchor the trap firmly into the ground, or with a very heavy object (100+ lbs) on steel cable. If it can get into a an otherwise secure area, the bait it and poison it - just make sure other pets/animals can not get into it also.

 

[cadams]

Why do you want to kill the poor raccoon just wanting something to eat. It probably has several babies that will be with out a mother to feed them so they can eat the chickens too. My remedy is to buy a lot of chickens and just leave one out a night so the raccoon won't get in the chicken house. The best idea is to find another chicken farmer and trap the coon and move it to his place.

Here the coons, skunks,and coyotes are under a state wide quarantine they must be put down on the capture spot or you can be in serious trouble with the state. back when I was doing my nusanice control work I had one farmer hire me for a year due to coon problems and off of one creek by the road I took over two hundred coons because everyone was dumping the live trap catches into this section of creek. in all reality in is far more inhuman to relocate a trapped animal than it is to put them down once they have to go the whole only the strong survive,territory battles, ect. there are two areas near here that now have rabies running rampant due to this near Mc Kinney just glad I don't live there on those creeks.

 

[Enchanted Sunrise Farms]

Why do you want to kill the poor raccoon just wanting something to eat. It probably has several babies that will be with out a mother to feed them so they can eat the chickens too. My remedy is to buy a lot of chickens and just leave one out a night so the raccoon won't get in the chicken house. The best idea is to find another chicken farmer and trap the coon and move it to his place.

You're kidding, right? i hope you are not doing what you suggest. Sounds like animal cruelty to me to leave a chicken out to be killed every night. And, then what will happen is that you will attract more and more raccoons, who will breed like crazy since there is an easy food source. i have tremendous compassion for wildlife. But when it comes to my pets or a wild animal, i will protect my pets.