Raccoon Help Please

[mark2eye]

Found a coon in the yard today and I hope to trap it tomorrow. Can anybody suggest a bait? Also, I've been considering installing a couple of nite guards. Has anyone had any experience with this and can testify to its functionality? Thank you

 

[Judy]

I don't think they are that fussy, but I've read that marshmallows work well.

There are a bunch of threads in this section about Nite Guard. I think the majority say it doesn't work, but I've also read that it works best if moved daily. I've never owned one.

 

[4 the Birds]

Found a coon in the yard today and I hope to trap it tomorrow. Can anybody suggest a bait? Also, I've been considering installing a couple of nite guards. Has anyone had any experience with this and can testify to its functionality? Thank you

Not a big fan of trapping animals and relocating them; Yet, I have trapped chipmunks in the past to relocate away from the property since they were intent on digging up all the planting flowers around the house. For the most part, predators or animals may visit but they will move on if there is no easy meals. If your coop and run is fortified then you will have no worries. A perimeter fence is a decent way to set boundaries for the predators and deter the casual visitor. Some people have used motion detector lights with some success.

 

[Ridgerunner]

I have no experience with nite guards so I cannot comment on those.

I have had success trapping raccoons using peanut butter. I take a small spoonful of peanut butter, wrap it in a paper towel or tissue, and toss it in the back, behind the trigger. I’ve also had success with tossing in a couple of Marshmallows.

I built this shell to go over my trap so the only way anything could get to the bait is through the door. You might consider a tarp or something over it to try to encourage it to go in through the front door instead of trying to get the bait from the side. I also wired my trap to a piece of plywood to stabilize it to stop it from being turned over.

I think there is another potential benefit to having it covered. You don’t know what you might catch even in suburbia. Possums, cats, maybe even a skunk. It’s real exciting when I move that cover back enough to see if what is inside is black and white, but you have a better chance of handling that situation if the skunk is boxed in.

Good luck!

 

[BrendaJ]

Raccoons will eat just about anything - they live in family units so im sure you have more than one that's checking out your property. My dogs keep the predators on the move here. I have heard mixed views on nite guards but have never personally used them.

 

[Gargoyle]

Marshmallows, or better, the marshmallow fluff that is sold in a jar in the cake baking aisle- that sticks to whatever you put it on, harder for them to steal it out of the trap.

Look into Dukes Dog-proof traps.

 

[shmccarthy]

I always use catfood, they love it!

 

[raizin]

i use black sunflower seeds and toss them in the back of the live cage and under the trigger. The raccoons have to dig around and trigger the trap in the process. It also keeps the cats out of the trap. Otherwise, dry cat food catches all critters.

 

[Ridgerunner]

i use black sunflower seeds and toss them in the back of the live cage and under the trigger.  The raccoons have to dig around and trigger the trap in the process.  It also keeps the cats out of the trap.  Otherwise, dry cat food catches all critters. 

That brought back memories. I used those sunflower seeds when I was reducing the squirrel population in my backyard when I lived in suburbia. I caught a few doves with that as bait.

Lots of things will work. Main thing is to try.

Good luck with that raccoon.

 

[smedly9921]

Tuna Fish works every time, it a smell they cannot resist.