Raccoons won't go in trap!!!

[bheila]

The first night they killed one of our turkeys. The second night they ripped off one of our meat chickens wings. No loss there, I just butchered him. The third night they killed one of our 2 month old chicks. Even after I thought everything was pretty much secured those darn raccoons still got through. I have set the trap every night now and I just can't get them to go in the trap. So the fourth morning I went outside to let the girls and guys out of the coop and there was this gigantic raccoon just waiting for my chickens to come out into the fenced pasture area. I couldn't believe how brave they have gotten. So there I am throwing sticks trying to make it go up a tree so that I can get my pellet gun to shoot it. He just watched the sticks fly by him and walked off. I went running to let my dogs out and to get my gun just incase I would see him again. About 10 minutes later we were walking down the driveway about 500 feet back to the house and here is 2 raccoons crossing our path. I instantly told my dogs to chase them and of coarse now they're up into the trees. I though "perfect", now I can just load their butts with a bunch of pellets. I probably sat outside for 10 minutes shooting at them. While all of this is happening I did feel bad for the raccoons sitting up in the trees looking helpless while I shot at them. I do understand that they are just trying to find food to survive. But I am hoping that I made a bad enough impression on them that they won't come back. Has this worked for anyone else. I was leaving my dogs outside at night to scare them away but apparently the raccoons were just too quiet and sneaky. If the trap worked I was going to relocate them about 30 miles from our place. Like I said they just wouldn't fall for it.

 

[rooster0209]

better bait.

Use mudcats or carp

There is something call "coonhounds disease" that coonhounds catch (and other dogs can too), so be careful letting your dogs tangle with coons, not to mention rabbies. Coonhounds disease is like an allergic reaction to the saliva of a coon and there is no cure. Just lots and lots of pallative care until the dog recovers.

 

[bheila]

Quote:
I did think of that of coarse afterwards. I was just so caught up in the moment that they were there in the daylight hours. My lab/pitt mix did tangle with the biggest raccoon 2 times and thankfully nothing bad happened to her.

 

[bluie]

Try an open can of sardines, or some suet for bait. They only time I have seen my raccoons in the the daytime was when I started putting out suet for the birds in the morning. Poor birds, I stopped that right away. They stole the suet feeder and had a feast in the bushes.

 

[rooster0209]

Good luck on catching them. They are crafty little creatures. Its a shame they are so darn cute too.

 

[bluebirdfarm]

i use suet for bait and let them eat for a nite or two until they are "trained ' to go in the trap then set it.
i don't re locate i kill them .they will come back in a few weeks if u re locate.

 

[bheila]

Quote:
I did think of killing them. I just don't have a gun to do that with. I'm sure my husband wouldn't mind some coon for dinner. He's from Minnesota where they eat those kind of things.

You think that even if I took them a minimum of 30 miles away they would still come back?

I forgot to add that after the pellets to the butt and the dogs terrorizing the raccoons I haven't seen any sign of them. I hope for good.

 

[yotetrapper]

What have you been using for bait in your trap? Also, how large of a trap is it??

As for relocating, maybe they won't come back, but once coons start coming up to houses, they will always do it. Do you really want to push your problem off on someone else? Also, in most every state, relocation is illegal.

 

[farmgirlie1031]

Wet cat food works wonders you just have to make sure it is in the very back of the trap so they can't put it out and not trip the trap. We caught several coons that way when we were trying to catch feral cats.

 

[bheila]

I'm using the biggest trap that you can buy. It's almost big enough for a coyote to go into. If I was going to relocate them I was taking them to a place where no one lives up into the mountains with 1000's of acres to roam. I would never place them to be someone elses problem.

Canned cat food was my next choice of bait.