racoon trap?

[tuffy]

I'm back from TS with the live trap, large and med size for $34. Tonight I'll set them both with marshmallows so as not to catch the neighbors cats. Wish me luck, I'll post tomorrow. Thanks again for all the suggestions~

 

[scbatz33]

Quote:
looks like I'm gonna be sitting up with a neighbor and we'll take 'em out as they come for dinner. It seems the raccoon grapevine has spread the rumor that it's KFC at my house. Gonna seriously shut that rumor down tonight.

 

[Jack Sparrow]

I called the state Game and Fish office and they immediately sent out an officer with a cage to catch whatever was attacking my chickens. I was sure that it was a raccoon after reading the predator descriptions on BYC but the officer had his doubts. He thought it might be a fox, so he brought out an appropriate size trap.

So last night I tucked all my chickens in for the night, making sure all their doors were latched and tied shut. Then I set the trap (a large "have-a-heart" trap) just outside the coop but inside they chicken yard. He had given me a can of cat food to use for bait and I sprinkled some dog kibble just inside the trap leading to the back and the can of cat food and I set the trap and crossed my fingers.

This morning all the hens were fine, and I found this in the trap

The office will be here in a bit to collect the culprit and leave me another trap for tonight....Hopefully I only had one.

 

[Mark & Nique]

Congrats on catching that varmit! Will you set the trap again tonight?

 

[Jack Sparrow]

Yes, The officer told me that when he came to collect the varmint, he will bring me another trap. I am glad I called them cause it saved me the $$ of buying a trap...we don't have Tractor Supply here and I would have had to order one.

 

[Mark & Nique]

Nice! You don't have to worry about relocating/destroying it either -- those tax dollars are well spent!

 

[scbatz33]

I guarantee you have more than one. I had no visitors last night - so birds safe for another day. But you can bet all four traps are set.

 

[pinkyglory123]

I too am deep in the coon battle. Found one in the horse barn sleeping in the animal print :/plush cat bed. Looked just like tabby Pee Wee-thank goodness we did not pet it by mistake.Animal control took that one who did not look "right". Caught three others and relocated them. Then lost three pullets during the day. Over the weekend we spotted a coon during the day coming across the field towards the barn. I set a trap with the chicken carcass, fried chicken, candy, sardines-nothing. I even moved it from the coop area to the field where I spotted the daytime coon. My girls are now cooped up until I can reinforce the outside run. So much for the free range idea. Any other ideas regarding bait? There will be no more relocating. Beastly heat here in Maryland-put up a chain link "screen door" to keep the girls cool especially since they are inside now until an impenetrable fortress can be constructed outside. I do have a hot wire six inches from the ground but that apparently did not deter them-I think they came over the roof. It is obvious that I need to surround everything so you have to cross the hot wire to get to the coop. Glad it is only six inches high. L

 

[scbatz33]

Quote:
Are you hiding the trap? We covered ours with feed bags(easy to do since it's where we keep the feed!) and surrounded it with boxes then used marshmallows and sardines.

 

[wingznut76]

I live just outside of a woods with a large stream running thru it. I have an ongoing issue with raccoons. I use the lil grizz coon traps, very effective and I do not have to worry about my dogs. Just stuff a marshmallow in, set it and wait. I also do not make these critters someone elses problem, which troubles my wife more than me. A couple of pumps in the pellet gun and problem over. I use a pellet gun so I don't bother the neighbors as I leave for work at 5:45 a.m. I want to be clear I take no pleasure in dispatching the offenders, it is something that needs to be done. My chickens free range and when it is hot like it is now, not all the ladies want to go in. If I cannot round them up and get them in they will usually only last one or two nights. In fact two of my golden buffs decided the pine trees were cooler last night and this morning there were only feathers to remind me that they ever existed. My chickens are not pets so the loss is less emotional and more monetary, the hard fact is I figure a ten to fifteen percent loss to raccoons. Where I live raccoons are out of control. I wish you the best.