Two separate raccoon problems.

[CosmoTheRooster]

Live trapping does work, but I wouldn't bother with it. My recommendation would be to put out some corn away from your hunting spot, sit out there with a bow or gun, and just pick them off. If you did that you wouldn't disturb the deer and you would rid yourself of some worthless critters.

-Cosmo

 

[Folly's place]

Many live traps are too small for the big coons. I've rented a larger one from my local hardware store by the week, with better success. Buy or rent the large sized trap, weigh it down firmly, and attach the bait inside so it can't be pulled out. Poisons might kill a critter you weren't aiming for! Trap and shoot, DON"T relocate. mary

 

[Folly's place]

Many live traps are too small for the big coons. I've rented a larger one from my local hardware store by the week, with better success. Buy or rent the large sized trap, weigh it down firmly, and attach the bait inside so it can't be pulled out. Poisons might kill a critter you weren't aiming for! Trap and shoot, DON"T relocate. mary

 

[CosmoTheRooster]

Many live traps are too small for the big coons. I've rented a larger one from my local hardware store by the week, with better success. Buy or rent the large sized trap, weigh it down firmly, and attach the bait inside so it can't be pulled out. Poisons might kill a critter you weren't aiming for! Trap and shoot, DON"T relocate. mary

I agree

 

[shmccarthy]

The peanut butter idea worked great! Caught this little guy last night > he gets to meet my friend, Mr. Ruger. I've caught 2/5 I've seen come regularly and a possum.

 

[shmccarthy]

Whoops forgot to add the picture!

 

[bowen012]

I just cleared a family of coons via live trap and dispatching with a .22. I began the process with no success; the first night the trap was robbed. I'd simply put a can of sardines inside the trap and evidently it reached through the side. Second night, I dug a hole the size of the sardine can, put the can inside and sat the trap on top of it - caught the coon in the trap but decided to wait until morning to kill the coon - which escaped before I went out to dispatch it.

Ultimately I stuck to the bait under the cage method. I put some blocks against the cage to keep the coon from digging at it or moving the cage and decided not to be so lazy and kill the coons once I discovered them. From that point on I got a coon per night until they stopped coming. Until I see traces of them I'm under the assumption they're all dead (at least this troublesome family) or have moved on to less lethal treats. Time will tell; when reading up on methods of trapping I'd heard everything from killing to transporting to doing nothing (some seem to think that established adult coons will keep out younger interlopers - while this may be true; the younger interlopers weren't the ones eating my chickens, so this wasn't an option).

 

[CosmoTheRooster]

Whoops forgot to add the picture!

Good for you.

 

[linuxman]

In your trap, (I am assuming you are using a hav-a-heart), place Shims on the trigger, so that the trigger is now longer.

 

[shmccarthy]

I'm sorry, what are shims?