What got into my run? ***PICS INCLUDED***

[wyoDreamer]

We used the sunflower seeds scattered under the trap to catch our masked intruder to the barn. We had to use sunflower seed because one of our cats loves the chicken feed and we sure didn't want to trap Ginger, lol.
It was a small coon, probably a year old that was out on his own and discovered the cat door into the barn and easy dinner. He didn't touch the eggs that I had forgotten from the daily gather and left out all night right next to the feed bin, but he opened the bin and helped himself every night for a week.

 

[nao57]

Yes, there are water sources near me and I've seen raccoons on my porch and in my yard last summer...

About the dirt in the run: yes, it is very dry right now. We haven't had rain for a while.

Yes, about 2 months ago a raccoon got into my neighbors garbage. And they put out a trap and caught the coon! Sadly, before I could explain anything to them, they opened the trap and let the raccoon right back out into the yard!

Wow. Amazing!

So it really could be a coon then!

 

[NatJ]

Oh, do you think it will be back tonight? I want to put a trap out. What should I bate it with?

Maybe bait the trap with the same kind of chicken feed that it ate last time. Clearly, that was good enough to be worth so much effort to get in

 

[cluckmecoop7]

Maybe bait the trap with the same kind of chicken feed that it ate last time. Clearly, that was good enough to be worth so much effort to get in

Hm, good advice. Thanks!

 

[mscallisto]

I've trapped them with various things. I use a dog proof trap and the first one I caught was with club crackers. After that it was pretty consistent with marshmallows, I made sure to put it behind the trigger, but the last 2 were being difficult. I had to buy actual raccoon attractent, which really ended up being mostly chopped up raw fish, and even then it took a week.

I don't claim to be an expert, but I've had plenty of run-ins with the trash panda jerks. Unless you plan to drive at least 50 miles, relocation won't work. Honestly the best way to make sure they don't come back is elimination. They will be back. And they won't give up.