What is the best bait for a possum?

[marquisella]

Putting a trap out tonight hopefully to catch what I think is a possum that has killed 2 chickens so far.

What should I put in it to attrack the possum?

 

[NovaAman]

Are you sure it was not a raccoon? Raccoons have been terrible this year all over the place!

Bait it with some left overs, a can of cat food... Just be sure to anchor the trap just in the case that it is a raccoon. A raccoon can get out of them if they are not anchored down. They literally flip them over and over till they can work the trap door open enough to get out... Good luck catching what ever it is that got your birds.

 

[marquisella]

Are you sure it was not a raccoon? Raccoons have been terrible this year all over the place!

Bait it with some left overs, a can of cat food... Just be sure to anchor the trap just in the case that it is a raccoon. A raccoon can get out of them if they are not anchored down. They literally flip them over and over till they can work the trap door open enough to get out... Good luck catching what ever it is that got your birds.

I'm pretty sure its a possum. It kills one chicken, and only eats the meat & leaves it where it eats it. It is inside a 5 ft. chainn link fence so a night climber. I understand racoons kille more than one and don't eat them...so I'm thinking possum...

 

[TeamChaos]

I've caught several opossums in my live trap using sardines. Good hunting!

 

[Mattemma]

Location has been my BEST weapon. That said I have gotten over 20+ possums with things like apples,carrots,and canteloupes. I really think it is the location though,because there are times I forget to bait a set trap yet get some critter!

 

[marquisella]

Ok, I stand corrected....its a raccoon. No, I didn't catch it, but it left tracks last night and there are 2 sets, one smaller than the other, so I think its an adult & child...or whatever you call a young one.

It also ate the meat without tripping the trap, I think the mechanism is too tight, so my husband is exchanging it for another one to see if it works better. We tested it with a stick and had to put a lot of pressure to get it to snap shut. The treadle that they step on to make it close hardly moves above the surface, that is why we think it isn't workinng well.

Anyway, people h ave recommended giant marshmallows...any comments?

 

[Greyfox Farm]

The nice thing about marshmallows is, in my opinion, that they DON'T attract cats. They work, but pretty much only on coon. Sardines seem to attract coon, possum and skunk equally well.

 

[TexasLea]

Some of those little critters are pretty smart and have figured out how to pull the bait out from the outside of the trap. We always use a old butter tub to put the bait in. I punch a couple of holes in the tub and attach it to the cage with twist ties to make sure they have to get in the trap to get the bait. Unless I have chicken bones on hand, then I just twist tie those to the floor of the trap.

Hope ya catch 'em soon!

 

[darin367]

i've had them steal my bait over n over..... take a string, tie it to the trip mechanism arm, tie the other end to the bait...... gets em every time......... you have to run string around thru cage... this is for a havahart trap....... good luck...

 

[marquisella]

i've had them steal my bait over n over..... take a string, tie it to the trip mechanism arm, tie the other end to the bait...... gets em every time......... you have to run string around thru cage... this is for a havahart trap....... good luck...

Thats the trap I have. The one I bought was defective, & they replaced it, so maybe tonight will be the night!!!