What is the best bait for a smart ‘coon!?

[WunnySharbit]

well peanut butter has worked here...
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That is a young kit--inexperienced and hungry--and hopefully not passing on any genes smart or otherwise!

 

[SueT]

That is a young kit--inexperienced and hungry--and hopefully not passing on any genes smart or otherwise!

well we've caught big ones too, that was just a better photo.

 

[Compost King]

well we've caught big ones too, that was just a better photo.
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I love the site of a Raccoon in a have a heart trap.

 

[Biddybot]

I've always gotten them with open tins of really cheap, stinky fish-based wet cat food set inside your standard Hav-a-hart style live trap. Occasionally you get a trap-wise adult who's learned to reach in over the pedal and lift out the tin, but even those you can foil by just punching a hole in the side of the tin and tying it in the trap so they can't pull it out or you can simply just persist with setting the traps and offering the bait until they get careless...and they always do. I trapped eleven raccoons this year and their inability to resist that stinky cat food was their downfall every time. Works for me!

 

[Compost King]

I've always gotten them with open tins of really cheap, stinky fish-based wet cat food set inside your standard Hav-a-hart style live trap. Occasionally you get a trap-wise adult who's learned to reach in over the pedal and lift out the tin, but even those you can foil by just punching a hole in the side of the tin and tying it in the trap so they can't pull it out or you can simply just persist with setting the traps and offering the bait until they get careless...and they always do. I trapped eleven raccoons this year and their inability to resist that stinky cat food was their downfall every time. Works for me!

Not that I did it intentionally but when I used cat food (I used dry) it was pretty much on the ground with in the trap because it falls through the cage holes so they have to reach down pretty far to get to it and that makes it harder to avoid the trip. In the morning when I remove the trap the chickens eat the cat food (or scratch grains when I used those to bait rats)

 

[teringeorge]

We have caught 8 racoons, 2 possums, 3 skunks and several rats using canned cat food. We have also successfully used freezer burned meat from the freezer. I think the trick is the smell. We use a live trap and shoot anything we catch. I just have to ask this. . .is it the right sized trap? Hope this helps.

 

[WVduckchick]

We have caught 8 racoons, 2 possums, 3 skunks and several rats using canned cat food. We have also successfully used freezer burned meat from the freezer. I think the trick is the smell. We use a live trap and shoot anything we catch. I just have to ask this. . .is it the right sized trap? Hope this helps.

Good point. My small live trap rarely catches anything, but the big one is irresistible!