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

[WindingRoad]

Impossible, I live in the middle of 76 acres of private property that I own! For them to release a coon there, it would be against the law

That's what criminals do. Violate the law. Don't become one of them. Check your state, county, and local laws before you mess with wildlife.

 

[JayceMusgrove82]

That's what criminals do. Violate the law. Don't become one of them. Check your state, county, and local laws before you mess with wildlife.

I will never relocate a coon, maybe to Hell, but never to another persons land

 

[Chickassan]

Worth a shot for sure. Maybe you'll have better luck with fishy baits than iv'e had, iv'e only managed to trap skunks, possums and cats with fish. The coons seem to be more into sweet and artifically smelly, soda and candy that sort of thing. I'm guessing since they don't normally find such goodies that is why it works.

Would you think if I mixed “Sardines In Lousiana Hot Sauce” with cat food...that it would work? Because it’s all I have

 

[MissChick@dee]

Would you think if I mixed “Sardines In Lousiana Hot Sauce” with cat food...that it would work? Because it’s all I have

On a sesame seed bun!

 

[WVduckchick]

We trap foxes, coyotes, etc with Dukes traps, but never caught a coon in one. The only thing I’ve ever caught coons in is live traps and the dog-proof barrel type traps. These kind:

 

[roosterhavoc]

Which DP traps are you using and how and where are you setting them? That matters. Also, are the traps firing and missing or no activity at all?

View attachment 1620176 View attachment 1620177

This is the trail my resident coons have created and use to travel to and from the barn when stealing dry cat food. If you have coons coming to your coop, you need to find the pathway they are using. It will generally be a trail like this. As for dry cat food, they (along with possums, skunks, foxes, etc) seem to be addicted to it. Cheap barn kitty stuff I get at the local feed store in 40 pound bags.

If I wanted to catch coons.......I'd set up my DP traps smack dab in the middle of that trail...right on the red line........and initially, I'd not arm or set the trap. Just fill it full to the brim with cat food. I'd check and re-fill it daily and perhaps even setup a trail camera to monitor what comes and goes to be certain it was coons cleaning it out. You want to give them time to find the buffet......and how can they miss it when they have to trip over it? And time to overcome any fear of the trap and it's scent. By setting it up in the trail they are using, they will think I'm doing them a favor......saving them a walk the rest of the way up the hill.

After several days, when I was pretty certain they were comfortable cleaning it out, then and only then, I'd arm it. I might setup as many as 5 or 6 of them......far enough apart so caught coons would not get tangled with each other. Done right, you might catch a whole bunch the first night. Shoot em in the head and that's that.

If you are using Dukes, OK. In winter on frozen ground, and most other times too, you will get far better catch rates with the two way trigger traps like a Coon Dagger. Just don't fill it once you set it........just a little in the bottom and not even touching the trigger because it can go off pushing as well as pulling. Likely as not, they may set it off the first handful they grab. When the ground is frozen, Coon Daggers can be set on a small stick stuck in the frozen ground so it won't be frozen in place. Coon Daggers also come with double swivels....helps prevent the chains from twisting.

The downside to a two way trigger trap like a Coon Dagger is it will catch cats and possums too. Anything that can get it's paw down it. But then it's your choice.....kill em or release em.......(cats).

Uh huh. Here’s a raccoon actually wearing a coon dagger.

 

[WVduckchick]

It’s a shame they are such a pretty animal.

Till they show you their teeth!

 

[aart]

We trap foxes, coyotes, etc with Dukes traps, but never caught a coon in one.

Really!? Fox in a Dukes?!

 

[007Sean]

I've never tried it but I hear marshmallows attracts coons. I just set No.4 steel traps no bait they are trying to get in the pens to the birds....birds are the bait.

 

[OhZark Biddies]

Really!? Fox in a Dukes?!

I suspect they meant Duke brand coil spring traps... not Duke brand dog proof traps.

Duke is just a brand of trap, but I’ve noticed that some folks sometimes call one style or another “Dukes”

I’ve caught just about every type of furbearer in coil spring traps, only ever caught ‘coons and ‘possums in dog proof style traps...but I have not used that type of trap much.