What is the best bait for raccoons in a live trap?

[scooter147]

I've talked to my conservation department and there's nothing wrong with trapping and relocating predators so long as it's not released on public land or private property unless you have permission from the property owner. Not everyone raises chickens. Have you ever heard of a coon hunter? They love raccoons on their hunting leases/property.

And chances are the raccoon has come back to his home territory as well. so you could just be creating a revolving door.

 

[chiknhurder]

And chances are the raccoon has come back to his home territory as well. so you could just be creating a revolving door.

Hauling them 10 miles away and across interstate highways pretty much assures me that they won't be coming back. I've yet to find anymore. I'm really not sure where the arguments are coming from. You do what works for you and I'll continue to do what works for me and we can all be happy. It's really that simple.

Also, to the other poster, possums are just as much a nuisance as coons and are just as likely to carry rabies. I don't know what information you're seeing that leads you to believe that's only true about raccoons.

 

[chiknhurder]

By the way, I bait my traps with the carcasses of... chickens. I had a possum kill one a few days ago, ate her head, and left her body. I tossed the body in the trap. Caught him the very next day.

LOL...... you said that raccoons carry rabies and are nuisance animals and will be put down by the animal shelters but possums will be relocated so if I understand this line of reasoning then possums ARE NOT considered nuisance animals in your state. In your very next post you tell us about baiting a trap with the carcass of a chicken that a possum had bitten the head off of. Doesn't that constitute a nuisance? I think it qualifies in my book.

To those who choose to trap and "put down" (kill) an animal, that's completely cool with me. I'm a hunter but I hunt only what I will eat. I've eaten coon before, never a possum, so I have a problem with killing one of God's creatures just because I don't want it around. I personally think that's a pretty self righteous attitude and a little bit arrogant but that's just my opinion and not a judgment. I leave that part of it to God.

 

[Wrooster]

.... I have a problem with killing one of God's creatures just because I don't want it around......

So do I, but Man has tampered with what was provided for him and must assume some responsibility. We have created the conditions that let raccoons, coyotes, coywolves and deer, to mention a few, flourish without natural predators. Sometimes the most responsible thing you can do is to asume the role of the predator in keeping a population under control, whether you eat the "prey" or not.

 

[scooter147]

So do I, but Man has tampered with what was provided for him and must assume some responsibility. We have created the conditions that let raccoons, coyotes, coywolves and deer, to mention a few, flourish without natural predators. Sometimes the most responsible thing you can do is to asume the role of the predator in keeping a population under control, whether you eat the "prey" or not.

Come live where I live. The deer darn near beat the back door down to get in the fridge for vegetables. Then when county and local leaders try to have a controlled bow hunt to thing the herd the wailing a crying start. They want the deer trapped and relocated or trapped and birth control administered. Bad idea. Most don't survive do to stress.
I suggested that we bring in wolves and cougars at a council meeting to help control the herd. Man did I get the looks and nasty remarks. But the bottom line we humans have created these messes and unfortunately we have to deal with it.

 

[chickenboy190]

Not sure about OHio, but here in Georgia, you can take them to animal control - who will put them down. Raccoons are considered a nuisance animal, and they also carry rabies, so animal control doesn't relocate them, they kill them.

Possums they will relocate FOR you, but they won't put a possum down.

Yep that's what it is like here also.

 

[chiknhurder]

So do I, but Man has tampered with what was provided for him and must assume some responsibility. We have created the conditions that let raccoons, coyotes, coywolves and deer, to mention a few, flourish without natural predators. Sometimes the most responsible thing you can do is to asume the role of the predator in keeping a population under control, whether you eat the "prey" or not.

Well I'll let you be the one who decides what lives and what dies. That attitude is exactly what has gotten us to the point where we are now. We don't really 'manage' wildlife. We kill it off to suit our needs. Personally, that's God's decision and not mans.

 

[bwr719]

Sardines and jack mackerel for me

 

[REDNECK TRAPPER]

I use canned cat food and it works good. Coons need to be managed because they kill wood ducks and songbirds and livestock.

 

[Goomer]

Marshmallows work well, but the best I've found is red licorice. Neither attracts attract cats or dogs, and the red licorice doesn't seem to interest the chickens. The licorice smells fruity and sweet, and both raccoons and opossums can't seem to resist it. So, after years of thinking about it, below is the end result of the latest raccoons I caught. Ordered up a tanning kit from a taxidermy supplier, and started watching youtube videos on skinning and tanning. This actually came out much better than I deserved. I should have listened to the salesman when I ordered the tanning solutions. He suggested a pint, I thought a gallon was better. Its concentrated, so my gallon kit will make 280 gallons of solution, enough for 280 raccoons. At the same time I skinned and tanned my first mole. I figured 99 more mole skins and I can cover a motorcycle seat. A beautiful, if tiny pelt.

This was actually very interesting. More work than I'd expected, but I think well worth the effort. I didn't try eating him, maybe one of these days. Recycling at its finest.