Raccoons

NEWHunter

NEWHunter

Well-known member
Joined
Jul 15, 2018
Messages
1,433
Location
Brookfield, WI
Well guys. I’ve got a coon problem. One or more are getting after my peaches big time. My big live trap that has caught coons before is not working. The’ve pissed me off so bad with all their damage I’m now looking for any legal means of control, with a lethal option now on the table. I’d seen/heard of those dog proof coon traps, so I hit up Google and the first video to pop up was:

I was slightly surprised it was a Fresh Tracks video. I was in disbelief when I saw that the star is my cousin’s wife. I had no clue!

Anyways, in Wisconsin we need to “humanely euthanize” any coon/possum caught. I can’t find the definition of humanely euthanize. If I catch one in a dog proof trap, does a good whack to the noggin count? I’m in the city so a gun is out. Thoughts?

Thoughts on baits for either the live trap or the dog proof trap. The peaches in the trap aren’t working.

IMG_2164.jpeg
 
A marshmallow or piece of chocolate under the trigger of the dog proof trap is deadly. A whack on the head with the hammer end of an ax or hatchet is effective. Some of the new pellet guns would dispatch a coon also.
 
When I have to use DP’s I use a marshmallow under the trap with a bit of strawberry ice cream syrup to sweeten the deal. Squirt some in the tube opening and some around the trap or trailing, ending at the trap. Use the same thing in bucket sets with body gripping traps, and live traps as well. Seems to work well in the shade until the very hottest days of the summer, that’s when you get some melting going on.

With DP’s, show you care and set multiple traps at a time. Under your peach trees I’d start in groups of three of four, with about 5-6’ between traps. Try to not set them close enough to something they can grab onto and pull themselves out of a trap. I don’t think they’d be able to defeat the spring on a DP but I’ve had them do it on long springs. I believe you educate lots of coons when they have a buddy already caught and nothing for them to do besides walk around and observe their buddy. If you have other traps they get distracted by the same sights and smells that got their buddy in trouble.
 
Last edited:
NEWHunter said:
Well guys. I’ve got a coon problem. One or more are getting after my peaches big time. My big live trap that has caught coons before is not working. The’ve pissed me off so bad with all their damage I’m now looking for any legal means of control, with a lethal option now on the table. I’d seen/heard of those dog proof coon traps, so I hit up Google and the first video to pop up was:

I was slightly surprised it was a Fresh Tracks video. I was in disbelief when I saw that the star is my cousin’s wife. I had no clue!

Anyways, in Wisconsin we need to “humanely euthanize” any coon/possum caught. I can’t find the definition of humanely euthanize. If I catch one in a dog proof trap, does a good whack to the noggin count? I’m in the city so a gun is out. Thoughts?

Thoughts on baits for either the live trap or the dog proof trap. The peaches in the trap aren’t working.

View attachment 336245
Click to expand...
Just an FYI. I’ve never caught a dog in them but they will catch cats,skunks and possums. Anything with good use of their toes with fairly long toenails can lift the pan and set the trap off.
 
NEWHunter said:
Well guys. I’ve got a coon problem. One or more are getting after my peaches big time. My big live trap that has caught coons before is not working. The’ve pissed me off so bad with all their damage I’m now looking for any legal means of control, with a lethal option now on the table. I’d seen/heard of those dog proof coon traps, so I hit up Google and the first video to pop up was:

I was slightly surprised it was a Fresh Tracks video. I was in disbelief when I saw that the star is my cousin’s wife. I had no clue!

Anyways, in Wisconsin we need to “humanely euthanize” any coon/possum caught. I can’t find the definition of humanely euthanize. If I catch one in a dog proof trap, does a good whack to the noggin count? I’m in the city so a gun is out. Thoughts?

Thoughts on baits for either the live trap or the dog proof trap. The peaches in the trap aren’t working.

View attachment 336245
Click to expand...
What works for me to keep coons out of my sweet corn is hard to believe but try it before you laugh. Buy a sack of dry corn that people use to put in a deer feeder and spread it on the ground where you believe the coins are coming out of the woods to your peach trees. The coons will spend the night eating the dry corn instead of eating your peaches. This keeps them out of my corn.
 
I like using gummy worms in my coon dog proofs. Super easy to bait and set with that bait and it's highly effective due to the large amount of scent it gives off. 3 to 4 per trap is plenty and it's super cheap. Don't have to worry about it freezing either during the cold months.
 
seeth07 said:
I like using gummy worms in my coon dog proofs. Super easy to bait and set with that bait and it's highly effective due to the large amount of scent it gives off. 3 to 4 per trap is plenty and it's super cheap. Don't have to worry about it freezing either during the cold months.
Click to expand...
I’ve heard about this. It makes perfect sense! I know I would end up getting caught in my own traps if I was baiting with those delicious devils.
 
I really don’t like live traps because: 1. They are expensive and 2. Because they are expensive they really hamper your ability to gang set multiple raccoons. Let’s face it, they travel together and it’s rarely one raccoon causing damage like that.

But if you must use them, my biggest secret weapon is this. A small soup can or similar sized container. When you go to set the live trap, dig a hole so this container is flush or below ground. Bait the can. Set live trap over the can and so the can is behind the trip plate. Stake the live trap down with a 24-36” rebar stake or a heavy weight on top.

The coons spend more time in the trap and are more likely to be fully inside trying to reach through the bottom of the trap so when the trap goes off, the door doesn’t hit their butt and can back out of it.

Can use this trick every time or once you get a coin that has the normal routine figured out.
 
Coons will wize up to a live trap. They will get wize of a dp too. When I go into a place to do nuisance control trapping coons. I will hit them with everything. Live trap, dp, dirt hole, pipe set, Snares, body traps, and blind sets. I take a sqaure bucket. Cut where springs will fit. I put a rock in the back. I use fish or dry dog food. Have the body trap set inside of the bucket. But if u have cats or dogs. Don't use it. I have caught fox coons opossums skunks bobcats and otters.
 
DPs baited with anything with lots of scent... jelly, marshmallows, dog food, I would mix it up... Coons are pretty tough critters as far as dispatching goes. A good solid whack with the back of a ax or a .22 to the noggin will do the deed. The amount of folks coon hunting these days has dramatically dropped so numbers are through the roof. I used to use canned tuna with great results but with the mess I started using other things.
 
Dead coons don't come back.

get a dog or borrow a dog. Up the tree they go. .22 in brings them down. Growing up in Northern Wash state an having 300 plus chickens wild outdoors we have coons and possum. Without exaggeration we must of killed 50-60 growing up. Everyone tree by a dog. Everyone down with a .22

Let s not talk about eating them................
 
We use sardines, marshmallows, and peanut butter.
I've taken most of mine out with a .22, but see you're in city limits. Being you're limited on what you can do a noggin bop will work, just get a good wack.
It's my least favorite way to do it, but you don't have much of a choice.

There is likely a few out there because there can never just be one!
My daughter and I took 66 off the farm last year and 137 the year prior.
We will get it under "control" some day....

Make sure you get a good anchor on that DP. If it's not anchored down well you'll see your traps disappear real fast.
 
Mitigation is better than trying to eradicate the issue. You've provided easy access to a high quality food source for them.

Reduce their access & provide an alternative otherwise you end up in a never ending battle of trying to dig a hole in the ocean.
 
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