Raccoons won’t quit!

[Bluetex]

Golden marlin ......

X 2, good stuff

[sundownbrown]

Anyone else have experience first hand of deer eating this?

[SaltwaterSlick]

Best thing I have found is eliminator plates combined with the cage guards like what you added. With a focus of feeding heavy in the mornings. The dukes traps work great but as said, some of them will wise up to it. And, in my experience, a new crew of replacements will take up the slack within a couple weeks. Maybe not as many but Ive come to realize you cant ever get rid of them.

The deer seem to be somewhat bothered by the live coons in the traps. We have decided not to trap during season so we dont spook the deer or have to make extra trips in to our spots to remove the coons.

If one dies in the trap, the ensuing buzzards will definitely keep the deer ran off.

I would say this is pretty accurate. Where we used to live, I could kill coons daily; all year long, for years. Never ran out of coons. I am finding the same thing with squirrels. I have killed so many squirrels since the spring of 2019, I lost track. I have killed a lot of them, and there are always many of them around. I have concluded with both the coons and squirrels, that when you do kill some in the area, others move in from somewhere else. There is no end to them.

I also agree with not trying to trap them during the season, at least not around the feeders.

...yea, they really bother the deer bein' in traps near the feeders...













Like Smart, I have a LOT of experience with coons n Dukes... First year I used them, I caught over 125 coons just during the season when I was at the ranch... As much as I hate coons, I could not bring myself to go off and leave the traps set to catch coons and have them starve in the traps...


I've tried everything under the sun for bait... I started with the coon bait that came with my traps that I got a deal on at www.pcsoutdoors.com by buying a dozen... It worked great. Then I tried marshmallows... They worked but because of the sugar and them melting a bit if not taken right away, the ants got pretty bad then nothing would mess with them and they gooed up my traps... Since I didn't want to catch possums, I never tried sardines or tunafish... I used the el-cheapo dried cat food and it worked about as well as the commercial coon bait. However after I put up feed pens to keep the javelina out, I found the absolute best thing to bait with is corn. Heck, that's what they're after anyway... After a while I had to switch back to dried cat food because the turkeys found that they could scratch the traps up and get the corn out. If you are in an area where hogs/javelina cannot get to your traps and you are not overrun with turkeys, corn is absolutely the best bait you can use... I ultimately bought 2 dozen Duke's and for a while ever how many traps I put out, that's how many coons I'd have in them the next morning... The second year, I got me a pellet gun so after my morning hunt I'd just shoot the coons in the traps from my bow stand and then go get 'em and add them to the "pile"... I shot a few with my bow from the stand, but broke a couple high-dollar arras so I quit doing that... Only so much fun you can have with 'em I guess...


On and one last thing, it's golden Malrin NOT MARLIN... and if you get caught using it in the manner discussed here, you'll be in some serious trouble with the feds... And I heard tell that Big Red sody water is their favorite...



Someone also tole me that coons love to eat monkey chow (like range cubes for feeding monkeys), but they can't digest them and it takes care of them too...

[sundownbrown]

Very interesting

[mrc]

If you have a coon cage wire it to a solar powered fence charger and drive an 8' ground rod all the way in. Just be sure to turn it off before you touch it.

[Deafishunter]

I’ve been using the duke dog proof traps for a week now. Like some have said, once you catch the first couple of coons the rest of the gang knows something is wrong. And will start to get crafty in stealing your bait without pulling the trigger.
Since then I’ve rebaited my dukes 5 days in a row without a coon.

Been trying different things, since they know how to avid the trigger nothing is helping.

Smart critters.

[SaltwaterSlick]

I’ve been using the duke dog proof traps for a week now. Like some have said, once you catch the first couple of coons the rest of the gang knows something is wrong. And will start to get crafty in stealing your bait without pulling the trigger.
Since then I’ve rebaited my dukes 5 days in a row without a coon.

Been trying different things, since they know how to avid the trigger nothing is helping.

Smart critters.

Set the trigger real light and fill it with corn until the trigger is covered. It'll get 'em... I've caught a bunch with both front feet in the trap with 'em filled up like that.

[Deafishunter]

Set the trigger real light and fill it with corn until the trigger is covered. It'll get 'em... I've caught a bunch with both front feet in the trap with 'em filled up like that.

That’s exactly what I started doing 2 days ago. Still nada.

Decided to try something different yesterday. Tie a wire to a plastic washer about the size of a single dog food on the trigger. (Make sure the washer, is tight, and the wire is less than an inch from the trigger inside the trap.) so when a coon thinks it’s got a hold of a round food the paw is still deep inside the trap. Instead of thinking of pulling the long thin trigger that feels different than the bait.

Waiting to see if that does it.

[toledo]

I’ve been using the duke dog proof traps for a week now. Like some have said, once you catch the first couple of coons the rest of the gang knows something is wrong. And will start to get crafty in stealing your bait without pulling the trigger.
Since then I’ve rebaited my dukes 5 days in a row without a coon.

Been trying different things, since they know how to avid the trigger nothing is helping.

Smart critters.

The z-trap brand has a push pull trigger that works better. Downside is it catches more other critters.

I've had terrible luck with them cleaning out the bridger brand. The ones with a round ring for the trigger bar.

[Cox1]

I’ve used traps but as others said it seems like a never ending battle. The easiest and best I’ve done is to buy cheap grease in a can at parts store and heavily grease legs from about one foot high to about 4 feet. Problem solved. I usually use marine grade because that’s what they usually have in the can. Usually lasts from September till about mid November before it dries and can be defeated. Just retreat and good for a few more months. This is easy especially when you can’t be checking traps daily. I do try to thin with trapping some off season but it’s never possible to get them all.

[Wits_End]

We put up a hot wire around cage last weekend and so far no pictures of coons up there. Id trap 6 one weekend and have 8 at the feeder by the next weekend.

[Big pig]

We are trying to help our turkeys.
So I have been trapping hard since New Years

I have 2 DP’s at each feeder and one at the lake
Also, I have a big live trap at each spot. I am surprised how many coons I have caught in the live traps.
I have used corn, but I am impressed with cheap dried food with the little pieces.
I am also surprised how many skunks I have caught in the Dukes. Live trapped some possums and a fox that were released.

I don’t expect it to be a one and done effort, but will continue if I see coons on Camera.

Word of advice. Don’t attach the traps to anything you don’t want torn up.

Wish it was as easy to get rid of coyotes.

[Paycheck]

I have had great luck with 3 or 4 inch PVC about 3 feet long hanging from feeder with string.

[Richard M.]

This would probably stop them.

https://discussions.texasbowhunter.com/forums/showthread.php?t=798207

[Big pig]

I have had great luck with 3 or 4 inch PVC about 3 feet long hanging from feeder with string.

[ATTACH]1043290[/ATTACH]

I use 4” schedule 40. One joint cut into three pieces of 40”. Hung by very light chains. For years. No coons on feeder anymore
Removed cages on most