I've got coons on my feeder and I'm thinking I need to trap them. Anybody got ideas about how I should build a trap. I've got some expanded metal.

Do I need to make it where the door is open before they get in or can it just be a spring door that is shut?

I've never used a coon trap before. What's the best bait? Sardines?

i'd buy those cheap foot traps!...set em out all over.. youd have a better chance to catch multiple with those!... cage your limited to one.. maybe 2...

good luck!

I think I'd be scared of catching a deer with the foot traps. I'm thinking about making a coon trap with 2 compartments. Kind of like a dog box.

I'd like to try and avoid catching squirels though so what type of bait will catch coons but not squirrels?

Some people use cookies, eggs, anything really.

If its possible just pull an all nighter with a couple of friends and .22's.

Sardines work great.

You can catch/kill 20 coons a year and they will just keep coming!

Try 150+ a year for 15 yrs.

You'll be fine with a foot trap. Deer wont step in it, and the reason coons do is they see something they like, so they reach in there. Buy 2 or 3 tomahawk traps and check them morning and evening, and they will start disappearing pretty quick.

This is my latest attempt at keeping the coons from climbing the feeder legs. carpet tacks strips all the way around a piece of 4 inch PVC hung from chain.

Look up "Lil Grizz" traps. No deer or livestock can get caught in them because it involves the coon reaching in and actually grabbing the bait setting the trigger off. We've had really good luck with them.

Also, we've found sardines attract them the best.

Foot traps should be fine because if you buy the right size a deer couldnt get its whole foot in there. You should be fine.

Heads up!! I was at Tractor Supply last weekend in Lake Worth, TX. they had a 2 trap deal for like $25 I think it was, 1 for coons and a smaller one inside.

I have had many and built many, and that is a good deal.

I have trapped coyotes for over 20 years and the few times I set leg hold traps for coons, I have never caught or heard of a "double" that would be kewl. Deer usually can pull the hoof out since their foot is essentially "slick", but when setting a trap, the location and presentation will decide what usually will get caught.

Dog food works great for coons, and doesn't draw Possums and skunks near as bad as Sardines.

One thing I do for coons, I always brush in my box type traps, not allot but some. They feel more comfortable going into an "wooded/brush" enclosure and it creates a more natural presentation to a coon. (Taught this by a Fed trapper years ago)

I caught a big "boar" coon last night that was raiding my feeder, I'll walk down and take a "proof" photo for ya..

Here he is, only 100 yard walk!

I would like to note, that no people where harmed during this photo shoot!!!

That's a lot of coons man.

I got this from a guy in Florida. Haven't tried it, but it sounds promising.

Gold Marlin Fly Bait. Its a blue crystal. Take just a tea spoon or 2, put in a bowl. Then add a few oz of cocacola. Make sure you dont have any dogs or cats around that you want living. Deer & hogs wont touch it. But them coons cant get enough, They usualy dont make it 15ft from the bowl. It will eliminat every coon in the area, 100% satisfaction. Its how I keep the ranch I work for clear of them.

Im pretty sure the fly poison is against the law, and if it isnt it can sure get you in trouble if a buzard hawk or eagle eats the coon and dies from it.

Just saying I wouldnt write it on here.

matt

17 hmr is the best bait for a coon

Check your county website, many counties have been put on rabies alert for all coons, I trap wild animals for a living and coons are bad all over. Crack an egg on the top of the trip pan and you will have a coon with in 24hrs. make sure you stake the trap down well or it will knock he trap over and getthe egg. Have fun. and be safe..

I have had some luck with my varmit zapper, but I was wondering about the pvc around the legs. The chain looks ok, but why couldn't you put a rod thru the leg below the pvc to keep the pvc from going down the leg, but would allow it to spin.? would that work?

Set up some conibear traps and bait them with cheap cans of cat food. Will probably get an occasional opossum, but will eventually take care of the majority of the coons.

Like crash said conibears are the best if you are going to use steel traps.

bought those traps from tsc and they work fine. use tuna or sardines but makes sure you wire it to the back of the cage. if not ive had them tip the cage over to get the tuna out.

I have coon issues as well.

This is 1 of 8 feeders like this.

We have a coon issue for sure in jacksboro

Carpet tack strips simply provide more traction, we have tried just about everything. The best non-posion thing we found was using the PVC pipe slipped over the feeder legs and hung up about three feet by a self tapping screw and a small length of chain. This allowed the pvc pipe to spin around and the coons didn't seem to be able to climb up and get on the varmit cage and spin the feeder but that doesn't help keeping them from getting into you protein feeders or just setting on the ground and eating all the corn before the deer get it.

The best thing we found was to use the Gold Marlin Fly Bait mixed with some sardines and place it on a flat rock, killed them dead and the deer wouldn't eat the stuff. Is a powerful posion so you have to be careful with it.