For first time last last Saturday Night I set out 11 duke traps bated with canned cat food. The place is just crawlind with coons so I figured for sure I would have 11 coons next morning - I only got one stinkin coon (very disappinted but one less i have to deal with). I got a late start finished bating last one at 12:15am and started at 11pm. which could have been the issue.
So what has been your most successful set up for duke traps? Do you only put the bait in the bait box behind the trigger pad. Do you put some in open end in front of trigger pad?

These were just a few of my questions. Please do not leave out any details on how you set yours with best results.

Thanks

Marshmallows and cotton balls with vanilla extract as a scent enhancer.

Sardines and cotton balls work pretty good as well.

Bagged shad in the fishing dept works also. Got to mix it up

Set the traps in different locations so the others do not get wise to them when others are caught in them.

so are you saying traps cannot be within eye shot of another? In other words pretty spaced out?

Also where all are you placing the bait other than the backbait box beyond use to be sccefffulhind trigger pad.

Do you cover the chain from tree to trap.

Do you use cover scent on the traps

Again assume I know nothing. Need all the details.

I use the cotton balls on the trigger covered with the scent according to bait.

Marshmallows = vanilla extract on cotton ball on trigger (not recommended in ant prone areas)

Sardines = juice poured on cotton ball stabbed onto trigger.

Spacing I put 2 in one area incase they clean one out the 2 nd is close enough to attract it.

Is this a live trap?

Why don't you use a egg trap? Or a conibear?

Get your traps baited earlier. At my place the coons get active as soon as it is dark.

I have had great success with Duke traps on my ranch. I use sardines and I put half of one first and push that behind the trigger with a stick or whatever then I set some on front of the trigger and also on the ground around the trap. I have set them 20 feet from each other around my deer pens with wrapping the chains around the t posts and set 5 then catch 5 in one night. I don't have that many coons around now and only set the Dukes when I pull my cams and see I have some around a feeder. Used peanut butter a little also on the outside of the trap and that seems to work good also. Good luck and they are the best trap out there if you ask me.

That just made me smile...

I rotate baiting them with marshmallows, corn, deer protein, sweet feed and dog & cat treats.

Marshmallow stuffed on the trigger loose baits behind trigger.
Sometimes a small amount of corn (a few kernels) in front of the trap to get their attention.
I bait & set mine by 4 pm.

If you know the direction they're coming from or the trail they use to travel to the feeder I set some up along the trail and put a few near the feeder.

Someone said they use peanut butter and a marsh mellow.

Marshmellows, sardines, peanut butter,

I just put regular corn in mine with a couple of drops of vanilla it works 65% of the time everytime

a spoonful of canned jack mackerel is probably the easiest, I take a nearly empty plastic jar of peanut butter and add in a can of jack mackerel, this makes it a lot less messy, just a spoonful in the trap and push it to the bottom with a small stick, don't worry about coons getting wise to them, I have caught as high as 6 coons in one night off one feeder - all within 10-30 feet of each other and all perfectly visible to one another - most of your big-time coontrappers from the cornbelt (averaging over 50/night) use dry cat food mixed with fish oil(bought from any trapping supply) with about a tablespoon poured in the bottom of the trap, a lot of them also use floating fish pellets as bait

I use those dog proof traps. I killed 7 coons in 5 traps in one night. I baited them with a bit of corn, and dog food.

I have baited with fish, cat food, etc. Dog food seemed to work the best at my place. Killed a lot in the past 2 years.

I use to trap back in the early 80's when coon hides went for 420 or so. I used peanut butter. The cheapest you can find.

+2 here... i tried sardines, but the ants ate em up before the coons!... ..i also like peanutbutter with marshmellows mixed in..

here's a few for some chuckles...










all caught with Dukes!!!... ..

I set 10 last weekend for the first time and caught 7, and 1 went off with no capture. I put about a tablespoon of tuna in the bottom and splashed some of the liquid around.. Topped off with multi colored marshmellows with a few on the ground for a visual. Not a bad capture rate for one night.

Marshmallows and peanut butter work for me.

marshmallows work for me too