Bad, Bad, Rocky Racoon!!

[rockrat]

Been after a racoon for weeks now. Tried peanut butter, marshmellows, marshmellow cream, chicken cat food and finally tuna cat food. No luck. Sucker keeps coming in the garage checking on food there. Not going into the trap.
Have a Havahart trap about a foot by a foot by 3.5 feet, with pivoting door only on one end. Durn thing finally made it in the trap last night, but got out. Tore the pivoting door off totally!!! Held on by rings about a half inch long and clamped on with pliars. Bent all three and ripped the door off. Must have been a big racoon!!!
Put the door back on, but added a couple of hose clamps. Should keep them from tearing the door off again. Probably going to be wary of getting in there again.
Any suggestions for bait that would be irresistable to one of the critters? Trail camera shows its there about 2 am, but was there at 10 pm the other night when took the game camera to the garage to see just when it came. Thought about a leg hold trap, but would hate to get one of my kitties instead.
Thanks

[BrassMagnet]

Diablo dog proof trap from Murrays Lures?

murraysluresdotcom

[Moleman-]

Not an option for everyone, but every time they try to get a free duck dinner from the coop I introduce them to my Remington 1100, and 5 gallon bucket.

[Recycled bullet]

This raccoon must have the strongest resolve in order to resist the temptation of marshmallows and cat food.

I wonder if you employed hostile architecture it may provide an impetus for him to go somewhere else. I imagine a motion sensor triggered sprinkler valve attached to a garden hose may present him a message communicated in a way that he can understand.

[Recycled bullet]

I saw one of those on the YouTube where this guy kept having people trying to break into his garage to steal tools and the sprinkler valve would spray them and it would scare the **** out of them and they'd run away cold and wet and pissed off.

[HWooldridge]

I trap at least one a week - the outside cat is on a timed feeder but the stupid coons are always stripping out the food from the carousel.

Just had a smart one that took me a week to catch. I had the live trap baited with dry cat food the entire time, and kept reducing the amount in the cat’s bowl until it was gone by dark and the only food left was in the trap. I also checked the trap at 6 in the morning, and I finally caught him.

The live trap I use is spring loaded so it’s almost impossible for them to escape, but the gravity drop doors are easier to defeat. On those, I drive a long steel spike through the mesh openings and into the ground, so they can’t flip it.

Several years ago, I had a sow coon and two of her “sons” taking my layer hens. I caught the brothers pretty fast but the old bitch coon was smart and I had to keep after her for about a month before I finally got her. She was huge - probably weighed 30 pounds and barely fit inside the trap…got fat eating chickens.

[country gent]

try weighting the door so it falls a little faster and wont allow the tail to stay under it allowing it to lock faster. Put the bait deeper into the trap.

[AKtinman]

The first trap I used was a Havahart. It got destroyed by a coon.

Replaced that trap with this one several years ago: https://comstockcustomcage.com/shop/raccoon/c911dd-30/

Not cheap, but very sturdy, mesh is close enough that the coon cannot get his paws out of the mesh, and the door is locked closed so that even if the trap is turned over, the coon cannot get out. Trap can be laid on it's side or upright. Ya only pay for quality once.

[Tripplebeards]

I catch them in the big have a hearts. I have five or six of them that I picked up at thrift stores. Every once in a blue moon one will get out, but it’s very rare. Just get yourself a good old dog proof and chain it to something in the garage or just outside of the garage so it doesn’t tear anything apart. I just use dollar store, dog food and pour a little imitation vanilla on top. The imitation vanilla gives it a strong smell, and they can smell it from a long ways away. A lot of times I’ll get those candy orange slices and stick them on the dog proof triggers so they’ve got to yank on it to get it and get it to off. If you have any bones left over from barbecued chicken or barbecued ribs, they go nuts for it. I think they mainly smell the strong smell of barbecue and gets them excited.


I’ll actually put the bait under the have a heart trap step so they have to dig. I also will tie it up to the back of the trap so they have to start yanking on it to make sure they get the trap to go off. I have a super heavy duty metal live trap that nothing will get out of. It has a rear access door to bait it. Open mistakenly forgot to put the latch down and caught a few and they just crawl out that bait door.Lol. I also adjust the latch that holds the door up so it’s barely connected that way. It’s more more of a hair trigger and will shut easier.

If you can keep your kitties away a coon cuff will cost you 10 to 12 bucks. Or you just put it somewhere where the cats can’t get to it, but the raccoons can. Either that or get yourself at 220 duke or conibear. I’ve actually attached them to trees and then hung them by two nails and invaded the triggers with peanut butter and a carrot to catch some nuisance squirrels in the garden. It works awesome. I’m sure you can do the same with a raccoon and cats probably not gonna climb even though I know they can.

[MaryB]

it stinks to high heaven but fish oil will bring them running...

[huntersdog]

Hot dog and a 330 conibear trap.

[elmacgyver0]

I guess you are finding out who is smarter.

[poppy42]

Hot dog and a 330 conibear trap.

330 is a little big. 220 and a box set with a can of sardines for bait! Those that are talking about have a heart traps if you’re referring to that as a generic name for cage traps ok but the name brand “heart a heart” traps that I’ve ever used were pure garbage! I’ve seen more of those destroyed by halfway decent size bore raccoons than you can possibly imagine. Lol Plenty of decent cage traps that you can buy from reputable trapping supply houses

[shooter bob]

Put your garbage in the trap bingo coon in a trap .

[DCB]

caught one a couple days ago on a small bowl of chili. It nearly tore the back out of my havheart trap

[Bmi48219]

Canned sardines or mackerel always worked to get them in the trap. Keeping them there is another issue.

[MrWolf]

As stated, with the live traps make sure you put in a few pegs (I used about 2' rebars) through the mesh to make sure the trap couldn't get flipped. Did that after the first time it was flipped. Second time I got em - a possum. Nose was rubbed raw trying to get out but those traps need to be flip proof.

[Mk42gunner]

Don't know how well it will work with a trap shy coon, but I caught a lot of coons, mink and possums using the cheapest canned Jack Mackerel you could buy.

Robert

[Tripplebeards]

You could just sit out there with a 10 gauge and wait for them….lol. I had one walk up to me while I was turkey hunting on my property two weeks ago. Hadn’t seen anything but hens for weeks. It walked up and started ripping up a hen’s nest in front of me. I blew that nuisance coon 2 feet sideways. Thank God in my state if animals are considered a nuisance, you can kill them all year long on your private property… and I always consider raccoons and possums nuisance. You can also do it without a license as long as you’re the property owner or you can give permission to someone that’s on your property to rid them as well. They sure make a difference on the turkey, grouse, and woodcock population when you get a lot of them right before nesting season. I had a big white possum run by me right before the storm the last couple days of last season I’m gonna have to get a trap out there and get rid of him too. I thought something bigger was chasing it so I was waiting for the bonus behind it but nothing ever showed up figured it was a big old coyote given it a scare but nothing showed. Must’ve been a hawk or an eagle or maybe the storm that was coming? Don’t know nobody got a pass cause I figured there was a bigger predator chasing him.

[elmacgyver0]

Play hitman and do it Mafia stye.