Is there a trap out there that you can set directly on an asphalt shingled roof for instance and expect no raccoon damage. I have been researching this for months now and this is what i have found so far.

From the archives: Paul W. "I believe" gets away with a 1" mesh directly on flat asphalt shingles with no issues, but I have not seen the same results. I typically set a rubber mat down first and hope that the coon doesnt slide the cage of the mat. This has happened a few times and damage was done.

I heard Dirk Shearer mention at the NTA that hardware cloth is suffiecient for roof protection,so i tried that and it does work with a few pros/cons. The hardware cloth is lightweight and prevents damage, but is a pain to store in the truck, sometimes hard to get the trap not rock back and forth and can give you a nice cut if you arent careful.

I am in the market to make a large trap purchase and spoke for an hour with Jim Comstock about his traps. If i went with the 12 ga HD 1/2"*1" wire, would that be able to prevent damage without a protective layer of some sort???

Is there a trap that has a bottom and lower side area in 1/2"*1/2"???

Any experiences out there with this issue or an archive post i could reference?

Tomahawh makes some with 1/2 x 1 wire that should be what you want. I have not had nerve enough to try it yet. Guess, I should put a layer of shingles on the ground and set a cage with a coon it on top and leave over night. To see what happens. I don't know of any with 1/2 x 1/2 wire. Would be very costly.

If im trappin on a roof for coon which I dont do often I use the poly traps held in place with wire and screws no damage that way for me so far.

Mr. Barnes, I certainly hope I didn't say that a 1 inch mesh on a roof would prevent damage ( Unless there was a large piece of plywood under it ) If I did, I was hallucinating. I have had no really bad experiences with 1/2 inch x 1 inch mesh, although I would agree that 1/2 x 1/2 is ideal.

Our experience is that the 108SS professional model Tomahawk trap is the "go to" trap for our guys when in comes to setting for raccoons on roofs. I will be watching this post for any other suggestions.

To all, FYI: Any hardware store/cheapo depot that does screen replacements will carry whats call "Pet Proof Screen", and if it will keep a Beagle in that wants that rabbit, I believe it should do for coon. I used it on the doors of my Beagle Boxes, and kept them in, even when 1/2" AND 1/4" hardware cloth wouldn't. A piece small enough to place under the cage with a little for overlap shouldn't cost much, and maybe you could get a deal on scraps.

Paul. The post I was referring to was one where someone was hanging coon kits in a boot cover in the back of the trap to catch the mother.the trap appeared to be constructed of 1*1" wire. Ill try to find the post to verify. I like Bethells idea of trying it overnight as an expert. Next coon I get I will give that a try. Thanks for the ideas so far.

2'x4' 1/4" ply wired to the bottom of the cage (drill holes to thread wire) with the cage centered is my trick.

EDIT: Also good for skunks

Comstock Cage trap on a shingled roof with coon made out of 1/2" x 1" 14G wire mesh. 12 Gauge 1/2 x 1 inch mesh is tighter yet but not necessary.

Wouldn't dare setting any coon trap on a roof without a board under it. Ever. No damage to roof, no droppings/hair/bait/urine on roof.

Dave, it's not that I've never used a board on a roof for raccoons, it's just that I'm so darn glad that we don't have to anymore. And yes, we get hair, urine, and droppings on the roof, but there was a lot of that already up there before we started.

Dave. Besides the mess from the bait and coon, have you actually had roof.damage using a 1/2*1" wire cage? Like Paul mentioned, most homeowners don't mind a little mess as long as their problem is solved. I'm just looking for a more effiecient way of removing them and causing no physical damage to the shingles. Jim Comstock shows it can be done, what I want to hear is if others agree. Thanks for your input

I use the comstocks with 1/2" x 1" and havent had an damage, granted most roofs out here are tile.

I've used Comstocks 1/2" x 1" with no damage to shingles.

Nice job Mr Ron........

I've also used the 1/2 by 1 inch Comstock traps both baited and in positive sets on roofs with nothing more than droppings and fur showing that a trap was there.

I've used Jim's traps for coon over holes they had made thru roof. As they were getting a new roof I didn't bother with the plywood. No damage to roof even after catching three in that trap. Only use plywood now on the ground.

I've never had any problem with coons or skunks causing damage when using 1/2 x 1 wire, but I also don't do the volume with animals that most others on this site do as I specialize with bats.

If you're looking strictly at the trap, any solid style like the Plastic catch will work. There is also a product WCS sells that allows you to mount a mounting / cover device to the roof that you'd insert your trap into.

If you don't mind modifying the traps, I did an article semi-recently in WCT Magazine about using trim coil and making a bottom tray that you can attach to the trap that prevents damage, feces, and to a degree urine from getting on the shingles or any other sensitive area.

I actually don't know the mesh sizes on my Comstocks floors, so can't really answer your question, JBarnes. Just don't concern myself with that on any coon sets.

It's always a good idea to be cognizant of cage mesh size and the damage animals can do, which can be substantial if you are not using 1/2 x 1. Of course you can put boards or tight mesh around or under traps, but it's a lot easier to use the 1/2 x I mesh traps across the board for just about everything and be on the safe side. I have the utmost respect for the ability of coon. With "hands" they are trouble if given the chance. I bought and used cage traps with 1x1 mesh in the beginning years ago believing that 1x1 was the norm for everything and if trap makers were making traps that way it had to o.k., but not so. The 1x1 mesh on roofs, in crawl spaces and on lawns is definitely problematic for coon, squirrels and skunks as I'm sure everyone with experience knows. I'm glad those using the 1/2 x 1 are sharing experiences so that those starting out in business can benefit and not have to learn by trial and error like a lot of us did. I now use 1/2 x 1 for most everything with the exception of beaver or muskrats. 1/2 x 1 seems to be coming the standard on more traps used for ADC all the time, a good thing