Hi All.

I would like to hear from people who use "distractors" inside cage traps to keep the animals attention off of the trap pedal. I know of people who suspend golf balls, small stuffed toys, etc. from the top of the cage.

Curious to how this works out for you.

I suspend the bait, in a cup made from a spray paint can cap or water bottle bottom

That way his attn is on the MOTHER LODE of bait I've laid down a scent trail of

I sometimes put leaves or soil or bark over the bottom mesh part of the cage, but the 'pedal' doesn't necessarily concern me too much. A few oak leaves on the pedal might be smart.

I assume you mean you want to keep their attention on something besides tearing up the pan after they are caught? If so I would think a chunk of wood stashed in the back corner of the trap may help. I like rod doors on cages vs wire or solid doors because they tend to work the doors and not tear up the cage wire.

The trapping I've had to do out here the last couple years has included a lot of cage traps.

What's your target species? Some care about a cage floor, some could give a hoot.

I will be targeting coons. I am thinking of some kind of a bait container made out of PVC that will be suspended from the top of the cage in the back. It will hopefully attract them due to color (white) and also get some type of food response.

Brian

Elevating cage trap bait off/above the floor a couple or three inches can enhance its attractiveness via better down wind scent trail and a better visual of the bait product.

Carry a pair of scissors in your trap gear bag/box. If your cage trap has a sheet metal treadle plate, once cage trap is set, take a handful of dead grass and using your scissors cut some clippings so they will fall onto the treadle plate.

Dave

This should be standard procedure for cage traps...in addition...if you can't push down and slide back and forth an inch or 2 several times to cover the wire bottom.

In that case....for coon....like John said....slide that trap a little to get the wire mesh buried. Throw the bait in, put in in a container, whatever, they're going in.

If you really want to catch a coon, set the cage for bobcats.

Is the pan solid or mesh?

USMC47 - it is mesh.

I guess "setting for bobcats" is what I am thinking. I know I have seen them use all kinds of things to entice animals into the trap.

Cages work great the way I currently use them but I always wonder about the animals I am not catching. Hoping to add some new tricks to the arsenal.

Brian

One thing I’ve tried is to use thick pipe cleaners dipped in bait or lure, doubled over and suspended from the top of the cage. White super long pipe cleaners (the type the use for crafts-because nobody smokes a pipe anymore it seems) work best.

A method I haven’t tried is to wrap felt or cloth around a thin wire, lure or bait it, and hang from the top-rear of cage.

I've taken extra pipes for my portable pockets or PVC and hung it in the back and smear lure and/or bait inside the pipe. Also a bit of glow lure on the outside of the pipe too.

When I ran 43 cage traps daily in campgrounds for 'coon I hung a plastic beer cup in the back with a good gob of jack mack/ground catfish in it. This really showed up at night and kept the darned mice from eating it up.

In times of rain I'd place a paper plate above it on top the cage and keep that down with a shovel of dirt, rock etc.

Plastic beer cup gave 'em something to work over whilst in the cage.

WE use to place our bait In soup cans then smash the opening closed. When we removed the coon we just tossed In a new can and removed the old one. A lot less trash to clean up after a catch.

For Coon, I place bait under floor, near back of pan. By that, make a depression with boot heal, fill with bait, then bed cage over bait. Bait- Mini Marshmallows.
I place a few Marshmallow outside cage, then Hansel & Gretel Marshmallows inside cage. But the mother load is under the cage.

I place tennis ball, golf ball or piece of wood inside, for chew toy after the catch, as ADC mentioned.
One thing folks over look with cage traps- Make sure cage traps are bedded solid, no shaky shaky or wobble.

I use a high low scent cone so to speak. baits dropped right from the top of the trap will give a Secondary level of scenting. I have been doing this in all my cage trapping year round since the late 80's First time Newt saw me do it he said you can't do that LOL I will some times hang a eye attractor in the back like a fake flower or piece of trash bag.

Well this is what I came up with. I plan on putting sheep wool in it and soaking it in fish oil until needed.

got these pix off here yrs ago, they hold lure well........a lil cheaper than yer device possibly too

For an occupier I use a few different types, but I tend to favor rigid bait baskets.

I’m doing the same as Ron who taught me the technique. I think it’s important to use taste baits with this technique.