I make my feeders out of 4-inch plastic pipe. I put a 2-inch “port” on the side to keep bait dry and food from falling out. Am trying dry molasses with a little trailing scent on the tree above. Will see how long it takes coon to discover and work them. Dry molasses was $13+. For 50 pounds. Can’t get cheap dog/cat food for that

It’s kind of interesting. This dry molasses (Black Jack Molasses) has a slight chocolate odor to it. It should be interesting to see if it draws coon just because of this. Locklear’s Coon Crack has a mild chocolate smell to it also

I use dry molasses a lot works good for me. I had a five gallon bucket left over 1 yr and the coons got in my barn somehow got the lid off and eat the whole bucket of course they turned it over and we're it was on the ground it looked like a bomb went off. They loved it from what I've seen!
Colt

I'll be interested to see how this goes. I pre-baited with corn and molasses last year in three different areas, only one spot was it real effective. The guys around here that bait deer for months on end have a lot of coon in their feeders, but they also don't want trappers in their making kills as they believe it will scare the deer away if they smell another animal died there. So they just keep feeding the hoards of coon. Not sure if there is any truth to that, but good luck convincing them either way. I just keep to my side of the river bottom and trap whatever wanders that way. Not worth the feud.

Like Nd native, I try to avoid conflict with deer hunters even when I have permission to trap. Sometimes it’s exclusive permission to
be on the property! Deer hunters are a strange lot. Many ( in my experience) assume “permission” granted to them gives them exclusive rights. Had a run-in with a bow hunter I’ve had a good relationship with for 5-6 years. He hunts daily for 40 days straight but I’m “disrupting” his hunt for the 10 days between his early 40 and the 40 days after I’m gone.

I’ve learned to lay low and stay out of people’s way. I’ll out-live them or find other permissions. Life goes on!

If dry molasses doesn’t work, I’ll go back to fish food pellets or dog food, and liquid smoke. Was hoping to use those in my DPs as bait on trails.

Keep us posted.

Yes, mixing any other outdoor activity with someones deer hunting seems to be akin to murdering their first born (and family pet). I don't get it.

Is it possible to get a picture of your feeder?

So.thi g I noticed at least here is them lil suckers will find a electric feeder in less than a few days but my take two weeks for a regular one. Once they find it how ever it becomes a regular spot on their travel route

Never tried pre baiting before. How early before season do you bait

I’m starting now just to see if I can spark some activity. So far, the dry molasses hasn’t done much. It seems to attract moisture and form a crust but it’s easily broken. Since I have a month before season, I’ll try different things to see what gets the most attention. Will probably use dogfood in my feeders with the outside sprayed with liquid smoke like Wade Ryan uses—-I should have done that in the first place but I’m also experimenting. Will keep you posted

Let's us know what u find

Kitty Litter bucket, with lid
1" hole on three sides
Wire bucket to tree
Dry Dog Food (Dollar Store)




I tried several different 'baits'. Dry Dog Food had the best results in my area, with this style of feeder.
I had a preconceived notion that Coon were hogs or hoggish when eating. I was wrong.
Watching video of Coon feeding at my buckets, they take their time eating. Reaching in hole and handling one nugget at a time. Eating one nugget at a time. Then reaching for another. This happens even when a litter is feeding. Each taking their turn.

I have been running three feeders since first of August. My feeders are regular round five gallon buckets with lids. I run a 1.5 inch diameter pvc pipe coming out from bottom ( like Sam Woods shows in his Burger King video). I have been running corn in mine with good activity. I have a camera on one with nightly visits from several coon. I agree with Hern I was expecting a larger volume of corn to be eaten quickly but thats not been the case. Its cool seeing them work the pipe. This is my first year putting feeders out....if nothing else it is something to do trapping related to scratch the itch.

Why do you want to pre bait $3.00 coon? LOL

lol good question Beav

They have their time and place. If someone is getting into trapping now I don't see any harm in it and especially if there's children involved they'll love the multiple coons. I haven't pre-baited personally since coon fell off the wagon...just no incentive for me. Watching those coons eat one handful of a time might happen now when food is plentiful, but I think if you follow it up as the crops come out and food becomes scarce you'll see a pretty big change. Once the food isn't as abundant greed will take over, and they can get going pretty good on a feeder. The good news is the more noise and commotion they make the more coons you'll have at your feeder. During the early pre-baiting I would have usually a family of coons, and a few stragglers throughout the night. Once they start to fight you'll have 10-15 coons on a feeder at a time. There's no taking turns then.

I'll use feeders in order to help with the catch when taking out my nephew. Kind of like insurance to help guarantee he'll be going home covered in coon grease. Ha

The value of prebaiting in a down market is to locate as many groups as I can in new areas. Or where the regional crops have changed from corn to alfalfa or soybeans. Well that, and the fact that I’ll trap coon no matter what the price is. I’m like the guy who said if he won the lottery, he’d trap till it was gone! It’s an addiction for me since I don’t golf, hunt or watch football. It gets me out of the house, burns off pounds and keeps me in touch with the farming community.