Hey everyone. Looking for a little advise. Trapped one property with dogproof traps and shiners and caught several raccoons before the dogs found the raccoons. Have since moved properties and found even more sign than before but have had traps set for days with no catches. What is a bait that might work better or am I just missing something. The traps on the new property are on a stream that comes out of a cave.

Cat food and artificial maple syrup, never fails. And put some on the outside of the trap to get them hooked to put there hand inside.

I got this recipe off of you tube a few years back it been my goto bait when it turns off cold
1 can mackerl jack or chub
2 tins of sardines in oil
1 tin smoked oysters
Mix everything up in a bowl then put in your container of choice. I will add some glycerin to help freeze proof some . This year I ran out of glycerin so I added some peanut cooking oil so far so good. I thinned it to the consistency of thick soup.
My other bait is cheap hard seafood catfood and liq smoke I put it in a coffee can add smoke and shake it up, if it starts to clump together I add more catfood.
When I bait my trap I put some mack sard mix just below the trigger then sprinkle in a few pieces smoked cat food and scatter just a little around the trap. I set my trap right in the middle of the trail they have to walk around it.
J

Fish oil.

Half a circus peanut and a shot of fish oil.and a little flicked each way for a trail lures.

Sometimes... . if theres a cold snap here we can have a crapload of sign but no hits to) the weather breaks.

sardines in oil (as was stated) peanut butter mixed with honey, problem with the peanut butter and honey is it seems to bring in possums from neighboring Counties. once you have cleaned out the possum population for a 100 mile radius. You should get to the coons. Good luck!

Dry cat food with shellfish oil and liquid smoke. Works well in freezing temps when the mackeral/corn mix freezes solid.

Don't remember who put this on the forum, but it's their recipie - and it works!

Bag of marsh mellows, cut each one in half
I box of strawberry Jello
2 tablespoons of vanilla extract.

Put it all in a plastic 1 gallon bag - mush it around - and there ya go!
Will catch grinners as well...

(Plus - it's a good snack while out on the trap line!)

Small kibble cat food mixed with salmon oil. Cheap fish oil is bitter.

The ole strawberry marshmallow recipe is mine

One thing I may add is let the marshmallows sit out over night to dry out some so the will absorb the jello mixture and won't be sticky when you are setting traps.

Forget the dogproofs and put in some pocket sets on the stream.

This. Don't forget blind sets also.
As for dp bait I usually use dry cat food and salmon oil.

Big plus to setting dps is you can set 8 dps or more in the time it takes you to put in one pocket set. Plus everything you need you can carry in your coat pocket. Will a pocket / blind sets catch coon that won't work a dp? Yes but if you take time setting the traps plus area covered a dozen dp and a bag of marshmallows will cover more ground. Plus you can set dps wearing tennis shoes. LOl try putting in a drowner or making a pocket set that way.......

Maybe all that sign you are seeing is old,
someone may have beat you to them.
The best bait in the world won't catch what isn't there.
Thought I hit a jackpot on a farm a couple of years ago,
sign everywhere, trails 8 in. wide full of tracks , scat everywhere
made 3 dozen sets and had high hopes, next day had 1 large boar
and didn't get any others for a week,got to talking to the owner and
found out his brother had fly baited them a couple of days before I
got there. Not suggesting that happened to you but sometimes
things aren't always as they appear.

thanks for the advice you guys. Switched to catfood and marshmallows and catfood and caught a couple of decent boars. Seems like the warm night are helping us considering in was getting down in the teens during nights last week

I gaurantee if you spend the time to make the very best dirt hole set for a yote or cubby set for a cat you will have a coon.

I would venture to guess that they type of bait you were using wasn't the problem. Most coon will check out about anything with an odor. Make sure you are setting on fresh sign, this time of year you may have to wait for the weather to cooperate. If your DPs aren't working try switching it up with pockets, blind sets, or connis. Or do like WHSKR said, spend a bunch of time making the best looking cat/coyote set you can and you will probably have a coon the next morning.

Credit for the marsh mellow / strawberry / vanilla bait goes to:
Wait for it...

jbyrd63

Thanks my man!! Works great!