I know, I know, there is no perfect coon bait out there (yet). Still, I’m not convinced so I try a new one or two every year.

For midwestern trappers, what seems to be working for you in DPs? I’m not looking for gushing endorsements, just an honest assessment of what worked. I’ll start out by saying I tend to trap coon when the nights are freezing but days range in the 40+ range. Within 2-weeks or so, temps drop to high 20s at night and days are 30s to 40. By mid November we have some snow on the ground. Baits without nose pull just don’t get worked.

Baits and lures and how they work for you:

Locklear’s Federales pulled a few as did his Coon Collector sprayed over dry cat food or floating fish pellets.

But, so did plain dry cat food when it was above freezing.

Fish and more 4 or 5x coon than I care to flesh.

cat food with either a anise or smoked fish trailing scent (Reuwsaat's) the cat food doesnt freeze and the scents are strong. I put a small amount on the bait and squirt some on a tree near the trap. I use the same set up whether I am trapping in your area (Roch) or in Northern MN

Purina Cat Chow was hands down the best for me with O'Gorman's Oil Slick

Yes, the sea food version

I tried coon collector this year and results were ok, I still like kaatz bros ulti mag cherry for a trailing scent. Another cheap trailing scent is Bear magnet, smells like smokey bacon. $12.99 A gallon at Fleet Farm.

Try our DP Dynamite or Smoky Lust. See our website at dogprooftrapper.com

I can vouch for the Smokey Lust, it's become one of my favorites. A little smeared on the lip of the trap and a little up high on a tree works for me.

Cheapest fish flavored cat food I could find and some cherry extract.

I use seafood variety cheapest cat food usually 4 to 6lb bag I can get then melt about 2 cups bacon grease with about a tablespoon of liquid smoke. It works amazing. I should say I also set on high travel coon trails. I got that idea from this forum in the lure and bait making section.

Its easy to dump a bunch of sweet oils in a base and draw some raccoon in. When it comes to bait I think you get a better response from a bait with a good food call that the sweet side odors enhance, but food being the dominant odor.

I've trapped many coon year round on nothing more than a quick squirt of this in the back of a cage.

So you mix the dry cat food in the melted liquid bacon grease ? Does the cat food clump up when the grease cools and turns solid ?

TDHP, care to share what the magic potion is in that bottle?

FYI, I bought a jar of the classic Grawes big stinky coon bait and ran that in tuna tins in back of our cages, and did well on coon with it.
I make my own DP baits and had great luck with two in particular this december.
Jim

No magic, just overflow from my liquid courage solution with an added ingredient I think works well with coon and takes many of them on my jobs.

Seriously, I’m looking for trapper critiques of commercial baits that work. But I’m guessing that’s part of the problem. If you’ve got a good population or pockets of good populations, it really doesn’t make any difference what you use as long as it’s either food or smells like food, or smells like what that particular animal finds interesting enough to check out.

I’m not above putting a piece of shiny foil on a trap pan in running water. It works some of the time for some of the users. But it’s not a consistent producer.

Back to the original question, what has your experience been with
—Mark June’s shrimp, grain and other dry ingredients in the 64-ounce containers (can’t remember what it’s called)
—Locklear’s Coon Crush?
—Hal Sullivan’s Sugar Berries
—Mark Steck’s Coon Kicker
—any other product you’ve been trying that produces what you think would be at 25% or higher catch rate?

“ADC” on here sells a very effective line of baits. I use a couple types of his raccoon trail mix and IMO, they work very well. I use them mainly with dog proofs and cage traps. If your really interested in commercial baits for coon, I highly recommend you check them out.

Keg Creek sells a commercially prepared Coon Crunch. It’s got a sweet smell that’ll catch the coons even late, but shines early. I’ve found something similar I make myself, but you want commercial. I doubt you can go wrong with any of Marty’s products.

I have used the June's, Locklear's and Sullivans baits all, all three have taken coons for me that were feeding in cornfields, or out of corncribs. I had the best success with Junes, with Locklear and Sullivan being tied. Now I am not a huge numbers trapper, but this had proven consistant over the last few years for me. Others may have total opposite results. Fourth on my bait list, was mini marshmallows with grape or cherry Koolaid.