I'm having issues with what is very likely an extremely large raccoon. It tore a huge hole in the wire on my back barn and I lost around 40 white homers, 30 guineas and 20 Bantams. Something smaller got in and killed about a dozen rollers on the other side, likely by squeezing through the Top Flite.

Then something tore loose and bent the siding on my breeding barn and killed at least a dozen rare colored homers, birds I sell for $40.00 to $200.00 each. l think a lot of birds were carried off, maybe as high as 60. I shot 2 small coons in there last night. They likely got in through another piece of metal siding that was pulled loose.

3 days ago, I set 5 coon sized box traps. I caught one 20 some pounder. Something bigger is going in the traps, taking the bait and backing out. It's apparently long enough the door is held up by it's back. When this has happened before, I usually set 2, 1 1/2s right in front of the door.

I bought 4 dog proofs at auction a few years ago and just set them near the box traps. How full should I fill them with bait? I just put dog food in them.

There's also a chance I'm having trouble with a small black bear. 2 sealed 15 gallon containers and 1 sealed 5 gallon bucket of feed were moved over 30'. The siding that was bent is a heavy gauge. I have a small number of bears in my area.

I am having a crappy last few days. Diane is in the hospital with a blood infection, infection around her kidneys, fever, dizziness, disorientation and dehydration. I took her in on Saturday. Her chores, plus mine in this high heat and high humidity is wearing me out. I didn't need to lose $5000.00 plus in stock.

Keith

Go ahead and fill them up, Keith, and even leave a little on the ground.
I hope your wife feels better soon!

Sorry to hear of these issues. Dog proofs - I never filled them more than half way. I always put a marshmallow on top covered with strawberry syrup that the could easily grab and then something different underneath. Good luck

I only fill mine up a little ways over the trigger. I'd like the critters to keep looking for more bait and then get caught. I'm just trying to give them a taste, not fatten them up. My bait seems to go farther by limiting the amount used in each trap.

Prayers sent for your wife too.

So sorry your going through this Keith. I hope Diane gets better soon. I like to put a full size marshmallow under the trigger and then cover the trigger with cat food. You can use some jelly but I don't use it on the traps cause it gets messy. I put some on a cotton ball at the base of the DP for an added attractant sometimes but I don't think you'll need to.

Do ya have a trail cam you can set up and see what's going on?

I just fill to the trigger with fish food pellets.

Where's your camera??

Hope you are successful sooner than later.

Also hope your wife is on the mend soon.

Keep us posted

generally full , sometimes if I look like I should have made up another jug of bait the night before I go 1/2-3/4

they get greedy and not be shy by the time they get the trigger.

I like to make up my bait in a jug , windshiled wiper fluid and vinager bottles make good jugs

dog food and fish oil , started adding corn picked up from a spill to cut my cost and it seems to be good. a little bit of liquid smoke , like about as little as you can drizzle in , the shake it up good
good to have a jug more than you thought you needed made up

can pour right in from the jugs and keep it off your hands.

when I use it in cages I use soup cans I put some in the can and set the can all the way to the back , it makes them go farther in to get in the can.

I put it about trigger high with a little on the ground and some fish oil on the lip . Just caught 5 coons by chicken house

just to the bottom of trigger in my z traps and the a little around the lip. I use jack mackerel with liquid smoke in it and have very good luck with it

Thanks everyone.

I caught a milky sow coon in the very first DP I set.



I had a small coon in one of the box traps. It let me get within about 30' and took off at a fast run out of the open door. I took 4 fast shots at its center of mass with my Ruger 10/22. I found a small, weak blood trail.

I don't like killing coons this time of year, or when they're nearly worthless during season. I can't afford to let them kill so many of my birds. I'm going to have run dps from now on.

I had cats immediately investigate 2 of the DPs, as soon as I walked away. They stayed out of them.

2 of the other DPs had less food in them. Another was knocked over and bare. I can see why having something sticky in them would be beneficial.

The sow is to small to be what's backing out of my box traps. There's likely a big boar coon in the area.

I checked the traps early because I am worried about something tearing into my barns again.

I also shot a rat in a hole by one of my barns, in the center of its back, which is all I could see of it.

What brand DPs do you guys like best? I believe these are Dukes. I've always used 1 1/2s and box traps for coons before. The 1 1/2s work so well and I have so many, it seemed pointless to buy anything else. With the cats and the dogs on the farm, it seems like DPs might be the best way to go.

Keith

I'm convinced they eat all the bait in them before they pull the trigger. It seems like their hand fills the whole trap, so if there was any left down in there, it would still be there when I pul their hand out, but they're always empty. I think they work around the trigger to dig out all the bait, and then pull the trigger when they can't get any more bait out easily. That being said, it seems to me that filling them is a waste of bait, so I fill them just to the trigger.

Keith, check with Glen, Wolf Creek Traps, I think he goes by OHIO on here. He sells the Diablo DP's, I really like them. They have a bait door on the bottom and are great to prebait and to clean. They were priced right and do a good job imo.

… this man finally made some sense

Hope you end ur problem and praying for your wife's recovery

I use either fishy cat food or small marshmallows just to bottom of trigger. A little something sweet on the rim and sprinkle a few marshmallows or cat food on ground by dp. I use push/pull triggers. Works good for me but im not a master coon trapper.

Dangit. Sorry to hear that KeithC. Praying she gets better ASAP. Infections are nothing to mess with. When the right hand man/woman goes down, it sucks! .

You have much bigger coons than we do here if they can move all that around. Granted, they are notorious for breaking into chicken coops though. They do amaze me.
I can only speak for myself, but usually when the coons show up, there are little ones involved, and by that time, I've got possums, skunks, and even bobcats to deal with. I've caught them all immediately around the coop.

To your question, I don't put that much. Just about an ounce of small sized dogfood/catfood. I know you don't have the time, but if you do, it is important to lay out the DPs and don't set them. Just drip a drop of shellfish oil on the rim and put some dog food in it Get them used to it. It only takes a day, and then set it. If you think you have 4 coons causing the problem, then set 8 traps. They run in gangs like cartels around here. Really hoping the best for you and that everything works out.

Hoping she fights it off with a quickness Kieth

bait, goes below the trigger. Don't fill it up or to the trigger. An ounce at most;; about 1/4" full from the bottom. I like any DP that triggers both ways.

Just above the trigger, and I used rubber tubing on the trigger.

Like they used to use to draw blood
It gives them something soft to grab.
And some scattered around for them to get the taste.

It does sound like bear is your problem.

Prayers for your wife to heal and get better soon.