My partner and I saw a Discovery Channel (or something similar) on how inquisitive coon are. They will play with moving box parts forever if they think the box holds food.

Twenty years ago, someone came up with the idea of a DP cap. Coon, being the inquisitive critters they are, have NO control over that curiosity. A movable metal, paper or plastic type cap on a DP is something to figure out. They touch them, play with them, take them off just to see what might be inside. My partner has been known to leave dry coon bait in a DP and the coon are still curious enough to see what’s in there 2-3 years later.

It doesn’t seem to make any difference as to the bait that’s under the cap. It can be milk replacer, cracked corn, Friskie’s cat food. Generic puppy chow (the cheap stuff). It doesn’t appear that the bait is what they’re after. It’s the movable cover that’s the draw.

Big possums and big skunks seem to be curious too. Cats and dogs—not at all. At least this has been our experience. The trick, if there is one, is to put the covered DP on a trail so they almost have to trip over it. The trap cover will do the rest.

I agree. We had a wet spell this season and I used a red plastic cup and set over the dp's. It just didn't seem right but I caught coon.

If you use something they can tear up, use biodegradable, otherwise you’ll have a mess to clean up!!!
Glad you posted this, now that I think about it, you’re correct. I caught more coons on covered DP’s than uncovered. Even switched to golf balls and what’s funny is sometimes they’d just take the ball. Definitely gonna start covering them again. Thanks!

I/we use Z-caps. They’re white and metal. Tied on with string we got from Menards. Even when the caps are coated with mud, they’re still movable and the coon keep fiddling with them till they get them off.

My partner Jon, caught more coon with capped traps than I did with open ones. Once baited, capped traps stay baited unless a deer kicks them over.