Don’t over think it. Like mentioned above, make sure the trap is functioning. Put food or lure in the back.
Once I get my first skunk in spring at my buddies place, I don’t even add lure or bait, they just go inside out of curiosity. Everything that fits in there goes in. We’ve got it tarped up with just the front open so it’s a dark cave. Dryer hose zip tied to the cage and going to an old truck close by.
Hands down the best thing ever. From skunk to cats. Never any smells coming from it.
He just calls me up, “Dare, the cage is closed”
I drive up, do my thing, reset and gone within 20 min.

Thanks for all the tips. She left at 10:43pm after eating 4 marshmallows. Back at 12:44am to get 3 under the floor, caught! So, the cheap old Havahart still works. Got another one like it that's about 40 years old, still works too. Been reading about the Comstock, Koonce and Dukes, maybe I should invest in one of them, but what's best? Picture as the trap is sprung:

Coon will eat anything. I use a sardine can with just one or two sardines. A can goes a long ways.

But so do Skunks. That's why I like Marshmallows.

Put your bait in a soup can. Then crush the top closed. Any kind of hardware container will just get destroyed.

Koonce and comstocks. Koonce are just so easy to set...just open the door and the trap is set. The comstocks are bit trickier to set but trigger system practically eliminates misfires. I've had educated coons roll the trap around trying to get my wired up donuts and still end up getting caught once they realize they cant get the bait without entering the trap. Plus the rear bait door is a lot simpler to use

Congratulations. Job well done. If you are shopping check out Wickenkamp. Model 302. Bomb proff. G.

Good job.
If you're keep after it, you'll find some tweeks that helps when using that style.
Im very novice with cage trapping.
But my greatest success came when I purchased 6 Williams traps at a convention.

Not the best on the market but good rugged style and has lasted me 15- 20 yrs maybe .
Dukes is very similar.
Restrict reach thru.
Stake to stop roll arounds.
Easy empty and durable.
They feed with nose alot.

Keep up with your success and ride along.

I switched several years ago to the mini ones. I spread them around and make sure several are under the pan or wire used for the pan. That has improved my success rate a lot and marshmallows are less attractive to cats.

Bryce

Marshmallow FLUFF smeared on the floor and back beyond the pan

I saw a school boy setup once under a bridge. Guy had a 1 1/2 coil loosely bedded and cover with grass clippings. He had a handful of mini marshmallows scattered on top of the trap. I thought to myself ‘wow, they got a lot to learn.’ It held a coon the next morning! I’ve never seen the set again or tried it myself so I can’t say if he got lucky or if it’s actually a good set…idk.

I’ve read all this stuff about using marshmallows (which I used in my cage traps btw with absolutely no problem) and I wonder, from the advantage of experience, all that needs to be thought about when baiting a QUALITY DESIGNED cage trap is a coon’s reach of about 12”!!! If your cage trap is designed & built that it allows a coon to reach your bait WITHOUT springing/stepping on the treadle, It’s you and the traps fault, not the coons!!!!

My favorite coon cages have been the Williams cages out of Roanoke, Indiana and Ztrap cages, out of Iowa. I switched to the Ztraps because the Williams treadles got messed up from big curious coon. The Ztrap has a top trip trigger that doesn’t get damaged—ever.

I have some Ztrap dog proofs, but was not aware they also made a cage trap. This guy did a decent video on it. Trigger rod reminds me of the trigger i used on a box trap I made when I was a kid. Very simple, but I would think it would get damaged by a big coon? Maybe not? But anyway, good to know there are good options out there, since Williams are now unobtainium.





https://www.ztraps.net/shop/raccoon/5

Also forgot that Koonce is now made at same place in WI as Tomahawk and Comstock.

https://livetrap.com/

If they don't have it you don't need it.