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.