Live traps

[Iron mike]

My property in michigan has a probblem with raccoons my bigest probblem is you cant shoot them in city limits so i bought a few live traps from havaheart to relocate them to outside the city limits and get rid of my issue i have never used them before what would be a good bait and any other advise on the handeling and disposal would be appreicated thank you for your time.

[Snow Walker]

Hey Mike, do yourself a favor and make sure you stake down to opposite corners of the live trap! Simply get two rebar stakes, weld a large washer and/or nut to one end and grind the other end down to a point. Hammer them into the ground going through the openings in the live trap at opposite corners. This will keep it from tipping if one gets pi**** off, I have seen it happen.

When trapping coon look for a sweet bait, I have found marshmallows soaked in vanilla work well. There are other things that will work well also. There is always the possibility of catching a skunk but you can avoid all stinky issues just by placing an old tarp over the trap after it is set. It will create a dark environment which relaxes an animal. A skunk will usually not spray when it is confined.

I always cut a hole in the tarp to allow for the handle of the trap so the tarp doesn't have to be lifted.

A good way to kill a skunk without it spraying is to have a wooden box made ahead of time that you can place the whole trap into. The box should then have a cover put over the top with a hole in the side to allow for an exhaust pipe extension from your vehicle. Once connected start it up and wait. It will put the little guy to sleep quietly and peacefully. This can also be done with other critters also.

BE CAREFUL WITH THOSE COONS AND POSSIBLE SKUNKS, THEY CAN CARRY RABIES AMONG OTHER THINGS. ALWAYS HANDLE A TRAPPED ANIMAL WITH EXTREME CAUTION AND ALWAYS WEAR HEAVY LEATHER GLOVES WHEN HANDLING A TRAP LIKE THAT WITH AN ANIMAL IN IT!

Now have fun!

Here is a great site for trapping information and they will send you a free catalog.

https://www.minntrapprod.com

[Domdabears]

I don't know if this is your thing or your living situation, but are you able to use air rifles?
That's what I would do. I got a nice .22 air rifle. I hate raccoons. I like its fur though.
Good luck :D

[PT945]

I found raw chicken was a good bait for the coons I had to dispatch. I've used live traps mainly for feral cats and skunks.

[Iron mike]

These are all very good ideas thank you very much

[Echo2]

[Iron mike]

Echo buddy now thats what i call proactive thinking i like it a lot.

[Curdog]

Canned cat food, a fish head, a raw chicken wing, or (believe it or not) some marshmallows are good coon bait. Better than a live trap in a #220 Conibear bodygrip trap staked in front of a 5 gallon bucket on its side- the bait goes into the back of the bucket. set this along side a building with a piece of plywood screening the whole shebang from public view. The occasional cat is an issue...

[Snow Walker]

220's cubbies are awesome, but I prefer live traps for urban areas or places with domestics running around.

[10eckid]

To catch raccoons only and leave everything else out (cats, skunks, etc.) we use honeybuns.

[snake35]

Grape jelly works great on coon. By using a sweet bait you do not catch as many housecats.