Raccoon trapping

[ACCMan]

I have trapped my place and the neighbors very hard for two years. I've lost count but have taken over 70 raccoons. I now have turkey polts, bunches of rabbits and even quail are rebounding. Most don't think about the havoc coons play on rabbit nests, but they will dig them out and eat the whole litter. The only thing worse is feral cats, and they don't last long on my place.

 

[356]

Predator Season 2023-24 is underway. I placed two traps and bagged two 'coons within 50' of our doorstep. I will also set up some traps around the chicken coop. Since I don't want to unnecessarily enter the deer and turkey habitat areas, I am limiting my trapping to the house and barn areas until the end of deer season.

2022-23 season totals: 72 raccoons & 12 possums.


First two 'coons of the season

 

[356]

Got another one this morning…3 down.

 

[Mozark]

Sometime back in the early 90's i saw a missouri liscense plate that said this, KILMAL, now I know....has nothing to do with Metallica

 

[356]

Baited the traps last night and had one ‘coon this morning. I would normally wait until deer season is over, but I am getting more pictures of ’coons, ‘possums and skunks than I am of deer right now. 4 down for the new season.

 

[356]

’Coon #5 for the season removed. However, the larger racoons I am capturing on camera are still out there.
So far no ‘possums. Due to travel and deer camp commitments, it will be a couple of weeks before I set the traps again.

 

[b116757]

This thread makes me want to dig out my dog proof traps and set a couple out.

 

[356]

'Coon #6 is now buzzard bait. Set 8 footholds and 2 cages tonight. Will trap tonight and again this weekend.

 

[Mtyhunter]

Until I read this thread, I had no idea: a-how much havoc coons cause to turkeys, rabbits, quail, etc b-how many coons are out there
I amazed!

 

[356]

Until I read this thread, I had no idea: a-how much havoc coons cause to turkeys, rabbits, quail, etc b-how many coons are out there
I amazed!

While the extent of damage to turkey habitat is debated, there is not debate about raccoon populations that are out of balance. This is often due to human interference, and will require human intervention. Here is the link that helps explain the problem: Trapping Raccoons to Protect Turkey Nests - Growing Deer TVGrowing Deer TVhttps://www.growingdeer.tv › trapping-raccoons-to-prote...

 

[buckdeer1]

Hopefully we can trap raccoons early season next year.I use 220 conibears and buckets or boxes

 

[356]

Raccoon #7 was trapped this morning--one more thing to be thankful for on this Thanksgiving Day!

 

[356]

Raccoon #8 down. This one was a large male. I need to start weighting them!

 

[356]

Possum #1 down. A nice way to start a few days of trapping.

 

[356]

Raccoon #9 is down. A nice start to 2024.

 

[MadMadHoosier]

This thread got me into raccoon trapping and I've had decent success with the DP traps and marshmallows. But a side question. I have a "gut pile" that is about 120 yards from the cabin, so I can get opportunities to take out a coyote or three. And this is where I dump field dressing of deer, the raccoons after trapping, and an occasional ground hog. A camera on that pile has show the coyotes really like the deer remnants, but I've yet to see them touch a raccoon or ground hog carcass on the pile. Does this surprise anyone else?

 

[Catscratch]

Pretty much the onlu things that eat coon around my place are buzzards, crows, and maggots. If it's been really cold for a while they get eaten, but the don't seem to be a first choice.

 

[356]

This thread got me into raccoon trapping and I've had decent success with the DP traps and marshmallows. But a side question. I have a "gut pile" that is about 120 yards from the cabin, so I can get opportunities to take out a coyote or three. And this is where I dump field dressing of deer, the raccoons after trapping, and an occasional ground hog. A camera on that pile has show the coyotes really like the deer remnants, but I've yet to see them touch a raccoon or ground hog carcass on the pile. Does this surprise anyone else?

Buzzards are the primary consumer, with coyotes a close second. I’ve seen coyotes eat two week old raccoon. Ironically, I’ve seen where they will eat two and leave one untouched. No idea why.

 

[SwampCat]

This thread got me into raccoon trapping and I've had decent success with the DP traps and marshmallows. But a side question. I have a "gut pile" that is about 120 yards from the cabin, so I can get opportunities to take out a coyote or three. And this is where I dump field dressing of deer, the raccoons after trapping, and an occasional ground hog. A camera on that pile has show the coyotes really like the deer remnants, but I've yet to see them touch a raccoon or ground hog carcass on the pile. Does this surprise anyone else?

From previous discussions here in the quail thread - the eating of coons by coyote must be on a case by case basis. I often put a camera on my bone yard - and have never got a picture of a coyote eating a coon. They love deer carcasses and skunks. They will eat some pigs and leave others untouched. They eat cleaned ducks and geese. They eat fish carcasses

Two years ago, the neighbor’s cow had a stillborn calf right by my fence. I tied the calf to a t-post in the middle of a wheat field. Nothing ate it - and I mean nothing - not even buzzards. The intact, mummified carcass was still there a year later. Another time, a buddy arrowed a deer right at dark. We lost blood at 11 at night and decided to come back and look the next morning as it was cold. Took us about thirty minutes to find the doe, skeleton picked clean of meat. 15 feet away lay a perfectly intact fetus. I would have thought the fetus would have been the icing on the cake.

I wish coyotes ate coons - but at my place at least - they steer clear. I have a Mountain Cur that catches coons on the ground while we are out hunting fairly often. I have to believe a coyote is a better predator than my dog. If coyotes here preyed on coons with any regularity - I doubt we would have a coon left. I have no doubt in other areas, coyotes may eat coons. My deer dont eat brassicas - but a lot of folks have great luck with them. It may well be area specific.

 

[Turkey Creek]

I have said the same thing. In 40 years of trapping I have never had a coon killed in a trap by anything other than a human or natural causes (drowning). Multiple times I have a coyote in a trap and 20 yards away a coon in a trap still alive.