Raccoon trapping

[Ben.MN/WI]

The other day I observed that the two sites used for carcass recycling in the past couple of years have significantly more vegetative growth than the surrounding areas. Sadly, this includes invasive, such as autumn olive and undesirables including black locus and Osage orange. I am not sure if this is due to better soil or some other cause. However, my recycling pit this year will be in a location where I have been wanting to plant persimmons. Maybe ‘coons do have some redeeming value.

All of my varmint carcasses are placed under my fruit trees. They make a great natural fertilizer that will give the trees some excellent growth the following year.

 

[356]

Six days, six predators (5 'coons, 1 'possum). This is the first week in months that I am home every night, which makes it possible to trap. That will change again next weekend. While I didn't re-set any traps last night, I got one in a trap set couple of days ago with a grape jelly/cereal mix. I'll reset everything again tonight.

 

[356]

Raccoon six and seven down. These were two larger coons that were up by the house. I am using for the first time a grape jelly/cereal mix to avoid catching our barn cats. So far it seems to be working despite daytime temps nearing 100 degrees. It’s been over a week since we’ve had ‘coon poop on our deck.

 

[b116757]

My coworker killed a momma coon at his place now he has three little ones living in his yard eating pears out of the tree in his yard. He has even been giving them cat food.

 

[356]

My coworker killed a momma coon at his place now he has three little ones living in his yard eating pears out of the tree in his yard. He has even been giving them cat food.

I hope that means he is fattening them up for dinner!

 

[b116757]

Idk his long range plan with this but that’s a good one

 

[Double Creek]

Caught my first one last night. He’s been destroying my bird feeders. Used sardines. Probably will switch to something sweet to keep the cat safe

 

[356]

Caught my first one last. He’s been destroying my bird feeders. Used sardines. Probably will switch to something sweet to keep the cat safe

Congrats on the catch! I caught one cat back when using cat food...needless to say, he/she was not happy, but she survived to mouse another day. As a result I am focusing on sweet stuff--breakfast cereal, marshmallows and jelly.

 

[356]

Raccoon #8. One more night of trapping before I have to stop awhile. I am still getting 'coons on camera every night.

 

[356]

One opposum this morning. Season total since August 1: 8 ‘coons; 2 ‘possums. I’ve unset the traps as I’ll be out of town for several days. A good start to the season. I still have plenty of ‘coons on camera, so I’ll keep up with the early season trapping until deer season starts (and may continue during season, at times).

 

[bueller]

I got 3 over Saturday and Sunday nights. 2 on dog proofs with dog food and 1 on a blind trail set (a first for me).

 

[SwampCat]

One opposum this morning. Season total since August 1: 8 ‘coons; 2 ‘possums. I’ve unset the traps as I’ll be out of town for several days. A good start to the season. I still have plenty of ‘coons on camera, so I’ll keep up with the early season trapping until deer season starts (and may continue during season, at times).

How many traps do you have out?

 

[356]

How many traps do you have out?

Currently I have 8 DPs and 2 cages.

Later I'll up this to 12 DP's, 3 cages and four trapline coil spring traps.

 

[356]

As soon as I leave, my cameras light up with more coons…These things are a plague!

 

[Catscratch]

You guys that have a ton of coons... what's your coyote populations like? I've read studies that yotes will keep coon populations down.

I have plenty of yotes, but I've never seen evidence that they prey on coons. But, I've also seen very little evidence that they hassle my deer much, and most my does have twines that survive to adulthood. So it doesn't seem that they are hurting my deer population a whole lot.

 

[356]

We have lots of coons and coyotes. From what I am learning, once we implement timber burns (an upcoming part of our FSI/TSI program) the raccoon population will decline. This year is a bumper crop of rabbits, which have encouraged bobcats and coyotes. Yesterday I believe we had another mountain lion on camera as well, but the photo is inconclusive.

 

[b116757]

Creek bottom behind the house holds a ton of coons they love water ways they likely eat almost as much of what I put out for the deer as the deer do not uncommon to have 8 coons on camera at once after our youth season I may put out a couple DP to thin them out a bit this year. And I have one living in a barn at the one farm at least I think it’s a coon had him growling at me a couple times but haven’t seen him yet there is an old grain storage room built into the one barn and it seems to be living under the elevated floor of that room if I go in there I hear horrible noises coming from under the floor.

 

[SwampCat]

I have caught 1000’s of coons over my 70 years and have never had a coon killed and eaten in a trap. I dont believe coyotes mess with them. We have plenty of coyotes. We have very few mice, cotton rats, turkeys, no quail. You would think with a limited prey base, coyotes would be more likely to eat a coon - but I see no evidence they will even eat a dead coon.

Coyotes around my place feed heavily on piglets - but now that the pigs are gone - I dont know what they are eating.

 

[356]

Raccoon #9 down--the first on the northern part of the property. Yesterday I spoke with a neighbor who traps, but didn't know season had opened August 1, so he will start working on 'coon reductions as well.

The traps are now unset until September.

 

[SwampCat]

We have lots of coons and coyotes. From what I am learning, once we implement timber burns (an upcoming part of our FSI/TSI program) the raccoon population will decline. This year is a bumper crop of rabbits, which have encouraged bobcats and coyotes. Yesterday I believe we had another mountain lion on camera as well, but the photo is inconclusive.

View attachment 81547

From what I read, the burning pretty much displaces the coons to more favorable food sources - like bottomlands, creek drainages, unburned areas, etc. I trapped a few years, hard, back in the late 70’s and early 80’s - when the timber companies burned a lot. A burn was not a favorable area to trap coons. We didnt have many coyotes then. A burn was not a favorable area to trap anything. The junction between burned and unburned area - as in the firelanes - was a great place to trap. I dont think the food sources for small predators that dont run down their food are as plentiful as unburned areas.