Live Traps Not working

[kirkdickinson]

So Saturday night, the raccoons got into one of my pens and killed 5 out of 8 chickens. Casualties were two year old Black Copper Maran hens that laid eggs on the darker end of the spectrum. 2 - 4 month Copper Maran Hens, and my 4 month old Copper Maran Roo that was just starting to look nice. It was heartbreaking to see. Dead chickens, and parts of chickens strewn all about.

I have these in a chain link dog kennel with 1/2 welded wire on the bottom and electric wire around it. Top flight netting on the top. Electric had gotten unplugged and the coons got in through the top.

I added more electric wire and got it really hot. Think the pen is safe now. I set two live traps Sunday afternoon. Since the coons have a taste for chicken I baited the traps with some of the chicken parts that they left.

Monday, I expect to have caught 2 coons. One livetrap was drug off into the woods, laying on its side, chicken parts gone and not sprung. The other was setting where I set it, parts gone and not sprung.

Monday night, I find some freezer burnt chicken breast and bait the traps again. I was careful to get the chicken way back into the trap.
Tuesday, chicken gone, traps not sprung.

Tuesday night, I put two chicken breasts directly on each trigger. The traps spring on me a couple times while trying to bait them. The trigger seems sensitive.
Wednesday morning. Chicken gone traps unsprung.

Last night, I put chicken behind and slightly under the trigger thinking that the coon will have to stand on the trigger to reach under to pull out the food.
This morning. I have one trap with the food gone and it is sprung, but no coon, the other is turned on its side, food is gone, not sprung.

At this point, am I just feeding the coons? There has to be a better way to catch coons. They are obviously not afraid to go into the traps, but they are careful.

 

[azygous]

Yes. You are merely supplying food for a raccoon picnic. I had this exact same dilemma when I was a park ranger in a desert/river park with a severe raccoon issue created by campers feeding the 'coons.

I bought a KFC bucket of original recipe. Baited the live traps, although the ultimate fate for the criminals would be execution. For several mornings, I found empty traps, bait gone, no raccoons. I determined the 'coons were using their superior intellects, problem solving abilities, and manual dexterity to retrieve the bait without being caught. (Raccoons are a cognitive match for the human brain, and may actually possess an edge.)

I cannot recall exactly what I did to modify the traps, it's been thirty years, but I probably secured the bait to the trap with wire and I also shielded the trigger on the trap so the raccoons couldn't mess with that. Then I began to accumulate some prisoners.

 

[kirkdickinson]

I cannot recall exactly what I did to modify the traps, it's been thirty years, but I probably secured the bait to the trap with wire and I also shielded the trigger on the trap so the raccoons couldn't mess with that. Then I began to accumulate some prisoners.

I have thought about attaching a 2x4 to the trigger to make it easier to depress and/or modifying it so that it sticks up higher. These Rural King traps only have triggers that are about 4 inches wide and stick up 1/2" or so. Seems like I remember traps from years ago that had a significantly bigger and higher trigger that would be impossible to avoid.

 

[Folly's place]

Welcome!
Two things; have cement blocks on those traps, or attach them somehow so they can't be moved or tipped over. Also, hang bait from a wire in the cage, so it can't be had without stepping on the plate.
Maybe a bigger live trap?
The Duke traps are supposed to work well, and live trap wise raccoons are difficult!
Mary

 

[TOR]

Racoons use their front legs kinda like arms and the paws like hands. Once they figure something out they remember.
I have never used a live trap.
As Mary said though and I have read, you need to lock the traps down so they can not move them. The bait must be wired in good.
Last resort for racoons I use a 1 1/2 jaw trap.

 

[Geena]

We went through the same thing with raccoons. They are very adept at reaching over and getting the bait while also avoiding the trip plate. My son came up with this which works perfectly.
He zip tied a plastic jar to the back of the trap and dropped the bait in there. Then they have to go all the way in to reach down into the jar.
Also as Mary stated, make sure to anchor the trap somehow. We usually secure ours to the field fence.

 

[Penpal]

One problem with live trapping and then releasing them is, they now understand how the trap works. They reach in and over the trip plate. As Folly's Place wrote, use wire to make it difficult or even impossible to just grab and run.

 

[Folly's place]

I've also seen cat food or tuna cans wired to the back of the trap, with holes punched into the can.
Mary

 

[TOR]

One problem with live trapping and then releasing them is, they now understand how the trap works. They reach in and over the trip plate. As Folly's Place wrote, use wire to make it difficult or even impossible to just grab and run.

Do not release them alive. Bury them and use them as fertilizer.

 

[azygous]

Raccoons are a common vector of rabies. Most counties will not condone relocation or releasing of caught raccoons. They are not an endangered species. A badly behaving raccoon removed from the gene pool is not a bad thing.