Anybody have any tips on how to keep coons from climbing my feeder legs? I already have a cage around the motor and all it's doing is giving them something to hold on to while they spin my feeder.

4"PVC, cut in 3+ foot lengths, screw a chain on one end and put the other chain end up high on the feeder leg. Not 100% foolproof, but keeps a lot of 'em off. They can't grip the PVC too well and they spin around with the chain.

Yep, pic pipe around the legs, they just spin it and can't get a grip.

I agree. This is the best of what we've tried. Have had no pics of coons on feeders since.

What CR said..larger cage may help with the smart ones as well.


CR, some big E TEx coons under that feeder

Thanks guys...I'll be buying some chain and pipe and fixing it up next weekend

Put a little grease on the PVC, not the whole pipe just a small part.

You can't stop them!

PVC Pipe wont stop them..

Simple..


Eliminator Feeder Plates
Dukes Dog Proof Traps and repeat process...

Two things that work for me:

Duke Dog Proof Traps and a .17HMR @ 100 yds.

Trap until they get wise, then set up 75-100 yds out and snipe the rest.

Wait a month, rinse and repeat.

The Dukes traps work good. I have a dozen and run a trap line every time I go to the ranch. I bait mine with sardines.

Sweet Setup Flint....

my experience, they have learned to chew on the pipe to get grips,
over time they learn to get just enough grips then jump to destination

I have traps, and easily kill 5 at a time but they keep coming

lately, i've been playing tricks on them to get them frustrated.
I put grease on all the legs. They get frustrated after 15-45 min and leave

Our cages are the same diameter as the barrel, makes it almost impossible for them to reach the spinner plates.

Can coons jump? I would think you would have to have 4-5 feet of pipe to do anygood

I have tested the monkey biscuits and I don't think they work. Unless more coons keep moving in

I use strong cages on my spin feeders and it has eliminated the problem. Of course, they still are going to be under the feeders.

On the Gallagher website they have a electric fence pattern that supposedly keeps them away, at least the videos I've seen with the configuration work.

My problem has been with protein feeders. From camera surveys, I feel that I am losing 50% to 90% of my feed to raccoons and decided to start trying methods to eliminate it. I had started using the Redneck T-Post feeders several years ago and the loss is better in that the feeders don't hold the quantity large feeders do. Just 50 lbs. Still when coons set to work on it they shovel it out.



I decided to use electric fencing to keep the coons off the feeder. I started the project of wiring up a feeder several weeks ago but had too many irons in the fire with family and other ranch projects. I also ran some tests here at the ranch house but finally set up a modified feeder today in the pasture with camera surveillance to see how it works out.



I used poly wire webbed around the feeder with extended wood post insulators. The insulators have a dab of NP1 on them and then are screwed into the side of the feeder with #8 x 1½ sheet metal screws. The poly wire and insulators completely surround the feeder. You can touch the feeder and the insulators but you durn sure don't want to touch that wire! Hoochie mama! I have a number of fence chargers that I use to keep deer out of food plots until they are ready to be browsed and just took a spare for this test. Plenty hot!



I will leave it alone for a week, other than to fill it and then pull the camera to see how it is working. Hopefully it does well and I will modify all of them.

In that I live on my place and spend a lot of time with this type of stuff, I'm not big at shooting critters off of feeders. I think if you want big bucks to hit them it is the wrong thing to do. Plus, all you do is create a "black hole" of opportunity that sucks another coon in. I've tried the shooting thing here at the house. I have one of these feeders at the house under a "moon" light and after killing 12 coons in a row, gave up. I buggered it as far as the deer were concerned as well.

I will report back on the hot feeder next week.

I see a lot of guys recommending the dog proof traps and I join them. However Duke is not the only brand out there. I like the Z-Traps better due to their two-way trigger, vice the Duke's one-way trigger. With the Z-Trap, if the coon pushes OR pulls, they trip the trap, and I'm certain I've caught more coons because of it.

No affiliation with the Z, just sharing my experience.

http://www.ztraps.com/

Reference my protein feeder above...

We had a light rain between 4 and 8 this morning so I went out to look at the feeder just now. In the damp soil I could see that the deer stood at the feeder and ate (from the dribble of protein on the ground). Hopefully, this week I will video a raccoon assault against the feeder and record whether the mod is up to the task or not.

We have crank-up feeders and have never had a coon get to one.
And DP trap them suckers at every chance (Dukes or whoever). And use corn for bait, that is what the coons are there for.
We have a feeder where the deer have stopped coming around for a while (a lot of ranch activity) and the corn is piling up. The silly coons still go for the corn in the DP trap. It is funny to drive up to a feeder where the ground is solid yellow with corn and there in a coon with hand in the cookie jar, happens a few times a week.

They are pretty crafty.

I've got pictures of them swinging from my wench up feeder, no problem climbing them at all.

Remedial PSA...

winch:



>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

wench:

Yeah, they don't stay off my "winch" hung feeders either. Still need a strong cage.

Lol

Coons can jump 5 to 6 feet, trap'em and shoot'em to keep the population down

Got any pictures of one actually on the timer box? My winch hung (crank-ups) feeders have never had a coon get to the timer box. I have got pictures of them up and down the legs and they have even made it to the top. But never has one been able to climb down the side of the barrel from the top or make the 3 foot leap from the feeder leg to the time box. Maybe my coons are lacking the skills, or the feeder legs are far enough away that they cannot make the jump to the timer box.

No, no pictures. The tripod feeder is at my house and I don't have a camera on it. It is an All Seasons feeder. Just not uncommon to see a coon go up the pole, let his rear legs go, and swing over the the feeder box. Before the cage was on the box, a coon would hang from the timer and rake the corn out. After I put the cage on it took them some time to figure out it wasn't going to work. Shot a number of them while they were hanging off the basket. My dad's house is about the same distance as mine from the feeder and he tried it but shot a hole in my feeder.

coons emptied out my feeder and another guy on the lease (he's got PVC, I don't). Fattest little thieves I've ever seen

Well, at least I can admit when I'm wrong. Or, as my mother was fond of saying "I've been wrong once before." 3 sacks of feed gone in a week.

Dance party at the feeder:



I put smaller pvc on the 4 cross supports to hopefully roll the devils off, switched back to my old feeder with a shop-built expanded metal varmint guard and, when I'm staying up there, two duke's will be set.

Then I have to sit and try to pop some pigs.




This corn and soybeans is bringing stuff outa the wood work.

You have to kill them all. That is the only way. Most of my retired life is spent trying to kill coons and coyotes.

The PVC works well. I like trapping them though. Just because I want them dead.

Yep won't stop them

I had Kevin Weaver build me a coon caged skid for my Sweeney. Lots of wire for them to hang from. But, they cannot get to my spinner. Defeated them at least.

www.weaverbilt.com
TxAg here on the board.

Coon proofing is only a bandaid on the real issue, to many coons. Manage the coon problem by trapping the numbers down till they are not an issue. For my feeders I have a dog proof trap at each feeder and on corn feeders an eliminator spinner plate. I rarely get a pic of a coon now and even more rare is one on a feeder trying to eat from it.

Golden Malrin mixed with grape soda in a pie plate. They will die feet from where you set it out after drinking.

Very true.

Very very illegal also.

Sometimes you have to do what you have to do.

Sure, but not openly stating to everyone in the world on a public forum.

Opens thread
Closes thread


Smh

Well I'm reading all this and going to try the dog proof traps in the next couple weeks Report back soon

My electric feeder is working but I also ordered the Z-traps.

I got tired of trapping and shooting coons a couple years ago. Coons 1, gacman 0. But they still have a debt to pay, and I've been known to hold a grudge.

golden marlin fly crystals in a pie pan and pour mountain dew or coke over crystals. set under feeder. they wont make it 20 feet. never had a deer even look at it

GM and grape soda does the trick to get rid of coons course it will get rid of anything else that sips on it

Ditto, I have four. Last trip down I had two coons and a skunk. I use the cheapest tuna I can find

Step 1 A live trap, Step 2 Can of cat food, Step 3 22 LR, Step 4 BBQ Coon.

Repeat step's 1 - 4 Daily till problem is gone.

The bad things about steel, live or dukes is that I have seen them set and then left unattended for a week. What is more humane? A raccoon starved for a week. A raccoon left to chew their leg off. Or one that drinks something and dies in a few minutes?

my feeder cage has a electric wire built into it, no coons so far.

The war has begun. Up here for a few days. 2 Duke's set and will check them in the morning with the veinte dos. Hope I baited them right. Cat food, sardines, and festive mini marshmallows. 'Wanted them to have a colorful exit.

One outa two this morning.

What are you guys doing about fire ants on your bait? I've started using the Z-trap but almost immediately my traps are covered in fire ants.

To keep the coons off your feeders, go buy a tube of grease, like the one that goes in your grease gun. Put on some latex gloves, open the tube, smear the grease on the legs of said feeder. I haven't had a coon on my feeders for 10 years and it works 100% of the time. I only have to apply once a year. It's cheap and very effective! Deer won't be spooked by it and the coons spend the rest of the week trying to get the grease out of their coat. I love making the little &*%$#!'s miserable.

Eliminator Spin plates have worked great for me.

I still like my 4" PVC on my legs. I tried the grease it seems the smell just didn't have as many deer coming in afterwards. Then tried the lard with hot spices mix in smeared on the legs NO GO, washed off with rain. PVC the cheapest for me. Just hunted in pop up with 22 at night.

I bait mine in the late afternoon, no problems. If you can find Drione insecticide, dust the mound