Texas Hunting Forum

Varmit cage thoughts

Posted By: Roll-Tide

Varmit cage thoughts - 09/30/17 11:23 PM

Haven't used one before. Been noticing lots of coons tearing me up like never before.

Bought a cheap varmit cage from Academy for 15 bucks. Size looks good.

My question.

I went to TSC and bought some smaller wire to wrap over the squares, to make a smaller opening. I understand the corn won't shoot as far. Is just putting the mesh on top half close to funnel enough? Where do coons reach in or what angle do they use? How many inches can they reach?
Posted By: jetdad

Re: Varmit cage thoughts - 10/01/17 12:36 AM

Most of your corn will fall straight down. That's why you see a deflector under the cage of an HB or All Seasons. There is no special way they usually reach in. They'll work and experiment all night until they find the closest place they can reach. I had them reaching in a good 8 inches. I had to cover the top portion with rabbit wire and the corn dropped straight down. I broke down and bought an all seasons. I have an HB and they can't reach it. The All Seasons should work as well. You might try PVC around the legs.
Posted By: Roll-Tide

Re: Varmit cage thoughts - 10/01/17 12:49 AM

I strap mine to trees. So no legs. May try aluminum flashing as well.
Posted By: bigbroke12

Re: Varmit cage thoughts - 10/01/17 10:50 PM

found a round cage that's almost same circumference of barrel...well made and have yet to see a corn thief get paws in and spin...picked em up at Lyssy and Eckel in Llano....ive also seen on here where guys will use the metal plumbers strap to re-enforce cage to barrel all around
Posted By: Roll-Tide

Re: Varmit cage thoughts - 10/02/17 12:20 AM

I bought some rabbit fence. Pretty small square. Put that over the cages I bought.

Used lest over fencing and went all the way around the barrel. Attached it with a strap to the barrel. Used my grinder and made 4 cuts and pushed those together and tied together. It ain't pretty, but looks like it will work.
Posted By: Vern1

Re: Varmit cage thoughts - 10/02/17 12:48 PM

Go to HomeDepot or Lowes and get some 1x1" mesh wire in a 2' wide roll.
The squares are 1" and it makes it easy to measure.
Start with a ring that is the same size as your barrel.
When you cut it, leave the ends sticking out and use them to join the ends of roll together.
Cut a square a little bigger than the barrel diameter and put it on bottom of the circle.
Cut and bend the ends around the circumference to secure this bottom in place.
Cut the cage to height + a little to go up on the barrel.
Make sure to leave the cut ends sticking up.
Take a pair of needle nose pliers and grab the end of the wire and make a loop for a sheet metal screw to go through and screw into barrel.
Cut out an access hole to change batteries, make adjustments, etc. and bend the cut ends over so they don't eat you up when reaching in!
Cut a piece of mesh that overlaps the hole 2" on all sides and attach so it swings open.

These usually last a while but squirrels and coons just don't seem to give up and will try to reach in pretty much every time they visit.
Eventually, moving the welds back and forth over and over they will give out.
I just lay another piece over it and tie it in.

Hope that helps!
Posted By: Wilhunt

Re: Varmit cage thoughts - 10/02/17 01:29 PM

Replace with eliminator spin plate.
Posted By: Hunter Daddy

Re: Varmit cage thoughts - 10/02/17 03:02 PM

All my feeders are 55 gallon barrels. The 3 legs attach to the side of the barrel, half way between the top and bottom of the barrel. This way, the distance between timer/spinner plate and the legs will be too far for the coons to reach. If I were to put a varmit cage around the timer, then the coons would be able to reach it and hang from it all night and eventually mess up the timer.
Posted By: Shotgun Willie

Re: Varmit cage thoughts - 10/02/17 03:43 PM

Originally Posted By: Hunter Daddy
All my feeders are 55 gallon barrels. The 3 legs attach to the side of the barrel, half way between the top and bottom of the barrel. This way, the distance between timer/spinner plate and the legs will be too far for the coons to reach. If I were to put a varmit cage around the timer, then the coons would be able to reach it and hang from it all night and eventually mess up the timer.


Make sure your feeder mech bolts are tight. I've had them jump from the legs and latch onto the feeder mech, and wing from it until it slides down from the barrel. Opens the gap and the buffet is on.

I got so frustrated with the dadgum circus freak coons they've got in E Texas that I bought some metal shelving from Lowes, bent it in a circle, and welded it to the bottom of the barrel. It's the only thing that's stopped them.
Posted By: Vern1

Re: Varmit cage thoughts - 10/02/17 06:06 PM

Originally Posted By: Hunter Daddy
All my feeders are 55 gallon barrels. The 3 legs attach to the side of the barrel, half way between the top and bottom of the barrel. This way, the distance between timer/spinner plate and the legs will be too far for the coons to reach.


Wait a little longer until all the easy pickings from fall weather are gone.
I think you will be surprised how far a coon or squirrel will jump when they are hungry later in the season.
Posted By: YellowDog

Re: Varmit cage thoughts - 10/02/17 07:06 PM

go by some Wire Storage cubes

https://www.walmart.com/ip/Whitmor-Wire-Storage-Cubes-Set-of-6/23750330
Posted By: TX0303

Re: Varmit cage thoughts - 10/02/17 07:55 PM

Originally Posted By: YellowDog


Bought some of these and made some cages but haven't put them up yet.
Posted By: SnakeWrangler

Re: Varmit cage thoughts - 10/02/17 10:29 PM

Originally Posted By: Wilhunt
Replace with eliminator spin plate.

We did this for ALL of our feeders....problem solved....
Posted By: dashing dog

Re: Varmit cage thoughts - 10/02/17 10:42 PM

Where you located? I will give you the same one you saw at Academy.
So I buy one the day before I head to the lease....Raccoon issue on feeder.
Get to the lease and realized the cows got loose from where they are supposed to be....no more feeder 😢
Posted By: MoTex

Re: Varmit cage thoughts - 10/03/17 02:00 AM

Originally Posted By: Wilhunt
Replace with eliminator spin plate.
Originally Posted By: Hunter Daddy
All my feeders are 55 gallon barrels. The 3 legs attach to the side of the barrel, half way between the top and bottom of the barrel. This way, the distance between timer/spinner plate and the legs will be too far for the coons to reach. If I were to put a varmit cage around the timer, then the coons would be able to reach it and hang from it all night and eventually mess up the timer.
r

^^^^^
Raccoon jungle gym. They love them cages!
Posted By: Roll-Tide

Re: Varmit cage thoughts - 10/03/17 05:00 AM

Originally Posted By: dashing dog
Where you located? I will give you the same one you saw at Academy.
So I buy one the day before I head to the lease....Raccoon issue on feeder.
Get to the lease and realized the cows got loose from where they are supposed to be....no more feeder 😢


I'm in north dfw. I already bought and installed them today. Return to academy and get store credit. I have a box if you need one to return it...
Posted By: Vern1

Re: Varmit cage thoughts - 10/03/17 01:27 PM

I don't have coon, squirrel, cow or pig problems with this one.
Legs are tied to TPosts driven in at same angle as feeder leg so cows and pigs that rub on underside don't spread legs and crash feeder.
Solar electric fence charger wired to cage knocks the coons and squirrels right off.
Since the barrel is plastic, it makes a good insulator and the cage is screwed into bottom of barrel.
Ground wire is looped around the 3 legs and back to charger ground.
Hot wire from charger goes to cage.
Just remember to turn off the fence charger BEFORE you attempt to open cage!
It's been standing for over 4 years like this.

Posted By: throckmorton_hunter

Re: Varmit cage thoughts - 10/03/17 03:25 PM

We used a driving range golf ball cage , heavy duty .. Worked well
Posted By: TX_LT230FH

Re: Varmit cage thoughts - 10/03/17 09:53 PM

The best cage I’ve found is made by Monarch- perfect size mesh and diameter. Squirrels or coons can’t get in.
Posted By: mow

Re: Varmit cage thoughts - 10/04/17 06:37 PM

during off season..i will cut the bottom out of a 5 gallon bucket and place over feeder box and fasten to bottom of feeder barrel.....with about a 2 foot offset the coons cant reach spinner plate..bad news is feed falls straight down..but off season im hog hunting and i dont care if the scatter pattern is only the width of the bucket..i only do this with one of my 4 feeders
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