Dog Proof Coon Traps

Thinking of buying a few Dog Proof Coon Traps, any body use them with good results. I'm getting the next stocking of Turkey on my place next year and need to work on the varmints.

I have used them for 4 yrs now and hardly ever see a coon on TC. I leave mine out year round and if I do see tracks or get one on a pic, I bait them all. I set one at every feeder and every water trough.

Hey! I just bought two of these today.
Where I hunt I was asked while there deer hunting to get rid of anything that is a chicken eater.
I have done some live trapping. What would be recommended for bait? I have been reading to use marshmallows. Anything better?

Mark

They work great but get the good ones that have a stake to stake the tube in the ground that way the coons. Ant flip it over and get the bait out instead they have to reach in and pull which sets off the trap

I used them last year and they worked great

I recommend the Z-Traps with their two-way trigger (push-pull) versus the Duke's one-way trigger (pull). Priced just as well, if not better than, the Dukes.

Marshmallows are great but have recently had more success with dried cat food.. if you get the big marsh mellows, shove one down on the lever so they have to pull up..

I have both cat food and marshmallows in the pantry. The wife buys three kinds of dry cat food, I will pick the stinkiest.
Thanks,

Mark

Do you leave them set during deer season? What if you cannot check the traps everyday? Will the trapped or dead, rotting coon keep the deer away? I don't catch many because I only set them when I am there outside of the season which isn't much. I'm afraid to set them during the season because I don't want a trapped coon spooking the deer. Any advice?

I live on my place and hunt just about everyday or check things daily in the offseason. I do leave the traps at the feeders but just don't set/bait them till I see coon tracks or see one in a TC pic. If I am hunting a particular buck I do not set/bait that trap at that feeder. I made that mistake a couple of years ago when I had my target buck coming to the feeder only to the handcuffed masked bandit start beating his cuff on a feeder leg. Needless to say that mature buck did not tolerate that noise. I have the coon population worked down now to where I might only get a pic or two every 3 months or so. When I do get one on TC I can usually bait the trap at water trough and catch just a well as at the feeder. 2.5 yrs of trapping really hard cleaned out most of them for now.

I have used them for several years now and have had great results. Only problem is fire ants eating the bait sometimes. Corn or protein pellets stop this.

I have been catching a few coons every week with mine. They're dukes and have the pull-only trigger, but I prefer it because you can set them light and not worry about any cats or mice setting them off if they push the trigger.

x2 on using something other than the marshmallows if you have ants out at your place. The ants will clean out the marshmallows in a day and you'll end up with an empty trap. I use some cheap catfood from TSC and they go nuts over it. Catches possums and skunks too, in case you need to get rid of some of those too. Get yourself some cross-stake fittings so that you can double them up and keep anything from running off with it. I caught a possum a few nights ago and a coyote got a hold of it about an hour later, left nothing but the hand but he didn't take the trap.

Thanks guys, I think I will order a few of them and get some cat food to bait with.

Cheap honey buns worked the best for me, the kind you in a box.

I have used corn, milo, Acco Golden Nuggets, fish flavored cat food, dog food, piece of aluminum foil, cotton ball spray with fish attractant scent, sardines, potted meat, deer protein pellets, marshmallows, or combinations of these and change baits all the time. When I have ant problems I bait later in the evening. Rats pack off the corn, milo, etc from time to time also.

They are the best. Fill them with small marshmallows and you will catch them until they are all gone. When I first started using them I had 3 at my feeder about 15 yards apart and I would have 3 in them every morning. Caught right at about 40 of them. Little advice buy the tool that helps you set them or use a screw driver to help you. New ones are pretty stiff.

I use the Z-Traps with the white caps. Put a little bit of corn in them. A coon can't walk past a trap with the cap, just can't do it. I've even caught them without the bait, their desire just to pull off the cap and run their hand it the hole must be pretty great.

I'm run the traps one night every two weeks at every feeder. I've cleaned them up pretty good. No longer see them on the game cameras. Very soon I'm going to put them at the base of every pecan tree in my extended yard as once the pecans are ready a lot of coons show up.

I use Dukes baited with peanut butter and cheap cat food. They work like a charm.

We us Coon Daggers (push/pull trigger) with the small marshmallows and dry fishy smelling cat food. Works like a charm.

In my experience trapping requires time. We have several of the duke traps and they do work, but if you cant set them for more than a night or two you will have minimal success. If you can leave them out and set you might do better but we pick ours up when we are not there.

In this case, you can setup some coon feeders (which seems silly, but when you use cheap catfood it's not bad) and get them coming in before you go out with the traps. When you are ready to trap, pull the feeder and toss down some DPs and you should be able to get yourself a good haul. Sam Wood is my mentor when it comes to coons!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N6cnyrcIWxc

Has a few cuss words, but it's worth the watch. All his videos are great, they've got me trapping the hell out of my place and it rains coons.

I've had good success using wet cat food with fish smell and dry cat food with fish oil

Z traps are the best on the market. Powder coated with 3 in line swivels. Spray em with a self etching primer and they can take a beating. Look into wolf fang earth anchors and you can set them anywhere you want. Don't have to worry about them tangling up in anything. Make sure you kick all the sticks and debris out of their catch circle. Bait with candy, corn, cat food in hot months. Change it up with some candy an fishy stuff in the winter when the ants aren't bad. Set an egg on top for visual attractant and to keep rain and mice out, lot cheaper than caps. Throw some feathers around it too. Gang set as well, don't just put one or two down, if there's enough sign to put a trap put at least 3 in each spot. Nothin better than comin up to each spot and seeing 4 or 5 there

I've never bothered with cleaning the debris out of the area around the catch circle; do you do that to keep them from getting all entangled or are you trying to keep their fur as clean as possible?

I've used the old style Duke DP's before and just took delivery on 4 of their "new" ones that have a powder coating.


I'll get all four of these bad boys set out in the morning.

Cleaning the debris out of the catch circle is for preventing pull outs due to entanglement

OK, thanks!

I've caught squirrels in my Duke traps during the day and then had Coons pull them out of the trap at night when they got there. Have several videos of that.

Cat food and little marshmallows got me another stinking skunk last night

I caught one too. Have managed to pop both in the head and prevent a discharge.

Removing them from the trap is a real hoot. I probably look like a scene from the hurt locker.

I shot this one with the game right in the ear hole. He didn't spray but I think he wet himself a little.

I set out two of my new DP's yesterday and loaded them with marshmellows. Checked 'em first thing this morning, and had two coons caught. Interestingly, one of them somehow got BOTH of his front feet down in the little hole in the trap. I've been trapping these pests for years, but never had one get both feet snagged!

Two hands in the cookie jar greedy little bastard

Another freaking skunk. That 4 in the last 6 days

Sorry about those skunks, Sapper! I've been using just marshmellows and haven't caught a skunk with them yet.

I did catch 3 more coons last night, so I've caught 5 of them and 5 feral hogs in the last couple of days. Been a productive week!

Been using marshmallows and cat food. May just try marshmallows tonight.

Yeah, SapperT; I don't think anything but raccoons and my grand children eat marshmellows! Relocate your trap to an area where you haven't had any of the cat food used as bait.

Dukes are good, bait with corn, it's what the coons come to the feeder for. It is cheap and right there in the feeder to bait the trap with.

Just got home from picking my wife and son up from the airport and look what was waiting for me when I got home

You think your skunks are bad, I caught a damned green jay today. Poor fella stuck his head in and was trying to get to the cat food I guess, those light latches will getcha.

Saw a skunk up by the pond that I think I might lay a set for, need to get rid of the ones I got. If all else fails, I could probably hire you since you seem to have hang of it.

You guys got some big coons in some of those pics!

Congratulations, SapperT! Keep on trappin' 'em and stackin' em!

I betcha Sapper would be glad to give you a few tips on catching skunks; probably wouldn't charge you too much for the advice, either.

Our coons are well fed around here, with all the feeders and naturally occurring food for them to feast on. The darned things will eat anything that won't eat them first! That's why there's so many of them.

You keeping the furs? I think I might have enough for a bed comforter now.

I wanna keep a big skunk fur one of these days they look really cool but can't get past that smell.

You can get rid of the smell, look up the how to vids. Just can't put pressure on the glands while skinning or they'll smell even worse.

I haven't caught any big ones or I'd do it.

You guys really want to get serious, use earth anchors and gang set always. If your going to set one set 4 all just out of reach from the other. If you only have 6 traps make two sets of three. Those caught coon put off a distress call and brings others around. Especially when your in new areas that have a coon problem, load em up. Some examples of what every stop should look like.

Used our Dukes the first time this weekend. After two hours two traps had two coons. Very pleased

Good job

Got another skunk last night luckily this one didn't stink at all.

Wow, SapperT! Do you need to change your nickname to "The Skunk Whisperer?"

that's the 1st one in about 4 or so days hopefully I put a good dent in the population.

Got another skunk I think this is number 6. I didn't even know I had that many skunks wondering around.

SapperT, are these stink-kitties coming to you traps that you have baited with marshmellows? For all the years that I've been trapping, I've never caught a skunk with a marshmellow set! I know you said you were using some cat food a few days ago.

Last 3 skunks I got were on marshmallows only

Dang, SapperT, as we used to say: "You done be et up with stink kitties!" Either that, or you truly are "The Skunk Whisperer!"

idk but I'm glad to kill them either way. They get run over at the road by my house all the time and it's horrible. I'd rather catch them and kill them. I searched the internet and found that baking soda, peroxide, and dish soap mixed will get rid of the smell. So I've been spraying that where I catch them if there is any smell. Also found that they don't usually spray at all on heart and lung shots but head shots they will spray.

We will never be able to repay you for the tips and techniques you've provided us on managing our skunk population! Seriously, what you can share with us on what to do with these nasty beasties without ruining our neighborhoods, our yards, or our homes really is appreciated. Keep the tips coming, SW!! :-)