Man them suckers can waste some feed. I've been trapping this week and have trapped 5 so far. I usually trap about 25 or so a year. I use live traps baited with marshmallows and that seems to work as good as any bait. I have baited in the past with sardines and cat food but that got expensive. They seem to get trap wise after a week or so, so I take about a 5 week break then start trapping again. I would hate to know how much they have cost me over the years in feed loss.

Buy you a cheap can of Jack Mackerel and mix it up then put a teaspoon of it in your cage trap...sure is cheaper than sardines and I used it regularly when fur trapping.

If they get trap-wise to cage traps, get a couple of Conibear 220 and make a couple of 5-gallon bucket sets. You'll have to cut a couple slits directly across one another about 3" long where the set Conibear will fit, throw in some Apple Jelly or peanut butter in the back of the bucket as it lays on the ground and they'll never know what hit them.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Qbg2trpa-I

Or get a couple Lil Grizz dog-proof coon traps.
http://www.rpoutdoors.com/lilgrlicotr.html

I have been catching coons at feeders without even baiting the traps.

I'm sure we're all pretty much in the same boat. I'm looking at getting/making some more traps myself. Had bad luck lately with opossums getting to the traps first. We also make a circuit most nights out there with spots and 22s and stalk up to the feeders. Hated seeing pics of them sitting on the feed spouts so I put pants (PVC) on the feeder legs, and that seemed to help. Pics I really hate seeing are the ones where deer are all bowed up trying to get past them to the feed. At least with hogs I can fence them off, and eat them when I trap or shoot em.

Good thing for me is I live on the ranch and can run traps all the time. But before I moved to the ranch and lived in the metro, it was real hard to get a handle on them by trapping on the weekends only. It did help some but not like now.

I had game pics before I moved here that had 10 to 15 coons on the feeders and they wouldn't let the deer feed. Even had a couple of pics where a couple of them were bowed up at deer.

we use Duke traps

It would be a huge benefit if all fur prices would go up, especially on coons, it sure would be a big help to us all since it only costs $18 for a trapper's license to sell the hides from Nov-March. Talk about putting the money toward ammo, corn, protein, gas, etc. and helping out the quail and turkey population to boot!

The prices now aren't super great, but with what you can get for the hide and carcass, you sure can help pay for corn and protein.

Been setting out 2 traps a night and caught another one this morning. That's 6 in 6 nights, that should help some. Think I'll wait till next week and set them up again.

I have averaged 150 coons and possums a year for the last 5 yrs now so I do not think you will ever run out of them. I just keep them in a manageable number so they do not eat me out of $$$$$.

Yea, I've been doing it for a while too. That's about all a person can do. Can't get rid of all of them.

I just started trapping them to get rid of them and the first thing i catch of course is a dang skunk. Any ideas or tactics to get that stink bomb outta there without him spraying?

I have shot them in the head with 22 and not have them spray , have also covered the trap with sheet of black plastic and ben abel to open trap to release without being sprayed , good luck and have someone video this so we can see

we shot the skunk we trapped and he sprayed (looked like a geyser of stink shooting into the air)

make sure you approach up wind or you will regret it

For sure,we have to see the results.

Good luck!

coons and hogs have definitely cost me a fortune over the years both in feed and in bullets!

You getting any during the trapping season? If so, sell them and recoop some of your feed money. Catching that many is definitely worth the trouble, regardless of the price they fetch.

Nope I don't catch many from Oct to Jan as the neighbors hunters are running their feeders and hold them over on those ranches. When they quit feeding I get them. Right now I am catching them again in good numbers with it dry and still have good water.

Anything falling to the ground is fair game. :-)

Think mine are working on the "Division of Labor" concept. The deer feed at the spout. Some of the pellets fall to the ground. Coons clean the kitchen floor. Everyone has a job and is fat and happy!!! Well, maybe not fat and happy. Right now I think we are all in survival mode.