Coon count 2020

I've been actively trapping and dispatching the little masked critters.
My grandad just got 2 hens and he loves them to death, coon tracks have been showing up nearby.
So far I've got 2 Coons in 1 day.

I've trapped two and shot one so far this year. They seem to be a never-ending pest to those of us who raise any kind of fowl.

17 last year and 2 so far this year.

Have trapped 2 in the last 2 days and that makes a total of 41 since October. Don't set the traps out everyday or it would be a lot more.

4 so far here.

1 yesterday morning.

17 so far in 2020....3,400 acres. Protein went out in Feb...so it will go up.

Had 106 in 2019. Combo of Dukes traps and shooting under a greenlight at night.

4 in 1 week.

3 overnight this past weekend

39 last year in 2019 and 29 so far in 2020. All with Duke Dog proof traps. Still have 2 or 3 new ones showing up on cams but they will not go near trap. Going to have to change baits.

Dukes work great. 19 in the past 6 nights.

dangit man...

Added 4 more since the 18th now..so I am up to 33 now for the year. Had one more on cams last night at different feeders so not sure if that is the one I caught or several more. Still have the traps set for tonight.

+1. Have about 8-10 coming to one feeder. Set out 4 Dukes traps but only got one coon because the red ants took all the sardines. Changed to dry cat food. I'm going hard after them on my next weekend trip. Need to order some more traps too.

post some trapping pics - love that stuff

I use cheap dry cat food, works good for me. I fill the tube about half full and sprinkle a little around the trap.

I have that problem here with fire ants. I take the sardines and mash them up to pour a little over corn or milo I bait the traps with. Fire ants will even eat up marshmallows in a day or two if I bait solely with them. I will take a cotton ball and stuff it in the bottom of the trap also then soak it with fish attractant or mashed up sardines. Fire ants will still try to eat that also. When the ants are bad I have to bait late evening and rebait quite often if I am not using corn or milo or pelleted sweet feed. Combos of baits work well here as a change of pace.

Thanks, I 'm going to try the cotton ball trick next time out.

It holds the sardine scent and oil for long time. If the cotton balls are smaller I put two in so they will trip the trap the second time if they get the first out without tripping it. Hope it works for you.

I do nuisance control trapping for federal fish hatchery. I usually take 40 to 50 off it every 6 months. I dont think I knock a bent in them. They get wise to dog proof traps fast. Then I goto bucket sets with 160 body traps baited with fish. Then to body traps in trails. Then to snares and blind sets. I have took 42 off it so far. 12 around wife's chickens and done 1 coon job 10 off it. 64 total so far trapping season opens when I save fur November 8th.

Seems like most anything will work for coons. Years ago I was trying to trap bobcats...$125+ for a good hide back then. I would quarter a cottontail or use a dead bird and use it as bait. I would catch bobcats but would get more than my fair share of skunks and coons too. Even a few ringtails. Later when going after coons. I would use cattle cubes. Have also used sardines mashed up, put in a foil ball and poked a few holes in it with a fork. The smell and shinny bait worked. Now, I just use dry cat food. Seems to work as well and much more handy.

Have traped 7 off my back porch the last 3 weeks........they love those Marshmellows......................................

We are at 131 for 2020. So that's 237 in the last 2 years...yes...that damn many.

Try baiting with peanut butter. I had a coon pull a 9mm on me and tell me "Put the peanut butter down and step back."

I picked up 2 more with my trusty 10/22 yesterday. That brings the total to 5 in 5 days; they're breeding faster than the darned hogs. 88 year-to-date.

+ 1 this morning.

My feeder cam had a million pics of about three families of them at the same time. There were probably 18 of them at the feeder at once

-6 in the last 2 weeks. I'm done trapping until after deer season.