Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire Caught A Thief

Two weeks ago, a coon started eating my sweet corn, so I set out 2 live traps and 4 dogproof traps in and around the garden. It didn't stop the corn thief. I tried different baits, and again, nothing worked. I finally ran an extension cord to the garden, and put a radio down there, and that seemed to pretty much keep it away. But, I was still seeing tracks around close, so I knew the thief was still checking the corn out, and as most people know, a coon will ruin a sweet corn patch in short time.

Yesterday morning I finally got him in a trap down by the creek. I "relocated" the coon. .

I need to get me some of those coon cuffs!

Good job!

Barry, they work. I pretty much keep coon traps set out all year around the place here. I know that's technically breaking the law, but I've had a lot of problems with coons here, getting into the chickens, eating sweet corn, and destroying turkey nests. I have a lot of wooded land, and so do some of the neighbors, plus I have the creek running through my property, and it is a coon highway.

I bait them with dry cat food, and sometimes marshmellows.

Easiest way I have found to catch them is a havaheart coon sized trap with a marshmallow as bait. When I set it up I get one every night until they are gone. I had previous problems with them eating bird seed out of the feeders on the deck and then they tried to get into my boat which was in a boat lift alongside my dock probably because it smells like fish. Took out 6 of them in a week and now no more coon problem.
Edit...I'll add this make sure you put the trap on top of an old piece of plywood or a tarp because when they get in the trap they pee and crap all over.

Instead of the dry cat food use canned as it has a stronger aroma. When using marshmallows I add a few drops of liquid fish oil for the same reason. I added fish oil to some dry dog food in the live traps to deal with a family of skunks that recently moved under the shed. Canned cat food, marshmallow, and fish oil is a very strong attractant. It also attracts every other creature around so I limit my use to when I have a known threat.

TTF!!!!
It has that "Oh schitt" look on his face.
"Relocated" to a ditch somewhere I'm geussing.
Gotta be more of em.

Hahaha!!!

UPDATE...........we had a inch and a half of rain last night, and when I went out to the garden this morning, there were fresh coon tracks going into the corn, so the thief had a brother, or wife, or cousin. Apparently the electricity went off sometimes during the storm, because the radio had quit playing. The thing is, they are walking right past a live trap baited with canned cat food and marshmallows, as well as a dogproof trap. I guess the sweet corn is more of an attractant than anything else I'm using. One year I strung an electric fence wire about 6 inches off the ground, and that stopped them.

Did I forget to mention, that I hate a frigging coon.

I hope you "relocated" it permanently with lead poisoning.

But they are so cute Ranger Rick

We have them here with a vengeance. I've trapped 6 and shot three so far and they just keep coming. I have pictures of 10 or more around the deer feeder. They tear up just about anything including the live trap when they get caught. Some of them are pretty savvy to the trap. I've bated with corn, hot dogs, sardines and dog food. They'll eat anything and what they don't eat they'll tear up.

How did it taste?

My brother had a huge amount on his property when he first moved in(FL). Apparently they have all died from lead poisoning.

I know a guy that uses Fly bait and Coke mixed together and the coons drop dead within ten feet of the pie tin.

If it's "technically" illegal then "technically" you're a poacher. Plain and fuggin simple. Not that I might not do the same mind you but all the old hypocrites here seem to just hate poachers. Unless they're poaching the right critter for the right reason that is.

Same here , my lease spot is right beside a creek that meanders through a swamp . Bought a Suppressor just for coons possums squirrels crows and kill many of each every year - squirrels killed 17 about 6 weeks ago . They never stop coming .

In SD you can defend your property.

I toss my dead coons in the road, usually right around a tight curve. If someone bothered to check, they'd think it was just a roadkill. I kill the hell out of coons around here. Got no use for them.

Kinda funny seeing this thread....just looked out the window and it looks like the neighbor just caught #10 for the summer.

They attempt to get in the hummingbird feeders...he drives them 4 miles or so and let’s them go..ain’t the killin type.

Funny story, I was looking at his trap one day and noticed there was yellow paint across the top of the trap, I said “Ron why did you paint the top yellow” he responded, “well I put a yellow stripe down the coons back to see if they come back to the trap. One ain’t come back yet”,...l just laugh

He ain't in South Dakota and admits that he's "technically" breaking the law. I guess it's ok for certain people to break certain laws under certain circumstances though ?

Chill out - coons are terrible pests, as are possums.