Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire Help needed with critters under the camp

Sardines are good bait for coon possum and skunk. If skunk it would be better to catch away from the house. Groundhogs like to get under buildings. I have caught them where they are entering with leghold traps.

You sound like you are sure it is coons- not rats or other. Before getting a trap you might want to put a game cam out. Should be able to spot what it is first day.

Any tracks near the trailer?

If you are using a box trap like a have a hart > I have a few tips. One wire a small metal can to the bottom of the trap past the paddle up aganst the back door of the trap. Close off that end of the trap off. I wired mine shut. So, only one end of the trap is open. The can allows the bait to be held but hard for the then to reach in from the sides of the trap to get the food without entering into the trap. For bait I used peanut butter, but prefer old pan drippings/ grease from the kitchen, etc. Nothing that they could grab and go, messy creamy bait that makes then stay and continue to reach into the bait can. Anchor the trap down. A big coon can roll in the trap and may be able to get out. I did wire heavy hardware cloth on the side on my trap on the bait can side to stop them from reaching in from the outside of the trap. Place a small bit of bait at the entrance of the trap to entice the critter. Good hunting!

Sure would hate to have it curl up and die under there, we had a critter die between the walls of a classroom one time, stunk up the room for months. Possibly a raccoon that came in up on the roof somewhere and fell between the brickwork or cinder blocks.

Oh I forgot the one last tip, for a have a hart trap. Have a plan and method on what you plan to do with trapped critter. release far away from the location where you caught them from, dispatch them in the trap and what method to use? In the trap, CB cap in head shot ,can be messy, trash can full of water to immerse the trap into, (drowning) or release far away from location.

Captain Crunch.

Yup. Coons like marshmalliws

Best tool is a .22 LR cartridge!

I've caught them in a havahart trap before and you'll know when they're trapped as they'll try to tear the trap apart. Caught one once that kept getting out of the trap before I got there so I set a game cam up. It was laying on his back and prying the trap door up just enough to get his head out, then wiggle right out.

I saw a movie once where they don't care much for hot dogs, the made of lips and azzholes thing you know.

Lived in the country some time ago, had skunks under house. Buddy was G&F said fill a sock with mothballs, soak it in bleach, throw it under house. By gosh it worked, rather smell a little moth ball odor than skunk.

From your description of the noises I'd have to say it'll be a Bigfoot or a Sunkape, be careful.

Marshmallows and grape jelly.

Keeps the non target animals out of the trap.

I saw what you did there. 😜

Sweetened up ‘fly-bait’ is a scorched earth method of eradication. Of course, tuck it under & block access from pets & non-target critters.

When called for, the gloves come off.

I had mixed success with havahart traps for racoon. Get yourself a duke dog proof trap and a bag of mini marshmallows. Be sure to chain the trap to something sturdy. Works like a charm. Some use 22s next, but I've been using my single six 32. Good luck

I have had to use a led hold trap but i have only had one coon problem. That i was able to handle with a have a hart. One question,.... do you still need to hide the leg hold trap as you would in normal trapping situation?

I've made live traps.

Peanut Butter

if the holes in the insulation are about baseball size and round, i'd suspect rats. i had them fuggers around here one time. no idea why or where they came from. one day i'm sitting there eating dinner and big ass rat goes running across the patio with a chipmunk in its mouth. i'm like WTF did i just see??

township has free rat poison. those fuggers ate about 12 pounds of it before they were all gone.

If you are referring to a dog proof, the answer is no. I fill mine up with mini marshmallows. The coon digs them out to eat, and trips the trigger on the inside. I caught 22 last year