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i am going to try and trap a coon in one of those duke dog proof type traps and i am wondering what the best bait would work for it. ive never used these so just looking for opinions. and yes its legal to trap right now for coon where i live.

Any pre made coon bait will work great. If your looking for something you might have around the house marshmallows work great you can add a little molasses to it and its like crack to them coons. Berry gummy lifesavers works really well, canned mackerel or tuna works good to. Lots of guys use dry dog food with dp traps or chunked up fish thats been aged a little.

I make my own food lure formulation specifically for dog proof traps. I sell it in one gallon bags for $30 shipped. One bag is good for about 75 sets. I would suggest using something that is not sticky. Dog proof traps can be hard to clean.

a single marshmellow on the trigger bar or a gummy bear,followed by dog food,quick,simple effective without any mess to get off the traps later.
mice may eat some but works great

madcatter68 wrote:a single marshmellow on the trigger bar or a gummy bear,followed by dog food,quick,simple effective without any mess to get off the traps later.
mice may eat some but works great

You may also catch a good share of possum and skunk too using that.

Do you have to worry about house cats in those traps?

super white hunter wrote:Do you have to worry about house cats in those traps?

You don't have to worry about house cats if you use the right bait. In the woods you can use cat or dog food, but you will also catch just as many possum and skunks as you do coon. Using the right bait you will only catch coon. You may have one or two possum out of 20 catches. For ADC work around houses the correct bait is the key. I make a fortified bait that draws them in from miles.

Hazel Hill Blueticks wrote:

super white hunter wrote:Do you have to worry about house cats in those traps?

You don't have to worry about house cats if you use the right bait. In the woods you can use cat or dog food, but you will also catch just as many possum and skunks as you do coon. Using the right bait you will only catch coon. You may have one or two possum out of 20 catches. For ADC work around houses the correct bait is the key. I make a fortified bait that draws them in from miles.

so whats the right bait, have coons coming into the barn and tearing everything up, stealing cat food. don't want to catch the barn cats.

super white hunter wrote:

Hazel Hill Blueticks wrote:

super white hunter wrote:Do you have to worry about house cats in those traps?

You don't have to worry about house cats if you use the right bait. In the woods you can use cat or dog food, but you will also catch just as many possum and skunks as you do coon. Using the right bait you will only catch coon. You may have one or two possum out of 20 catches. For ADC work around houses the correct bait is the key. I make a fortified bait that draws them in from miles.

so whats the right bait, have coons coming into the barn and tearing everything up, stealing cat food. don't want to catch the barn cats.

This will work in your situation, it may not pull them into your barn from a distance, but it will work. Go to the farm store and get pond fish food pellets. Add one cup of of fish food pellets in a one gallon zip lock bag, Add one half cup of mini marshmallows, Add one half cup of molasses, four table spoons of vanilla extract. After you have added everything into the bag zip it closed. Need the bag with your hands to mix everything together. Leave the bag closed for 4 days to let the mix absorb into the pellets and marshmallows. This is basically my mix leaving out two extra loud lures that I use and my fortifying formula. Since the coon come in your barn you won't need the extra lure.
You can buy non food grade molasses at most grain elevators. I can get 5 gallons for $10.
Direction for baiting the trap, I use a large marshmallow speared on the trigger of the dog proof traps. Then I add my bait, I take a little less than a half of a hand full of the bait and pour it in the top of the trap spilling some on the outside of the trap. I also use a old rinsed out dish soap bottle for my molasses and squirt it around the trap. Try to set the trap in the general area that you think they are entering your barn.

Happy trapping I know it will work for you.

Also I said you are less likely to catch undesired game such as possum and skunks. Their is still a chance you could catch one of your barn cats, possum or a skunk. I would use cage traps in you situation. The Duke dog proofs might break a cats foot. If you have to go with a DP in the barn due to cost try the Alcatraz dog proof traps. They are easy to set will cause less foot damage.

I myself would just buy a couple cage traps to remove the coons from the barn.

Thanks I will make a batch of that and try it, I did catch the one I was after with a mellow and vanilla. I do have some live traps and catch at least 10 a year in this one barn. But everynow again I get one that is smart to the game and refuses my invite. Thank you much for the help.

super white hunter wrote:Thanks I will make a batch of that and try it, I did catch the one I was after with a mellow and vanilla. I do have some live traps and catch at least 10 a year in this one barn. But everynow again I get one that is smart to the game and refuses my invite. Thank you much for the help.

For cage traps- Drain the water off a can of Jack Mackerel, then add a half of a cup of Molasses. Mix into a paste. I just use a small piece of cardboard with two table spoons of this on it placed under the pan. Squirt Molasses at the entrance of the cage trap and make a small trail.

This will pull them into the cage. I would not use this in a dog proof around barn cats. Cats like fish. This formula does work better than the other for ADC work using cage type traps. I have caught coon, fox, possum, skunks, house cats and feral cats with this bait. I add a little liquid smoke if I know it's a fox that I am after.

I'm glad I was able to help.

i make a good bait you should try. you get some dry dog or cat food and some mollasses
clam juice and brown suger and mix it all up iv'e cought lots of coons with that and you dont half to wory about mice