Okay, It’s On!

[nomolites]

1 minute ago, Flysmallie said:

12 minutes ago, Flysmallie said:

Oh I know. That dog is a total pain in the arse at times too. 68 pounds of pure adrenaline. Can't wait to take her out in your boat. 

If she is anything like my critter guard she will make herself comfortable...

[Flysmallie]

13 minutes ago, nomolites said:

She's not calm like that. 

[jdmidwest]

I use bamboo skewers thru the weave of the live traps to secure the bait towards the back past the trigger.  Coons are pretty crafty and have great dexterity in the front paws.  I usually skewer a hot dog for bait.

[snagged in outlet 3]

I just put out a new set.  I think I had the marshmallows too close to the stand plate so the raccoon never actually stood on it.  Or possum.  

[Johnsfolly]

We had a big feral cat problem many years ago. I started  trapping them back then. Used the dog food and always placed the bait well in the back of the trap. Would position the cage front in a spot where they usually walked. Often would block the back to keep them from digging behind the cage.. Caught lots of those darn cats actually 22 in about 18 months. Raccoons were an issue with our chickens. To catch them only I would take some wire and make a spiral that I would smear with peanut butter and twist the wire.to the top of the trap again behind the trigger plate. Caught nine raccoons while trapping those cats. Using dog food also caught seven opossums. They are nasty critters. Stink and full of worms. The raccoons and opossums would take along ride and I released them live. The coons would snarl and hiss a lot but always ran straight away once let go.

Stopped trapping for a year or so until a raccoon killed my silkie hen. At that time MDC allowed lethal control on raccoons affecting  our chickens. I would set the trap on Thurs since Friday was our trash pick up. Caught another seven raccoons before we left for MD.

Good luck on catching a few.

[Johnsfolly]

Oh and I would recommend leather work gloves when handling a full cage. Especially when the critters knock off the plate below the trap handle. Or if they pull the handle off and you have to hold the front of the cage to carry it.

[snagged in outlet 3]

Well meet contestant #1.  Say hi to Rosco from Weldon Spring MO.  At lunch Roscoe and I are going for a drive.  Alright everybody all at once, "BYYYEEE ROOSCOE!!!

 

 

[Quillback]

Roscoe is so cute, I think you should keep him around as a pet.

Speaking of relocating critters, the story I am about to tell is supposedly true, but was relayed to me secondhand.

There was a retiree here in Bella Vista that had a chipmunk problem. So he started trapping them and relocating them to some park in MO.  But as he kept trapping them, more would show up and he just could not get rid of them.  He thought maybe they were returning to his place even though he relocated them many miles away.  So to test his relocation theory, he started spraying them with orange spray paint before taking them up to MO, thinking that if an orange chipmunk showed up at his place, then indeed they were traveling back.

Well one time he went up to the park in MO to release one of his trapped orange chipmunks, and a park ranger showed up and asked him what the heck are you doing with that orange chipmunk, he explained what he was doing which gave the ranger a good laugh and of course the ranger advised him there is no need to paint them orange as they won't make that trek back to Bella Vista.

[ness]

1 hour ago, snagged in outlet 3 said:

Well meet contestant #1.  Say hi to Rosco from Weldon Spring MO.  At lunch Roscoe and I are going for a drive.  Alright everybody all at once, "BYYYEEE ROOSCOE!!!

 

 

I'm curious -- what's ol' Roscoe's temperament like when you approach, pick up and carry him around? What's the release procedure? I don't like angry animals near me.  

[snagged in outlet 3]

11 minutes ago, ness said:

I'm curious -- what's ol' Roscoe's temperament like when you approach, pick up and carry him around? What's the release procedure? I don't like angry animals near me.  

He was pissed first thing this morning but when I left for work and took the pic he was just laying there.  His eyes are open.  Release procedure is in flux at this point.  Put a big towel over the cage, Use channel locks to hold trap door open and poke with stick if need be.  All while holding a 38 for protection.  I'll let you know later today. 

I was talking to someone here at work and apparently we had a bunch here.  The cleaning lady went to the dumpster to dump trash and one came out for the dumpster and she freaked and fell and broke her wrist.  Cost the company $50K.  Then we paid critter control $2k to get rid of them and they trapped 22 of them.  The guy that caught them said you have drive them 100 miles out or they make their way back.  I'm hoping crossing the Missouri river will do it.