The Mystery of the Iron Cage

[Searock Fan]

Ok, so I can't figure this out but maybe one of you can. Here's the facts.

We have 2 recoons living in our attic. I know, because I used a trail-cam to get pictures of them. Racoons can be destructive so they have to go. I don't want to hurt them so I bought a humane trap so I can catch and release them far away. The trap arrived yesterday and I placed it on our back patio (see image, which shows the trap where I left it). I set the trap, tested it, reset it, put a piece of banana and a cookie in the trap and left it over night. To my surprise, this morning when I looked out the trap was not on the patio. I looked around and it had moved all the way over beside the deck in front of my workshop, which is about 50 feet (The red rectangle in the pic shows where I found the trap.). The trap was sprung, banana still there but the cookie gone. So, what happened? Here are a few more facts than might help you figure it out. Our back yard in completely fenced in and nothing bigger than a possum can get under the fence. So that means no large dog like I suspected. The only gate to the back yard was closed and latched from the outside. The trap is fairly heavy and I don't think a small animal could move it, especially so far. There should not have been any people in our yard at that time.

Why was the trap moved? Why was it sprung but no critter inside? Why was the cookie taken but not the banana? How did something big enough to move the trap get in the yard? What the hell was going on in my back yard last night?

Any ideas?

 

[georged]

Trash pandas are smart.

 

[verporchting]

Raccoons are clever and have opposable thumbs. Two of them working together may have sprung the other and moved the trap?

 

[greeneyes]

I have this trap and all the other ones. Trapping critters and filming them is some weird hobby I seem to have fallen into. So, the answer in this case is that if the critters can get the bait without going inside, they will. They'll also drag the trap off if they can. Also the cookie was likely stolen by a mouse or something that can fit through the gaps in the cage. I have all these traps and this one is great, though not the best night time trap for this very reason.

 

[Green Hill Hermit]

Ok, so I can't figure this out but maybe one of you can. Here's the facts.

We have 2 recoons living in our attic. I know, because I used a trail-cam to get pictures of them. Racoons can be destructive so they have to go. I don't want to hurt them so I bought a humane trap so I can catch and release them far away. The trap arrived yesterday and I placed it on our back patio (see image, which shows the trap where I left it). I set the trap, tested it, reset it, put a piece of banana and a cookie in the trap and left it over night. To my surprise, this morning when I looked out the trap was not on the patio. I looked around and it had moved all the way over beside the deck in front of my workshop, which is about 50 feet (The red rectangle in the pic shows where I found the trap.). The trap was sprung, banana still there but the cookie gone. So, what happened? Here are a few more facts than might help you figure it out. Our back yard in completely fenced in and nothing bigger than a possum can get under the fence. So that means no large dog like I suspected. The only gate to the back yard was closed and latched from the outside. The trap is fairly heavy and I don't think a small animal could move it, especially so far. There should not have been any people in our yard at that time.

Why was the trap moved? Why was it sprung but no critter inside? Why was the cookie taken but not the banana? How did something big enough to move the trap get in the yard? What the hell was going on in my back yard last night?

Any ideas?

View attachment 264055

They pulled the cookie out sprung the trap and they pulled it away from the house to work on it. Try putting peanut butter directly on the paddle or something that will not allow of during movement. I would also place the trap back to where they drug it to because they feel safe away from your house.

 

[Searock Fan]

Thanks for the ideas and keep them coming, more ideas are welcome. I'm going to use some of your suggestions tonight and will let you know what happens tomorrow. All of us put together must be at least twice as smart and a couple of racoons.



Here's one of them checking out my trail camera at night. Picture was taken in almost total darkness.

 

[scloyd]

We have 2 raccoons living in our attic. I know, because I used a trail-cam to get pictures of them.

Why not set the trap in the attic?

 

[hoosierpipeguy]

I’d call a local professional and get those raccoons out by any means ASAP. The damage they can cause in an attic is immense.

 

[greeneyes]

These trail cams are fun. Here is a squirrel stealing my mouse traps. Now the squirrels have their own traps to contend with.

 

[The Amish Tyrant]

I’d call a local professional and get those raccoons out by any means ASAP. The damage they can cause in an attic is immense.

I couldn't agree more.

While hunting and trapping may be fun, stop the damage and evict the uninvited houseguests that aren’t paying rent.

 

[El Capitán]

You'll need to place the trap in a dark box. Trash Pandas can use their tiny human-like hands to get behind the trap and pull the bait out. Use tuna next time btw.

 

[Briar Lee]

Ok, so I can't figure this out but maybe one of you can. Here's the facts.

We have 2 recoons living in our attic. I know, because I used a trail-cam to get pictures of them. Racoons can be destructive so they have to go. I don't want to hurt them so I bought a humane trap so I can catch and release them far away. The trap arrived yesterday and I placed it on our back patio (see image, which shows the trap where I left it). I set the trap, tested it, reset it, put a piece of banana and a cookie in the trap and left it over night. To my surprise, this morning when I looked out the trap was not on the patio. I looked around and it had moved all the way over beside the deck in front of my workshop, which is about 50 feet (The red rectangle in the pic shows where I found the trap.). The trap was sprung, banana still there but the cookie gone. So, what happened? Here are a few more facts than might help you figure it out. Our back yard in completely fenced in and nothing bigger than a possum can get under the fence. So that means no large dog like I suspected. The only gate to the back yard was closed and latched from the outside. The trap is fairly heavy and I don't think a small animal could move it, especially so far. There should not have been any people in our yard at that time.

Why was the trap moved? Why was it sprung but no critter inside? Why was the cookie taken but not the banana? How did something big enough to move the trap get in the yard? What the hell was going on in my back yard last night?

Any ideas?

View attachment 264055

There is a clip on those traps on the back.

I caught a raccoon that was the size of a beagle in my trap and he wasn’t happy.

I sat him in the trap for my son to take him on a long ride to the countryside and in the morning the raccoon was gone.

He’d lifted the back door.

Fasten the rear clip and try again.

 

[renfield]

Jumbo marshmallows have always worked well for me as raccoon bait. Put a couple outside the trap and one at the back. Cover the back 1/3 of the trap with bricks or something heavy so they can’t reach in from outside. Weigh the trap down with a cinder block on top. The problem with tuna is you end up catching cats IME.

I’ve had the bast**ds roll the trap over from the outside to make the bait accessible from outside. I’ve seen them learn not to step on the trigger plate and reach over it so I extended the plate with some sheet metal. Lube the mechanism so it works better.

My neighbor would trap them and release them close enough that they’d return and be that much smarter about traps. Thanks.

Can you tell I hate those bastards? Living next to a large woods means lots of them around. They can do what they want but when they start causing problems...

 

[craiginthecorn]

I had a similar trap in my stable that I was baiting with dry cat food. Every morning, I would find the trap sprung, the food gone, and no trace of the racoon. It turned out that I had a convenient spot to hide in that stable and it wasn't but a few minutes after I set the trap that the answer to the mystery was revealed. The large racoon walked to the side of the trap, tipped it on its side, tripping the door latches, while simultaneously dumping the kibble through the coarse wire sides and onto the floor. He then tipped it back into its original position and ate the food.

 

[HawkeyeLinus]

These trail cams are fun. Here is a squirrel stealing my mouse traps. Now the squirrels have their own traps to contend with.
View attachment 264077

I set a squirrel trap to catch a pesky squirrel and next morning had a baby raccoon and the next morning another. Big surprise but glad they were gone!

Big raccoons in the house? Yep, get someone to get them out yesterday!!!!!

 

[alsatmem]

We live outside the city so have lots of critters. I ratchet strap the trap to a piece of 2x4 plywood so they can’t move it, flip it or screw up the yard trying to dig out of it. Canned cat food is a great attractant.However, due to the abundance of coons, feral cats, dogs, coyotes, foxes and the occasional bobcat, cats and coons get put down. In our area, most are visibly diseased and are dealt with humanely. In other words, I’m a pretty good shot. I built a suppressed 22lr rifle for this purpose. To be neighborly, you know!

 

[mingc]

All of us put together must be at least twice as smart and a couple of racoons.

Hold my beer, says Mr. Racoon.

I'm sorry for your troubles but this has been the most entertaining thread I've seen here in a while!

 

[kcghost]

This a real problem when dealing with raccoons. Having true hand gives them a real edge in the world they live.

 

[Searock Fan]

Update: Now it's war! Last night I used a cracker with peanut butter as bate and placed it at the back of the trap so I was "sure" they couldn't get it without going in the trap. You guessed it... this morning the bate was gone but no coon. Damn!

Thanks to your suggestions, I had weighted the trap so it couldn't be moved, positioned it so I "thought" they couldn't get the bate without going inside. So, tonight I'm using honey on cookies as bate, I'm even putting a pan of water out so the little buggers can wash before eating. 3 cookies inside the trap and 5 more around it to get their attention. I've even blocked off more outside area around the back and sides so they have to enter to get the 3 cookies. If this doesn't work pretty soon, I'll probably have to buy a bigger trap because the coons will be so fat.... More tomorrow.

 

[huntertrw]