I noticed a theme last night with the slaying of the 2nd coon. They both seemed to know it was coming and put their heads straight out and flat against the floor of the trap.
Nice work Adam, landowners gotta be liking you right about now...... The gift that keeps on giving ...... clean them out, seems like they're on the small side wonder wear the bigguns are at? I've taken a few that I wondered how in the hell did they fit in there to begin with lol.....
Thanks fellas. The landowners are very happy with me right now and that's just the way I like it .
I have been flipping the trap on end like in this last set of pics and putting the .22 to work. The trap has just big enough holes to stick the barrel in and crack a round into the head and the bullet drives down into the body so I don't have any exit holes to tear up the trap. When I flip the trap they want to stand up so that helps with this type of placement.
J, They are small coon. The first and 3rd I think could have been litter mates since they are the same size and age but the 2nd one was smaller. I don't think any of them could have been much over a year old. I think the bigger ones are staying out of the peacocks pen because the hole isn't big enough for them. After I get a handle on the little ones getting into the pen I will add a board to the top of the door so they can't continue to climb in there but, for now I want them to come in there so I can limit the amount of barn cats screwing with the trap. I also want to get some coon cuffs to help limit the accidental cat capture as well.
I got home this evening and the landowners had paid a visit while we all where gone.
They had left on my back patio 2 cherry pies and 8 HUGE cookies for us. Great people and I'm just happy to help them out but, the goodies and a place to hunt is a nice bonus TOO :smiley_clap:
Food is always a welcomed form of payment lol. With 3 kids running around here eating us out of house and home and all lol. Whoever said girls can't eat LIE and probably have never had teenage sports active girls and their friends around lmao. Snacks are far and few between with this crew so this worked out great for all of us. The grocery budget just doesn't have enough room for goodies so everybody here was happy as could be yesterday lol. I'm sure the goodies won't last for very long but boy was it good lmao.
No coon in the trap this morning so now it will be time to change it up a bit. I'm sure there are still more in there and they have wised up a bit on the location of the trap. I will be moving it tomorrow and see what happens. I really need to add in some dog proof traps like the lil grizz or a coon cuff to gain access to a few of the places in the barn the big live trap can't fit. It should be some fun left out there.
I was just thinking about this tonight. I was shocked to not have a new visitor in there today and trying to figure out if I caught all the small ones that could fit in the opening or if the bigger ones just know something is not right with the area and staying away from it. I'm going to put the trail cam back in there tomorrow just to see what's going on. I know something is still going on out there because the barn cats food bowl is always empty. It has finally stopped from being drug over into the corner but something is still getting in there besides the cats to empty it that fast.
If I move it out of the pen I have the problem with about 10 barn cats that is going to be a constant battle to keep them out of it until they have been caught in there a couple times and learn to stay out of it. I'm just hoping they don't educate the coon in the process and part of the reason I was a different type of trap for the main parts of the barn. I know the cuff style won't necessarily keep the cats out of it ( I don't think ) but should make it far less of a non target animal style trap then the cage style live traps.
Working on educating myself and trying to figure things out as I go lol.
Is there a tall stack of hay or straw bales there ?
If so and you can acess the top without to much trouble
Put the trap up top
As cats normaly will not climb that much
But coon love to
I have had great luck before
When I straped a live trap onto the top of a 10x10 wood beam that ran acrost the barn 20' off the ground
Up that high , I never caught a cat even though I used oil packed tuna as bait
But it was a PITA to get the ladder out and lower the trap for each coon and then haul it back up
I know there is at least 2 more in the barn lol. I went out this evening around 9:30 and as soon as I opened the small side slider door I look up and seen one looking right at me. He ran back over the top of the peacock pen (now I know where to stick the trap so TYVM Mr. Coon) and headed toward the back of the barn. He must have found another coon back that way on his retreat and they had a small tussle. Heading out in the morning with daylights help to move the trap and start catching them again :smiley_clap: