Houdini act in my live trap

[wafisherman]

Help me out here guys.  I have what I think is a very tough rat I'm dealing with.  I have a plastic clamp trap I've been setting, and each night it is sprung, moved, and the critter is gone.  I also set a live trap.  Racoon size, but i've caught big rats in it before.  So I set it as well next to where my other trap is.  It was sprung, but empty the next day, as was the clamp trap.  So I figured I would out smart it (yeah, right) and put the clamp trap IN the live trap.  I figured if the critter was not stepping on the plate harde enough to spring the live trap closed, the inside trap would probably make it jump and push harder, or it would have to drag it over the plate.  Either way, it wouldn't be able to spring both traps and not get caught in one.... Well, I was wrong.  This sucker pulled some kind of stunt that really surprised me.  I went to check today and found the live trap set.  Looked inside and didn't fine a critter.  Hmmmm.  Looked closer, no trap inside.  Found it about 5 feet away. How the heck could that happen??? 

Trap clamped on it, it leaves, taking trap, gets trap off, heads back in and springs racoon trap, but this one is small enough to slip through the 1 inch holes in the wire cage?  Small enough to slip out of that, but strong enough to survive severl nights in a row of having that trap clamp on to it's face?  (I've used that trap with success many times and it crushes a big rats head with no problem....).  What am I missing here?

There are some freshly dug holes around my shed.  About 2 or 3 inches wide.  Likely rats as this is the shed I store my chicken and hog feed in.  I haven't found sign of them IN the shed, but I'm sujre they are trying.

A month or so back, I attracted some raccoons to the place with my deer butchering.  Ripped up some card board and stole a tarp that had some deer blood on it.  Set the live trap, and first night caught a big fat rat.  He killed himself by getting his head caught in the the wire holes and wasn't able to get it back out again.  Next night I caught a small raccoon and killed it.  Since then, I haven't seen the others back.  But maybe they are getting into these traps?  If so, must have broken their little 'fingers' in that trap reaching in.  Still don't know how they would get the small trap out of the big trap and then go back and spring it - maybe just climbing on top and trigger it?

I set it up again tonight the same way.  I have a box of old peanut butter cookies that they really seem to like.  So whatever it is, will likely be coming back for more. 

Thoughts???

[sebek556]

  sounds like a raccoon to me. They like to reach in from the sides of cage traps and pull out what they want with out triggering it. Maybe a big coon since it got the rat trap caught on it and was able to back out of the cage trap. Then came back to get the goodies out of the cage trap.  Raccoons as smart and strong, had one break the slider on my f150 to get a some smoked salmon I left in the truck. Do you have a trail cam you could hang over the area?
See mink or coon post down below yours 

[CAMPMEAT]

Surprised the Nazi Police hasn't said anything about using traps...........

[Humptulips]

Surprised the Nazi Police hasn't said anything about using traps...........

Rat traps are legal.

sounds like a raccoon to me. They like to reach in from the sides of cage traps and pull out what they want with out triggering it. Maybe a big coon since it got the rat trap caught on it and was able to back out of the cage trap. Then came back to get the goodies out of the cage trap.  Raccoons as smart and strong, had one break the slider on my f150 to get a some smoked salmon I left in the truck. Do you have a trail cam you could hang over the area?
See mink or coon post down below yours 

I agree sounds like something bigger then a rat.

[CAMPMEAT]

I thought all traps were illegal not matter what. Ok, I just want to make he's not trapping a rat with babies, using the right sized legal trap etc and is abiding by all laws. I hate to see a rat killed and have their babies suffer........ I'm just trying to keep everyone legal............ even though I don't know squat about trapping......

[sebek556]

nope, live traps(cages etc) your good to go, foothold, conifers, kill traps are a no go. Due to hippies

[dbfalls]

All body gripping traps are illegal, except rat traps. You can use said rat in building kill traps for weasel ect.

[onetrapper]

 yes due to the granolas and greeners and the uninformed voters....you must not use instant kill conibears you must catch critters in a cage and let them suffer then kill them....

[big wood]

DANG LEAF LICKERS

[ghosthunter]

Trail camera time.

[Westside88]

For rats try baiting the trap with peanut butter and a little bit of bacon stuck in it.  Always seems to get em. For coons with a live trap I've had the best success baiting with dry cat food just on the ground, no container. That way they have to go in to get it.

[sebek556]

any update on you're nemesis?

[wafisherman]

Seems this cold snap has chased him off, or maybe he was injured from the last encounter.  But the trap has been set (same exact setup again) and nothing.  Going to spice up the bait a bit and see if that helps.  Canned cat food.

[Machias]

Is this trap on the ground?  If so, I hope you are prepared for a close encounter of the striped kind.  Using canned cat food you will eventually catch a skunk, unless your trap is up off the ground.

[UrbanTrapper]

If you want to target raccoons use marshmallows with Jello raspberry powder on it.  Now that bears are supposed to be all denned up, raccoons will go for the sweet stuff more than a lot the other animals will. 

[whitey]

Peach flavored gummy rings work great. Plus you will avoid any cats.

[wafisherman]

OK, i'll spice things up tonight (sweeten) and see what happens.  The cold snap is over for now and we should be back above freezing tonight.  So maybe that will bring the critter back.  I haven't seen or smelled any skunks in the area, but will be careful since the traps are on the ground...

[Machias]

I did a job in Medical Lake, WA three years ago.  The folks wanted a coon that was going through the dog door on the side of the barn and stealing their dog's food.  They insisted there were no skunks.  I told them, just the same make sure you check the trap before turning the dog loose.  Did they listen, nope and fido ran up to the trap and was nailed square in the face by a very agitated skunk.  Man they were ticked at me, wanted me, the trap and the skunk out of there.  Yes Ma'am, I did try to warm you.  If you are setting your trap on the ground you should go ahead and cover it with a tarp or cardboard.  A skunk may not be your bandit, but trust me, he'll be the first to find your trap.  Oh and skunks love marsh mellows and sweet bait as much as coons do.  I've probably caught 200+ skunks so far on vanilla wafers and marsh mellows.  Better safe than sorry and the coons won't mind the tarp or cardboard.

[wafisherman]

I do have it covered, so may help.  I've had a few close encounters with skunks as a kid, and no what kina punch the can pack.

if I caught one, what would be the best approach for removing it from the trap? 

[Machias]

If your trap is covered you and quietly walk up, pick up the trap up and move it somewhere safe, either walking or in the bed of your truck.  You can then drown it, release and shoot it, or just release it, however the latter is frowned upon by the state as your just giving your problem to someone else.  Best bet is to drown them, no odor and you can skin them and make a very nice tanned fur.

[wafisherman]

If your trap is covered you and quietly walk up, pick up the trap up and move it somewhere safe, either walking or in the bed of your truck.  You can then drown it, release and shoot it, or just release it, however the latter is frowned upon by the state as your just giving your problem to someone else.  Best bet is to drown them, no odor and you can skin them and make a very nice tanned fur.

Is a 22 between the eyes out of the question or would it spray?  Not crazy about shooting it while in the cage, but i've done it before with other critters and have managed to not hit the wire cage...  I guess with a skunk, if I missed the shot (hit the cage), I would risk it freaking out and spraying...  Great, now I guess I'm going to have to raise it off the ground 

[inchtowntracking]

The ones I have shot sprayed.  I hate seeing a skunk in a trap.

[Machias]

Even if they don't spray, usually when they die the relax and release all their musk.  You can keep it on the ground, just cover it.  The few times I set uncovered traps on the ground and caught skunks, I would tie a rope to a sheet and SLOWLY pull it up and over the trap.  Then I could walk up and pick the trap up, if you do it slow enough they will just stamp their feet, but not spray.

[wafisherman]

Quick update - caught something!  Killed instantly in the plastic rat trap.  Nobody guessed this one....





























































.... it was a tiny bird....   

[-Trap_addicT-]

Haha. In one of our ermine boxes, we've got a mouse, a squirrel, a pack rat, and finally a weasel. It's always fun to see what you have. Never caught a bird though..

[wafisherman]

Another stupid little bird today...  Need to move things around a bit.  Will a dead bird attract a raccoon?

[pnwmtnmn]

Yep, but a feral cat or skunk or possum first.