Raccoon bait

[DD8]

You guys have any bait suggestions for live trapping a raccoon?

[vandeman17]

throw a mini garbage can in there and try to lock it closed. I swear that if you do that, they will be there the first night!  

[Smith6x7]

A can of sardines or wet cat food...

[JimmyHoffa]

They really like live stuff.  If you can use a mouse or hamster or small bird, it drives 'em nuts.  They are curious as well as hungry and will come just to play with/kill the small animal even if they aren't hungry enough to eat.  They like eggs too.

[lokidog]

Smoked salmon!  Strawberry jam and peanut butter.  Fish skins.  Stinkier the better.  If you have a place they always travel, like a hole in a fence, or a broken piece on a shop door, you can just put it in the way.  Kippered herring might work really well.

Good luck and kill 'em all!  Make sure there is nothing destructable, like a plastic bowl, in or within six inches of the trap, they will shred anything they can touch while trying to get out.

[TheSkyBuster]

Eggs,
 I had a big racoon that came around my backyard occasionally,  And when I got my 6 week old puppy I decided he had to go,  I put out 2 eggs in a flower pot in the yard, I cracked 1 left one hole. Then I sat just inside my rear sliding door for about 15 minutes untill Mr Raccoon showed up, Bang!    Don't know what it is but they like eggs.

[lokidog]

It's funny, we've had buckets of eggs around, though none broken, and the coons have gone for the birdseed bucket instead of the eggs.

[NRA4LIFE]

I've found almost any form of cat food will work.

[Huntboy]

Dog food worked for me.

[Rgrady35]

Sardines, leave 'em in the can. Leave about 2 in the can and eat the rest. Leave the trap alone for a few days for your scent to wear off. Believe me, the sardine smell will stick around for awhile. Don't be going over to it every day and fiddlin' with this or that, just put it in a spot where you can see it from a distance.  

[Machias]

If you live in town or are afraid of catching cats then use Vanilla Wafers.  Coons love them and most cats will ignore them.  Careful and make sure your trap is above ground as the skunks love them as well but won't climb.  I also like to toss in a handful of the little multi-colored marsh mellows, coons love them and very rarely catch a cat....at least not more than once.

[singleshot12]

We would save our bull frog carcs for coon bait after we ate the legs. Also crab shells and guts work awesome.

[jackmaster]

peanut butter and peppermint

[lokidog]

If you live in town or are afraid of catching cats then use Vanilla Wafers.  Coons love them and most cats will ignore them.  Careful and make sure your trap is above ground as the skunks love them as well but won't climb.  I also like to toss in a handful of the little multi-colored marsh mellows, coons love them and very rarely catch a cat....at least not more than once.

Stray cats meet the same fate as coons, I have had them kill my chickens and ducks during the day.  People, if you care about your cats, keep them at home!

[rasbo]

bbq sauce

[TeacherMan]

Back in the day when I use to live trap for fish and game there was one bait we used. Marshmallows and vanilla extract! Stuff all this up in a woman's knee high nylon and tie it inside the back of the cage. They wont be able to pull it out to quick and it keeps it out of the way of mice. You will get every coon in the area with this! You can use a couple extra mallows to attract them to your trap.

[Machias]

If you live in town or are afraid of catching cats then use Vanilla Wafers.  Coons love them and most cats will ignore them.  Careful and make sure your trap is above ground as the skunks love them as well but won't climb.  I also like to toss in a handful of the little multi-colored marsh mellows, coons love them and very rarely catch a cat....at least not more than once.

Stray cats meet the same fate as coons, I have had them kill my chickens and ducks during the day.  People, if you care about your cats, keep them at home!

I was actually referring to your own barn cats.   

[billythekidrock]

Marshmallows, beef jerky, anything vanilla, cracked corn.