[Russ in PA]

Thanks for the piece of banana, I enjoyed it. Next time, could you put a dollop of peanut butter on it?

 

[Caver 60]

Darn! I just checked my new trap. The over ripe banana I put in the cage is gone. The trap door was not tripped I have no idea how it managed to get that banana out of the cage without getting trapped. My wife is laughing at me. I think she is on the groundhogs side. :dunno:

Tie the bait down.

 

[davethehiker]

Tie the bait down.

Thanks. I'll do that. I really have no idea who stole the bait. It might have been the groundhog or a raccoon? I know the banana was there last night but gone in the morning. I don't know if groundhog are active at night. I think they sleep at night. I know raccoons are more active at night.

 

[Caver 60]

^^^ See my post 16. Raccoons are also very smart.

 

[DirectDrive]

Dave, I think you have the wrong trap.
The one that works best has open doors on both ends when set.

And that's not all...
You want to place the trap in one of their natural runways, not out in the open.
(Although he may die laughing when he eyeballs your setup)
Then you carefully cover it with brush, etc so it looks like a normal "tunnel" through the brush.

There is another more deadly type of trap that I'll not mention at this time.
(You'll be killing the neighbor's cats and any else that wanders into it)
Let's see if the live trap works.

 

[illrooster132]

I must have just missed him the last I shot at him. Now he seems to know that I'm gunning for him. If he just gets a glimpse of me he takes off running. The animal trap I ordered arrived today. I baited it with a ripe banana. I'm not sure if ground hogs like bananas. Maybe I'll catch a monkey?

if you catch a monkey spank it real hard.!!!

 

['Ol Grandad]

Where's Carl Spackler when you need him?

 

[Inyo Tim]

Dave, you might try a punji pit.

 

[davethehiker]

^^^ See my post 16. Raccoons are also very smart.

I just tied the banana down. Hopefully that will help and I'll find out who is the banana thief.

 

[DirectDrive]

I just tied the banana down. Hopefully that will help and I'll find out who is the banana thief.

The Banana Thief

 

[napp32]

Have you accounted for your wife's whereabouts throughout the night?

 

[davethehiker]

Wait a minute; I have not thought this through! What if I trap a raccoon?! I do not particularly want to kill a raccoon but if I do trap one, it will dangerous to release it alive. I do not want to get my hands near a live trapped animal. It's a bit tricky opening the door(s) on these traps without sticking a hand/finger into that cage. That's safe with a dead animal but not an angry live one.

 

[Inyo Tim]

It's a bit tricky opening the door(s) on these traps without sticking a hand/finger into that cage. That's safe with a dead animal but not an angry live one.

Dave, I learned a hard lesson when trying to trap a raccoon with a Have-a-heart. A skunk can spray right out of the trap. If you get a skunk, approach the trap holding a sheet or blanket in front of you so the skunk can't see you. Drop the sheet over the trap a reach around and open and latch the door. Then back away quick.

 

[speedway]

Wood chucks don’t care for bananas. The raccoon took your banana.

Set it during the day with apples or melon.

 

[Caver 60]

Daytime you'll probably just get the groundhog. Raccoons are normally nocturnal animals. Although I have seen then in the day on occasion.

Close the door at night.

I did catch a skunk one time. I held a blanket in front of me, and placed it gently over the cage. Then carried it out to where I wanted to release it. I had a wire hook. Stood over and behind the cage door, with the blanket still over all of the trap, but the door.

Gently hooked the door with the wire, quickly pushed down on the release lever, lifted the door up, and bent the wire over so it held the door open. Then quickly backed away.

I would have a handgun on me when doing that, just in case.

 

[RSCamaro]

Use a regular smoke bomb, cover the hole, wait for it to come out another hole with your trusty .22 or .25 caliber air rifle.

Or you can buy those Revenge brand smoke bombs and be done with it.
https://www.bonide.com/products/rev...trol/view/61110-12/revenge-rodent-smoke-bombs

Ya, its not very nice but there is less clean up. Backfilling the hole that is.

...Ron

 

[bgirls]

Wait a minute; I have not thought this through! What if I trap a raccoon?! I do not particularly want to kill a raccoon but if I do trap one, it will dangerous to release it alive. I do not want to get my hands near a live trapped animal. It's a bit tricky opening the door(s) on these traps without sticking a hand/finger into that cage. That's safe with a dead animal but not an angry live one.

Why, just load an extra mag of 10MM!!!

 

[Caver 60]

Better be a good shot on a moving target with a rifle (especially an air gun). I'd use a 12 gage. And I have shot moving targets with both handgun and rifle. Those groundhogs or raccoons can really scoot along. You'll only get one shot.

 

[rj1939]

I had no luck with a trap for a long time, even used cantaloupe, which is supposed to be the ultimate bait. I had the trap (coyote trap, which is what I have to use for trash pandas too) just sitting there, set, with nothing in it for bait...................caught my first GH...................set it up again, caught another one, with nothing in it again.
It doesn't have to make sense.

 

[thewitt]

Keep posted on your progress Dave. I was just fixin to go after a couple that took over the MIL's shed. Haven't seen them in about 5 days. Think a neighbor may have resolved the issue.
Had a client tell me you need to bake them then bread and fry them. Takes the gameyness out of them. I'm pretty adventurous but after looking at a couple of videos I had decided that I'd take his word for it.

After butchering, soak the meat overnight in the fridge in milk inside a ziplock bag. That works for removing the gamey flavor. Rinse well before cooking.