On the surface trapping a raccoon doesn’t seem like an incredibly hard thing to do and with a few tips, it certainly won’t be.
The first thing you need to do is check your state's laws in regards to trapping, as well as setting an animal loose once trapped. Most states have a designated trapping season where you are allowed to trap raccoons. In some states, it is illegal to move the animal from one location to another. Trap type and location can sometimes be subject to regulation as well. Make sure you know the laws first to avoid any legal trouble while training your hound pup.
Now that we know what is legal, we need to acquire a trap. Live trap, box trap, and cage trap are all common names referring to the type of trap we are looking to use. A lot of farm supply stores sell them as well as distributors of hunting and trapping supplies. The price can vary greatly but so can the quality. Make sure you inspect the trap to make sure it is up to the task. I am a bargain shopper and have bought cheap traps and I have had raccoons break out of those same cheap traps. There are two types of live traps and they are a single door and a double door; I prefer a single door. I have tried both and not had as much luck with the double door. I ended up fastening the one door closed and using it as a single door with greater success. While you certainly can use a dog-proof or a standard foothold it's much harder to move and release the raccoon in the desired location. If you chose to do this you will need a few extra pieces of gear such as a catch pole and a transport cage.
The next step is scouting and finding an area to set the trap. Look around the edges of creeks and ponds for tracks and scat. These are the most common places to find a raccoon. Another thing I look at is the distance to the truck or area I plan to turn the raccoon loose. While carrying an empty trap into the location is no hard task, carrying a trap out with a raccoon in it can be much more cumbersome.
Now that a location has been selected, we need to set and bait the trap. First, I like to set the trigger as close to the edge as I can without it going off. This is sometimes called a hair-trigger and has worked well for me.
I have used all types of baits but I continue to go back to one thing more than any other and that is syrup. Plain old maple syrup on top of almost any food such as corn seems to work wonders. I typically dribble a little on the trigger plate as well. Raccoons have a major sweet tooth and love all things sweet; honey buns and marshmallows are often used as well. The main reason I stay away from those types of baits is a raccoon can reach over the trigger plate and grab them without ever setting the trap off. If I have a raccoon that is stealing bait consistently, I place the bait in a bottle or can cut in half and wired to the back of the trap. When they go to steal it as they have previous baits, they often fight to get it out and set the trap off in the process. Other baits that are commonly used such as wet cat food and sardines work well too. I have caught more non-target animals using those than with sweet baits, which is why I prefer syrup.
I have used these methods and caught well over one hundred raccoons throughout the years. I continue to try different things but these are my tried-and-true methods that I seem to always go back to.
