I guess theres many ways to bait cages for coons, skunks, etc. i am familiar with popsicle sticks smeared in bait then dropped past the pan, bait baskets, and small sections of pvc pipe dipped in bait and suspended from the top of the cage. What other methods are used?

With the animals getting to be more and more trap shy , you'll find most guys not using bait , the most common bait is cat food for these two , if it's not hot out that is ! Open the can then flip it over so it doesn't collect rain , some guys will hang lure from the top using a stick found on the job , your not going to want to have to reuse anything , Ive been using some of Scott's (330 trapper ) bait cages for squirrel it keeps the birds from becking threw the cage , it keeps the bait centerd , works.good .

We cant use cat food in most of our settings nor would we do to several reasons.Cat food cant measure up to a well formulated bait for attraction and good eye appeal, plus in most cases well developed baits hold little attraction to domestic or feral cats.

Pick a trap that plenty big enough for the target, and place a can for the bait UNDER the trap so it's sticks out about 1/2 way from under the trip pan. Make sure to stake the trap solid so it can't be be rolled.

As far as the newer style triggers like dekalb and comstock make, do you bait with a different system? If the critter passes through the wires w/out getting caught on a dbl door, you have missed the chance.

The comstock trap is a no bait needed trap ,that's what the traps is all about , if your going to use bait just use a reg cage trap . He's not going to miss the wires on the comstock , you want him to just run threw it , bait would only stop or slow him down , I haven't used a dekalb trap yet so I'm not talking about that trap . I no very little about that trap , my truck is full of the comstock . not saying its better ether , I just run a long line every day so I like having more room in the truck , the comstock is a small trap with a major spring loaded door system that more than makes up for it , I also try not to use bait

Actually I prefer that the animal does not run through the Comstock. The more centered the catch ( especially the 18" version) the better. I've been recently asked about baiting and it's really quite simple. Right now I've got a feral cat job going and a little cat food on either side of the trigger wire works very well. This should also work for any other species. ( I've used dog food for fox )

I will say this; I got my order of four more Comstocks in, a couple of days ago and guess what? We ran out again today. I'm not even sure how many we have without checking the invoices but I think it's sixteen.

Ive been using marshmallows for bait for about a decade now and have great success. i impale 2 on a wire and hang it in the back of the cage(behind the treadle) these also get a smear of paste bait or dribble of lure. hang them so they are a couple of inches off of the ground this will not only prevent ants from slowly stealing them but also get the lure off of the ground where the odor can "drift" on air currents a little better. then place a couple mallows just inside the cage door these "freebies" will encourage animals to work the trap from the door side as opposed to fumbling around in the back. also since mallows are white, and most of the critters i typically trap are nocturnal, the white mallow is highly visible at night providing eye appeal and a curiosuty effect. another advantage is that they are cheap, i can bait several dozen cages for under a buck. I NEVER USE CATFOOD!! (unless i am trying to trap cats) I agree the comstock does not need to be baited if set in positive capture situation. when this in not an option i spread mallows through the entire trap the animal kind of "grazes" its way through.

I got some of that truck load coon bait today the stuff looks and tastes great . It's made by animal control specialists . Im thinking it sound work good . The bait I make works good just haven't had the time or the suckers . My boy got a big bag of suckers yesterday so I'll be making up some . I cut the suckers up in steaks then soak them in salt and brown sugar for two days ,then smoke them slow . Next put them in pint caning jars add some olive oil then boil them for 1/2 hour . Makes a great lunch and bait . That smoky sweet smelling oil will have them running .the smoke and salt preserves the bait . Salmon ,steelhead , is other fish I use . Marshmallows work great on skunks that's foresure and there heat friendly atleast once there out of the bag ,they kinda stick together . A good coon lure is liquid smoke ,just mix with water add some vanilla anise or what ever you wish then but it in a spray bottle , you can spray the trap down with it or all around up a tree , make a scent line with it back to the truck , makes me hungry

The wire trigger has an advantage in that, as an option, you can hang the bait on the trigger. Just bend one of the wires to the back of the cage in the 30" traps or hang in middle with a longer trap.

I reccommend the 36" in most cases because I feel it doesn,t limit the trapper as much.(reffering to double doored traps)

I'm sorry Pesky, there are only 24 hours in a day and you spend half of them on here. If you do all that you claim, do you ever sleep?

Super heros never sleep!

I'm to bizzy I know that ,ya don't sleep much . Started working on a new trap design last night , the idea just popped in my head . It's a total new idea in live traps . Hope to finish the prototype tonight . Did take some time off last night with my boys had 7 turkey come in to 10 yards and we got two. Plan to cube up the breast meat and stir fry in real butter to golden brown then pour on top of some rice . Oboy eating like kings tonight . If you think I stay bizzy you should meet my dad

Pesky



Did the same thing today. Made one this afternoon. Gonna make several tommorrow to test next week. You show yours catching an animal and I'll show mine.

LMAO you guys are cracking me up. Reminds me of a certain song by Brad Paisley

A lure trail down the center to the back of the trap. Nothing visible. Bury the metal grid in fine dirt.

Hey Ryan, we smoke 'em then slice 'em up. Wild turkey slices and venison summer sausage goes along with the shore lunch we do along the St Lawrence river in NY every spring.
spring taters in butter, bacon and onion sandwiches on white bread, bullhead and pike meat deep fried in the bacon fat, dessert is french toast topped with Jack.

I'm not going to show the most inventive trap maker in the nation my new trap design , you would take it and make ten times better then sell it . Venison summer sausage that has to be the best snack food every ,how does one walk by the frige without getting more . I make my Owen turns out good also make venison brats now there some food . I truly feel sorry for people that only eat store bought food

Mountain spring water. That's all I drink.I don't mean the store bought stuff either. I drive out to Colorado once a month from Ohio. I drive a tanker truck I single handedly modified with a puralator . I line the bottom with 2 feet of mossy mountain stream rocks and even have some brook trout swimming around in there on the drive back to retain the ' right from the stream' taste . Feel sorry for you saps who drink anything else but the pure taste of mountain spring water... will have a video on YouTube shortly of me pumping the stream' down and hand grabbing a couple dozen of the trout. Might even show you how to properly set a comstock trap to catch rainbows in the same stream... no bait.

Sweet

Ok, that Was Funny Crap right there!