Caught my first Dillo using the Drift Fence technique. Thanks to L A Trapper, Warrior and the many other ADC Forum contributors who were kind enough to share their expertise and advice. This what it's all about folks! I am lucky to be a small part of this community.

The strangest part of my first experience is that I caught 2 different house cats 2 nights in a row! I'd a thought they would jump over a 20" plastic fence. Go figure!

They were confused and curious about the new crap in "THEIR" yard. 2nd one maybe smelled the first one in there. I once caught 6 males within a couple of hrs after catching a female. RIP

Drift fencing works on the principle of "path of least resistance". Dillers aren't the only lazy critters out there.

Got the fencing idea here too and it works very well for me too.

Many animals will follow a fence instead of climb over it...while in sw mo trappin dillers...i used to catch coons, possums, groundhogs, cats, neighbors small dogs lol, rabbits, skunks, and squirrels...i have on more than one occasion caught 2 dillers in one trap

Groundhog, skunk, cats, fox, coon, box turtles, grinners and dogs have all followed my fencing into a cage.

OK, I hear ya'll about this technique catching all kinds of critters. I've caught a bunch of cats in baited cages whether they were the intended catch or not. I just thought it was strange of the two cats walking into a non-baited cage trap.

Of course, it didn't hurt that I used a large, double-door, wire-tripped trap with the bottom wire covered with some freshly ground gopher mound dirt! "As soon as I pass through these few spindly branches in this hollow, I can get to those juicy grubs in this guy's lawn!" "Oops!!!" (In a TX Governor Rick Perry 'Dillo voice). Appreciate it guys!

I wouldn't go through the labor to set up fencing when baited cages work but it's always an option when you have to fall back and regroup for a tough job.
The one I would be most likely to use it on would be skunks as a grubbing/feeding skunk act alot like a diller. If I had chucks I believe it would work on them as well.

Getting ready to fence some rabbits. Usually you can find a den for chucks so a positive set is pretty fast and easy, while a fence should take about anything moving through a backyard. Fun to watch the expression on a clients face after you've caught a pile of animals he never knew passed through the yard nightly. Rather than shy away it seems cats are attracted to anything new, curious. Set a squirrel trap in a positive set in front of a fireplace not long ago. I asked about the cat. "oh he won't be a problem." He was in it and fired the trap in less than two minutes.

Wondering where to get that type of fence. Looks rugged. Did get a rabbit and possum in the fence so far. Took a couple of days which is o.k. as the sets, like positive sets, are usually maintenance free.

The fence is a 40" X 25' Green Plastic Garden Fence, SKU #603403, from Home Depot right at $12. Cut it in half for the 20" drift fence.

And, my list of incidental/unintended catches using this technique continues to grow. So far, I've caught 2 cats, 2 Possums, 3 Armadillos (these were the critters I was after) and last night this sly critter:

Thanks for the info on the fencing. Looks great, and you got him. Got the second rabbit today in a similar set up. Positive setting, trails and drift fencing sure make the jobs go well, little maintenance. Like The Outlaw Josie Wales, "got to have an edge." FYI, from experience, solid fence material is not that great. Works on a calm day, but if it is windy, good-bye, it's a sail. I got some inexpensive plastic stuff from Uline, but the fence above looks more rugged.

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The rabbits were coming from the left so the fence was set up to take them coming from left to right. Worked fine for the two rabbits. Since a pinch point was created by the position of the fence, you will notice I also put a trap on the inside of the fence between the fence and a small spruce in the back, which has a possum in it.

Jim, what company did you hire to do the fencing? Ha!

Forget the name, but two of the guys were Moe and Larry. They ever do any work of you?

No, my two guys were Curly and Shemp. The fence was awful!

Josie Wales always spit first before going to work and he always had the sun to his back.

He always had the chief and the Indian gal to help him out.

"You know Josie, you were right. I ain't so old after all!" - Chief Dan George

:):) Chief are you OK? She thinks I am some kind of Indian chief.


What cha have there chief. Oh its just a piece of rock candy. It ain't for eatin its just for lookin thru.