trapping question

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I want to trap feral dogs, possums, coons, coyotes etc. etc. but I do not want to harm my outdoor cats.

I figure a box trap is the best choice.

Now how about trying to catch a coyote in an area where there are animals I would be concerned about getting into snares or foot traps. Would I still want to work with a large animal box trap, maybe a hog size box trap or are there types of traps that wont hurt an animal besides box traps?

I have several foot traps and some snares but I would hate to see one of my animals get into one of them.
 
Some sort of live trap is the only kind that won’t injure what’s caught. Box type is what I’m talking about. Of course you have cannon nets, clam shells and such, but are more specific for catching turkeys, beaver or some other a bit more exotic critters.

As for catching coyotes or feral dogs in a box trap, good luck. Both are just about un-catchable in a live trap. They’re way too cautious. On the other hand possums and cats are very easily caught. I might add that the same ones are caught repeatedly. Coons are somewhat more cautious, but can be caught in live traps on a somewhat regular basis, but if you don’t stake the trap down they’ll just turn it over to get the bait. Once on it’s side it has been defeated and the bait can be removed from it, inside or out. Coons are slick varmints.

Every so often I have a rash of chicken killing from coyotes, feral dogs, foxes, possum and the occasional skunk. When it happens I stake out coop and blast the canines. I have never caught a fox, coyote or feral dog in a live trap. The possums and skunks are easily live trapped along with numerous cats. The cats are let go, the possums are quickly dispatched and the skunks are very very carefully dispatched, from a distance.
 
Ditto

You'll get a lot more 'yotes and feral dogs shooting over bait then with a trap. Just not easy...and not legal everywhere.

Where my parents have a Summer house (my hunting cabin) they hold a coyote hunt every year to raise charity money and thin the population.

Now I've in the past caught fox in a steel trap, when it paid. But that is almost a lost art. And I don't think I could have ever done it in a box trap.
 
'coons and skunks are easy, just bait with corn and marshmellows, the cats won't mess with the cage traps.

cats don't mess with my hog traps, ......neither do the hogs....'sigh' lol :)
 
You'll get a lot more 'yotes and feral dogs shooting over bait then with a trap.
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Not if you're willing and know how to run a proper line of steel traps.

But you won't catch a coyote in a portable size box trap. If you built one big enough to serve as a chicken pen, then maybe.

Check for legal issues concerning steel traps in your state, but you can buy steel traps with a trigger system that requires more weight to set it off than a cat has. Small animals like cats, small dogs, 'coons and such won't set it off when properly adjusted, but coyotes will.

Snares can be set fairly animal-specific by adjusting the elevation off the ground, loop size, and such. If you set them right for a coyote, you shouldn't catch a cat-sized animal.

'Coons and such are easy to catch. Cage traps work great. So do "coon cuffs" (you can order them from Montgomery).

There's a lot of know-how to learn in trapping, but if a fella's going to do it, he's gotta start somewhere.
 
Well as the man said he doesn't want to use "steel traps".

Guess I should have typed "with box a trap" and not assume people can follow along.


That being said, I still think it'd be easier to setup a few bait piles and come back at night and tag coyotes or feral dogs then run a "steel trap" line and keep checking it day after day. But to each his owe.
 
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Well as the man said he doesn't want to use "steel traps".
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No, he said there are animals he doesn't want to catch in them. I simply gave him some options and ideas to think about.

I apologize if that offended you. This is not an uncommon problem for a new trapper to face, and a bit of "know how" can usually minimize problems.

Daryl
 
Of course using the right bait has a lot to do with what you catch or kill. This fox seems to be trying to tell me something about my choice of bait......
 

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I don’t know about the original poster, but I don’t kill feral cats because they don’t kill my chickens, but do eat numerous field rats and mice. With wheat, corn and a plethora of other crops around me any vermin control is always helpful.
 
Cats are tough. I caught the kids cat in a mink trap. Froze her foot. When we brought her in the house, you could hear her frozen foot tapping across the hardwood floor. Toenails turned black and fell off. By spring she had new claws.



We do not have any cats now. We also have ruffed grouse, woodcock, and rabbits. Never had them with cats around.
 
We do not have any cats now. We also have ruffed grouse, woodcock, and rabbits. Never had them with cats around.
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That's been my experience with quail, too. When they ran out of quail, they started going after the chickens.

;)

Daryl
 
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