Havahart vs. Homemade Trap. Which is Better for Trapping Raccoons?

It's trapping season in Missouri so it's time to dust off the traps and start catching some raccoons. Which trap will perform better this year, the store bought trap or the homemade trap?
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[@ChickaWoofRanch]

Great homemade trap! I made one almost the same and got frustrated with the door jamming up on the way down. I fixed it by folding some sheet metal into a U shape and extending the channel up above the trap so it does not bind. Works awesome now. I also put the bait right on the trigger so when they go to grab it... it will trigger. Nice job!

[@LivingTraditionsHomestead]

Great tips! I will try those modifications for sure!

[@rlbgardener6465]

Hey guys Tip on fixing your raccoon, cut it up like you a chicken for frying then put it in a crock pot and cook tell it falls off the bones, then put the meat on a cookie sheet and spread it out evenly pour bbq sauce all over and mix it together completely, put in oven on 350 degrees and bake for about 20 to 30 minutes. All so good, I've been eating it like that for over 45 years. Good luck

[@LivingTraditionsHomestead]

Thanks so much for the tip on cooking raccoon. I will definitely give it a try. Last time we made raccoon, it was SO oily. I've read that we should parboil it first. Have you ever heard of that or done that?

[@rlbgardener6465]

Living Traditions Homestead oh yes, you have to they're so tough if you don't. That's why I slow cooker it first and cook it until it falls off the bone then it's like pulled pork.

[@Nate-wu8rr]

its the only way its worth eating

[@iwantosavemoney]

Foot holds and dog proof traps I think are the way to go.

[@thepincushionman7063]

Try nailing in a vertical 2x2 or 2x3 on each side of trigger stick to tighten up the trigger area. Maybe use some bee's wax or Vaseline to make the door slide easier, or maybe glue a thin piece of plastic in the door track.

[@timothyrothrock4173]

I have enjoyed making box traps. I mostly used a tripping system that teeters on the floor. I made the sides solid and heavy screen on the back. Mostly what I am after is nuisance animals, rabbit, squirrel, groundhog. Trap design is fun and satisfying. Good luck with your coon recipe...

[@jamesthornton9508]

You have to get musk gland out of it ! Before you cook it ! Bake it ! Y'all will love it !

[@forced4motorsports]

I have that easy set trap and it does not work for larger raccoons. They can escape pretty easily since the trap is quite flimsy and the spring for the door is weak. The locking mechanism is also not very effective. I'm actually searching for ways to modify it to make it worth the money I spent.

[@justinwhite-hl9kc]

I have the same problem with the harber freight one but I found a truck to fix it

[@rideshiftdude9198]

Just bought a HR trap to catch a feral cat that I wanted to have fixed he got out within 10 minutes. Don't know if he will hit another trap anytime soon. I was able to return the POS.

[@samfinn8397]

rosie is cool!

[@djspeer9756]

Rosey or Rosie is looking so good. What a great family she has come into. Good luck and have a wonderful and blessed Thanksgiving.

[@LivingTraditionsHomestead]

+dj speer Thanks! Had her to the vet this week and she has gained 1.5 lbs already! She has ALOT of energy. We are very glad we got her. Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours also! God Bless!

[@ritabrown2226]

My Grandfather and Uncle's were wonderful hunters. Racoon is some of the cleanest meat you can eat because they lack saliva glands and wash everything before they eat it. They do look pretty rough in a pot for the ones who are not use to it. My Uncle use to cook it in a magnetite pot surrounded by onions, garlic, sweet potatoes much like you cook a roast. He seasoned it well with all the spices and herbs you would season a roast with. When it was done there was gravy around the beast. LOL 😂❤️ Look up some Cajun recipes for raccoon.

[@kaitlynmorrow7271]

Rosey is so cute me and my family have a Beagle they are amazing pets

[@Janarr_350]

I’m from Missouri too.

[@terrybaughn4283]

There is no good way to cook a coon. The answer is to cut them up in strips. Put them in a zip lock bag with some Dale's sauce along with garlic salt. Let them soak for a few days in the refrigerator then put them in a dehydrator turning them into jerky. This will work on anything. You could make an old leather boot taste good going this. Because its jerky nobody is expecting it to be tender. :)

[@johnhunter273]

Made a similar trap when i was younger. Worked great. Rub some wax on those sliding surfaces to help it out!

[@LivingTraditionsHomestead]

Great tip! Will try it....stay tuned for part 2 tomorrow!

[@ccdogpark]

You did a very good job with this video Your trap looks like a slightly larger version of the Havahart # 1083 squirrel trap which is only about $35 online. If you could use the 1083 that would also allow you to use a smaller fish tank to drown the animal inside. You could put a brick on tap of your homemade trap to prevent wind from blowing it over. Or you could make a wider sheet metal platform for it to sit on and then secure the trap to the platform. Or you could drive 2 stakes into the ground on both sides of the trap and then use a bungee cord from the dollar store to hold your trap in place But in a rural area it may be a larger animal knocking your trap over. Interesting that racoons are attracted to marshmallows, since they have no odor. I also secure an L shaped section of sheet metal to the back, and top end of my 1083 to keep the bait dry and to prevent animals from stealing the bait from reaching through the back. I reconfigure my # 1083 squirrel traps every morning for their intended purpose and then I put the tomcat plastic saw-tooth mouse traps back inside them at night. The reason I use the mouse traps inside the closed squirrel trap is to protect other wildlife like birds from setting them off in the early AM before I wake up. Outside mice traps could also hurt other wildlife or dogs etc . Only very tiny rodents can enter a closed squirrel trap and that makes it safer for larger mammals. I place 2 plastic mousetraps inside each squirrel trap and some nights I catch a mouse inside each trap even though they are in very close proximity to each other. I have caught 24 mice the first month I began doing this. I had no idea there were so many mice in our suburban neighborhood !! I thought that only catching an occasional mouse inside the garage meant we were relatively free of mice. The relatively new Havahart # 1083 "easy set" trap is the best squirrel trap by a wide margin. I only use my older squirrel traps as containers for mice traps now. I hope this advice helps someone WRZ

[@noahbergman19]

Why would you drown it,you have to shoot it...drowning it is inhumane

[@laurengoode9893]

Can you create a "t" by adding another stick to the trigger stick to make it more likely that the animal triggers the door?

[@schellscott7979]

Lol your trap looks like something the flint stones would have used

[@mcmickey3344]

what to do after catching racoon?

[@clairenason3561]

We have a homemade trap similar to yours, but we use it for squirrels to relocate them. Last summer we had 32 squirrels.

[@50shadesofgreen]

good luck with both traps it will be interesting to see witch one works best

[@dennymeyers]

Best video yet. Can’t wait to see the progress with trapping. Better in the trap than in your attic!

[@ethanreneejacquelinedevereux]

I love your dog

[@beautifulbabe1357]

I found this nicely built trap in the trash, and I'm curious to see how well it was engineered :) it's a little differently than your homemade one. I'm attempting to figure it out.

[@beautifulbabe1357]

I don't know how to add a picture

[@deathbyboom]

Great that this man's in Missouri I am too

[@007darryl]

I think both of them have there place Kev. Take care...

[@rohnsleather9986]

I enjoyed this video and am looking forward to see how you make out on the trap line.

[@swianecki]

Good luck with your trapping. Anxious to see the results.

[@LivingTraditionsHomestead]

+swianecki Me too!

[@dennisst.germaine3497]

Puppy is so cute, thanks for this series, raccoons, possums, skunks, etc.all not desired species for table fare, but it depends on one's focus for homesteading. Thank you and have a Very Happy Thanksgiving!

[@dennisst.germaine3497]

Thank you for testing and teaching us about all the possibilities for feeding ourselves. Happy Hunting!

[@ubon39]

Well did you make the follow up to this? I guess is that the trap didn't work.

[@mariesheppard3750]

I build the same trap for squirrels and it works great for them , Them I drop the whole trap in a 45 gal drum with water and kill the grey squirrels,

[@devinmckee6832]

You could just shoot them 😂😂

[@---om5vg]

You suck

[@reenabergstrom5549]

How Cruel!!!

[@imeldaalfonso7909]

What is that red structure behind you?

[@---om5vg]

You gave a heart of approval to an ungodly man who drowns animals. There's some folk that are disapproving of you at this point. Don't want to hear the excuses. You got some bad in there in yer heart.

[@j.chriswatson6847]

You have got to be kidding me. The puffed up arrogance in your comments is hard to get past. It is even harder when your grammar is so poor.

[@sandysledge6860]

The mere grin off a possum, stops me from eating that , lol

[@LivingTraditionsHomestead]

I agree...they are kind of creepy looking! lol

[@bmwbaker]

Weird. I use the harbor freight trap with great success. It’s almost a clone of the have a heart.

[@gergemall]

Homemade trap

[@grandmafaye7643]

Don't put the bait behind the stick, put it on the stick. Tie a half-opened sardine can to the stick. Then the racoon doesn't have to "accidentally" run into the stick.

[@chrisbitonti4106]

Military people don't have time to carry traps around. What you do is dig a hole and cover it with sticks. Also, some animals, ie crows, and squirrels are attracted to rolled up tin foil. As always, Chris Bitonti

[@kevinwiens4804]

Who names their dog "Kevin" ??? 🙃🙃🙃🙃

[@bobbywalden1981]

I had a trap made of 2x4s,and wire and a coon chewed through overnight and escaped.

[@nancyfahey7518]

I didn't know there was a season. Is that for killing? But you can relocate any time? And an old timer friend told me about his possum eating days. They would feed it very clean food for 2 weeks. So it tasted better.

[@LivingTraditionsHomestead]

Don't hold me to this, but I believe the law says that if they are being a nuisance or hurting livestock, you can trap them anytime you want. During the trapping season you can actually set traps in the woods, etc. to get them.

[@singleman1986]

12 bucks for a Duke 'foothold' baited with a marshmallow is raccoon specific. No dogs, cats, or possums. You can carry an easy dozen in a pack and they aren't as visible to the 2 legged thieves.

[@singleman1986]

Yep. Possums are an irritating waste of 'trap time'. I kinda like the ugly critters, but after catching a few in a day, I'm none too gentle about 'booting' them on their way....LOL.

[@---om5vg]

New to your tub time. I'm confused. You have dogs? So I have tried to skim your channel for dog vids. I haven't found anything. Did something happen to your three dogs :( I'm sorry to blert that if something happened. Where are they ? I see many good mornings with animals but no dogs 🤔 usually they are loyal and follow you around run across the grasses. Especially your large dog she's a ham seeking love and attention.

[@gonzalezpandura]

Kevin have you trapped something you didnt want. If so what? How do you make your clean kill with trapped animals.

[@LivingTraditionsHomestead]

Other than possums I haven't trapped anything I didn't want to. I use a .22 to kill them. One shot at the base of the head/neck.

[@docslinux2]

👍

[@tripplebeards3427]

A raccoon will rip right out of that homemade trap. I have had a few coons tear the soldered wires apart on the have a heart traps and trash them as well and get out. Pound for pound I think raccoons are tougher then grizzly bears. Get some dog proof traps.

[@grandmafaye7643]

Put the dog down. Jeez! He's going nuts.

[@Brandyelyse]

You could tree them with your beagles lol

[@---om5vg]

Sure stress the s*** out of them. That's not a true spirit of a decent hunter. Hater. unGodly. READ YOUR BIBLE. LEARN HOW GOD SAYS WE SHOULD TREAT ANIMALS. 1 when they are working. 2 when they are used for food 3 and for any reason animals were to be properly respected considered and treated by the commands of God. There are many ways of hunting it doesn't mean you adopt them. Exercise a conscience. Many hunters practice no conscience.

[@j.chriswatson6847]

@@---om5vg You sure are full of yourself. Maybe you should go back to your Bible to read about pride, arrogance, and grace.

[@smalloscar1]

Why do you trap raccoons in America? 🤔

[@---om5vg]

Marie Sheppard DROWNS THIS WILDLIFE IN A BARREL they suck

[@j.chriswatson6847]

@@---om5vg Get over yourself.

[@j.chriswatson6847]

Raccoons are vermin. They are destructive and major carriers of rabies and tickborne diseases.

[@deborahtofflemire7727]

No thanks eeeeeeeeyk