No, I’m not a professional trapper, I’m a wildlife conservation officer who occasionally does nuisance trapping work on the job (and more frequently offers advice to landowners about what to do).
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One coon this morning and a skunk… trying to decide how to get rid of the skunk. Tarp and big tub of water is probably going to be his demise. … Dang… I hate catching skunks…
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Lots of hard, green figs are now becoming newly ripening figs on multiple trees, following a couple weeks of regular raining. I saw a half-grown opossum on the property, so I thought that the 1’ X 1’ X 3’ trap needed to come off of vacation and get back to work. The trap was baited with last years’ effective bait: a few ounces of chunky dog food that had been stinkingly enhanced with a tablespoon of Asian fish sauce stirred around it. A trail of the smelly chunks was lined up from maybe 50 feet away and led to the trap, which had most of the bait emptied in the back corner. The trap was against a wall on one side, had a “backstop” on the closed end, and a couple of stacked pcs. of 4" X 6" wood lined the other side, leaving both the bait trail and open end as the “this way to a great seafood supper” restaurant entrance. The trap was baited 4 nights over the last 6 nights. Four large raccoons are now gone from fig row. But no opossum. Yet. Tonight will be the 5th night of the seafood restaurant’s new re-opening. Judging by the multiple small twig branches broken on several trees due to late night fig eating, and many chomped on figs, the restaurant may soon have more customers.
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Well, I smell like skunk!! Didn’t go well. Glad my wife let me in the house. 
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Still no opossum. However, another big raccoon opted for the semi seafood over the all-you-can -eat fig buffet.
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OH NO !!! 
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I was thinking I would have handled it the same way you were planning to. Where did the plan go awry? 
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Wellllllllll… It went south when my wife and I were to chicken to cover it and carry it 100 yards to a 55 gallon drum and drown it. So… it was… you cover it up… NO, you cover it up… NO, you cover it up… NO… it was your idea, so you cover it up… LOL LOL
I decided to shoot if in the cage from a short distance I thought was safe… and I did… should of thought about the wind direction…
And that my friends is the way NOT to dispose of a skunk. My clothes are still outside sitting on a bush.
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I am a trapper and get a lot coon every year…that is 100% Coon
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Hold the blanket up in front of you so he can’t see you and you have spray protection. Now approach slowly and lay the blanket over the trap. I’ve done a few that way, no spray, no fuss. Usually I just turn the trap over so the door opens. Skunks are even fruit eaters are they?
A former boss had a ten-minute anecdote about his adventures eliminating skunks. He would act out each of the many ways he had been told would work without getting sprayed! It was a hoot.
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No… I don’t think they will eat fruit… My wife hates them digging in her flowers and garden… I’m a softie… I would let them all go…
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Coon love sweet fruits
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No kidding…!! They loved the 30 brix nectarines. They ate so much my only hope is that they got the runs and made a mess of themselves.
Last night I covered three trees with shade cloth. Take that you rascals…!! It also gives hail and bird protection. All with the ends of one piece of 40 yr old shade cloth, clothes pins, and bricks. I love small trees.
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Most of my bearing trees are too tall to make covering them easy
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Mine are staying small inside and out. That gives me a fighting chance.
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I TRY to keep them small!
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Just bought new netting. Found great pieces 50’x 50’. Will go up tomorrow!
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where found?
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This AM big raccoon #6 was waiting inside the trap after eating the fishy dog food… Some were calm, some frantic,and some were ferocious. A fig feast unites all types. Several years ago I went outside at night with a flashlight to see what may have been gobbling up lots of missing figs, and on one of the trees there were 3 raccoons high up in it on separate branches. With the light shining on them, each remained totally motionless while clinging to the vertical branches. Yeah, I guess that I would also show up night after night to fill up with fig fruit if that was the best show in town at the time.
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http://www.ebay.com/itm/252930161286?_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT
They have different sizes of netting! Excellent product quick shipping too!
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