Cage Traps: Quick & Easy

Raccoons will walk around your trap and even climb on top to try and get your bait. The author offers tips to keep your cage trap effective and operational.

When I think about it, I realize the importance of cage traps. Back in the days of our mountain men, the steel leg-hold trap was the trap to own. They didn’t have the selection of traps that we have today. Trap designs and styles have upgraded, and in today’s market, we have a very large selection of traps to choose from, and I believe the cage trap is one of the foundation traps for every trapper. I don’t even know a trapper who doesn’t own at least one dependable cage trap, if not several. Not only are they dependable, but they’re easy to use and great for introducing a new trapper to our world.

There are not as many new trappers today as there were years ago, but when you find someone who is interested, cage traps are a great starting tool for them. Do you really want to get them started? Buy them a cage trap or give them one of your old ones, especially if that new trapper is a kid. When I joined the Georgia Trappers Association, I found a bunch of trappers who love their sport and love teaching others. I’ve learned that just about the only way you can’t use a cage trap in Georgia is to use live bait, that’s a no-no.

A cage trap can be set up quickly and easily, and they’re not that heavy to carry. As you learn more about the animals you want to trap, you’ll also learn ways to make a set to be more productive. I won’t be able to touch on information about all potential animals you can catch in this article, but I will give tips I’ve learned to help you be more successful.

Giving a kid a cage trap just might set a fire to a life-long passion for trapping.

I think now will be a good time to share a couple of rules that will let you trap and keep you out of trouble. These regulations are easy to follow and must be applied to all traps in Georgia, including cages. When trapping, you must attach an identification tag to each trap that has either the owner’s name or owner’s permanent trapper’s identification number on it. When trapping, you must check your traps at a minimum of every 24 hours. Also when trapping, you must carry a choke stick or pole and a .22 caliber firearm. I know this one sounds like common sense, but you must have written permission to be on the property you’re trapping.

If you think about these rules, they make very good sense. The law-enforcement officers need to know whose trap it is, (the ID tags). You must check your traps on time so a captured animal doesn’t have to stay in the trap too long. Humane treatment of the animal is a must. With a choke pole, you can release any animal that is not the target animal, and with a .22 caliber firearm you can dispatch your animal when needed. Written permission shows respect to the landowner and shows the law-enforcement officer you are allowed to be there.

Now let’s talk about actually setting some cage traps.

Opossums: These are easy to catch. Tie a can of sardines in the back of your cage and set it on the ground close to where they will find it.

It doesn’t have to be sardines—you can use tuna fish or even table scraps. Opossums are generally scavengers and will eat what they find. Sometimes covering the trap will help because I think possums like the dark, and it gives them a little comfort and keeps them calm after the catch.

Armadillos: Now we need to think a little bit. I don’t use bait at all because I’ve learned that if a dillo doesn’t dig it up, he’s probably not going to eat it. You need to funnel armadillos into your trap, and I use boards or flower bed fencing to do this. Armadillos do not have very good eyesight and will “blindly” follow a funneling device to your trap. I take advantage of property fences or real thick bushes when I can or just use my fencing for both sides of the funnel. The best method is to find their holes/dens and set up there. I place my trap just in front of their hole and use fencing from one side of my trap, around the hole and back to the other side of my trap. When the dillo comes out of his hole, usually in the evening, he’ll have two choices; go in my trap or back in his hole.

One more trick I’ve found… if and when an armadillo smells another armadillo, he will usually come in to look. After catching a dillo, and knowing that I have another job soon after, I’ll leave the first one in the trap and set the trap on top of a piece of shelving board for a while. Once the first one urinates and even defecates on the board, it will now smell like another armadillo. When I set for the second dillo, I’ll make an impression in the ground below and place the board there with my trap setting on top. Sometimes I use fencing and sometimes not, but I do have better luck this way.

Put some brush on top of a cage trap to keep critters from climbing on top and setting it off before they go in after the bait.

Raccoons: These guys are smart, crafty, and they have little hands with fingers like we do. Raccoons will walk around your cage trap and even climb on top to try and get your bait. There are a few things you can do to make your trap effective for raccoons. I like to set my cage traps against a fence, bush or tree trunk and drive a stake against the other side to keep ol’ Rocky Raccoon from turning my trap over. You can try putting something on top of your trap, like limbs, to keep him from getting up there because sometimes all the shaking will cause your trap to trigger and close. Now that I have my trap stable, I recommend tying the bait in the back of the trap, so the raccoon will not just reach over the pan and pick up the bait. You want the coon to relax and eat the bait in the trap and hopefully step on the pan and trigger your trap. Bait for raccoons can be most anything, but a fishy-type bait works really well.

I like to make my own bait containers out of PVC pipe. I cut pieces using 1.5- to 2-inch diameter pipe about 2 to 4 inches long with a cap on one end. Drill a small hole at the top (opening) and attach a piece of wire to make a little hook with. When you put your sardines (bait) in it, then just hang it from the top of your trap in the back past the pan. Now when the raccoon goes in after it, he’ll have to work to get it down and hopefully move his back feet around until he triggers the trap. Most anything will work. The idea is to get him to look up and work to get the bait.

Red & Grey Foxes: I’ve trapped both species with my cage traps, and so far it seems fairly easy. I’ve had more success when my cages are somewhat covered or blocked from sight. In a rural neighborhood, the traps behind the trash can, or shop, or even the play house seemed to work better than just out in the open. For bait, I’ve had good luck with a strip of bacon hanging in the back of the trap, fried chicken scraps and even watermelon. It seems that when wild animals take up in neighborhoods, they learn to eat whatever we throw away.

My favorite grey fox job was pro bono at a junior high school. A vixen and her three kits were living under a building, and the teacher was worried because the students were returning in a few days. I set five cage traps under the building, all baited with chicken gizzards. A few more gizzards were thrown around to get their attention. The next morning, we had them all.

I could go on and on about this subject because I love using cage traps, whether trapping in neighborhoods or in the wild. Don’t forget— even with cage traps, you still need a trapping license.