6 Best Predator Traps For Raccoons Old Farmers Swear By

There’s nothing quite like the sinking feeling of finding your sweet corn patch ravaged overnight or discovering a half-eaten chicken in the coop. Raccoons are intelligent, persistent, and can cause serious damage to a small farm’s bottom line and morale. Choosing the right trap isn’t just about catching the culprit; it’s about deploying the most effective and responsible tool for your specific situation.

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Choosing the Right Raccoon Trap for Your Farm

The first question you have to answer is: what’s your goal? Are you trying to remove a single problem animal from your chicken coop, or are you trying to manage a larger population that’s devastating your crops? The answer dictates whether you need a live trap for relocation or a lethal trap for population control.

Your farm’s layout is the next major consideration. If you have dogs, cats, or free-ranging poultry, using certain types of traps like foothold or body-gripping traps without specific precautions is a non-starter. A live cage trap or a dog-proof (DP) trap is a much safer bet in these mixed-use areas. Always map out where you’ll be setting traps and consider every animal—yours and your neighbor’s—that might pass through.

Finally, you must decide between a live trap and a lethal trap. Live traps seem more humane, but they leave you with the problem of a very angry, trapped raccoon. Relocating wildlife is often illegal and can just move the problem to someone else’s farm or introduce diseases to a new area. Lethal traps offer a permanent solution, but they come with a greater responsibility to ensure a quick, humane dispatch and to avoid catching non-target animals. There is no single "best" trap, only the best trap for your specific problem, property, and principles.

Havahart 1079: The Classic Live Cage Trap

Almost everyone has seen a Havahart trap. It’s the go-to for homeowners and farmers who want a non-lethal option. Its simple design—a wire cage with a spring-loaded door and a trip plate—is easy to set and relatively safe to use around other animals.

The beauty of the 1079 is its versatility. You can bait it with marshmallows, cat food, or sardines to lure a raccoon inside. Once caught, the animal is contained and unharmed. This gives you time to decide on your next step, whether that’s relocation (if legal in your area) or dispatch.

However, its simplicity can also be a weakness. A clever raccoon can sometimes reach through the wire mesh to steal bait without tripping the plate. Larger, more powerful raccoons have also been known to damage the cage or even force their way out. It’s a reliable tool for the average raccoon, but it might not be enough for a particularly large or determined one.

Safeguard 52818: Heavy-Duty Live Trap Choice

If you’ve ever had a raccoon tear apart a standard live trap, you understand the need for something tougher. The Safeguard 52818 is that tougher option. It’s built with a heavier gauge wire mesh and a more robust frame, making it far more resistant to the brute force a cornered predator can exert.

The key difference is in the details. The door on the Safeguard is stronger and the locking mechanism is more secure. This prevents a big boar coon from simply bending the door or popping the lock, which can happen with lighter-duty traps. It’s an investment, but it’s one that will last for years and hold up to serious abuse.

Think of it as the professional-grade version of a cage trap. While a Havahart is great for an occasional pest, the Safeguard is what you buy when you have a persistent, high-stakes raccoon problem, like one that’s repeatedly breaking into a high-value poultry house. When containment is non-negotiable, heavy-duty is the only way to go.

Duke DP Coon Trap: The Dog-Proof Standard

The development of the "Dog-Proof" or DP trap was a game-changer for farmers. These traps work on a simple, brilliant principle: raccoons have nimble, dexterous paws they use to reach and pull, while animals like dogs, cats, and skunks do not. The Duke DP Coon Trap is a small tube with a trigger deep inside that must be pulled up to fire the trap, which then captures the animal’s paw.

This design makes it incredibly target-specific. You can set a line of Duke DPs around your cornfield or near a den tree without worrying about accidentally catching your farm dog. They are small, easy to stake down, and can be baited with a marshmallow or a bit of fish oil placed below the trigger. Because the coon has to work to get the bait, you get a solid catch almost every time.

The main drawback is that it is a foothold trap, meaning it restrains the animal. You will have to dispatch the raccoon once it’s caught, and you must check your traps daily as required by law and ethics. But for targeted removal of raccoons without endangering other animals, the Duke DP is the undisputed standard.

Z-Trap DP: Pull-Only Trigger for Fewer Misfires

At first glance, the Z-Trap looks very similar to other DP traps. The critical difference, however, is its specialized trigger. It features a "pull-only" design, meaning the trap will only fire when the raccoon pulls straight up on the trigger. It won’t go off if the tube is bumped, pushed, or nudged from the side.

This small refinement has big implications. It dramatically reduces the number of misfires from non-target animals nosing around the trap or from a raccoon simply knocking it over. A fired trap with no catch is a useless trap, and having to constantly reset traps is a waste of valuable time. The Z-Trap’s reliability means you can set it and be confident it will only spring when a raccoon is truly committed.

This trap also features a heavy-duty chain and stake, and many models are powder-coated or dipped to resist rust. It’s a premium DP trap for farmers who value efficiency and want to minimize the chances of a snapped trap with nothing in it. Fewer misfires mean more raccoons caught and less time wasted.

Duke 220 Body Trap: A Quick, Lethal Option

Sometimes, a situation calls for a quick, definitive solution. The Duke 220 is a body-gripping trap, often called a Conibear-style trap, designed for a fast, humane dispatch. When an animal passes through the square jaws of the trap, it fires and closes on the body, typically resulting in an instantaneous kill.

This is an expert-level tool and must be used with extreme caution. Because it is so powerful and non-selective, a 220 should never be set in the open. The only responsible way to use this trap for raccoons is within a "cubby set"—a wooden box, a five-gallon bucket, or a natural enclosure that forces the raccoon to enter through the trap. This prevents dogs, cats, and other non-target animals from accidentally encountering it.

Before even considering this type of trap, check your local and state regulations. Many areas have specific rules about the size, placement, and enclosure requirements for body-gripping traps. When used correctly and legally, it is an incredibly effective tool for population control, especially along travel routes or near den sites.

Bridger #1.75: A Reliable Foothold Trap

Foothold traps are one of the oldest tools in the book, and modern versions are still highly effective. The Bridger #1.75 is a coil-spring foothold trap perfectly sized for a raccoon’s foot. Unlike the toothed traps of old cartoons, modern traps like this are designed to hold the animal firmly by the foot without causing unnecessary injury, especially if you opt for offset or padded jaws.

Success with a foothold trap is all about location and anchoring. You need to place it in a spot where a raccoon is forced to step, like at the entrance to a culvert or in a narrow trail leading to your coop. The trap must be anchored solidly to the ground with a stake so the captured animal cannot drag it away.

Like body traps, footholds require a deep understanding of local laws and a commitment to checking them every single day. They are not a "set it and forget it" solution. But for a farmer who needs to control a population along a specific fence line or waterway, a well-placed line of foothold traps can be an unmatched management tool.

Safe Trapping and Local Regulation Compliance

No matter which trap you choose, your responsibility doesn’t end when you set it. The most important rule of trapping is to check your traps every 24 hours. This is not just an ethical obligation to a captured animal; in most places, it’s the law. Leaving an animal to suffer in a trap for days is cruel and reflects poorly on all farmers.

Before you buy or set a single trap, you must get a copy of your state’s wildlife and trapping regulations. These rules are not suggestions. They will dictate:

• What types of traps are legal to use.
• Whether you need a license.
• The legal trapping season for raccoons.
• Rules about setting traps near public roads or residences.
• Whether it is legal to relocate a captured animal.

Ignoring these laws can result in heavy fines and the confiscation of your equipment. It’s your duty to know the rules and follow them to the letter. Responsible trapping is about more than just protecting your property; it’s about being a good steward of the land and the wildlife that lives on it. The goal is to solve a problem, not to create a new one through negligence or ignorance.

Ultimately, the best raccoon trap is the one that fits your farm’s specific needs, complies with your local laws, and aligns with your own ethical standards. By understanding the tradeoffs between live and lethal, target-specific and general-use, you can select the right tool to effectively protect your hard work. Responsible management is the key to a successful and sustainable farm.