6 Best Humane Raccoon Traps For Backyard Flocks That Old Farmers Swear By

You hear it just after midnight—a frantic squawking from the chicken coop that jolts you out of a deep sleep. You grab a flashlight and run outside, heart pounding, only to find a scene of chaos and a tell-tale, hand-like paw print in the mud. A raccoon has found your flock, and now you have a serious problem that won’t solve itself.

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Why Live Traps Protect Both Flocks and Wildlife

Choosing a live trap isn’t just about being "nice." It’s about being effective and responsible. A live trap allows you to target and remove the specific animal causing the problem without collateral damage. This is a critical distinction.

Lethal traps, while they have their place, are often indiscriminate. You might intend to catch a raccoon, but end up harming a neighbor’s cat, your own farm dog, or beneficial wildlife like an opossum that helps control the tick population. A live trap gives you control over the outcome.

Think of it as surgical removal versus a broad-spectrum attack. You identify the culprit, safely contain it, and then decide on the next step according to your local laws. This protects the delicate balance of your homestead’s ecosystem while still decisively protecting your birds.

Havahart 1079: The Classic One-Door Cage Trap

This is the trap most people picture in their minds, and for good reason. The Havahart 1079 is the workhorse of raccoon trapping—a simple, reliable, and widely available cage trap that gets the job done. It features a single spring-loaded door and a trip plate in the back.

Its design makes it perfect for placing against a structure. You set it flush with the chicken coop wall, along a fence line, or right where the raccoon is digging to get in. The raccoon, focused on the bait, walks in, steps on the plate, and the door slams shut behind it.

The main tradeoff is its versatility, which can also be a drawback. It will catch anything that’s big enough to trip the plate and interested in your bait. To minimize catching cats, use a sweet bait like marshmallows or grape jelly on a piece of bread instead of meat or fish-based baits.

Z-Trap DP: A Dog-Proof Trap for Raccoons Only

When you absolutely, positively cannot risk catching the family dog or the barn cat, a Dog-Proof (DP) trap is the answer. The Z-Trap is a brilliant piece of engineering that leverages a raccoon’s unique anatomy. It’s a small tube with a trigger mechanism inside.

Here’s how it works: you bait the inside of the tube with something sticky, like peanut butter or marshmallow fluff. The raccoon, with its slender, dexterous paws, reaches inside to get the bait and pulls up on the trigger. A spring-loaded cuff safely and securely holds its paw. A dog or a cat can’t operate it.

This is the single best feature of a DP trap: it is highly target-specific. You stake it firmly into the ground, and you can rest easy knowing you’re only going to catch a raccoon (or occasionally a very determined opossum). It’s a game-changer for homesteads with lots of other animal traffic.

Duke Heavy Duty Cage Trap for Larger Raccoons

Not all raccoons are created equal. Once you’ve dealt with a big, old, trap-savvy boar raccoon, you’ll understand why a standard-duty cage sometimes isn’t enough. These larger animals can be incredibly strong and destructive when trapped.

The Duke Heavy Duty models are built for exactly this scenario. They use a thicker gauge steel mesh and feature a much more robust door and locking system. A big, angry raccoon can bend the wires and force the door on a lesser trap, but a Duke is designed to hold fast.

This is an investment in peace of mind. It’s heavier, a bit more cumbersome, and costs more than a standard trap. But if you’ve ever had a raccoon destroy your trap and escape, you know that the extra cost is well worth it to ensure the problem animal stays caught.

Tomahawk Model 108: A Professional-Grade Option

If you have a persistent, recurring raccoon problem, it might be time to stop buying replacements and invest in a professional-grade tool. Tomahawk traps are what many wildlife control experts use, and they are built to last a lifetime. They are the definition of "buy once, cry once."

The build quality is immediately apparent. The welds are clean, the components are heavy-duty, and the design is refined from decades of field use. A key feature is the tighter mesh pattern near the back of the trap, which prevents a captured raccoon from reaching through the cage to steal bait from the outside.

Tomahawk traps often use a simple, gravity-powered falling door, which is incredibly reliable and less prone to failure than complex spring systems. It’s an expensive piece of equipment, no doubt. But for a homesteader who views trapping as a necessary and ongoing management task, it’s a tool that will never fail you.

Havahart 1085: The Two-Door Pass-Through Trap

Sometimes a raccoon is too wary to enter a dark box with only one way out. For these "trap-shy" animals, a two-door trap like the Havahart 1085 can make all the difference. With both ends open, it looks like a simple tunnel rather than a dead end.

This design gives you incredible placement flexibility. You can set it directly on a known travel path—a trail along the woods, a path next to the creek, or a route they use to approach the coop. The animal walks straight through, steps on the central trip plate, and both doors snap shut simultaneously.

The psychological advantage of a see-through path is significant. It lowers the animal’s natural caution and can dramatically increase your success rate. If you’ve had a raccoon repeatedly steal bait from a one-door trap without getting caught, switching to a two-door model is a smart next move.

The "Grizz" DP Trap: Built for Tough Conditions

Like the Z-Trap, the "Grizz" is another top-tier Dog-Proof trap designed specifically for raccoons. It operates on the same principle of using a pull-trigger that only a raccoon’s paws can manipulate. The choice between the two often comes down to a farmer’s personal preference.

The Grizz is known for its powerful springs and a highly sensitive push/pull trigger system, ensuring a quick and secure capture. It’s built from heavy steel and comes with a robust chain and staking system designed for tough, wet ground conditions. Some users find its setting mechanism slightly easier to use with cold hands.

Ultimately, both the Grizz and the Z-Trap are outstanding tools for targeted raccoon removal. They solve the biggest problem of live trapping: catching non-target animals. If you have pets or valued wildlife on your property, using a DP trap isn’t just an option; it’s a necessity.

Safe Release and Checking Your Local Regulations

Catching the raccoon is only half the battle. What you do next is governed by two things: safety and the law. Before you ever set a trap, you must know your local and state regulations.

This is not optional. In many areas, it is illegal to relocate wildlife. The reasoning is sound: you could be transferring disease, moving a problem animal into someone else’s territory, or putting the animal into an environment where it can’t survive. The law may require you to release it on-site or dispatch it humanely. Know the rules before you set the trap.

When releasing an animal (where legal), always prioritize your safety. Wear thick leather gloves. Never stick your fingers in the cage. Use a long stick or pole to unlatch the door from a distance, and always stand behind the trap so the animal has a clear escape path away from you. A cornered and terrified raccoon is a dangerous animal.

Choosing the right trap is about matching the tool to your specific situation—the size of your raccoons, the presence of pets, and the frequency of the problem. A good trap is a critical tool, but it works best as part of a larger strategy. Secure your coop, eliminate food sources like spilled feed or open compost, and make your homestead a less inviting target in the first place.