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Coon Feeders

Posted: Wed Sep 01, 2010 8:09 am
by lyonch
I have been using coon feeders this past summer to attract coon to me, and congregate them to a given area. The tire is any given tire that still has the rim attached to it. I drill a 2" hole into the sidewall of the tire. I then place the tire in any given area that i feel holds coon. It is great to get these out before the corn begins to ripen in the fields. I plan on trapping the coon by these feeders in a few different ways. I will be putting sand around the tire this upcoming weekend, to see where they are stepping around the feeder, so i have an indicator on where to set the pan. I plan on placing a foot hold by every hole of the feeder. I will place the foot holds on sliders to get the coon apart from each other so they don't tear each others fur up. I will also place 220's in the trails that are leading to the feeders that i have placed in grassy areas. From my observations, i have noticed that the coon are more apt to hit the feeders in the wooded areas, than the grassy areas. I think this is due to the feeling of being un-safe in the grassy areas from predators. In a wooded area a coon can climb the nearest tree. I have been using shelled corn and grape kool-aid as a mix. I fill the coon feeder with shelled corn first (through the 2" hole with a home made funnel), then i add the grape kool-aid mix. My mixture rate for the grape kool-aid, is 2 packets to 5 gallons of water. I have found the large containers that contain sugar in them are not as effective and liked by the coon, like the single packets are. I switched all the feeders to the packets of kool-aid and am seeing a lot better results now. After doing a lot of research on coon feeders and my observations, i have come to the conclusion/reason why its mainly only coon hitting these feeders. The reason i say this is because once the corn mixes and ferments with the grape kool-aid it makes an alcohol that other animals won't touch. Another reason it becomes effective in knowing that coon are hitting your feeder and not much else, is because coon are the only animal that has the ability to reach into a hole and pull something out with there paws. Same concept as the Dog Proof traps on the market. I have seen squirrels on the feeder picking up the mess the coons leave behind.

This picture shows my hardest hit coon feeder. I have to fill this feeder every other week, or it will be completely gone. The coon have this area beat down so bad, that all of the leaves are gone around the feeder. Also i my shoe does not leave a mark in the dirt when i walk around it. They have this feeder just absolutely packed down. A lot of this is due to a coons nature of being very foot heavy.
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This picture shows that general location of the hardest hit feeder.
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This picture shows one of my average coon feeders. I placed this feeder next to the edge of a woods along the brushy area to see if i can see trails on where they are coming from, and like i observed on other feeders, this one is not getting hit as hard, as the ones i placed in the woods. There are two heavy coon trails leading to the feeder. This feeder is currently getting filled with grape Kool-aid.
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This is the rig i used for filling the tires with grape kool-aid. It is a 35 gallon drum that i have tapped with a 3/4" piece of PVC threaded nipple, then attached that to a garden hose connection with a valve on it. I also built a small holder for the drum so it doesn't slide around/roll around in the back of my truck. I attached a 50' hose. I place the hose in the 2" hole and then turn the valve on and let it fill. I fill the tire with the grape kool-aid mixture until the corn starts to come out of the holes.
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Note: I will be adding some dirthole sets off to the side of each location targeting the other animals that might be working that area as well. Just because it is a coon feeder, doesn't mean there aren't other furbearers that working the area. One animal in a set making noise, will normally attract others as well.

I will post pics of the results to this thread, when i get some (hopefully :wink: )!!

Re: Coon Feeders

Posted: Sat Sep 04, 2010 7:15 am
by EO caller
Thats a shit load of grape Koolaid. I'll just leave it at that :mrgreen: Could probly get in trouble with the kind of jokes swirling around in my head. :idea:
Looks like a cool set up though. Do they grab the corn with there hands or there mouth? I heard of an old method of trapping racoons where you drill a 2 inch hole in a tree and hammer in horse shoe nails at an angle then put somthing shiny in the hole so when they grap the shiny thing and try to pull it out his fist will hang up on the nails and there he is. Just wondering.

Re: Coon Feeders

Posted: Sat Sep 04, 2010 4:59 pm
by lyonch
The concept is to have them pull the corn out with there hands. As they work the feeder, i plan on having a foot hold waiting for them at the hole on a slider. I will take pics if successfull.

Re: Coon Feeders

Posted: Sat Sep 04, 2010 6:23 pm
by Critrgtr
Pretty cool setup. Hope it works out good for you. I may have to try something similar to it over here.
Except not for trapping. I was thinking set one up and have the Raccoons start hitting it then call them in and shoot them.

Re: Coon Feeders

Posted: Sun Sep 26, 2010 9:31 am
by lyonch
well i was finally able to borrow a game trail camera, and this is what has been on and around the feeder. The date is correct, but the time is wrong on the pics.

5 at one time on/around the tire
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Check out the size of this one!! The tire came off of an old truck for reference. they dont calle them little grizzly bears for no reason :shock:
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Nothing but Ringtails!! :D :D
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Re: Coon Feeders

Posted: Sun Sep 26, 2010 6:15 pm
by Tbush
Nice neat concept only a few more weeks and you can start catching them all :D wonder how dog food soaked in fryer grease would work, it sure would help give them a better fur as corn is a carb for fattening them up!!!!

Re: Coon Feeders

Posted: Sun Sep 26, 2010 6:29 pm
by Tim Anderson
If you to put a shine on all that fur put some egg whites in with the corn...

Re: Coon Feeders

Posted: Sun Sep 26, 2010 10:10 pm
by Prairie Ghost
I don't know how i missed this topic earlier but ATTA BOY! doing your groundwork and getting them ready.. May your chains be jingling my friend!! You should have a good trapping season doing things like that.

Re: Coon Feeders

Posted: Mon Sep 27, 2010 7:01 am
by 1Shooter
Those are some real nice lookin' coon and feeders!!

Re: Coon Feeders

Posted: Thu Sep 30, 2010 9:24 pm
by mitchkvernum
Im looking forward to the pics with 5-6 coons together with there new shiny wrist bands on :D

Re: Coon Feeders

Posted: Fri Oct 01, 2010 4:35 am
by lyonch
That would sure be on heck of a picture :D I am going to get spoiled with putting up dry coon for a week, then its nothing but wet ones from there on out in november :(

Re: Coon Feeders

Posted: Sun Oct 10, 2010 6:20 am
by Coyotehunter
that is a cool set up. they look like there at the buffet table.

Re: Coon Feeders

Posted: Wed Oct 13, 2010 6:09 pm
by rorycoyote
looks like a great setup. i might give it try sometime if you dont mind me stealing the idea. the only real problem i can come up with would be driving around parks and elementary school zones with that much koolaid :lol: :lol:

Re: Coon Feeders

Posted: Thu Oct 14, 2010 9:55 am
by lyonch
rorycoyote wrote:looks like a great setup. i might give it try sometime if you dont mind me stealing the idea.

Steal away fella!!

Re: Coon Feeders

Posted: Tue Oct 26, 2010 2:49 pm
by barebackjack
You should come over here and thin some of those bastards out for me!

There really cuttin into my coyote catch pluggin up traps! Im cuffin coon in the middle of wide open short grass pastures! First year in a while the corns comin off before Jan and they are on the move! :evil: