Raccoon are notorious nest predators and populations are high in many areas. As wildlife managers, we wish to see healthy prey and predator numbers. Trapping is a great management tool for balancing high predator numbers so prey species like turkeys, quail, song birds and other critters can thrive.

When selecting bait to target raccoons, we often use a combination of “sweets” and “meats”. Raccoons have a sweet tooth and during cold nights they will seek energy rich food/protein like meat. Having a combination of sweets and meats at a trap site can be an effective baiting strategy. Will you be balancing nest predator numbers this winter where you turkey hunt?