Trapping Squirrels

KANSAS · Nov 18, 2006

Ok... now I am getting angry. Since I was a boy I have trapped every winter and greatly enjoyed it. Successful at Raccoon,beaver,mink,oppossum,skunk,bobcat,coyote,fox, and badger.
This year I promised my oldest son (age 5) that I would take him with me. The only problem is I told him he has to catch a squirrel before he can go out with me. I went to the farm store purchased a havahart and for 4 days now nothing. Now the first day I was not surprised, but by the 3rd day it was really getting to me. This morning has been an absolute killer. I cannot go more than 10 minutes without getting up and checking that trap.
Whats even more comical is that my wife, a New York city girl, is equally as obsessed with these little rodents. So any suggestions on how to get one of these little things would be of great help. Note: I have em in the trap every day, they just dont spring it for some reason, and the tension has been checked.

P.S. My boy and my wife want to catch the neighbors squirrel which has no tail. I will settle for any squirrel and get rid of the tail if I have to.

Gale Seddon · Nov 18, 2006

Not sure if this will help, but it may give you a couple of ideas. I googled "trapping squirrels" and found this:

http://unexco.com/trapsquirrels.html

backhoeboogie · Nov 18, 2006

Set a can of beans on the trip pan. The extra weight helps it go off, since they are going into the trap already.

Gale Seddon · Nov 18, 2006

The can of beans sounds like a good idea. When I was trying to catch raccoons in the barn, I caught the barn cat (but only once, she's smart) and another time I caught three bantam roosters (not sure how three got in there at the same time, but I guess the third one must have picked a fight or something and shut the gate on all of them). I'm starting to see raccoon tracks in the mud around here, better get some more sardines.

KANSAS · Nov 20, 2006

Well... yesterday my boy told me he wanted to move the trap. Remember he is 5. I had given up on the tree rats and said go ahead. He spent hours stacking brush and sticks and limbs all over the trap and put in sunflower seeds and walnuts as bait. The trap regularly is about 3 feet line x 12" x 12". After his brush addition it looked like an elephant could of hid in the thicket. Sure enough.... Trap was sprung this morning and he got his first squirrel.
I asked him after school what we should do with it. "I guess we should skin it and eat it." After much debate with his mother.. and some motherly direction... he decided it was best to let him go...