A homemade raccoon trap is straightforward to build with basic materials, but before you start cutting wire, you need to know that trapping raccoons is regulated in every U.S. state. Most states require a permit, many prohibit relocating a trapped raccoon off your property, and some require that animals caught outside of hunting season be euthanized immediately. Check your state wildlife agency’s rules first, because an illegal trap or release can result in fines.
Legal Restrictions You Should Know
Raccoon trapping laws vary widely, but a few rules are surprisingly common. In New York, for example, it is illegal to live-trap a raccoon and release it anywhere other than the property where it was captured. You cannot drive it to a park, state land, or a rural road. Relocating wildlife spreads diseases like rabies and often kills the animal anyway through stress and unfamiliar territory. Oregon has a nearly identical law: raccoons may be trapped with a permit, but they must be released on the same property or humanely euthanized.
Many states also distinguish between trapping during open season and trapping outside of it. In some jurisdictions, if you trap a raccoon during the closed season, the animal must be buried or cremated immediately. The definition of “take” in wildlife law includes capturing, trapping, snaring, and even acts that disturb wildlife, so simply setting a trap can fall under regulated activity. A quick call to your state’s department of fish and wildlife will tell you whether you need a nuisance wildlife permit or whether you’re better off hiring a licensed wildlife control operator.
Trap Dimensions That Actually Work
Adult raccoons range from 24 to 46 inches in total body length and weigh 12 to 25 pounds. A trap that’s too small will injure the animal’s tail when the door closes or cause enough stress that the raccoon damages itself trying to escape. The standard minimum size for a raccoon live trap is 36 inches long by 11 inches wide by 11 inches tall. For larger animals, a 42 x 11 x 13 inch trap gives more room and reduces the chance of injury. When building your own, err on the larger side.
Building a Wire Cage Trap
The most common homemade raccoon trap is a rectangular box made from welded wire mesh or hardware cloth, with a spring-loaded or gravity-drop door at one end. Here’s what you need:
- Wire mesh: 14-gauge welded wire with 1 x 2 inch openings. Raccoons are strong and will bend lighter gauge wire. Hardware cloth (half-inch mesh) also works but is harder to form into a large box.
- Frame: 1 x 2 lumber or steel rods for the edges. Wood is easier to work with, but raccoons will chew it over time.
- Door mechanism: A single door on one end that drops down when a trigger plate inside the trap is stepped on or pulled. Gravity-action doors (a panel that slides in tracks) are the simplest to build and the most reliable.
- Trigger plate: A metal plate or wooden paddle mounted on a pivot near the back of the trap, connected by wire or a rod to the door latch. When the raccoon steps on or pulls the plate while reaching for bait, the latch releases and the door falls.
Cut the wire mesh into six panels: a floor (36 x 11 inches), a roof the same size, two side walls (36 x 11 inches), a solid back wall (11 x 11 inches), and a front panel with a slot for the door to slide through. Use hog rings or heavy-gauge wire to join the panels along every edge. Reinforce all corners, because raccoons will push hard against joints.
For the door, cut an 11 x 11 inch panel of the same mesh and attach two vertical guide rails (L-shaped aluminum channel works well) on the inside of the front opening so the door slides freely up and down. A simple latch mechanism uses a hook or pin at the top that holds the door open. A wire connects from the hook down to the trigger plate at the back of the cage. When the raccoon disturbs the trigger, the hook releases and gravity drops the door shut. Test the mechanism repeatedly before deploying. A door that sticks halfway is worse than no trap at all, because a partially trapped raccoon will be frantic and can hurt itself.
Choosing and Placing Bait
Canned sardines packed in oil are one of the most effective raccoon baits. The strong fish oil scent carries well at night when raccoons are active, and the oily residue can be smeared along the ground leading up to the trap entrance to create a scent trail. Zip-tie the open can to the back wall of the trap or wire it to the trigger plate so the raccoon has to reach in and pull, which improves trigger reliability.
Other effective options include marshmallows, cat food, sweet corn, and peanut butter on bread. The advantage of marshmallows is that they’re less likely to attract neighborhood cats or dogs. If stray cats are a concern in your area, avoid fish-based baits entirely and go with marshmallows or fruit. Place a few pieces of bait just outside the trap entrance, a couple more just inside, and the main portion all the way at the back past the trigger plate.
Where to Set the Trap
Raccoons follow the same paths repeatedly. Look for tracks in mud, smudge marks on fence tops, or worn trails along the edges of buildings. Place the trap flat on level ground along one of these routes, ideally near the area where the raccoon is causing problems (a garbage can, garden, or attic entry point). Raccoons are wary of unstable surfaces, so anchor the trap with a stake or weight so it doesn’t rock when they step inside. Cover the top and sides with a burlap sack or old towel, leaving the entrance open. This makes the trap feel more like a sheltered space and less like an obvious cage, and it also calms the animal once caught.
Set the trap in the evening and check it first thing in the morning. Leaving a raccoon trapped in the sun for hours is both inhumane and, in many jurisdictions, illegal. Most trapping regulations require you to check traps at least once every 24 hours, though every 12 hours is better practice.
Safety Around Trapped Raccoons
Raccoons carry several diseases that spread to humans. Rabies is the most serious, but raccoon roundworm (a parasite found in their feces) can cause severe neurological damage in people. Leptospirosis, a bacterial infection spread through urine, is another risk. All raccoon bites and scratches should be assessed by a healthcare provider, particularly if the animal appeared sick or was behaving abnormally, such as being active during the day, stumbling, or showing no fear of people.
When handling a trap with a raccoon inside, wear thick leather gloves and long sleeves. Never put your fingers through the mesh. Raccoons can reach through wire openings and their bite force is strong enough to break a finger. Keep children and pets away from a set or occupied trap. If the raccoon is hissing, lunging, or foaming at the mouth, do not attempt to move the trap yourself. Call your local animal control or a licensed wildlife control operator.
After releasing or removing a raccoon, clean the trap with a diluted bleach solution (one part bleach to ten parts water). Raccoon roundworm eggs are extremely hardy and can survive in soil for years, so wash any surfaces the animal contacted. Avoid sweeping or dry-brushing raccoon feces, because this can release roundworm eggs into the air where they can be inhaled.
What to Do With a Trapped Raccoon
This is the part most people don’t plan for. In many states, your only legal options are releasing the raccoon on your own property or having it humanely euthanized by a licensed professional. Driving it miles away and letting it go in the woods is illegal in most jurisdictions, and research shows relocated raccoons have very low survival rates in unfamiliar territory. They also risk introducing diseases like rabies to new wildlife populations.
If you release the raccoon on your property, you’ll need to seal whatever entry point or food source attracted it in the first place, or you’ll simply catch the same animal again. Block attic holes with heavy-gauge hardware cloth, secure garbage lids with bungee cords, and remove pet food from outdoor areas. If the raccoon problem persists after trapping and exclusion, a licensed nuisance wildlife control operator has tools and permits that go beyond what a homemade trap can accomplish.