Why I Oughta...

It is with mixed emotions that I can report that we caught a skunk in our raccoon trap overnight.  The raccoon hasn't been using my garden as his toilet for more than 10 days, so I moved the trap out front to where I last saw the raccoon - in an attempt to catch him. Instead of the raccoon, I found Mr. Stinky in the trap.  As most of you know, I'm Mr. Anti-Skunk so this is kind of a feather in my cap, but seeing him in the trap makes me kind of sad.  The grass around the cage is all torn up, so he fought like heck to get out and when I found him in the morning, he was mostly just laying there, tired.  One less skunk on the streets of Elmhurst is a good thing, but now that the trap has been taken away, I'm almost certain that the raccoon will show back up again, won't he?

I went out this morning to check the trap - like I've become accustomed to do and found what I expected:  an empty trap.  This is day 10 of the raccoon hunt and I'm not quite sure what has happened to him.  He hasn't been around for the better part of the week and hasn't left any turds in the yard during that same time, too.  So, I guess that's a positive, right? The trap is a pre-pay, so I've already laid out the money trying to catch this bugger, so I'm going to leave the trap in play - but maybe I'll move it to a different part of the yard - and replace the rotten tuna fish inside of it!  I have been waiting to get my garden in full gear out of mostly fear of this critter, but the time for fear is over.  I need to get my tomato plants in the ground.

The second night of having a baited trap came and went with no raccoon to be found.  Last night was pretty rainy, so perhaps he stayed at home and didn't venture out to take a HUGE dump in my garden.  Alas, per the recommendation of the trapper, I left his latest pile in tact and when I went out to inspect, there wasn't a companion turd from last night.  So, at least that's a positive, right? In addition to moving the trap and in a further attempt to make the trap more appealing, I cut up an apple into wedges and added that to the sausage wrapped in tin foil, but it (apparently) wasn't enough.  Per the recommendation of Nat's Aunt, I'm going to up the ante and go with a can of cat food or tuna fish and really try to lure him in tonight.  Those items were both mentioned by the trapper, too, so I'm thinking they may work.  But, do you guys know?  Do I just open the can and take the lid off?  Then put the entire can in the back of the trap?...