Oh those pesky 'coons. Egg bandits! Quail killers! Once a year we have one come snooping around. What can you do to make sure your Quail are safe from predators with opposable thumbs?

1) predator proof your cages! Our commercial cage systems are built our of 1" x 2" 14 Guage welded wire for the walls with two large 12" x 8" 1'x1" coated 10-12 Guage doors. The side walls and roll out egg tray access are large enough for prying raccoons to reach in and kill a bird. We actually had an opposum pull an entire Bobwhite through a transitional cage we had in front of our shop once.... that destroyed me, knowing that his mate watched the whole thing.
We solved this by zip-tying a 3/8" holed plastic skirt around the side walls and we have clear coraplast flaps that we attach to the cage front that flip from resting atop the cage roof, to creating a translucent shield over the egg tray. In the winter, we add precut laminated foam board pieces to add wind protection and protect our cage covey sets from extreme Temps, while also blocking raccoon and opposum hands from reaching in.

2) setting your cage:
Nothing works like a Tin of sardines! Open the tin, let a little fush-juice drip by the cage entrance and somewhere higher up as an attractant. Use an old feedbag or towel to cover the trap and to prevent the trapped animal from reaching out and scratching you with infected claws... or causing you to drop the trap and potentially harming the animal. I.e. don't use a piece of sheet, and consider that material will be traveling with you when you relocate the culprit. Drap it so that it doesn't affect the closure mechanism, but creates a private dining car for your guest. Leave a little air gap at the bottom around the back and sides so they can smell the bait. This material will most likely be destroyed, so ask the wife first. Old empty feed bags work great.

3) Check your trap early and often. Do not set a trap that you do not have plans to check every 12-24 hours max. That not humane. They need water and food just like You. When you are done using it, deactivate it and put it into storage.

4 transporting. You are looking for a new home 4-5 miles away. Anything less, or just down the road and you will be trapping them again... maybe if they aren't too smart to remember the last time.

Place a covering on the seat or hatch area to place the trap on before you load him up. Consider anything your buddy can reach, ge can destroy. Again, old feed bags come in handy on the seat and seat back area. Afix it so you are fumbling around with a live animal in your hands. Consider they may "potty" during the trip.

You are looking for a wooded area 4-5+ miles away that has a stream, creek, river, etc. They eat crayfish, minnows, mudbugs, etc. There should be some ready made shelter at least until they can make a new home... brush piles, Rick's with overcroppings, old trees or logs with holes. Try to find a different water source than the one you have at your home. Their range is larger than you think. Don't put them in somebody else's garden! They may not be as nice as you. You don't want to kill nature... just move him from killing your birds!

5 Release. Although these guys are fairly docile, realize that they are scared. Most of the animals we have trapped over the many years off trapping simply waddle out if the cage an move away from you. But there could be a time when they become offensive. Be prepared. Use a paracord release rope if you can devise a pulley or routing system that opens the cage from afar, or just be smart. Do not wear flip flips and shorts. The day you are stupid with be the day they are made at you. Wear long trousers, boots, leather gloves and a thicker shirt or carhart material jacket. They aren't the flying killer rabbits of Monty python fame "with long pointy teeth", but they can bust you up with a good bite.

Be nice, be kind, be calming &be confident. Tell your buddy its going to be OK. Run everything through in your mind in a measure twice, cut once fashion and you will be a pro in no time.

NOTE BENE: check the animal that you trapped for disease. Rabies is a horrible death for man and beast alike. If your captive looks overly distressed, wild-eyed, foaming at the mouth, and you caught a nocturnal feeder between the hours of 9-5 (daylight hours), pay extra attention to the catch. If night time animals are out in the day... there MAY be something wrong. If you have a question, take them to the game commission or call animal control. But before you narc on a healthy animal, look at some you tube videos of rabid animals of that species. Scared is one thing, sick is often obvious. You should be smart enough to know the difference or at least educate yourself. Animal control will likely euthanize them regardless, so it's in your hands. Give them a chance to live.

We have another video uploaded on this same date that goes over these cage traps. Hav a look