Raccoons and opossums will eat your chickens too.They keep coming back and getting my black copper mahrans like the marsh mellows.The cage is enclosed and I can not figure it out.They are acrobatic! They have four hands so I use steel traps and my rifle to solve the problem.Only thing that works.

Do a google search for dog proof coon trap. Best trap ever to catch coons. Only problem is getting them out of it without putting a bullet in their head. Best traps as long as it is legal trapping season.

Can you run a hot wire/electric fencing around the figs? Once zapped they usually don't come back. Killing/relocating will create a small window but more will come to replace those.

My motto is  get them before they get me!  PM me if you really want them gone!

Hi,
Once in the cage, you don't need to shoot them ... Just drown them . Buy an big trashcan or water reservoir, fill with water, cage and all inside for ten minutes. Walk away, get back and remove the carpet ...

Dave:
Here's a trick that I learned about the trap.
The raccoon(s) have figured out to avoid stepping on the trip plate. So they reach over the plate to take the bait.

A friend told me how to fix that.

Take a very light piece of fabric and place it over the trip plate to disguise it. Then place a rug or other material over the top of the cage to make it look a little different also.
Once I started covering the trip plate, I was catching coons left and right.

The other thing you can do run a couple of strings through the back end of the trap where the bait goes. Tie your marshmellows with one end of a piece of string and pull it through the wire cage so that the coon has to work to get the bait off the wall of the cage. This will cause it to stir and trip the hidden plate.

Good luck! I caught a bunch of raccoons after making these changes.

I have used fishing line to hold a bait cup or a piece of fruit in place just past the trip plate.  Fruit works well, used some damaged peaches or apples off my trees, or even a piece of cantaloupe rind (worked great, fragrant).  PB is another good bait.
I have had to work hard to protect my orchard (peaches, pears, apples) and garden for years.  No one has bothered the figs yet except ants, yellow jackets, beetles.  But I trap critters all summer.  Last year I caught 3 coons in 4 nights, had no more problems from them.  This year I have caught 7 groundhogs, 2 squirrels, 2 rabbits, 1 coon, and unfortunately 2 skunks.  I generally take them al out to a county park about 8 miles away and release them, except the skunks.
Good luck Dave

I heard about them developing lasers for mosquitoes, a camera and computer identifies them then zaps em... You just need one programed for the raccoons.

Secure the bait to the trip plate. I also had raccoons that would flip my trap over to get the food out of it. I put a 20lb weight on top of the trap to stop that.

Dave:
Any success?

Around 2:00 in the am I heard some rustling around so I went out side to check and I found this guy in the trap first time I have ever seen a possum in the yard "do these guys eat figs" if so i think I found the culprit and this is probably why my trees haven't been tipped over in the past few nights it's possibly I got rid of the raccoons and it has been this guy eating my figs and snapping limbs??? 

One more thing I put a long piece of paper towel on the complete floor of the trap per Leon's suggestion I think that is a game changer 

 

Success!
I like to see that Dave. Good job.
Here, I was dealing with a Raccoon who knew the ins and outs of live traps. I could not catch him for the life of me until I started camo-ing the trip plate and placing a piece of potato sack burlap over the whole trap.
Once I nailed him, it stopped the damage he was doing to my trees and fruit.

I don't want to count my chickens before they hatch but I have a gut feeling this might be it for now I have never thought it might be a possum theres nothing worst than being invaded by these creatures man the damage they do thank you for your tip even though I didn't catch a raccoon I think that will be the difference between success and failure thanks everyone here for the tech tips you are been a big help

Don't gas or drown the little fellow be humane.1 shot between the eyes. 

http://www.pyramydair.com/product-all-reviews/m/Benjamin_Marauder_Air_Rifle/1774

A few of my friends own these for the purposes you're describing.

You read my mind Leon I was planning on ordering one today 10% off plus free shipping 

well like I said Don't count your chickens before they hatch" I got a little lacked last night and just left one trap set with left over food from the possum and my son found this guy this morning I'm assuming he had others with him they ate all my Longue D'aout , LSU gold, Sport everbearing, Shippan unknown, This year was a total waste of time I think I am up to 7 raccoons I caught so far how the hell many could there be? 

 

Dave, finding new addresses for the criters will never work because they travel far and fast for fig treats.

A one way ticket on flight .22 to critter Heaven is the only way to deal with them.

They certainly love it at Dave's.  I hope that's the last of them.