# Bobcat advice



## trapperken (Jan 13, 2009)

Hi guys, 
I wanted to get your opinion on bobcat trapping. I live in Pennsylvania and I was lucky enough to draw a permit for a cat this year. We are only allowed to trap one, so I am not looking for numbers. I scouted a ridge by my home and cut two sets of tracks using some clear cut trails. I built one walk through cubby and three one way cubbys. I baited two with muskrat carcasses and the other two with pidgeon. Used good gland lure inside the cubbys and bobcat urine on the edge of the openings along with some flagging of surveyers tape. I am using #3 victors at the entrance with plenty of blocking. When I checked this morning, I found that a cat had followed my foot prints in the snow (about 8") and had set off one of the cubby's with the rat inside :roll: . Looks like I only caught some hair as there was little sign of any struggle. Chain was pulled to the end and that was it. I reset the trap, but I wanted to know what everyone's opinion was as to whether this will permanently spook the cat or not. I have lots of experience trapping fox, coyote, **** etc. but this is the first time with cats. Any help or suggestions would be appreciated.


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## ND trapper (Nov 14, 2006)

Welcome to the forum!

I have zero experience trapping cats but if they have the "association factor" like coyotes and fox do then I would say that the cat will most likely shy away from cubby sets and the lure that you used. However that is just a guess since I don't have cats in my area. Wish I did.


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## rangeman (Dec 7, 2006)

I would set every saddle on that ridge with a post set, and maybe a good dirthole with rabbit if they are common to your area. Cats are lazy and will use the saddles and ravines to travel through. Cut the rabbit up good for the smell factor. I would flag with feathers if I were you......alot more natural appeal. If you have some good trails that you know they use alot then choke the trail down in places and put in some step over blind sets using small logs. I have pinched my share of cats, and my experience is that they may not come back to that particular set this year, but they are not going to leave the territory. I had a dirt hole set last year that one set off much as you have described, no luck after rebaiting. This year I caught a big tom the first morning in that same spot........I do not know if it was the same cat or not, but I noticed yearround the tracks never stopped crossing that ridge in that spot. Patience and persistance will get you a cat.


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## rangeman (Dec 7, 2006)

I forgot to ask if your traps are 4-coiled or not? I like #3's. You will need good 4-coiled traps to hold the big males most of the time.......Their feet are very soft and pliable and they will slip out of stock traps alot of times. Not to mention the speed of a cat when that trap fires. Sounds like your dealing with snow too...... All the more reason to have good fast traps. Good Luck!


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## trapperken (Jan 13, 2009)

Thanks for the advice. I am using #3 victor's and #3 Bridgers. Neither is 4 coiled but both are in good shape and fairly new. I also have a ton of 1 3/4 victor four coils that I use for coyote and fox. I did get one cat by accident last year in one of these and it held him fine. I ended up dragging a road killed deer back where I found the cats but so far the cats haven't found it yet. Coyotes found it last night so I put out the cables for them. 8) I don't have much trouble with the canines but I am new to this cat stuff. I have been setting trails and openings around clear cuts but even though I am finding tracks, it seems that most of the cats I am finding are on about a 6-7 day rotation coming through each area. We don't usually get too much snow here, but this year I am trapping late and high on the ridges so I am dealing with snow. I was using the cubby's a lot so they didn't get snowed in but I can try pounding in a few dirt holes and see what happens.


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## rangeman (Dec 7, 2006)

Those 1.75's four-coiled will hold them too. I have just had so many slip out of the smaller traps. You need that front paw pad catch. The bigger cats will power out with a hind foot catch if they can get hold of something solid. The 6-7 day route thing sounds about right. They will drive you crazy sometimes with the tracks going through the same areas. How old is your clearcut? If it is over 2 years old it will be holding alot of food sources.......birds, rabbits, etc. They are magnets for the cats, and they are probably not as hungry as we like to think they are. Thats where the blind sets can fill your tag. I feel so fortunate to have the numbers we have here after reading that some areas have few or none. Our limit is 20. I caught 6 last year, but had at least that many slip away. I would send you guys some if I could............. 8) Be sure to harvest the bladders out of all of them, some will be full, but most will not, but there will be some urine for you to use. (The fresher the better). Be patient and get the rest of those traps put out........Who knows what will happen! That is what I love about trapping. :beer:


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## blklabs2 (Mar 2, 2008)

The cat will most likly come back I caught the same female cat 3 times in the same set!!I realese all females I can, keeps the toms around, I would move the set some and a different lure make sure your trap tension is on the heavy side, Ihave mine about 3#I trapped 36 cats last year in wyoming


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## blklabs2 (Mar 2, 2008)

3&4s are the right size if dealing with sno usa lots of antifreeze bed the traps goodI have alot of 4 coiled traps, alot are not they all work good cats are not hard to hold if caught good, I use alot of drags,Good luck, cat fever is found to be uncurable I love trapping cats


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## trapperken (Jan 13, 2009)

Thanks guys for all your suggestions and help. I ended up connecting on a nice tom of 30lbs on Sunday morning. I ended up taking him on a blind trail set with a number 3 victor os. I noticed the last time he came though on his 6 day loop that he used a trail that crossed an elevated soil pile on the edge of a small clearing near the clear cut I was trapping. Since he was walking right by my cubbys and lured walk-through sets without even investigating, I narrowed down the trail and set two number 3's with enough blocking to force him through the traps. It took another 5 days for his return but he was waiting for me when I got there Sunday AM. To say I was excited was an understatment. This cat trapping consumed me until I figured him out. Unlike the fox and coyote that I usually trap, you have to wait a long time between visits to test new things. Unfortunately, I have to wait a few more years for another permit or go out of state to get another one, but I think I learned a lot about these sneaky critters this year so maybe the next time I don't have to start from scratch. THANKS AGAIN. Ken


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## Sask hunter (Sep 11, 2008)

Congrats :beer:


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## rangeman (Dec 7, 2006)

Sweeeet! Way to go Ken.........Cat trapping is addictive. :beer:


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## blklabs2 (Mar 2, 2008)

Nice cat, mountor selling him? One is never enough!!!


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## trapperken (Jan 13, 2009)

This one is going to be made into a rug. The fur is very thick and about as perfect as you can get. After this season, I am considering making a trip to either WV or NY for trapping just so I can chase these again before I draw my next permit. Another option is to try out west. I have hunted most rocky mountain states dozens of times over the years, but I have never gone out to trap. Any suggestions as to what states would be the most trapper friendly to a traveling sportsman?


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## blklabs2 (Mar 2, 2008)

Nevada,wyo, the biggest problem in wyo is access unless your on state or blm, or the forest in moutains, it is getting harder on private lands .


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## moneyshot27 (Jan 13, 2009)

you might be limited to blm or state land in wyoming, but approximately half of the state is blm or state owned and most of it is public.


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