Bobcat

They like to follow streams.

 

I trapped a lot of bobcat in Texas. Believe it or not my best bait was a spray can of catnip from the pet store. I made my sets on the high bank along a stream. Find a spot that narrows down and make your set there. Always double stake the trap as a bobcat will jump straight up and pump a regular stake out of the ground. Try to spray the catnip on a bush or a tree so they have to walk around to get to it. Caught a bunch of cats doing this.

 

I am going to be giving this a shot for the first time ever. Never trapped or attempted to trap anything beyond a mouse. I know there are a lot of bobcats in a certain area so I am looking forward to trying this out. If nothing else it will be a good excuse to go for a walk in the woods for 10 days straight.

I have 6 traps. How far apart do you recommend setting your traps?

 

Too late to get a license for this season.

Trapping is crap shoot. If you feel good about a location, 2 traps are better than one. If you want to cover more possible locations, one trap at each.

I believe we had 20-30 each set when we went after them, 3-4 sets at each location. Some of the traps were intended for coyote but you never know what you'll end up with. Didn't plan on porcupines but we did get a couple of them. We ended up catching 5 cats, kept our one and released the rest.

 

Have a tag. I have tried calling them in the last couple years, with no success... Thought I would give the trapping season a try. Have a friend that deer hunts the area and he has seen them multiple times deer hunting. There are tracks everywhere in the winter just never saw anything while trying to call them in. Cedar swamp type area

 

Biggest hurdle is finding the right set area/path and making sure your traps don't freeze to the ground. Waxed dirt is the best, peat moss will work or you could just use grass clippings.
We used loud skunky lures.
Good luck

 

Looking for critiques or improvement ideas. Again, first time trying to trap anything so I apologize for the beginner questions but also greatly appreciate feedback... Do cubby style sets like this seem reasonable? Using bobcat urine, catnip, and misc predator baits in the cubby. Pics are of different sets but all basically set up the same. Using Christmas ribbon in a tree 5-10 foot in front of cubby and 3'ish off the ground. As well as a little in the back of the cubby. Sticking to edges of water swamp river ect.

I have some frozen woodcock and grouse wings. Is it a good idea to use something like that as well?

 

I would turn my trap 90 degrees. If he steps a bit back the dog will flip his foot out of the trap. Also put a stick in front of and behind the trap to guide his foot to the trap.

 

FREEPOP what a beauty! I am still looking for my first. Have 6 sets out, mostly small cubbies, some just a dirt hole set up against a stump for backer with a little bit of guiding brush. Most close to cedar swamp, along its edge. 1 Raccoon, and 1 possum was it for the day. They should move before the storm.

 

I saved turkey feathers and used craft feather also. Those sets didn't produce but I attribute that more to location.
I don't believe you need to box them in too much. Most all our sets looked like coyote dirtholes with extra stuff around to persuade the cat a little more to come to the trap side of the hole. Cat's aren't skittish like coyotes, I've heard of guys not even putting dirt over their traps. Cubbies will work but if it pulls you off from location, I wouldn't bother with them.

 

Appreciate that... My plan a couple months ago was to find tracks in the snow and stage sets that way. Of course this is the year there is no snow which you can usually count on here (just south of the bridge). Looks like even the snow for this weekend is mostly going to miss us. So I went to general edges/areas where I have seen tracks in previous years and built some cubbies... Was curious to know if I was in the right ball park or doing something that was a "rookie" mistake.