I shot a pig and set 3 foot traps around it to attempt to reduce the coyote population.

Quite surprised to see what I caught one night.

Apparently this is quite rare. Had to take a picture!

Decent sized Coyote and a 33 lb. Bobcat.

Nice catch and a good looking cat from what I can see. Good thing you had them set apart as far as they are, though I would have been interested to see what the fight would have been like. Not uncommon up our way to have a red fox in a trap killed by a coyote just enough to ruin the pelt.

The ole yote has the tail tucked mighty tight!

erict,

Exactly. That is why it is so rare. A coyote will kill a Bobcat in a trap. A Bobcat will not come to a set if there is a Coyote in it, so, the only logical turn of events is that the cat was caught first, and the Coyote came to kill him and stepped in the third trap.

What are the odds!

He was a good looking cat. I can hold his back paw at my armpit and his front paws touch the ground. (I am 6' 1" with my boots on.) I weighed him on a good scale at 33 lbs.

That is no doubt unusual.

But a 'cat will hold its own against a coyote. I have seen a tom defend its claim to a calf carcass and fight off a coyote which wanted to partake of the free meal.

After a standoff of maybe a minute, the coyote backed down and left.

I haven't thought of doing that (setting traps). I'll have to give that a try. Add a new demension to my efforts at nailing varmints. Good job and great pix there Wendell.
GWB

Watch your sets and pan tension if setting traps near any exposed baitpile, as you are sure to attract hawks, owls or eagles.

quote:

Watch your sets and pan tension if setting traps near any exposed baitpile, as you are sure to attract hawks, owls or eagles.

I use the weight adjustable pan type traps. I have a "scale" that lets me test the pressure. Keeps skunks and small coons from tripping it ... usually.

What did you dispatch them with ???? Looks like you had a good night of it !!!

.22 mag

I shot the Bobcat in the head, thinking that the fur would be worth something. Wish I hadn't as his head is the size of a softball. I would like to save that skull.

Real nice catch there, Wendell. And I'm sure you're right about the cat being first, then the coyote.

As for dispatch, a wolfer I know kills even the biggest dogs with a .22 short through both lungs. The small hole has no effect on the fur value.
I like to save skulls, too. Another way that works for the cats is a pole snare. They go pretty fast that way. And that obviously spares the skull.

Good luck on the line.

Dude, you need to shave.

Very cool.

I would normally kill my yotes with a wack in the head by a 2 foot long peice of shovel handle then step on their lungs while lifting up on their hind legs not much blood to deal with then. Coons and cats a 22 short to the head.

watched a pair of coyotes working a big bobcat this spring while out shed hunting,lasted about 25-30 min and there was no doubt who was boss.none of them wanted to commit but the big cat would chase one of the dogs till the other closed in on him then would spin and chase that coyote till the 1st one got close.dogs caught the cat in the sage and it took the 25-30 mins for the cat to reach the trees. after that it was over but still one of the coolest interactions i've witnessed.
nice work on the varmits!!
question; the traps look new,you fellas in tejas boil and dip before use?

I rust my traps in salt water for a couple of weeks. Dip them in the water and put them in plastic bags. I redo it every 2 days or so. Rust all the links and swivels as well.

Then dye and wax them.

quote:

Originally posted by Jorge400:
Dude, you need to shave.

no need to!

Good hall!

Good catch.
Nice looking bobcat.

A bobcat isn't going to go near a mature coyote but I could easily see a coyote coming to a fresh kill regardless if a cat was already there. The coyote would have no interest in a live cat with a much larger safe meal laying right there.

In February I caught a bobcat and an oppossum about the same distance apart, just 2 base of tree sets with some bait and lure. Not really sure of that sequence. I think opossum first and then cat. Here's a video of the cat, didn't even think of taking video of the opossum but it is about 12 feet to the right of the cat.

http://smg.photobucket.com/alb...rrent=Pabobcat-1.flv

quote:

Originally posted by Tundragriz:
A bobcat isn't going to go near a mature coyote but I could easily see a coyote coming to a fresh kill regardless if a cat was already there. The coyote would have no interest in a live cat with a much larger safe meal laying right there.

In February I caught a bobcat and an oppossum about the same distance apart, just 2 base of tree sets with some bait and lure. Not really sure of that sequence. I think opossum first and then cat. Here's a video of the cat, didn't even think of taking video of the opossum but it is about 12 feet to the right of the cat.

http://smg.photobucket.com/alb...rrent=Pabobcat-1.flv

What was your target critter? I bet you shit your pants if you was looking for yote or opossum!

How come they don't put spots on PA Bobcats?

James,

It was primarily set for gray fox or coyote but getting cats is common. The claw marks on the tree are from a large raccoon I caught there the day before. There is a maze of beaver dams there and both the coyote and cats hunt them. I wanted to pull the traps after the cat but couldn't because the stakes were frozen in too hard so I just left them set-off. The next day I went back with vice grips and there were large cat tracks all over where the opossum was caught, I suspect from my resident red cat. We have a lot of cats now. Some of us use road killed deer as attractors and my friend uses trail cams. He has photos of 7 unique cats on his property. We are limited to 1 cat through a lottery tag and I didn't get a tag this year so I released this one.





Wendell,
We have a few different color phases. Some are spotted, some mostly gray, and quite a lot of red ones in my area. Here is a couple pics of a large red from this past summer. Whether I get a tag or not next year I want to try to live trap this guy.

quote:

Originally posted by Dagga Boy:
As for dispatch, a wolfer I know kills even the biggest dogs with a .22 short through both lungs. The small hole has no effect on the fur value.

DB,

Any idea what a .243 fmj would do to pelt value?

quote:

Originally posted by sunrise:

quote:

Originally posted by Dagga Boy:
As for dispatch, a wolfer I know kills even the biggest dogs with a .22 short through both lungs. The small hole has no effect on the fur value.

DB,

Any idea what a .243 fmj would do to pelt value?

A 6mm/.243 FMJ should not do much in the way of damage what so ever. The exit hole will be only slightly bigger then the entrance. If it would be legal to use FMJ for hunting in my area I would use it to help preserve pelts too. But I cannot use mil grade ammo and or bullets.

quote:

Originally posted by Tundragriz:
We are limited to 1 cat through a lottery tag and I didn't get a tag this year so I released this one.
]

Great pics of a animals, and good on you for playing by the rules. Must have been interesting releasing it, though! Mind of I ask how? I don't know anything about trap mechanics, but you employed a stick or two to pry apart, maybe? I'm guessing here. Good job again!

Wait a sec. Looking back at the pic, I am now engaging my noodle. Is that notch in the board used to fit over the paw, and used as a shield from the cat, while the trap is disengaged from the trapped paw side? I'd bet money that's exactly how it's done! But as a dumb big city boy, what do I know?

Too cool!

Nice pictures. I imagine that the plywood sheet feels a little small with a cat on the other side.

quote:

Originally posted by sunrise:

quote:

Originally posted by Dagga Boy:
As for dispatch, a wolfer I know kills even the biggest dogs with a .22 short through both lungs. The small hole has no effect on the fur value.

DB,

Any idea what a .243 fmj would do to pelt value?

..

. I,ll post some pics when I get some animals with my 243 .as I,m mostly using Barnes Sptx Bt solids and I,m going to try the Hornady 80 gr FMJ . The key I think would be where you hit the animal , and the velocity . .. Rick Kinmon recommends 2800fps mv with the 80 gr Hornady fmj . aparantly it won,t blow a fox's guts out or a lynx either . But still is a good load for wolves ......

Wendell,

Great cat! I've weighed many cats over the past 25 years doing control work,fur trapping and calling and it is a rare cat indeed that goes over 25 pounds in Texas. He is obviously a very large and prime tom, from the size of his head. He had to have the genetics for size, combined with an excellent diet.

Many times when you go into a new area you will find one of these magnum sized toms. It will usually increase the overall population once you take him out of the area. Congratulations for a nice double. I used to snare as far as a mile away from these large bait stations and take mature coyotes for months. The closer to the large bait, the greater you select for younger and less experienced coyotes. In control work, I am usually trying to kill the older pairs as opposed to fur trapping the younger ones, so most of my methods and tactics center on adults. Glad to know you are multi-talented.

Tundragriz lucky for us next season we'll be able to buy it across the counter, what is the cost? ....$6 or so but the season is going to be short. I've been trapping in wmu3a this fall/winter 3 'yote, 11 red, 28 coon on the boards with 2 cats and a fisher released

Wendell:
Have you used the live traps before?
I did some for bobcats in the mid 60's with one I made from 1/2' x 1" wire mesh.
Found it real good to wedge it between two tree's and tie it solid.
They really raise hell when caught in one.
I got six that one summer. Traded them live to a cousin that kept a bunch in a big wire cage.

Also caught a badger in it. That didn't last long as it sure tore the trap up. Went out the bottom thru a hole it made in the wire after biting it all over. Scrapped it after that and gave up trapping. I was in it just for the thrills.

Nice pictures,
George