What set are you using for bobcats? I tried a dirthole set in a logging road last season, but came up empty.

Looking up info in my Manual of Game Investigational Techniques.For cats: curiosity baits a bird wing fluttering from a bush ;catnip;overhead can of sardines punctured to drip or stink baits such as grind fresh fish and place in a closed container with a small meshed air hole to keep out flies and allow gas to escape,leave 1 to 4 weeks until flesh is decayed.to each pint of liquid add 1 1/3 ounces of glycerin and 1/3 teaspoon of beaver castor mixing thoroughly.A USF&W Predator and Rodent Control Agent gave me some of his special stink bait to use. As I remember these are some of the ingredients:calfs brains,beaver castor,sex glands of female fox,coyote & bobcat & urine,limburger cheese placed in a gallon jar with an air hole covered with mesh to keep out flies and allowed to ripen for a few weeks in the sun then mix it all together this stuff was really rank ,had to be careful which way the wind was blowing when I opened the cantainer to bait a set.

I don't have any experience with bobcats. However, I have trapped their cousin the Lynx in Alaska. I have had great success with a cubby set using a bird wing tied with monofilament line. Select a tree and set your wing(I used duck wings)out from the tree and further out place the trap. I use guide sticks to lead the cat into the trap. Scents are good and should be placed the closest to the tree. I used moose hide/hair as a scent pad and placed the scent on it. This setup was very successful as the curiousity from the wing and the scent seem to sell them easily. My scent was made with beaver castors, lynx urine and salmon eggs that my partner and I made each season. This scent worked on Lynx, Marten, fox and wolverine as well. Good luck!

Thanks Guys! I'm going to try a variation of the bird wing set this season.

Tembo, check your state regs. on exposed baits before you try the ol' bird wing thing. There are better sets and methods anyways.

I've trapped cats for 30 years and trying to explain it without visuals or taking you in the field is tough.

I'd reccomend you buy the video Steve Wood just came out with, "bobCATching", it will be $40 well spent. Email him at nvsolitude@charter.net

He seriously knows what he's doing.

I have trapped a few myself. Reading your post, you don't tell us much. You say you placed a dirt hole set on a logging road and came up short.

Well, not to sound like a smart ass or anything like that, but the best bobcat set in the world isn't going to catch a bobcat where a bobcat isn't.

So the next question is, did you see actual sign of bobcat on that logging road. do you know for a fact that bobcat were using that area.

I don't know what others have to say about it, but in my opinion you pretty much have to be right on location with bobcat or you aren't going to get them no matter what type of set you have.

I have seen tracks and actually saw a bobcat walking down this logging road during deer season. The location of the hole was on a little rise right in the middle of the trail. I used Miranda Bobcat Supreme Lure in and around the set.

Tembo a trap in the middle of a road is probably a bad idea. Someones dog, child etc could easily get injured. A cubby on the side of the road with the bird feathers/wing like others mentioned would be a good way to go. It's interesting last week I opened a long sealed box and lo and behold there were some of my old traps---the ones I didn't get rid of. There are a couple vicktor coil spring leg hold traps and they still give me the willies setting them, I shudder to think of my kids stepping on one.

the chef

calgarychef1 I dont think that any person,adult or child would be injured by stepping on a #3 coilspring.

Tembo, I think you are on the right track. I am no expert on cats, but have caught quite a few. The dirt hole is a good set, the bigger the hole the better, with in reason, on cats. Also if you can get it in a bank were it is easier for him to see this has helped me. If legal in your state, bird feathers scattered around moving in the wind helps. Cats love brushpiles pushed up by bulldozers and the like. Fresh beaver meat is great cat bait also road killed rabbit. Good cat lure is available from most trapping supply houses, one of my favorites is Fox Hollow sold by Minnesota Trapline supply. Try GHII or Voo Doo. Ray Milligan's book is pretty good for a starting cat trapper, shows sets and guides well. The main thing I have found is set where the cats are, do not try to pull them to far. If I find a cat track or see a cat I set the trap as close as I can. The cat will be back in 7 to 12 days, patience is the name of the game. If you catch a cat it makes the set all the better in my experiance, I have caught several cats after I caught one the night before. Once you get a couple caught you find they are pretty easy to catch. Good Luck.

I have had my best luck on cats with cubby sets.

Tembo a Cubby or Dirt hole set , and I had my best luck on Lynx and Bobcat with cut up Squirrel that I had frozen from the Summer one made at least 4 sets , Saved some dry dirt to use over my traps when the dirt was wet and frozen , always using a pan cover , liked the 1 1/2 coil spring and #2 flat spring leg hold seemed to get just the foot , had a grey fox in the area and the #3 broke too many legs and all you would have is a foot - Have not trapped in years , my traps are now illegal to use here in California , but it was fun and well worth the effort at the time .

Linren2

What traps do you have that are illegal to use in California.

Any of the older leg hold traps the jaws are not padded or off set and no adjustment for setting the pan tension , I always set the pan light by feel - Has been at least 20 years + since I was trapping , and a lot of the laws have changed but I keep the old box of traps , might have to set them one of these days to feed off the night critters when night is all we have

Been a few years; but I used to focus mostly on bobcat.
A properly adjusted and timed trap is very important. Location down to the foot is very important.
For areas that don't allow any visible animal parts at a set; a small amount of polyester quilt fill looks a wholw lot like rabbit fur to a cat or fox.
Bobcats are as dumb as a creek rock in my opinion. He makes up for it by being as faster than a snake strike. A slow trap won't get many.
okie

mike williams

I agree, cats are not difficult to trap at all, but they do react quickly.

Where I live we cn still use killing traps and I have good luck with cubbies, beaver meat, an attractor (duck wing, foil pie plate) and a big connibear.

A friend of mine used 330's in beaver runs up away from the water on the North Canadian River. A mallard wing feather with a conibear on each side got him lots of cats. The big toms like beaver.
okie

Big Conies are hard to carry. If you are using em in trail sets for cats you might just as well hang a noose.