Author Topic: Your favorite bobcat set? (Read 1907 times)

Corey Hain · « **on:** December 06, 2003, 05:04:17 AM »

Just curious what everyone's favorite cat set is? I sure seem to like either a snare set in a trail. or a big blown out dirthole. Whats everyone else like? Corey

Asa Lenon · « **Reply #1 on:** December 06, 2003, 05:58:49 AM »

I don't think any set could nab more cats in my locality than a big, visible, eye appealing dirt hole set, lured with a good cat or canine call type lure. I've been trapping in sand and snow country for 50+ years and don't ever recall seeing evidence a cat passed up one of these sets. Ace

coyotero · « **Reply #2 on:** December 06, 2003, 12:13:57 PM »

Depending on location either a flagged set(up in Rim rocks or caves) or a big dirt hole.

jim-NE · « **Reply #3 on:** December 06, 2003, 02:17:26 PM »

I like dirtholes, too. Had good luck with double dirtholes on both cats and coons. Two holes, one dirt pattern in front and one trap bedded between the two holes. Can really make a set variety with this arrangement by using different baits, different sized holes, and varrying the angle of the holes. If one hole is at a low angle and other is more vertically straight down, you get a lot of movement across your trap because the cat or coon have to shift their feet and move their head forward to check out both holes.
big piles of dirt either in front or in back of the holes is a plus for eye eppeal, too.

rascal (Joe Duncan) · « **Reply #4 on:** December 07, 2003, 11:25:17 AM »

I agree with the others about the dirtholes. However, today I made my first two cat sets and neither were dirtholes. I do use dirtholes a lot and have good luck with them. However, I am working a rock bluff on a ridge right now that has a good overhang and a dirthole is nearly impossible there. SOOO! I found a nice overhang where the cat is working and put in a set using a piece of antelope skin and hair hanging above and behind the set. I then placed my trap about 8" out from the back of the ledge and used debris and rock to guide. Almost like walk-through. Lured with gland and urine. I hope to take my digital tomorrow and maybe get a pic of the set or even better would be a cat in the set. :lol: The other set I made was a whole cottontail rabbit that was a road kill and I hung it from a cedar just to where the cat would have to hold his head up a little to get up and smell the rabbit. At the base of the cedar is a call lure and trap. Let's see if that works. I have had good luck with it in the past.

jim-NE · « **Reply #5 on:** December 07, 2003, 04:54:24 PM »

would love to be able to use that level of flagging/bait appeal at cat sets here, but we are limited to a bait law that allows very little to be visible in "plain sight" within 30 feet of foothold traps. No feathers, flesh, fur, etc. as these are considered "bait" under the law. I tried strips of fake fur one year soaked in bait solution, but didn't have much luck with it. I went to flagging with wads of cassette tape hung over the sets, and had some luck with that. Also tried AOL CDs (free in mail) for flash, and had some success with those also.
But, then nailed a female cat at a post set with nothing more than fox urine for attractor...and started scratching my head over that one. Went back to big double dirthole sets and never looked back after those.
Jim-NE

Asa Lenon · « **Reply #6 on:** December 07, 2003, 05:06:38 PM »

Jim NE Writes..
But, then nailed a female cat at a post set with nothing more than fox urine for attractor...and started scratching my head over that one.

Generally, most trappers don't think of cats like canines as being territory marking animals. I use big visible scent post sets in the Winter for fox and coyote lured with fox gland-passion lure, coyote gland-passion lure or just plain canine urine. These sets pick up every passing bobcat as well. While other cat trappers in the area are all using cubbies and sometimes having problems, i'm cleaning up at scent post sets. Ace

RdFx · « **Reply #7 on:** December 08, 2003, 01:24:13 AM »

Amen Ace, now you opened some trappers eyes, you and i have know that and other trappers for years.... CATS CAN SMELL besides having good eyesight :wink:

Asa Lenon · « **Reply #8 on:** December 08, 2003, 02:35:48 AM »

RdFx: Yes, trappers tend to underestimate the cat's smelling ability. I've seen solid evidence of cats in cold winter temperatures coming directly into a dab of lure at a subtle blind scent set from 100 feet or more. That is a GOOD sense of smell! I've read studies that indicate a canine can smell about 400 times better than a human and a cat can smell 25 times better than a human. While the cats figures don't compare to the canines, that is still a great sense of smell when considering that I can smell a lured set on a nice frosty morning. Ace :-)

oso lento · « **Reply #9 on:** December 08, 2003, 08:07:35 AM »

this year I've caught 4 cat's in simple post sets with red fox urine on a little tuff of grass, 2 in snares and none in big flashy sets.

rascal (Joe Duncan) · « **Reply #10 on:** December 09, 2003, 01:12:33 AM »

I too, catch cats in dirtholes and post sets, but in the rimrock, this is my favorite.

Asa Lenon · « **Reply #11 on:** December 09, 2003, 03:10:17 AM »

No rimrock in these parts rascal. Cats frequent swampy and heavy cover areas where rabbits and grouse reside for food. Any place in the North country where there is easy going through the heavy cover/swamp is the place for a cat set. This includes places where pipe lines, power lines, old logging roads, old railroad grades, etc pass through the heavy cover or where ridges or fields meet with heavy cover. Can't keep cats out of traps set in these areas. Most of the cat trappers up here use cubbies to keep their traps from being snowed under. However, as I said before, dirt hole sets before the snow and big visible scent post sets after the snow work better than cubbies from my experiences. When using cubbies, one will get a lot of cat walk-bys unless they use some common sense. The cubby should be constructed to appear natural as though it is a natural brush pile or pocket under the evergreen boughs. The cubby should be large enough so as to not make the cat feel crouded should he enter for the bait hanging in the back. To ensure he doesn't feel crouded, make cubbies big enough so a normal size cat can turn around once he is inside. Most cats are never going to be hungry when roaming a rabbit/grouse area so they don't always respond to the best hunk of bait one might have hanging in the cubby. This is where a good cat lure with multiple ingredients and musks shine. Cats can't resist these odors as they love to get them rubbed on to their fur as cover scents to hunt and stalk. A gob of good cat lure should be smeared just inside the cubby entrance, around the upper rim of the entrance so the cat has to make a step inside and pass over or through the trap to get at it. :-) Ace

rascal (Joe Duncan) · « **Reply #12 on:** December 09, 2003, 01:50:13 PM »

Ace;

You state:
"places where pipe lines, power lines, old logging roads, old railroad grades, etc pass through the heavy cover or where ridges or fields meet with heavy cover."
All of those are great for cat here as well. Those locations here are just packed with rabbit, rats, birds, etc.
I seldom use cubbies. I like the walk-throughs at the rimrock bottoms and on top of the rimrock a good post, flat, or dirthole. I like the dirtholes and post along those other locations you mention.
And as you say- a cat seldom goes hungry so I concentrate on the old saying about "curiousity killed the cat". When I hang a flag of any kind, it is simply to pull him in and then the combination of flag and curiousity lure works well for me. I won't start on cats until Jan. Here they just aren't fully primed and furred until then. Our cat season extends through Feb. 28 and the Feb. cats are the best.

Asa Lenon · « **Reply #13 on:** December 09, 2003, 02:16:58 PM »

Geeezzze rascal, Oklahoma has all the terrain advantages of Michigan with the addition of rimrock cat country too! Ace :grin:

lynx/cat-trapper · « **Reply #14 on:** December 09, 2003, 07:35:12 PM »

OK...now the "fun" begins...I'm gonna pee in BOTH Asa's and Joe's cheerio's...lol...A "favorite" set of MANY western trappers does NOT employ any bait...or dirt hole..OR attractants such as Joe's pic shows...NONE of the above..and there are SEVERAL western trapper that account for SEVERAL HUNDRED cats each ...EACH season...basically goes against the "grain" of most trappers and "mentors"...but it DOES work on cats and if used could thin out an area very quickly....think I'll "leave it" at that...

laters
lynx....ps...I'm "only" shooting for 50 cats this year... :eek:

rascal (Joe Duncan) · « **Reply #15 on:** December 10, 2003, 01:32:05 AM »

Lynx;
Man, you aren't peeing in my cheerios. :lol: I use what I know and what seems to work for me. I am not at all familiar with "western" style of trapping cats except for what I have read or seen in video. Never had the chance to trap "out west".
BUT, I AM HERE TO LEARN AS WELL!! I sure don't know it all. And now you have my curiousity all up! If there is no attractant (sight or scent) that rules out even a toilet set or scent post. The only thing my feeble brain will conceive then would be a blind set.
As far as "shooting for" goes, I am shooting for 1. Then I'll shoot for another, and another. :wink:
P.S. Isn't a squeaker still considered an attractor?

Ace;
Only certain parts of Oklahoma hold the type terrain we are talking about. The southeastern portion mainly. I live within two miles of a several thousand acre lake (do a search for Lake Wister) and trap within a half mile of it on private property. Several large bluffs there. Lots of "clear cuts" here as well as logging roads to and from and old dozer roads for pipeline and power lines. Mingled in is pasture land and where the old roads, pipelines, etc. enter the thick rough timber land is one of my favorite locations for the canines. One dozer road (about 1/4 mile long) along a ridge top has yielded me 5 coyote and 6 grey fox since season started Dec. 1st.

Rob Meyers · « **Reply #16 on:** December 10, 2003, 05:58:40 AM »

Your right rascal it's nothing more than a blind set. O'Gorman covers it in his first bobcat video, if you have read about his mafia set that's all it is. You can use lure or leave it totally blind.

rascal (Joe Duncan) · « **Reply #17 on:** December 10, 2003, 01:02:33 PM »

Rob;
O'Gorman also talks about the Mafia set in his book "Hoof Beats of a Wolfer". I suspected it might be a blind but am always looking for something different to try.

Rob Meyers · « **Reply #18 on:** December 10, 2003, 02:45:23 PM »

Joe that set is also covered in Mel Hershburger's book. Good luck on them cats.

lynx/cat-trapper · « **Reply #19 on:** December 11, 2003, 03:07:52 AM »

You know guy's...a person can use whatever method that works for them..from dirtholes to flat sets...whatever...but the BIG numbers guy's catch the largest percent in BLIND sets guided EXTREMELY heavy...you'll miss the dogs etc...but NOT the cats. I know a guy in Nevada that took 170+ cats last year...blind sets only...kinda goes against the grain but it DOES work.
later
lynx

RdFx · « **Reply #20 on:** December 11, 2003, 03:58:37 AM »

Lynx that fellow must have a GOOD population of cats! Blind sets do work well and if made right will take alot of animals....When muskrats and mink are in high numbers one can just blind set and take a huge number of animals without luring or making fancy sets..............BUT........... if you want to take that extra percentage you use differant sets but simple sets to pique the attention of cats...... cats are like women and all you male trappers out there know what i mean :wink: . Any female trappers reading this just throw male in where i inserted female and it will work too :?

Asa Lenon · « **Reply #21 on:** December 11, 2003, 06:37:29 AM »

I have to agree with RdFx. I've had some outstanding Western trappers reveal to me their productive methods of cat trapping at blind and trail sets without lure or baits. However, their cat numbers are way higher than they are in my region and the terrain is so much different that their productive methods would only work marginally here. Ace :-)

Rob Meyers · « **Reply #22 on:** December 11, 2003, 09:26:09 AM »

170+ bobcats that's amazing, I trap in district#3 here in Montana and the quota for this district is 175. Trappers in this district are allowed to take seven, that trapper in NV probably catches that many before lunch. There are 7 trapping districts in Montana with a statewide quota of 1,250 cats.

lynx/cat-trapper · « **Reply #23 on:** December 11, 2003, 06:16:34 PM »

Asa and Rob...very true...what works in the rocks..doesnt work in the woods!!! I hate to say it...but I am going to be "regressing" for the next two months...cat season...BUT I will not only be using the blind sets...but a combination of other sets as well...I'll document and we'll see what "appens"...
later
lynx....

lynx/cat-trapper · « **Reply #24 on:** December 11, 2003, 06:23:28 PM »

Rob...I talked to the guy quite extensively...he show'd me a picture of last years take...I counted to 150 and had bunches more to go...He also showed me the picture of the check...cats/coyotes and all...over $50,000...that is one HE** of a paycheck!!! I've hit over $10,000 in a month...but no way near this(his IS over a 4 month period..but still..)!!! The guy's way down to earth...AND basics...we WILL see..
later
lynx

Rob Meyers · « **Reply #25 on:** December 12, 2003, 10:19:46 AM »

That's an impressive catch, good luck on them cats lct!

u.p.trapper · « **Reply #26 on:** December 12, 2003, 11:28:16 AM »

Ace I agree started using post sets this year and the cats have been super one 38 pounder and one 44 pounder these were picked up on accident in coyote sets.I set them just how your dad showed in the video it works ,I have had my best season,great video for are conditions.Thanks John

Asa Lenon · « **Reply #27 on:** December 12, 2003, 01:48:47 PM »

U. P. Trapper: Glad to jhear you are doing great on cats, coyote and fox this year and that my Dads video has helped you tremendously.

Concerning bobcat catches at post sets, its a combination of good scent and visibility. A local trapper told me had seen some of your sets using the hollow knots as the post and scent holder. These hollow knots are deadly on coyote and they also offer the curiosity element to passing cats.

Keep up the good work John! Ace :grin:

lynx/cat-trapper · « **Reply #28 on:** December 30, 2003, 05:54:49 PM »

WELL....our cat season opened the 14th of this month...to date we have taken 21 cats to date on this method.....not bad for 16 days...if we can keep up the pace...GOOD season!!!
later
lynx