Your Northern Wisconsin country is the same as mine here in Upper Michigan. I've harvested around 800-900 bobcats over the years, many at sets made for coyote. I've never, and I mean never seen one shred of evidence in over 50 years that even one bobncat ever passed a good visible, eye appealing dirt hole set lured with a good musky smelling lure. I always use holes about 4" in diamenter made in short grass, moss, leaves etc for visibility and the hole dug into a small hump as a backing when ever possible. Like Newt said, 'cats will likely just step up for a quick examination of the hole and the contents and move on without working the set any further. Some coyotes do this too so I have always put a lot of emphasis on guiding techniques to put that foot on the pan as they step up to the hole. This might be a step-down indentation right over the pan, sand ridges built up along side of each trap jaw to step in between and/or guide sticks slanting outward from the trap and placed tightly against each jaw so the animal must step between them to see into the hole. No artifical flagging or other visuals is necessary. In the deep snow months there is two ways you can go, building cubbies or using scent posts. Most trapper don't think of bobcat as being territorial like canines but like the hole sets, i've never seen a bobcat pass a good visible scent post that is outstanding by standing alone in an open area. For example, I take my snowshoes and walk pipe lines where they pass through swampy areas in my locality and wherever I see bobcat or coyote tracks crossing the line I plant a big bundle of marsh grass or weeds tied together in a large bundle 18 " high and plant it firmly into the snow. Urine based gland lure is placed on the top of the bundle and to ensure the cat/coyote comes around to the trap side of the post I take a gob of my paste lure on a stick and tuck the stick right inside the bundle low down on the trap side. Post sets are harder to guide than dirt sets so this luring technique keeps them tracking around a bit. The most common method of cat trapping deep snow in this region is the cubbie set. It is important that the cubby be large enough for a large cat to enter and turn around in. Cats do not back up so sometimes are reluctant to enter cubbies too small for them. Natural looking cubbies can be constructed before season by leaning brush, logs, sticks, evergreen boughs, etc against trees in a formation to leave an entryway in the front. Large bait such as a chunk of beaver or a piece of liver are hung in the back of the cubby and a good musky lure is smeared around the inside upper rim of the entrance with more placed on further back near the bait. The trap is set just inside of the cubby with sticks or whatever placed to narrow down the entrance area where the cat will be stepping as he enters the cubby. A good lure is important here, cats that are not hungry will many times just walk right by cubbies with plain bait. Musky lures always get their attention as they like to get other animal odors on their fur as cover scents for hunting and stalking. I've never seen a bobcat pass a well formulated lure without wanting to get at it.
Bobcats should be found in your area of WI anyplace where high ground or easy going travelways meets cedar swamp or heavy evergreen cover. This might be old logging roads, pipe lines, power lines, etc cut through a swamp, any place where high ground meets low ground like a ridge running through heavy cover, the edge of a field where it meets heavy cover, etc. Cats like to slip quietly along such places where the going is quiet and easy while hunting for rabbits and grouse residing in the heavy cover. Sets should be made within 10 feet of the cover's edge and the prevailing wind and set visibility being taken into consideration when choosing set locations along old roads, etc. As I already said, no artificial flagging or visual items are necessary in this part of the country. Artificial flagging only educates coyotes about sets in this region. I don't know what your catch limit is but it is not unusual to harvest more than one bobcat at the same time in good locations so if more than one cat is wanted be sure to make a grouping of sets close together.
Hope this is helpful, good luck! I have six pages of canine trapping tips which also apply to bobcat when using the same sets. If you, or anyone would like the free tips, e-mail me at lenon@uplogon.com and i'll forward them over to you. Ace :grin:
