Bobcat trapping advice?

[mrasm282]

Hey all - I just found out that I drew a WI bobcat tag for this year, and am looking for some advice. I plan on trapping, and am interested in some scent/lure recommendations. This will be my first attempt at trapping a bobcat, so any additional information is welcome. Thanks!

 

[Gellar]

Bobcats are visual hunters. A wing or feather waving above a set will attract them sometimes.

 

[shoots-straight]

PM sent.

 

[mixedbag]

John Graham of Fur country lures makes good stuff as does OGorman

 

[johnp]

A good method to find the location of bobcats in the southwest part of Wisconsin would be to contact deer hunting folks that put out tons of trail cameras . Most are glad to let you know if they are getting bobcat photos. My experience with bobcats in the (Driftless) is they like to hang out on the cedar ridges that have rock outcrops. Good luck !

 

[phutch30]

1st choice-Set on sign or where you have seen sign in the recent past. Cats are creatures of habit. Been there once they will come through close to there again

2nd set terrain features or bottle necks in the terrain i.e where conifers narrow down to a funnel or rock ledges

3rd Feeding areas...What Graham calls "rabbitat

Use a visual attractor (if legal) right over the trap or at least at the set. I like bird wings, but just about anything will work

Use a little call lure near the set and some curiosity or gland lure at the set. Beyond the hype, Any reputable lure makers lure will work.

I like to use an exposed pan set for cats. They don't hesitate to step on the pan and it cuts down on non targets such as fox and coyote plugging up a cat set....its painful to follow cat tracks to a set and see a coyote or something else waiting for you with the cat tracks walking right on by.....which happens sometimes even with the set open. lol

You wont call a cat to your set from a long distance like you can with a canine. If your not on the cats travel path you might as well be setting on the moon. So think about where your gunna make a set. 1 or 2 well placed cat sets are worth way more than 20 haphazard sets

 

[mrasm282]

Thanks all!

 

[belshawelk]

Make sure you double check for items that are legal for bate and visuals. For example some states may allow types of rabbits to be used and others you cannot. Bird feathers as visual may or may not be allowed and it depends on the type of bird ( could use aluminum foil. Checking traps is a blast as you never know what you will get. Could be Bobcat, fox, coyote, kitten cougar. Its really fun.

 

[JosephBrown]

One thing that hasn't been said that I like to do. Cats are very slow quiet hunters. The ground can be loud, I read that they will climb on dead trees to be quieter. I tried trapping those and it works sometimes, it's not going to be a high success, but if all else fails try to find a fallen over log near some good hunting areas for them and place some traps at the base of the or try to conceal them on top of the log.