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#3658 - 12/07/05 04:23 PM Bobcats not committing to the set.
phutch36 Offline
Member

Registered: 06/17/05
Posts: 136
Loc: MT
In the last 4 days Ive had 5 cats blink (not work)my sets. They come in to check it out and either sit on a rock beside it watching it or they walk away after a quick look.We have 6+" of snow so its real easy to see what they did. I understand cats will be cats but 5 in 4 days has me concerned. All my sets have urine, cat gland and one other type lure,either a castor/skunk or food/curiosity, and all have flags either bird wings or a strip of deer or antelope hide.I use predominately walk tru sets with a few cubby/walk tru type sets. Anyone have any thoughs.

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#3659 - 12/07/05 11:06 PM Re: Bobcats not committing to the set.
DesertTrapper Offline
Member

Registered: 03/29/05
Posts: 28
Loc: Nevada
Phutch,

Must be real frustrating. Not to mention some decent dollars walking away. But at least you have got yourself right on top of several cats and that is a huge plus.

You said you are using walk thru's. Must not be on the trails however. Different trappers call different sets by that name, but a real good cat set is a trail set with lure added. Heavy brush or rock blocking so if the cat walks down the trail he has to step on a trap to get through. Some use two traps. The lure is optional. It adds to the set by getting the cat to mill around more or circle over the trap. But the key is the location.

Snares are a good bet too. Leave the sets where they are, maybe freshen up with more scent or bait, and place snares on all the trails coming and going.

Best of luck.

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#3660 - 12/08/05 01:36 PM Re: Bobcats not committing to the set.
Otterwater0566 Offline
Member

Registered: 02/01/04
Posts: 440
Loc: Austin, AR
If you are sure of what they are doing around your sets,(went over and sat on a certain rock or whatever) then make some blended flat sets around your main sets and try to catch them milling around near your main set, add no other attractant at the flats. LOL

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#3661 - 12/08/05 02:44 PM Re: Bobcats not committing to the set.
phutch36 Offline
Member

Registered: 06/17/05
Posts: 136
Loc: MT
The problem with adding flat sets or any unprotected set, is the weather. I am pretty much limited to sets under rock overhangs. Otherwise the sets are snowed in or drifted in within a couple of hours. I have some snares out but the cats around here dont really stick to what few trails we have. They tend to hunt rabbits around large rocky out crops and dont travel the same route every time. Every year I get a cat or two that makes me go Hmmmmm, but in the last couple of checks they seem to be avoiding the sets. There are a ton of rabbits around this year. maybe they are just fat and happy. Thanks for the thoughts

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#3662 - 12/09/05 02:03 AM Re: Bobcats not committing to the set.
Dusty Offline
Member+

Registered: 12/15/00
Posts: 420
Loc: North Pole, Alaska, USA
When there's lots of food around, lynx (and I presume bobcats) can be almost impossible to reliably catch in cubbies. A hint of exposed bait - like a bunny ear, something that makes them have to get in the trap to see it - sometimes works.

I set most of my traps 4-5 feet out from the back of my cubby. They seem to like to walk up and look in, and I can play that game too.

Bait, lure, attractor changes don't seem to make much difference, as long as you're using something reasonable in the first place. They go in or they don't.

Just put the trap where they want to go and don't try to force them.

I hang lots of snares in years that I have this problem.

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#3663 - 12/09/05 03:05 AM Re: Bobcats not committing to the set.
Mike McChurin Offline
Member

Registered: 12/03/02
Posts: 497
Loc: NE Oklahoma
O.L. Butcher said it best: "Sometimes cats can be snooty." smile Try what Dusty and the others recommended.

Mike

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#3664 - 12/10/05 03:04 AM Re: Bobcats not committing to the set.
parsimony Offline
Junior Member

Registered: 10/20/05
Posts: 10
Loc: MT
If I am right in guessing where abouts you are trapping (from your cat photos), aren't there a fair number of folks after cats down in that general area? Could that have something to do with it?

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#3665 - 12/11/05 04:23 AM Re: Bobcats not committing to the set.
phutch36 Offline
Member

Registered: 06/17/05
Posts: 136
Loc: MT
I guess it was just cats being cats as I caught two of them today. So 1 more and Im done.

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#21761 - 12/13/14 05:41 PM Re: Bobcats not committing to the set. [Re: phutch36]
Archive Offline


Registered: 03/12/03
Posts: 1486
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