Lets see those cats.

Nothing yet. I'm targeting fisher for a few more days and then I'll switch gears to try and catch a few cats.

HOUTS

*

I've been wondering who would start it.


I drug out my welder yesterday and put a couple big pans on some number 3 long springs and dropped them in to mail for someone - really hoping to see some pics of a boy with his first cat in a few weeks. It really made me want to go set a few traps, but the temps and the low price is holding me back. On second thought I do have one really hot spot I could set heavy and check a couple days just for fun.

Yup. Waiting until closer to the holidays.

Osky

I will get him out to set them but conditions are tough right now. THANK YOU for sending Logan those traps! Those will be the first traps he owns.

Still working 50 plus hours at my job trapped 73 beavers since the 18th of november but have some big bait piles out so hopefully when i check them i can set snares but at this rate it wont be cold enough until season close

A little snow would be nice .

I caught my first after a 30 year break from trapping

By the way, has anyone had luck catching cats in power line clearing or would they be better for coyote?

I guess I will jump in!
Never had a year like this, three cats in three days.



Here is the obove cat again.

I would think it good. I have done well with Sid years ago in new and year old clear cuts before they got super bushy. Lots of mice In all that branchy residue left behind on the ground.

Great work Friar!

Osky

Mind if I ask how you did that? I've had traps set for two weeks or so "on sign" in multiple locations and still have not seen hide nor fur of a bobcat yet. I've captured them on scouting cameras but they haven't showed up again since I set the traps, not yet

I had best luck with coyotes in recent clear cuts for the very reason you suggest.

You may be on a travel route where they only come by once every few weeks. The closer you are to were they live the more times they will walk past your set. There are also travel routes where multiple cats pass on a regular basis.

Don't forget that cats are cats, and they might walk by your set every time and never give it a look.

A couple things I did different this year:
I spent from 5 am to 4 PM setting 41 sets on Saturday
I used some bait I made myself this summer so I could use a lot of it. Beaver chunked, SB fresh, with some Castor and salmon oil.
I used Andy Wieser's Montana Long Call lure
I trapped problem beaver all summer for the forestry, so I was in the woods almost every day, keeping track of where I saw the best sign.

Probably the biggest factor was luck, some of the ones I was most sure of have not shown a thing, and a couple of my least favorite sets scored.

Thanks for the help, guys. All of my sets are on locations where I have caught cat pics with my scouting cameras. I've got dirt hole sets, walk through sets and scent posts.

I may be picking up the same cat or there might be several in the area, I have no way of knowing. We had a bit of snow two days ago and I've done a fair bit of traveling in the area, both on foot and on my wheeler but I didn't cut a track.

I will endeavor to persevere.

Awesome Friar, on pace to get a Minnesota limit which isn't achieved easily!

There should be some pics after last night. The weather, the moon, no wind, it was a perfect cat night....

caught this big male Last Thursday. Not many sets out yet. The orange army is still in the woods.