Congratulations Mr. June

Did any of the cats stand out of the bunch, spot wise? I am new to the cat show, I've only caught a few...

Nice job Mark

Mac

Nice! Living the dream...

That is a good looking cat. Your 100 cat year is something to be very proud of and that hasn't been accomplished by very many I bet. Great job!

Thanks Mac.
Oldtimer, there were some very nice specimens and I wish I had more time when I'm trapping to skin them for taxidermists, but I just don't. I use the time I have for running traps. It's not feasible to haul freezers and freeze the carcass whole either (but it's something I have done as some of these beauties are nice $$$ to the high end taxidermists).

Caught #101 today!!
Caught her on a 2-turd set juiced up with coyote gland on one turd and bobcat gland on the other.
The new rancher I'm on is tickled with me so far so got me on the adjacent rancher today. So now I have "two" daily rates coming in. Yessiree... Gotta love it plus any kitties are bonus $$.

I was doing the numbers and I caught Mr. #100 on night #136 trapping during this year.

I run anywhere from 75-150 traps on average, so that comes out to 13,600 trap check nights during the 136 days (an average of 100 sets per day during the time frame).

I know I wasn't always in "better than average" cat country during the 138 days... some places were void or had very few cats. Some places had more than people realized. This ranch I'm on currently on for example told me they've only seen 3 cats in 12 years, and I've caught two cats in two nights. Of course other ground HAS CATS!

The further south I go in Texas, the better the population and pelts. It seems backwards, but God designed it, not me.

If someone asks me how to catch this many bobcats in a single season, the take away is:
hard work, location, hard work, great (not good)... great gear and smells, and hard work!

Mark

WOW! Unreal.

I was pondering the fact that according to these stats, I had a bobbie waiting for me every 136 sets. Not sure if that's good or bad?
I do know this wasn't trapping the "cream" and moving on to new cream. 6 of the 100 were fur trapped and the remainder were predator trapped meaning I had to squeeze the lemon for every last bobcat I could find... and then squeeze some more..
The old wolfers know this on coyotes as they strive to catch the last coyote. I apply this not only to coyotes but to bobcats too and it's a real challenge as some cats sure like thick cover, especially if they've learned how to kill and everyone (and his dog) is out to kill them at all cost. Makes for fun trapping!

Couple PMs to me asking why I trap this time of year? This pic tells the story.

Classic bobcat kill of a day old Axis deer fawn. Belly cavity cleaned out like a surgeon and the carcass partially consumed. Coyotes chew from the back end but eat the whole thing and scatter it around (when you can find it)).
One of the things predation control requires is "CSI" work... identifying what killed the victim.

Bobcat #100 was caught 1000 feet away the morning of this photo according to my Garmin GPS. The killer? Hard to say, but I know it was a bobcat.
Everyone wants the coyotes killed, but bobcats are good at what they do.

It is normal for cats to cover any thing they have been feeding on here.

Jim

I appreciate you sharing the information Mark. Especially the numbers on your catch ratios. I know population density plays a big part of it but catch ratios always intrest me. How long will you keep trapping this summer?

You may have said this already but do you release the females. I DON"T CARE HOW POPULAR OR GOOD A TRAPPER you are if you are allowing kits to starve to death than shame on you. Plus (in my opinion) if this area is going to be future trapping ground aren't you really hurting the area by trapping year round ! But what do I know.

As for your "milestone" congrats but several people (certainly not me) could do that in one season if they didn't have a start/stop date . LOL Heck this is JULY. When does the "season " stop and reset .................

YEA PLUS THE SEASON NEVER ENDS .. LOL

if u have mice in ur house do u worry about the babies if you catch momma? You may say that's different but that's only because the mouse is a problem to you and you see it from a different perspective.

Mark, congrats! Thank you for telling your story, I really enjoy the way you tell it! Stay safe.

#102 today

A couple responses here related to the length of a "season". Yep, anybody could catch 100 cats in a year, it's easy. Just need traps and a steady back is all.
I've been meaning to tell Phil Brown that anybody could catch 1,000 red fox in eastern PA... piece of cake
Or that anybody could catch 150+ coyotes like Zagger in NY if they had 3 weeks off work like he has... probably more given the right moon phase
As I mentioned, this is predator work within an enclosure from start to finish and with every one you catch, there are that many less. Try catching kitties or coyotes that way and it'll humble you for sure.

As far as momma cats, predator work is as old as prey and predators in God's Kingdom here on Earth. There is always winners and losers. I never try to maim something I don't intend to kill, I use the pelts as often as I possibly can, and as a biologist, I realize fully the ebbs and flows of nature and "balance". All my land owners appreciate this style of trapper. I'll rest easy on that. Other views are a Walt Disney version of animals.

Mark

They sure look different from wy cats

That is unreal! Outstanding work.

By the end of the year, maybe you'll hit 150.

Ever try any bobcat trapping up north? Tough part, at least in Wi, is drawing a tag. It can take 8 years or so to draw a Wi tag.

AJE,

I wrap up Wednesday of this week and I'm done trapping until I start fur trapping in Nebraska in December. I'm from Michigan so I know the "up north" trapping. Till the age of 45 I lived and trapped in and around Fenton in the southern lower peninsula, Hillman in the northern lower, and Seney in the U.P. It's been interesting and I've learned much with eyes and ears open living in Michigan (45 years), Nebraska (10 years) and Texas (4+ years). Trapping various states and regions brings challenges as well as a bit of adventure.

One thing I've learned is that fur trapping is MUCH MUCH different than predator control trapping and that predator control trapping outside enclosures is different than predator control trapping inside enclosures and that... well the take away is that there is learning to be had if you have the mind set to learn.

Some trappers already know it all.
I do not.
But I love the challenge of learning God willing.