I've never hit 100 cats in a season, but this year (2018) I made the grade. #100 came on July 12th on a hot 96 degree Texas day.
Lots of road/buggie miles this year for sure and a whole load of FUN and HARD WORK!

Folks may wonder if summer bobcats have value and I would say yes if you know where to market them. Spots are always pretty to folks.
I sold the Tom today for $100 on the carcass to folks who tan them and resell.

Congrats.You look a bit like Hal.

Nice

Nice job

WTG Mark!

Congrats Mark...A milestone to be proud of for sure!

Bobcat U

Good job Mr June!! A hundred cat in one season!!!... U should put on a trapping school with skills like that. Lol. I'm shooting for a hundred in my live.

Great job Mark. you are "the man"...

Awesome number, Mark. I remember, many,many moons ago, catching my first Number 100 muskrat and then later, Number 100 beaver. They are memorable personal achievements. Congratulations.

Nice! Would that cats' spots be that pronounced on his sides in winter? Pretty cool hide I remember you posting you get some ocelot looking ones. That one kinda does.

Incredible

Awesome! I've never caught a bobcat, don't have a season here (I live close to where you used to). You should tan and keep that one for the milestone memory!

Cats cats cats, I'm chomping at the bit...my favorite animal to trap...

To try and trap...lol

Congrats

Ditchdiver,

I'm fortunate to trap states that have no limit on bobcats (Nebraska and Texas this year). I'd have never done this many can of course where there aren't many kitties. That being said I've probably made a couple thousand bobcat sets this year (no way to count), driven by a bunch of "nothing", been rained on, snowed on, blown on, sleeted on, been covered head to toe in dust and dirt, and did I mention ticks? Cats have 'em and some cats have 'em bad. Really really bad. Love it when ticks are crawling on my Polaris and sometimes they find the driver! Thank goodness for Sawyer brand promethrin!!!

That being said, I got to "rodeo" with 100 bobbies with my Ketch-All pole and that my friend is worth the effort. Sent 67 January-March caught cats to NAFA and the remainder are getting tanned or got sold along the way to the landowner. No pelts wasted, even during the months of April-July. They all have spots that someone wants. The CITIES administrator here in Austin says I'm the only trapper in Texas asks for tags after May each year. Guess I'm different!!

Making 1,000's of bobcat sets gets you tuned onto what works... and what works better. What kind of flagging works and which works better. What kind of lure works and which ones work better and so forth. Knowledge is gained in numbers whether you are muskrat trapping, raccoon trapping or in this case bobcat trapping.

My fav set is a big dirt hole with Widowmaker bait & Windwalker lure + bobcat scat juiced up with bobcat urine.

Mark

Mark, I hope NTA will let you do trapping demos

Nice spots

Enjoy reading your posts very much. Thanks for sharing !!

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.

I might add that given the opportunity, all trappers who want to continue to learn should keep traps in the ground as many days as they can and in as many different spots as possible.

I've found that trappers who have trapped many places discover there are many things to learn. It's because what you "think" you know may not work in a completely different location.

Those who trap one area year after year seem too often seem to have it all figured out.

I've trapped from minus Celsius to 100+ and from the bush to the brush and I know first hand that there are adjustments that need to be made to catch as much as possible.

Mark I remember way back watching you do a demo at the Hope Township Hall in southern mi, the demo was on the mouse hole set for Fox....Mr Cullers was the president of the southern trappers association at that time..I believe I was 15yrs old at that time, 49 now but I can still picture it like it was yesterday...lol

Mr Cullers showed me the ropes on trapping back in them days along with a couple other friends or family members of Cullers..

You mentioned Seney above, ever do any fisher trapping in the area?
I’m planning a trip to Seney and around Shingleton this December to trap Fisher and Bobcat...

Ambush,

Back in the late 70's and early 80's when I trapped Seney, we didn't think Fishers. Boy, how the time has flown my friend.

Caught #103 and #104 today, both on bigger dirt holes with no bait... Predator Frenzy lure + Silent Stalker (cat gland) down the hole.

The Tommie was traveling the roads as Tommies do;


The female was headed to water;

nice work

Thanks Ron!

Much appreciated

Nice!!
Cat trapping is so addicting...

Ambush,

Yessir. And it's not all peaches and cream. I caught a coyote but I missed two cats at sets today with both not stepping where I showed 'em to! Sometimes the bear eats you.

The heat kicked my tail today but I did see two small black buck antelope fawns running with their mammas, jumping in the air and bounding as they do, and it's always fun to see the 'youngins of the season.

Thanks Mark I really appreciated your post-very informative, keep them coming and maybe u will catch Phil in the afterlife! LOL

Congrats Mark! That's awesome.

Way to go and Congratulations Mark, You are on the top of your game! What lessons have they been teaching you as of late? I sure enjoyed your school with you, Rusty and Mitchell! Keep teaching and keep us informed.

Jeff and Don,

Every time I think of you too at the Academy, I gotta be honest, I break into a big 'ol smile. You both were a treat.
Both you guys are workers and know what it takes to set a goal and work your bum off to achieve it. I wanted to hit 100 bobcats in a season (which for me is January through May or June or maybe even July) and I did so I can check that bucket list box!
No cats today but I did rack up two dogs and two raccoons.

Take good care guys,
Mark

Mark, how many coyotes have you caught since January?

Steeltraps, I'm taking a bit of a lunch break here and thought I'd fire up TMan and see what's happening. I did catch another cat today and I'll post it later but to answer your question, I'm at 182. A predator job where I am usually the 3rd or 4th level of "trapper" doesn't make for monster coyote numbers. I'm after each one... one at a time. The fur line in virgin territory is the numbers ticket in coyote trapping. 182 is a bunch of fawns saved on my ranches!

I keep a spreadsheet of all my catches. I'm a little over 280 raccoons also (darn things). About 780 total animals. I like to see what my percentage of "non-targets" is as I trap because non-targets don't fire up the man paying me as much as targets so they are counter-productive. The mess up the trap spot, they take your valuable time as you reset, etc.

Mark, I know how you feel. Last 21 day job I did in Sumter County Alabama was my worst ever! Followed 2 trappers that had been on 14000 acres for last 4 years trapping 2 times a year. RAINED almost everyday! Out of the 28 coyotes I caught 5 where missing toes! LOTS of trap shy coyotes! Side diggers like you wouldnt beleive. Even with Fox Frenzy,Coyote Frenzy, and Predator Frenzy in my bag I still struggled! Im at 207 coyotes since Feb 12 th with 4 contracts jobs of 14 days each left. Hoping for 300 plus on the coyotes this year. The 2 trappers I followed only got 7 coyotes in 2 weeks. The owner said they = Sat on the porch and whitled while it rained. I haul 6 five gallon bucks of dry dirt in the ranger with me when it rain and keep going. Owner payed me and booked two 14 day contracts for next year. I love it when they book that far in advance!! Glad to see im not the only one out in 100 degree weather using Mark June lures!

"Those who trap one area year after year seem too often seem to have it all figured out."

Not everyone that traps the same area year after year thinks that way. And after many conversations with you, I figure you know that.
Admittedly I have not been blessed to travel the US like you have. I have worked all of my life and trapped as much as I could. No big complaints but sort of wish I had gone West as a young man
Each year I look to learn more and from time to time I take more instruction.
Keep up the good work.
Any new DVDs coming out? That last one was a good one for sure!

mac

Mac,

Yep. Folks that trap the same area year after year should expect to see reduced numbers "if" they are denting the population densities. If they don't catch too much, it wouldn't matter too much. You know I have been blessed, primarily to have a wonderful, hard working wife (Donna) who runs our business each and every day. When you have your own business, as many of you who do know, you get to work more hours and more hours and more hours sometimes! She sure does, because I'm not at the business 24/7 like she is. Heck, trappers like talking to her better anyway!

No new DVDs coming out soon. Our lures are used in Australia and I was going to join a big-time dingo dog trapper last year, but I just couldn't take the month to go to that continent and trap. Was going to film that! Maybe next year.

I did catch bobcat #105 today, a female. Caught her on a post set rigged a certain way (a secret) that caught her eye. She hadn't had her kittens yet strangely enough. Had three in her.

Tomorrow is the final trap check for what I call my predator season.... Jan-July this year.

Steeltraps,

Good for you on the repeat customers. You must be doing them a good job. There are so many folks in search of a quality coyote trapper they can trust to work hard and not fudge. Again, good for you brother!

Mark you're the best dressed trapper I've know, well done sir.

Now that's funny!

Don't know how these Mexicans can dress in long sleeves, but one of the amigos suggested to me to NOT wear T-shirts. "No T-cherts sen`or". So I went to what he was wearing - lightweight cotton shirts from wall-Mart.

I'm smiling in the picture but there are sweat droplets forming on my entire face

I wear long sleeves now. had to get some skin cancer cut off a couple years ago. once your sweat soaks em down to the point you can wring salt water out of them its not to bad. Ill be glad when winter comes back.

Mark, I dont wear long sleeves, I may have to give it a try August 1st in South Alabama heat! What I do wear is a boonie hat. I bought an Army Boonie hat one size to small. That way it fits tight to my head. I can dip the top of the boonie hat down in the cooler, get some water on it, and with the tight fit it keep my head wet but it doesnt let the water run down in my eyes. HAVE to keep my bald head from getting sun burned

Boonie Hat, Now that's a good idea steeltraps!

I caught Bobcat #105 yesterday and called it good for 2018's predator control calendar. 105 degrees yesterday. WHEW. Tommie was a middle of the road cat who fell for a group of turds set in a strategic fashion. With the number of cats I found on this property, I decided to use "territorial" sets and smells and it payed off.

The rancher had 7 bobcats on his cross fenced 750 acres or in other words... 1 bobcat per 100 acres. Off the charts high density.


No wonder I was finding adult and fawns killed!
Mission accomplished.

There's another thread going right now about an ingredient that attracts bobcats.
I already found the secret sauce ingredient that does the job on BOBCATS ALL YEAR LONG IN ALL KINDS OF WEATHER.
It's ________ _________ (two words)

Mark . WOW! 7 bobcats on 700 acres is good. I quess my best in South Alabama has been 9 bobcats in 10 days on 5000 acres. I have trapped places in Alabama, with as much as 30,000 acrs and have NEVER caught double digits on bobccats before. BUT its on my bucket list! Have a 14 day contract coming up thats 20000 acres. That might get me to 10 cats = double digits if im lucky. Its not been trapped in 3 years, I been tooled. Will see in August

I'll guess....HARD WORK! Nice job Mark, you have true dedication and passion for what you do! thank you for taking us along the journey, I always enjoy your posts!

Dusty

Chrystal - Meth

...joke of course Mr. June ....but I saw you do a demo once and it made me wonder lol

LOL

Good stuff Mark, congratulations on a great season.

I started wearing long sleeve button down shirts when out in the summer sun several years ago. It’s a great way to keep the sun off you and it actually seems to keep me cooler than wearing just a T-shirt. I wear thin, 3 1/2 to 4 ounce, 100% cotton shirts.

Same here. Long sleeves keep the sun off you, and as long as it is wicking material it keeps you cooler than letting the sweat stick to you in this humid area. Plus it lowers the risk of skin cancer I think.

I guess I am missing something. You claim your products are made to reduce non targets but mentioned the high number of non targets plugging up your sets. Could you elaborate?

tbn,

Not sure what you're asking but when I put pen to paper looking at the non-targets, raccoons are the main booger that muck up my sets and get to the trap first before coyotes and bobcats. I use a lot of baited sets, even with the heat, the fire ants, the TX red ants, the Mexican eagles, etc. Bait flat nails my predators in the heat months so I run it hard. My choice is my Widowmaker and Rusty Johnson's Lucky Bait. I don't use anything else as bait unless once and a while I nab a pack rat or similar.

My skunk and opossum numbers this season were 7 skunks in leg holds as well as 21 opossums. No feral cats or dogs in the region, so with all the trap nights I had.... I had a "non-targeted" catch ration of 2.44% on these animals. Very low indeed.