Our Pennsylvania bobcat and fisher season opens soon.

I took a break from setting steel the last couple years.


I'm looking to make bobcat and fisher sets. I really don't want a fox or coyote clogging up a set lol.

I plan to construct cubbies.


I was wondering what the rule of thumb is for the size of the opening. I don't know that I will make any walk throughs...but I think the opening still has to be fairly good sized to make it look inviting. Bait/lure/attractor in the cubby. Trap guarding the opening and guided pretty hard.


Would it be worthwhile to get some sort of fencing? A roll of chicken wire or something? Any recommendations on what to use? If anything?

Could cut off enough to make a U shaped tunnel and use natural brush to close it and leave the front open.


The weather is always tough...rain/snow/freeze/thaw etc. I think cubbies will help. Nice dirt holes often turn into small ponds and then blocks of ice.


I have lots of options for keeping the trap running..peat, waxed dirt, glycol, screens, trappers caps, poly fill etc. I have learned the hard way that is critical. First couple seasons I didn't know any better and struggled and was digging traps out of frozen ground.



If anyone has pics of using fencing or something for cubbies id love to see them. I checked the archives and didn't find much but I know I've seen em before...

Heres one of the cat cubbies I made like 4 years ago. Bait is up against the tree under the pine boughs. Theres an entrance and an exit at the front with a trap on each with sticks or pine boughs in the middle.

Here's a cubby traps are out about 4' from the entrance.

For fisher an elevated box set with BG pan trigger trap set close to the bait:

For cats a walk through cubby with snares around it in all tight spots:

Thanx all!!


Only running footholds... should have mentioned that. Only allowed 1 Fisher and 1 cat.


I was thinking of using chicken wire or similar to make an upside down U shaped cubby. Cover with local debris and probably block off the back to create a nice inviting looking cubby. Hang an attractor deep inside and throw some bait deep in the back..maybe lure just inside and maybe call lure above the set with another attractor hung. Probably make it 2ft high and 2-3ft deep or whatever I can easily come up with from the spool of chicken fence. Guard the cubby with a foothold and try to guide it pretty heavy.


I think it'd be quicker and easier than trying to use all natural stuff to build the cubbies in many of the locations....good locations don't always make for easy setting....


I really wanna fill those tags. The window is short. My "studies" seem to suggest sets like that will help grab the attention of both critters. In good locations I will change up the set and use dirt hole and projections etc so all the sudden 20 cubbies don't show up in the area ..lol. But that'll probably be my main set.

I dont have a ton of time to run a line so I'm hoping on a lot of luck...I have 3 areas in mind all within a couple miles on the same ridge...a big boulder outcrop and 2 maturing clear cuts. 10-15 years old or so. Good hunting grounds. In May, I had a giant Fisher come from one of those cuts.

I realize I could set that area for a month and not pinch either...but I feel the areas are good and it fits my schedule.

I bought some heavy wire and camo burlap to make cubbies this year. I probably should have made them taller. I've only had one in the field and pulled the set after a long period of inactivity.

Not sure if my pictures but here’s what I do.

What are you using for bait? We can't use snares but I can plant footholds.

In the sets I posted you could use footholds for both. For fisher use a bottomless box on the ground and foothold trap set close to bait in the box.

That was a Canada goose I had breasted out. I find the white patch on the cheeks stand out