Interested in what trap offsets you guys use for Bobcat cubbies. Never specifically targeted bobcat but have caught them always by accident. Now i know there is one in the area and would like to start working with a simple cubby set. Kind of what i started trapping with years ago and is always my go to. Just curious what you all use fro trap dimensions from bait and cubby entrance?

This is theory; I haven't done enough cubby trapping to have numbers. I think alignment of cat's feet would depend somewhat on how far back trap pan is from cubby entrance. If cubby entrance is narrow cat's head would most likely be centered right at the entrance.

Key, as I see it, is to use enough guiding to cause the cat to want to put a foot where the trap pan is. Unlike K-9s, cats are seldom spoked by unnatural looking guiding.

Same logic would apply to any place, such as a hole in a fence, where a cat has to enter a narrow opening. I snare most of my cats, so I concentrate more on guiding head and body than on guiding feet.

Try using a covered walk thru in lieu of an igloo-style cubby. You'll get les refusals if you give them daylight on both sides. I like to make mine against a piece of structure (rock, tree, stump, etc) on their route.

Couple examples of very productive sets:

Thank you JumperZee and Furvor both. Jumper that setup might be the go to as that is a very similar setup tree wise that i am looking at where i see them pass through by tracks and sign. Russian olive trees here not pine but same principle. Also appreciate the tips on guiding. I have heard cats can be guided differently. I will set it up and if it isn't to dark when done i will snap a pic and see what you all think.

Jumperzee, Nice looking sets, do you bait them or strictly a walk through?

I second the question about bait. Also if you had a choice of fresh muskrat, fresh beaver, or predator bait purchased for bait? Just looking for opinions and thoughts from others.

I keep them baited. No need to go overboard, just a chunk of beaver every couple weeks - enough to keep their attention when they investigate. I leave my sets for the duration of the season because of the way cats move here due to weather, etc. Definitely keep them lured with a skunky call, and then combination of castor, gland lure, curiosity, etc in the set area. I noticed a lot of refusals with the igloo style, cats would come right to the front and not commit. When I started doing these style sets I connected a lot more. We have horrendous snowfreezingrainslushbombcrud weather during our winter cat season and keeping a trap operational is the key (duh) - the covered walk thru work for me for that reason. Guide them under the cover just like you would anywhere else with an exposed set and blocking.

This covered pass thru cubby idea is cool. I'd never heard of it, but might try it this winter. I should probably make a couple of these now in prepararion for our 12/26 opener. I'll need to make it strong enough so a foot of snow doesn't crush it.

that's the style I always used when snow was a concern. takes a while to construct but will be working when a cat shows up. here in ks building stuff like that is a waste of time. we just don't get heavy snow that often.

Jumper's system is excellent.New construction is a visual draw.It draws attention from a distance and most cats won't mind going through.

Just a few days to wait here and I will be getting a couple set out. Thanks for the help guys

I missed a fisher last night due to the freezing rain we had. That thing danced all over my set but it couldn't fire under the half inch of crust. The temps plummeted and we got about a quarter inch of snow that told the tale. That covered walk thru looks like just the ticket. Cats out the wazoo here the past two or three years. I had this camera set on a deer crossing but it looks like I'll be throwing a couple traps in there.

This morning.

Do you use any kind of rope or twine to hold these up?

AJE wire them together or nail them

I think beaver is better than muskrat

No snow in this picture but with an exposed trap with lots of guiding, beaver as bait wit a touch of skunky smell and no flagging it worked as planned.

nice.

Cool. I might have to make somerhing like that this week.

Ttt

Good bump