How big do they have to be, is 36”x15”x14” big enough? What is everyone useing?

We made our 42"x20"x10" and they work just fine.

I caught my first bobcat a few weeks ago in a 36"x15"x14". Trail cam showed another one half way in but wouldn't commit because a little grinner had stole my bait.

That's pretty short, 16-17" works 18" tall is better. Catch lots of western cats in 10"wide 18"tall 36" long.

I am not a cage man but a big tom will be about 16" tall.I would think you would not want to crowd that.I can see why heights of 18"to 20" would be used.

Big SW desert Tom's measure 16-18 at shoulder. Big mountain cats 18-20. This is based on seeing them on trail cams standing next to cage traps of known height. Also by measuring taxi mounts which is a less accurate way IMO.

How tall they are standing flat footed really isn't important based on many hours of trail camera work. They seldom walk around or work a cage trap in a full stance. They always have their heads down and are xrouched smelling their way into the cage trap...assuming you have done your part as a good cager and left them clues as to why they need to investigate inside.

Seen plenty of big Tom's balled up in the back of a 13x13x30 Havahart. Their was a crew here in Cali used them years ago. Used a dead mud hen for bait. Almost always a big Tom. Took me a few years to figure out why big Tom's were the easiest cat to get into a cage trap no matter how small.

ML

Females and yearlings are the most wary and more difficult to get to commit. Maybe they are more timid than the big Tom's? Maybe they are smarter?

I have trapped desert cats with 17 inch tall seven inch wide traps.
Caught a few 25 pound plus CO cats in 8x17 cages.

Its more about the set up than the size.
Put something in there that they want and cause them to discover it and their natural insticts will get them caught.

If I I was only selling cages to folks I would sell 2 foot by 2 foot by 4 foot so I would never have to answer the question "are your cages big enough to catch big bobcats"

If I could snap my fingers at every set and a cage trap would appear it would be 10x20x36.

ML

This is interesting. I would have guessed a yearling would be easier to get to commit. 'Guess not.