Both caught in relaxing snares this season. they usually hang themselves anyway

Sweet good to see you posting again Jake.

I like edges along the creeks were the bend of the creek forces everything to the top of the bank and out of the bottom. I made this set Sunday on a creek bend and put my flag in the middle of the two track. One of my favorite sets. He was waiting on me Monday morning, but he was a bit camera shy.

Not a lot of tracks. Just enough to tell me there's a cat in the area. But it's big country where I'm trapping, & no funnels. Every set of tracks I've seen has been solo. They say to set on sign, but it's not working in my case b/c the cat(s) not following route(s) w/ any apparent regularity. I've made 3 sets at another property & now today I set up a cam along a creek on the other end of the county. I figure when something's not working, try something more. I've seen no trend.

I have tried so many different sets and they all work for me, what I don't do is spend a bunch of time creating a certain set. Instead I let the location dictate the type of set ie. if its heavy sage brush no place to hang flags set a snare or a blind set on a trail. Cliff over hang might be a great place for a pinch point walk through. Edge of a field a dirt hole with a bit of sheep wool hanging out has caught plenty of cats for me. Why pass a good location because it does not have a certain feature to create a dream what ever set. Get creative and put a set in and catch that cat. NEVER pass up cat sign, put a set in a catch him. 80% of catching a cat is being on location, 10% lure and the other 10% is the type of set. I have caught as many cats in coyote sets as I have in the custom cat set. Keep it simple and catch them.

Pinch points,rabbit trails in good locations,frozen water ways walk thru's and blind setting.Instead of trying to make a cat do what you want,put a trap/snare where they want to go,cubbies are good attractors, but are better to blind set around them,but still set up the original cubby.A lot of times i'll set the trap,traps 5' to 10' from the entrance,let the terrain dictate how you set things up for bobcats.

Pinch points are tough to find around here. It'd probably be a lot easier in a state that allows snares.

I've been getting more sets out though. I haven't found a spot yet that a cat has used twice, but I'll be looking and waiting.

I've noticed a could pinch points I plant to set

I spend the spring, summer and fall hiking looking for sign and making walk throughs at pinch points so by the time I set a trap they're used to it. My new favorite tool is a battery sawzall

I have learned not to use any visual feathers or such in open air sets for many years. Too many hawks and owls get interested in that type of eye appeal. In cover you can usually get away with it. Just words of experience speaking.

Only had issues if they could see down the hole...started stuffing grass in it and no more surprises. Still dark releases are a lot calmer than daylight releases.

Weighed the one and only cat I took this year. Thirty-two pounds. Not a bad cat. Pipe set.

Tough to beat an exposed walkthrough on a travel route. Flagging up high and lure on each side of the set for added measure.

Nice cat, Posco.
I put a pipe set out on Tuesday.

nv, I've never really thought of putting lure on both sides of the trap.

And make sure its two different lures. Normally a straight cat gland on one side and a curiosity on the other like caster, mink, catnip oil (or all 3 in the form of Powder River Cat Call). Then the cat has to walk over the trap to check them both out. Sometimes with one lure next to the set, the cat will check from one side of the set, feed his curiosity, then head another direction. I believe this is what Steve Wood calls the inline walkthrough set, but this mainly for a back up.

The biggest thing I've learned with felines thats different with canines is lure/bait/flagging needs to be thought of as a back up. Of course location is key for all species, but more specifically for cats. With K-9s, you look for coyote sign, then make a set with the proper eye appeal and scents to pull the coyote to the set. Cats are moody and stubborn. A cat can be walking down a path with a perfectly made set off to the side. Perfect eye appeal and smells. Depending on its mood, it might walk right by. A trap in the path of the cat is far deadlier. And while a cats mood is unpredictable, their travel routes aren't. Making sure to cover all these travel routes might take a lot of traps, but its a lot more productive and well worth it especially in places with high dollar cats.

I have not been able to find 1 of these travel routes yet.

Neither have I. I know general areas they come through but narrowing down precisely where a cat will step based on its past visits through an area I have not.

Maybe we should rely more on trail cams, Posco.

I'd like to run more but they get expensive between the batteries, cards and the cameras themselves. I have four out right now but haven't captured any good pics in a while. Fox, coyote and hare for the most part. I run cameras all year and get great bobcat intel from them.

A cat walked thru here a week or 2 ago, so I made this set.




I'm trying hard. The cats just don't seem to be using the same trails.