Nice, Still pretty good

Trying to talk myself into a few more cats. Going to go cruise the countryside tomorrow and see if there’s any tracks. We’ve had a few days of snow. Might set up a couple dozen traps on tracks and wait. See how long it takes them to return.

I did this a season or two back in the snow. Checked empty sets for 10 days. On the 10th day I caught three cats. None had been worked in the snow before that. We shall see if I still have the patience. Might have to throw in a couple coyote sets to make it worth while.

Nice run! Some really nice cats!

Nice run Wade!!! I am kinda a has been on being a big number trapper. Unless when I retire and maybe I will figure out something on my back situation. I'll always keep my NebrCatMan identity but you need to come up with a good one for U.. Something like NebrCatWizard, or ProCatCatcher,,,,, something unique and catchy. I love your pictures and it certainly looks like you pretty much have graduated from trapping school at the head of your class. Enjoy it.... things can change health wise and critter wise. But I do love your pictures. Someday when Dave and I stop to look down that steel hole I would really love to shake your hand and congratulate you in person. Maybe you could be the one to get an outdoor day going around Beatrice with some trapping demos for the kids. A few years ago the J.A.K.E.S day was a big hit for the kids. Gage county needs something like that again. I did hear about a group doing trapping and outdoors demos last spring in NW Saline county. Hopefully the church I work with in Fairbury/Hebron and also the Saline County PF will do their thing for the kids this year...... in co vid ain't around ! Congrats

Sure would like to get some of those Bobcat skins to mount


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Really did a pretty good number on the coyotes. There’s a couple locations that some dirthole were blown out. Not many. A few of the locations didn’t even have a single set. There’s been snow on the ground for four days. I’d say we cleaned up the locals pretty well.

I was able to find a couple sets of cat tracks and one set in particular I’d like to meet the Tom on the other end. I think I’ll set a couple dozen tomorrow to scratch the itch.

Been a fun time on the short line. I’m on about 8 miles of ground just a quick run after work most mornings. I’ve set all the traps on cat tracks or toilets so now it’s just a waiting game. Set a few coyote specific sets where there were still tracks in the snow. Only problem to get to the ground I have to drive about 20 miles one way. Sure would be nice if the cats were concentrated right outside town. It’s been a nice daily drive for me though and pretty relaxing.

I’ve cleaned out most of what’s left of the non targets raccoons and possums. So now it’s just wait time. I’ve got about a week before we’re going to get up to 12 inches of snow. I think even though we can go till February 28th my season will end at that time. Coyotes should be breaking down soon and I’m not all that interested in plowing through snow drifts to say I did it. As of today a total of 41 coyotes, 12 bobcats, two red fox, and 5 badgers off my usual trapping grounds. I’ve saved some critters. That doesn’t even include the raccoons and possums which have been more than willing to plug up my sets this season.

Had a section that had some kickbacks in the snow. We’d already killed four coyotes out of it but I reset and got a couple more. Six less coyotes here and the farmer is calving in February in the other half of the section. He was happy to see them go.





Only the second red this season. I didn’t trap much around the abandoned farms that hold what little fox we have. I let this guy go. Can’t see killing him for $8. First critter that got me hooked on trapping years ago and I’ll keep as many around as I can.



Bobcat #12. Was actually on coyote tracks leading to one of my bait sites. Had a number of coyote tracks but it was a pretty flashy dirthole in the snow. Nonetheless I was happy to see this Tom. That makes eight out of 12 cats caught on different locations. They are definitely spreading out.



It’s currently snowing and blowing about 40 mph. Luckily just a skiff. Nothing moved in the wind last night so I’m hoping for some serious movement when it stops. Full moon is coming and I’ve got the traps functioning and where they need to be. We went from 60 degrees to a high of 28 tomorrow and a low in the teens. It could get good. I wish I’d had more time to get a bigger line out.

What portion of Nebraska if you don't mind me asking? Looks like you're doing pretty good so far this year. I'm in the far East Central area and while we do have some cats to be found in the area I wish we had more than what we do.

Southeast. I usually catch 1-3 cats a year. Few and far between. I’ve had a few years where I’ve caught more. It’s been a good year. I can’t say I’ve ever found a cat toilet before this year and so far I’ve found three.

Great pics again. Blowing like the dickens here at home.... by Swanton. Had a buddy call in a cat last nite somewhere by Beatrice or over towards Filley. Some of your earlier cats you caught Wade looked to be pretty much way out in the open. Or just the cameral angle?

I’ve caught them all in the open on coyote dirtholes so far. The sets with cat lure etc seem to be plugged often with raccoons or possum. I haven’t caught one in a cat specific or toilet set yet.

John Graham’s cat creek and coyote urine for the first 11. The last cat was on cat creek and keg creek’s pacific call down the hole. I added the pacific call on all of the 24 I have out. Caught the two coyotes and fox on it too. We will see what happens when the wind stops tonight. I expect things to move well but maybe not. I’m on location that’s for sure have to love snow.

great pic. thanks for sharing

Love your posts Wade... Sure is some beautiful country out there!

Number 13 is kind of a cool cat. Caught a skunk three days ago in the exposed set. First cat specific set that produced exposed. We got snow and you could see where the cat came and rolled on the ground where the skunk was caught. Then it fell for some of Graham’s tomcat.

This property is up against what used to be 360 acres of my grandma’s land. She died about four years ago and she had the ground set for auction so there would be no family disputes. The rest of my family is big into deer and she knew it would be a war so she simply just sold it (she was a smart woman). She also had Christmas Eve every year for as long as I’ve been alive chili and chicken noodle soup. You had to eat both you couldn’t pick one they were both amazing.

Only fitting on Christmas Eve this cat is literally a couple feet onto her old property on the drag. Was a good day.

As always great post and pics.

We can go till the end of February in our state for bobcats. I caught a couple more coyotes off the ground and there really just isn’t much action at a lot of the locations. I guess I did my job. Even started to catch some fox at the end. I love catching bobcats but back to work 48-60 hours a week it’s hard to keep going.

They were forecasting snow (which came) a nice wet heavy snow. I held off as long as I could pulling traps right up until the first flake fell in the middle of the night. The cats cover a lot of ground in our country and it’s a waiting game unless you’re covering a large area which I don’t have a whole lot of time to do.

Should be a fair number of deer, turkeys, pheasants, and quail that have a little easier spring. I was happy I caught my best looking bobcat of the year on the final pull! Cat number #14. No other sets were worked by anything at all. Slim pickings. I watched coyotes, deer, and raccoons cross the roads in front of me all night. They were all trying to beat the storm like me.