I bought a piece of land that has 2 culverts that are small maybe 12" and concrete. I was wondering if I could try to catch a bobcat in them. They are not being used and too short for any actual culvert use. I think maybe they are 6 foot long but I'll measure them soon. Maybe block one end to make it dark. I trapped a few years ago for one season. I caught one bobcat, one fox and maybe 4 coyotes. I'm back at it again. I'm watching tons of YouTube videos to learn. I'll be glad to take any advice on bobcat trapping or any other trapping in general. Feathers aren't legal in Arkansas. I'm running MB550 both 2 and 4 coil set about 3.5 lbs pan tension. I use a trappers cap and/or underall under the pan. Super stakes. I dyed my traps but never waxed them. No traps have been dug out this year.

Put a critter (fake) with glue on googley eyes in the middle set up both of the ends

cool

Sure enough a nice one in your picture. I like it when their backs are spotted up like that. We dont get many like that here.

12 inchs is kinda small in my opinion if thats 12 inchs across. Cats dont like to back up. They turn around instead.

If you want a flag just cut a piece of white tshirt or bed sheet about an inch and a half wide and 6 inchs long. Put a brown stain on the bottom made from Carmens magna glan. a wad of polyester fiber fill is cheap and works too

Nice cat.

Do you have cattails? Bobcat magnet.

Cheetahs are illegal in the US. Lol.

thanks, that's good to know and exactly the kind of info I'm looking for right now.

Plastic culverts and smaller steel barrels are my go to for cats

Beautiful Cat

I didn't know that.



As for the culvert, maybe try putting part of a beaver in it

how big are the ones you use lawdog?

No need for 4 coil or 3.5# tension or trapper cap or underalls or boiling traps to catch cats. Now yotes yea.

... you could probably catch them in a culvert or a paint can for that matter if they are there and you use good attractants... if they aren’t using the area then you won’t have much luck with any set.... finding the sign is the main thing when it comes to cats

Savell- that is a beautiful cat! Wow!

We don’t have cats here. They are expanding territory rapidly and about 30 miles away. Not legal to keep here at all. Hopefully if I live a while yet, might see one.

I stumbled onto it when I started catching cats in coon trails through the cattails. (220s) After the coons are caught just leave the traps there. Cats like birds and birds roost in cattails along with rabbits and mice. I've also caught cats in coon trails going thru culverts under a road. In tall grass.

Those are good here as well. Our water is way down again and any drainage coming out of them dry or otherwise. Also the back side of beaver dams where the overflow cuts a line. Dry or otherwise.
Some cages will go out after the holidays long in dry creek beds with lots of grass up along the banks.

Osky

I look for them with about the same opening of a 30 gallon grease drum. I’ll measure some when I get home later today sitting on someone at the hospital now.

Don't hold yer knee on their neck too long!!!

I have caught many bobcats in trail sets blocked down going into road pipes under prairie country roads and in farm country. If they stay dry and in many cases where I trapped they remained dry. Even if they have some water flowing in the middle there may be some dry areas on the sides of the water. Most of the pipes I trapped were 4-6 ft in diameter. Not sure how much traffic a smaller pipe will have to cats but setting the ends with bait, or lure inside would certainly create interest from many animals.

I'll consider trying this next month. Thanks for the tip.

I prefer the 40-~50 gallon size, but you know more about cat trapping than me. Maybe it's just that I use whatever I was able to get my hands on for barrels.

Saw one cross the road and head into a culvert and come out the other side in a high fence area. Thought that was pretty cool, especially since there was water in it. These are probably 36” concrete culverts though.

This cat was caught on a road culvert using a step down walk thru set. Most the cats in my neck of the woods are not using the culverts as travel ways but are using the road, I make the set down off the road edge and block it off where the only place to step is the trap pan. Use something down by the culvert for eye appeal a little lure and urine and your good to go. Similar to what Bob was explaining except the traps not in front of the culvert. Some times you can do a walk thru on top and have your attractors out towards the end of the culvert. You can find cat sign on a majority of the road culverts in S.E Oklahoma.

Here's another cat pic at the set the trap was to the right and halfway up to road edge.

Out in eastern Oregon after a good snowstorm bunnies will hide or seek refuge in culverts off the two tracks. The cats know where all those culverts are and visit them regularly.

By showing the blue barrel set the future population level of bobcats is now on your conscience.

Way to go

I don't cover the ends of my barrels like that, but I don't know what's better or worse

Do cats really like to enter barrels much? I see so much on T-man telling about how pass-through sets are the way to go

I use white or camouflage barrels. That way I'm set up regardless of whether there's snow. It seems the blue would invite trap thieves.