Pulled my cat sets today, except for the cubbies at the cabin. The forest roads are not plowed and it was getting sketchy.
Good luck all!

Took a drive today in the big woods about a 75 mile loop,I was let down for the amount of tracks I came across fresh snow two days ago.5 different area's with wolf sign a few fox tracks fair amount of deer sign,never cut a cat track or a marten track.Last year that same loop I saw 10 to 12 marten tracks 2 bobcat tracks 1 lynx track and more fox sign.I hope I was just in front of them making tracks,usually I will come across 2 to 4 moose tracks as well.Jim I hope your cabin cubbies gets you a cat this year,I would like to see one of the Alpha's on the bobcats foot.I bought some so I will have to get a coyote or two in them and possibly a cat,normally set Jake's,Sterling or 3N for bobcats.

Interesting year. I drove by the sets that I pulled and not a single track. These were all sets that were super active up to the time to set the traps! I am starting to wonder if bobcats avoid frozen meat or something. I felt like I had it down pat until the season was shifted. I understand the move, I just need to relearn I guess.

Yesterday I had a crazy event. I went to the cubbies by the cabin and this guy was waiting for me.


He was standing right in the opening just looking at me. My first thought was that he somehow fired the alpha and got himself caught. When I approached he ran back deeper into the cubby. Then when I was making sure everything was ready to go trap wise I was bent over right in the opening, and the marten was in the back of the cubby snorting and growling at me the whole time. I guess he has claimed ownership of it!

Cool picture Friar. I like the looks of your cubbies, going to busy this summer. Frozen bait, I have taken beaver quarters and rubbed them down with salt and let them soak it up a bit. The bait stay fresher longer and doesn't freeze up as hard. IMO

Nice catches.

Finally got back to couple of sets that got buried with snow. Snapped the foot holds and gathered the snares. My surprise there is absolutely nothing working any of the baits I have out. I thought with this amount of snow there would be packed trails. There some birds on them, at least they are getting fed. Snares in the cat tails were buried in snow up to my waist. To much for this guy to try and get around in.

Noticed the same thing around here the past few weeks. I pulled everything right after that first big snowfall but went out last week to look things over. About the only tracks are birds and deer

No sign in the open fields either. Figured it would be easier out there to get around. Seen a few deer, still look pretty good.

Not much movement up this way either,never made it back to one of the baits because of the deep snow I did'nt feel like walking back into it,about 300 yards to get back to it.The other bait where I released the female earlier I kept plenty of bait their a fox is camped out on that one.In my travels I'm seeing a fair about of fox tracks,wolf tracks lots of rabbit tracks and some marten sign.Our deer are doing ok for now 35" of snow since November 12 now I see tomorrow we might get 3 to 5" more so come Feb,March depending on snow and thaws they might feel it,so far it's all still fluff in the woods.As for the bobcat's it's going to be tough on the yearling and kittens.

The move, as I understand it, was to reduce conflicts between dogs and bobcat sets. Maybe the grouse hunters have benefited some, but here is what I have observed. The late season and deep snow has made a lot of remote locations inaccessible. About 1/2 my old locations on private land, accessed by field road or pasture, are out. The less used logging roads are closed, concentrating more of the trapping activity near the main roads. Dog owners still like to exercise dogs in winter and tend to do it on less traveled but plowed township or forest roads. These are the same roads trappers are using to access public lands.