I’ve been trying to improve as a bobcat trapper, having always been a canine trapper. A few things I wonder about. One is just how important is flagging for cats? And how far out of its way will a bobcat go to investigate flagging?

I’ve never had good luck on bobcat and I’ve also never used flagging. Could that be the missing piece? Also, how do fox and coyote react to flagging?

Cianie's and cats are two different animals, and they mainly take two different types of sets. Cats are curious animals and if they can see your flanging, they will come to it. Make your set so they can only see it after they are at your flanging position. Use two big traps at each set.

[quote=Bob A few things I wonder about. One is just how important is flagging for cats?
I’ve never had good luck on bobcat and I’ve also never used flagging. Could that be the missing piece? [/quote] Have you never heard the comment "curiosity killed the cat".

Honestly Bob a good pair of Boots/atv is your best tool for catching bobcats in numbers. You simply have to take the trap & snares to the cat's.
Flags can be useful when used properly. I think flag use can be overdone especially close too the trap set. Some sets just do not need a flag!
Long distance flags are placed high out of reach to the cat. I want this flag to have plenty of movement but not crazy.
Ideally when the bobcat gets close too the long distance flag it will see/smell maybe use a lead in scent and find your traps!!
When I use a flag right at the set it will generally be smaller and rigged to limit movement, small movement's.
Flags will keep some coyotes away. Fox might even like the flags?
How far will a flag pull a bobcat? 50yds. maybe? Who Knows? Good Luck!!

Bob, I'll second what Mark said, better to be on location that try and draw them in. I've long since given up hanging an attractor because it didn't make a difference, and wasn't worth the effort messing with string, snap swivels, having everything spun into a tangled ball in the wind and so on. I do just fine without any attractors other than lure. Set all the likey spots, block your traps in good and just be patient, you'll catch them.

I have caught more cats in coyote sets than in sets with flagging made specific for bobcat. To explain this I have to say we have a very short bobcat season and a very long coyote season. I make bobcat specific sets during our short season because we only get one so so I don't want coyote plugging them. Most bobcat I catch during season have been in a bobcat specific set. Some with flagging some without. I honestly believe if there is a bobcat in the location of a good coyote set you will catch it. I hear all the time people say bobcat are sight hunters not scent hunters. I don't believe it for a minute. If you set in good locations you will catch cats without flagging. Also if you set in locations with no cats nothing will help, even flagging.

If you want to keep coyotes out of your sets, hang flagging close to them. Yes, you catch an occasional coyote, but very seldom. However, flagging close to your set is deadly on coon.

Thanks for all of your advice. I think based on this I’ll continue not using flags, seems to be just another hassle with little benefit.

I likely won’t have coyotes in my cat sets anyway, as I use exposed sets,
But I catch a lot of fox in them, they seem to be about as willing as a cat to step on an exposed pan. Which is alright unless there’s a fox in the trap on the one day every couple of weeks the bobcat comes through lol. No coon to worry about in this country.

Guess I just need to be patient. I’ve talked to trappers around here who say that a bobcat takes 2-3 weeks to make its rounds and come back to a certain location.

Clint Locklear has some great videos on YouTube about flagging on your cat sets. The man knows what he's talking about and might give you some perspective on the topic and how advantageous they can be when placed properly at your set.

About the only time I flag a set anymore is when I’m not sure I’m “on” location, when there’s to many possible travel ways to realistically cover with a few sets, or when I can’t do what I want where I want.

When I first started after cats I used a LOT of flags as I learned to dial in my locations.

A flag is NOT a substitute for location, I learned that my first year, in spades. But it is a good addition for some situations.

Coyotes and cats use a lot of the same locations, they just use them a little differently. And sometimes ten foot “off the mark” may as well be ten miles as far as the cats concerned. But once you get cat locations dialed in, I bet you’ll find yourself not worrying much about flags anymore.

I have wet to just VHS ribbon and I put it at almost every set not because every set needs it but it's just because that might be the difference in a catch. If you don't have any you can go to the flea market and for about five bucks you can get more than you will ever be able to use.

I use a tore up cotton ball at a set for attractor, works great.

I know a guy that did that, with success, for coyotes. I'm not surprised it would work for Bobcat

Tore up cotton ball isn't very effective in the snow lol

Far fetched idea, but sometimes I wonder how a little bell would work if it is attached to flagging

I talked to a guy today that said he tried a coors can cut in a spiral so it would spin and rattle in the wind, and he said in some areas it would work, others not at all. He was a long loner for years, his line was 380 miles one way so he had a very large sample size. He said he’s tried every kind of flagging he could think of and in the end none of it made enough difference to bother with most of the time.