Find the bunnies you will find the cats.

I covered a lot of ground today and didn't see any tracks at least no tracks that I could distinguish as a cat track. I'll look for some rabbit sign and try to scout it this week

How far are you traveling to find sign, set locations,how many sets are operating,etc. BR falls? I'd think there would be a good population east of town? Sometimes you have to go a little out of your way for the trophy. Boots on the ground as others have said will give you far more answers. Boots on the ground in locations stated will give you even more. Good luck

AJE,
I had to pull my traps today unfortunately. I found fresh cat tracks this morning at two sets. I set those 7 days ago and the sign there was fresh from the night prior when I found it. Both of those sets were 20 miles apart so no chance it was the same cat. Im sure every cat is different and your area probably dictates range as well, but 7 days is what I found it took for them to come back around for me. Unfortunately neither of those cats wandered the 20 yards over to my cubby to find my traps. I did find that all the cat sign I found was either at the top of a ridge or within the cedar swamp creek bottom. After following the tracks a ways it seems as though they meander about with no rhyme or reason thru the trees.

I also had a beaver carcass out and found coyote tracks running right past it within 20-30 yards this morning. Two days ago I opened the carcass up some more hoping it would emit some more scent and get some action. Can’t believe the coyotes didn’t smell it and come in.

I think I’m gonna have to resort to running one down with some hounds. No more vacation time left for me to trap other than the remaining weekends.

^^^^ this ^^^^

Thanks
Funny you say that because I do plan on heading east of town next week
I agree that there are more cats over there
Today I used my snowmobile to help me cover more ground
With the weather being so crappy it's been hard to get as many sets out as I would like

I own 33 acres there on the east side, but it's so far off the road I haven't figured out how to get to it yet with all the snow we had & debris that got knocked down b/c of the wet snow. I'm determined to find a way though next week. It's along a big creek that should be a hot spot, but I'm not sure if it will be iced over or not

I have noticed that cats like to walk fellen logs. If tracks are distorted that may help you identify. Keep persistent look for more sigh to pass time. Learning the country and habits is the fun part anyway, after the catch the work begins. If you drive by any abandoned farms you may want to check them out.

I have walked up to sets. Been 5 yards away. Wondering what happened to tear it up like that, Then seeing a cat cause it finally moved. Just like the rabbit in short green grass you didnt see till it ran. Bobcats are almost unbelievably hard to see and sneaky. If Seth can see 1 in 4 he has eyes like an eagle or something. Its more likely than not, a cat coming in will see you first.

Nimzy I have snared quite a few cats off of logs because of what you describe. Logs just lying on the ground. If its big around as a 30 gallon drum its worth 3-4 minutes to hang one. Coons and fox also like to hop up on them. I have no idea why they do that.

Today I got access to a 103 acre property owned by a friend of mine in which he showed me the 3 key areas of the property that he saw numerous Bobcats on camera this fall. We didn't set any traps though because couldn't find even one cat track today, despite walking for miles through swamps, woods, hills, logging roads and food plots. I'm starting to wonder if the early season has a better chance of success

In Wisconsin the tag is success. As long as you can keep traps working any part of the season is great. Being of a trophy status these late primers will be more presentable later. You need to take some chances and increase your odds. Go down along some creeks, find a knarly, windblown, twisted up mess and make some sets. Use a muskrat carcass and some skunk essence. Repeat.

Are you catching anything at all in your sets? Coyotes, fox, coons, possums?

1 possum. Coyotes I don't think would step on an exposed pan, a cubby, a cage, or show any interest in a set that has flagging at it. As for coon, in this cold I only saw tracks twice this winter & it was literally on the dry edge part of creek beds.

As for the issue with not finding bobcat tracks, maybe cats are light enough that they just aren't leaving defined tracks.

I noticed of that cat tracks I found that they tend to walk in other tracks which makes them hard to distinguish. In my case they were walking in the tracks of wolves, coyotes, and coon. I only noticed the tracks when they eventually took their own path. If the snow is crusty I don’t think they will leave much of a track as the last couple I found were fairly faint in the 1/4 inch of dusty snow on top of the hard layer of snow. Even the coyotes were able to stay on top of the frozen snow.

And the property I scouted yesterday was loaded w/ some of the best deer trails (like cow paths) that I've ever seen..and the landowner told me the cats he's seen (at least based on his cameras) is deer trails. Maybe those deer stomp out any cat tracks in a hurry

I like to hang snares around old brush piles and packrat nests. Not in the "deer" trails" so much but the smaller fainter "rabbit trails".

Two brush piles 20 yards or so apart will often have a trail between them . Thats a really likely spot for a foot trap

Often small brush choked creeks or drainages will have a spot where one bank is 6-8 feet or more higer than the other. that high bank usually has a trail right on the edge. Set a set there too. Dont need to find a track. If there are cats around they will go there.

Dry creeks or drainages look for a necked down spot and set in the drainage

Mark June has a post about setting on sign. That is always best. I have trapped country real similar to what he showing and that dry dirt country sign is easier to find. Here in KS you have to set stuff that just looks catty. You wont set many traps otherwise. I never trapped in WI but if I was cat trapping there I would definately set any sign but I would keep an eye out for catty looking location too.

Now that’s possible. When it’s really dry here and the ground gets hard as a rock I can’t even see my own tracks much less anything else.
Don’t know how your weather is, but if I was just after cats and nothing else, I would clear snow or whatever I had to do to make a dirt hole set even if I had to use a pick ax. I’d clear a spot 3ft wide that could be seen from 100yds away and stuff enough bait down the hole to feed a pack of wolves. I’d have a set at the hole and another at the edge of the cleared out spot with urine.
I’m hoping you get it done!

Thanks danny