I'll try to keep this one short, but daggum it feels good to FINALLY CONNECT! As stated in previous posts, first year trapper with zero trapping experience here and to finally have all of the studying, reading, and hard work come together is a feeling that I'll never forget. Super humbling. What motivated me to begin trapping was watching a big tom bobcat walk behind my blind while deer hunting this year and then coming up with a plan and putting it in place. I've had numerous misses in my first year (prints everywhere but on my pan), trail cam pics and videos of cats walking by sets without committing (frustrating to say the least), and coons and possums plugging my sets and stealing my baits (patience testing). It's been a wild first year but this first cat was worth every second of it. Now, the details on what worked for me.
So like I mentioned, I've had many opportunities but for whatever reason the cat would investigate my sets but at a distance. Typically 3-5ft range with no commitment. This last week though, something changed. I noticed at this specific set where I would harvest this cat there was unusually activity. Cat prints in my set but not on my pan. The bush/shrub that the turkey feathers were hanging from over my set were smash down and looked like they were played with. My bait, lure, and feathers were all out of my dirt hole and cat prints all around. So I knew I was on location, just not connecting. I was getting frustrated and decided I'd read through the archives and come up with a plan. My plan was to set two traps at this set, rebait, and funnel pretty hard. That was on Friday. Saturday we checked the trap line and nothing. Traps still set, bait still there, and no activity. Yesterday morning (Sunday) we went to check the trap line and as we started to come up over the ridge, boom, a flash of something trying to escape. Heart racing with excitement as we top the ridge and there it is, a bobcat. I couldn't believe it. The best part of this story is sharing this experience with my 15 year old son and his excitement for seeing a cat in our trap. It was priceless and worth it's weight in gold. The two trap idea worked and I am thankful I decided to run with it even though I was uneasy about it.
Anyway, sorry for rambling on and writing a novel, but I felt led to share and wanted to thank you all once again for the wisdom this page provides. It helped me put together a plan to harvest my first cat in my first season trapping. I couldn't be anymore ecstatic than I am. God bless and have a blessed week all!
Anyway! Great looking cat!! Congratulations!!
