I have used box and wire cubbies with 220s for bobcats on the ground and on slightly leaning large logs with good success. The way the law reads in Idaho 220s, on land, with bait or lure are illegal unless they are at least three feet above ground or snow pack. 160s in a baited ground cubby are legal. And I’ve confirmed this with fish and game.

My question is, have any of you had success on bobcats with cubbies mounted on a tree like a marten box? I found one short video on YouTube with such a catch but their channel doesn’t show any videos talking about using boxes for cats in this manner. One of the properties I have permission on also allows hound hunting and I want to avoid any conflict with them. I haven’t trapped that ground because of the hounds. But it has a good number of cats.

Thank you for any advice.

Hi Marty, Honestly I think your best option is to use some smaller jawed coil spring traps. Just get in there make Bobcat sets and ketch them!

I could be wrong? But I don't think a 4.75" jawed trap will hold very many big footed hounds?

Keep using the 220's when you have a legal location. The 160's seem a little small, but if you set them at eye level too a Bobcat they should work the set. Vertical boxes should work best if the bobcat is able to stand on the ground with its hind feet vs climbing.

Have a great trapping season!!!

Thank you Mark. The landowner is pretty adamant that I not use foot traps. He’d like to see some more cats out the area to help the turkeys and whitetail fawns. The hound guys are long time neighbors so he wants to keep good relations. Hence the thoughts of using vertical boxes.

I’ve got a fair amount of ground I can go after cats other than this but his ground has the biggest cat toilet area I’ve ever seen. Makes me think it might be an overlap of several big toms areas.

If you know the hound guys, you might try talking to them and then retalk to the landowner. Myself as a houndsmen, I would much rather see footholds on ground I'm hunting than 220s, even in boxes. I have seen a guy using 220 boxes extensively in Wyoming for bobcats. I talked to him and according to him he had about 50 boxes out for an entire season and never caught a bobcat. And this was in an area with quite a lot of bobcats. Possibly if you can talk to houndsmen, you can then go back to the landowner and explain their preference in traps, to him.

I’m not acquainted with the hound guys neighboring this landowner. I too am leery of using 220s anywhere near hounds or bird dogs, even with a vertical box on a tree. It may be time to invest in some good quality cage traps for situations such as these.

Check out "Lord of the north" videos on youtube. He uses boxes for cats on the ground, but you may see how to adapt them to your own use. He does a good job. Between that and the cage trappers, I'll bet yiu can figure out a way to make it work.

well, I don't know how effective it would be but when I trapped In Canada, we caught 4 lynx In marten boxes. The boxes were about 3' off the ground and the cats just stuck the paw in the top of the box.
I'm betting a 160 Belise would hold any bob cat. Nothing ventured nothing gained.