Late opener but the season goes to mid Feb put a cubby out for a couple of my past 4H students and one for me in my annual cat spot a few miles from there. We can only get 1 cat East River no limit West River.

A big draw that forks to the right of this cubby for the kids there's a big chunk of beaver for bait in the barrel. Lots of turkeys in the draw (25-30 today) that should attract some cats.



My every year location on a narrow drainage in the river breaks. The waters not running now I'm hoping the melt off and new moisture will get it flowing or the cats will have the option to run it if it's not wet. If the creek freezes over Ill add a set on the creek bank picked up a few there over the years. My cubby is on a upper bank shelf that a natural crossing for cats because of a high wall that brings them to the shelf between the wall and the creek it's a sweet spot. Tossed some leaves around for eye appeal added cameras to both cubbies to see what's working them.




Found some tracks on this piece of wood they were pretty washed out from melting snow.



A great snag in the middle of the creek with trails coming around both sides snared a cat last year there the first night I narrowed down the spots so they get accustomed to the changes.

Looking good! Need to get ready for the season myself! Do you hang snares in front of your cubbies?

Looks good, plan on doing the same this weekend. Good luck!

Snares will go in the brush pile covering both sides I’ll open up spots of easiest travel when I set or where the are pushing through it looks tighter then it is in the photos, With the cubbies they get either 3N or MJs with waxed dirt the traps are on drags for easy set up.

Law Dog if you find a lot of small tracks do you set or not. Went out today and check some bait piles and prebaited spots an man there are many small cats in this area this year. They must of had good litters this last spring.

I was pre baiting to try to get an adult to hit and take it over the cubby before I set hoping it drives off the younger ones by the time the season opens on the 26th. It seems the bigger ones show up later to the cubbies after it’s been there for a while or they might be passing through later when mating.

I find if you catch a smaller cat in a particular set it will keep producing smaller cats every season when it rolls around so I’m trying something different with the pre- baiting, plus this spot can drift out pretty easy making it difficult to get in there. It’s the only spot I have East River but it produces a cat every year so I trap it because cats don’t come easy on the East side of the river.

The guy over the fence I’m showing how to catch a cat I’m interested to see what size cats I find in there I’m on the outskirts of the main cat habitat he controls I thinks that’s why the smaller cats are on my side of the fence avoiding the adult cats possibly.

Do I want to catch a smaller cat nope but it’s the only game in town on the East side of the Missouri River so I’m trying a new approach. Set a cam up to see what you’re dealing with is the best way to make that decision I’d say.

Nice! Hope you have some success.

Season opens in Michigan lower peninsula on Wednesday. I went out today and put together some cubbies and made a few dirt holes. Small amounts of bait at each set to grab some interest.

I’ll be putting out beaver chunks on Wednesday when I set. What are you mostly using for bait, Law Dog?

Beaver here also that I caught a few recently and have more in the freezer I sectioned them right away it’s messy but beats whacking the frozen carcass with an ax in freezing weather.

Trying some sheep fence wire cubbies this year in the very remote locations will get some pics on that next week. I pulled several of by barrels last year the sheep wire pieces should roll up nice to pack in the breaks. I’m no spring chicken anymore. LOL

The old Bushnell trail cams spooked the yotes away from my cubbies. I’ll see what the Spypoint cams do I’m putting 4 out next week.

Be nice when you get you spy cams out. Can see what is happening as it happened. Always great threads you have and keep the pictures and events coming.

I had my SpyPoint over a deer carcass last winter and the coyotes kept coming back. Don’t think they liked it, but they seemed to tolerate it for a little bit.