Yes, the thought of luring in a mature cat stuck with me from a previous post. Definitely some younger cats around our property, so I’d like to avoid them next season. I’ll be very interested to hear if this works.

So far the old Bushnell SD cams have kept the yotes out of the cubbies “so far” will see if that holds up. I put them on the 2 cubbies they were hammering constantly last night nothing was hit.

Big winds coming the next couple days I’ll need to turn down the cams to an hour between triggers until this passes or I’ll rack up a bunch of false triggers.

Pretty kitty!

Thanks!

Just in this one looks like a better cat than the last one it must of moved after the front went through. Looks like a lion color in this photo.

Cool!

looks good size

Law dog how were your roads yesterday? Saw the high winds and snow causing issues north of us.
Jim

Thanks. A nice post to fallow along with. Great pictures. Yep, thinning those coyotes out will make it easier for your cats to move around. You sure are putting the time it on them. Good luck !!

Very pretty and good photo presentation! I’m happy for you!

Well, you are most definitely in a good spot. I have no doubt when you set the steel you will be in the money.

I would set that forked tree in the right background personally, with a trap on either side of the fork on drags, with a call lure up high and a cat rub lure in the V of the tree. Done deal.

Most of the blowing snow missed us compared to other areas north and northeast of us that will get more of the bad weather then we do, that wind yesterday made the snow and most of the ice disappear pretty quickly. The wind is one big PITA depending on where it’s out of if we had a few inches combined it becomes blizzard conditions often with not much snow.

The wind can shake things up if it’s blowing up my cat draws but little to nothing if blows over them from the side angles. The cat country shown has higher walls some well over 100 feet high that’s impassable not even a cattle trail. No roads in most areas for a few miles the creek is my best travel route to get in there a ways but even that’s rough but it’s flatter. The county I’m in for cats I consider the banana belt of the State not far from Nebraska known for deer and cats I was blessed to get in this spot several years ago.

That’s where the barrel was last year and I caught a cat there but I moved it to this spot for the camera coverage but then lost the back of the barrel view. I might just put it back when I set it. I’m getting a lot of false triggers with that snag branches blowing around and I’ll get both ends covered at the same time.

I will dress up the cubbies when I set them up with more brush and guide sticks I’m just trying to get them interested in the baits now. The main trail is just to the right of the new barrel location directly to the right of that but to the left of this pic shot not much further to the right is a ridge wall that funnels them down this cubby trail.

Past years it was in that same spot you pointed out I’ll probably move it back there since the cam angles not very good. Thanks

We had “ride along threads” on the old London Lure page but it’s not something you can walk away from mid season so it’s a commitment once you get started.

Thinking of putting visible flags on wire (utility type) to indicate if I have a catch but the camera missed it. I’ll just work them into the drags or chains maybe.

I would keep your barrel set up where it is but add the other double set up with traps as I suggested. I use to spend time doing some of those things that you are doing: However I found other things less time consuming and just as productive. I use the lay of the land, trails, trees and windfalls for most all of my cat set ups.

I roll faster now and put out more traps & odor and cover more ground. They just have to investigate these things. They can't help themselves it seems.

Works very well for me. If you have the animals you can clean up on them every time they come thru. You can get those coyotes down in numbers as suggested and clear the area better for the cats to wander and work their way thru. Some of those coyotes looked good from what I can tell.

The weathers looking good for the opening so improving the area is the plan, I’ve got all day to mess around in there. I’ll run more bait and supplies in there if needed I should be good after that gear wise. Will set for yotes even though I’d rather not but it seems necessary if they keep messing with the cubbies snaring a few yotes is always fun. I can add a second cubby to that old location I have extra traps in there and waxed dirt.

Like you said it seems if it’s something new or stands out a cat is going to check it out. I tracked a cat cross country to see where it was going in the UP mid winter it came to a clearcut area that was drifted over. One of the stumps sticking out drifted funny out of the rest of them it created a shadow that cat headed right over to it to check it out.

I’ve not had any yotes around my cubbies since I put the Bushnell chip cams back in there with the cell cameras on the 2 that were getting pounded the other day amazing difference they make. Still amazed the coyotes even worked those barrels the way they did never expected that. The entrance to those cubbies were scratched up from the lip of the barrels out to a few feet away from them. Cats are not bothered by either cam the cell cams don’t seem to bother any of the critters.

Glad weather is improving and you’re starting to get the activity you want. You seeing any big Toms on cam?