This past summer we purchased a good size timber tract here in Georgia. I’ve owned 140 acres adjoining the new place for years, always did well with bobcats on it. Last year I got 13 on 20 traps in a month. I’ve had a dozen out for 10 days this year and have trail cam on 6 of them, had five bobcat work 4 sets and didn’t catch any. One double dirt hole and the rest regular dirt holes. They stop short at the hole, maybe 18 inches or so or walk to one side or the other rather than walk strait in. At the double dirt hole one approached and lay down just past a hole and rolled, and played around for 15 min. Several hours later another approached and looked like he was trying to get my bait from one side, then went to the other side never walking between the holes. I have Hiawatha valley long distance bait and a bobcat gland lure about pea size at the hole with natural sheep wool in the hole.
Any thoughts on why these critters are avoiding my trap or is it just bad luck and cats being cats? Traps are bedded rock solid, MB550’s

Try making a walkthrough style set. Lure in a way to make the cat walk over the trap to check out the different smells.

I don’t target cat but when I catch them it is in a big gaudy dirt hole trench type set.May try adding some feathers to your set close to the hole.
If the cats are show a pattern of stopping short of the set add another trap and add some cat lure. I am partial to Sierra Mist.

All these sets had either dove or duck feathers, I like the walk through and trench set idea. I’ll retool and see how it goes.
Thanks

Yeah, if the issue is the cat not investigating the set, try a set that catches it before it investigates

Blind sets are my most productive by a big margin but it just drives me nuts to get these guys on video approaching my set, walking around to approach from the side and play with, or try to get my attractor down, and do the same thing but stick their face in my dirt hole to get the duck wing out that I stuffed in. Happened twice again last night. I’m adding a stinger trap today. We will see what happens.

Cats u can get away with serious blocking. If your just targeting cats you should have things blocked in enough they cant work the hole from the side.

Use different bobcat lures. Beaver castor & skunk essence.

Save any turds/urine from the cats you do catch. Mix it together. They'll want to put their nose right on that.

Not being a wise guy, but if you see where they’re stepping, put a trap there. I give them one place to step and that’s on the pan, especially on dirt holes.
I did have one cat that I had to put a trap behind the dirt hole. He would only work it from the back. It was my fault for where I put the hole.

Yeah I did that, and added more blocking also. It warmed up a bit last night so not many visits to the sets I have cameras on but one cat did just have a look and keep walking. I caught a big female at a dirt hole set 100 yrds from one of my sets that has a camera though. Maybe I need to just take my cameras down lol . I have seen however that if I move my trap back to about 18-20 inches instead of 8-9 inches I’d have nailed most of these that didn’t commit. Probly a good bit of what I’m seeing on camera is just cats being cats. They are some quirky critter.

I watched one of the big cat catch guys thinking might be Locklear. If I remember right he set his trap at 18" instead of regular distance and said was night and day difference.