Picked up 2 today.

Smaller cat released a darn shame best cat so far pad/toe caught.



Medium I kept.

Is two the quota or can you continue?

One East River no limit West River. I cut the East River loose it was small.

Caught the last cat in culvert set going under the creek crossing.



You can see the sabertooth drag on the left side of that tree and the cat in the creek bottom I wasn’t quick enough to get a pic of it up the tree.

That smaller cat you released had awesome spots. Hopefully it sticks around and you catch it in a year or two

Owls hanging around but not bothering anything just looking for mice they seem to avoid the barrels.

I would have me 2-3 trail sets in that wash for sure. I have caught many cats going under the roads in those dry drain pipes. Kansas had some big ones they always produced cats, coon and badger.

It takes a lot of waxed dirt to set the creek bottom in this warm weather it’s mostly gumbo mud when it thaws out a real mess. Being sharp cut banks there are some trail sets locations that run along the creeks banks on the higher ground that would be perfect for that. Major flash flooding in this creek it’s not uncommon for that road/culvert to get washed away in the spring. Probably not going to be an issue the way it’s going g this year so far.

I picked up a couple of new cams to put out I seen them listed for $87 a pair on Amazon yesterday I paid $99 just my luck. LOL I plan to get them out tomorrow I get the 250 photos on these cams every month also since I joined their club it covers all cameras old and new when I activate them.

Finally got my chip camera looked over hundreds of pics I’m not sure what I had it set on but in one evening and the next morning it had to trigger every minute or two.
The cat actually bumped the cam about 45 degrees but then was hung up in front of it so tons of this and that. Here’s a couple of the catch steps the cat stalks or investigates the cubby then circles it and goes in then boom.

Visitor tonight this just came in looks to be a bigger one he's heading to that culvert set with no camera on it. He sniffed and walked on this cubby the culverts a couple hundred yards down the creek. Let's hope.

This post has been super informative! Thank you

From leaving my cams out until spring most years I’ve found where cats will pass through an area after you’ve trapped it during the season sometimes before as long as you’re in continuous cat country or a river break pocket. They will travel across open country from time to time in the spotty population areas but setting those areas is often disappointing. The breeding period they are on the move more of course.

I trapped heavily between 2 cat pockets for years and never took a cat even after finding tracks some years despite having coyote sets in place. The cats were moving from one cat area to another and not coming back for sometime it seemed like. Once I moved into the thicker cat habitat I’ve taken cats every year after that with smaller cats on the fringes and bigger cats in the core area.

Thank you again for all these great posts and pictures. Any mountain lions around your area ?

No breeding population there but they do pass through the area, several years ago 3 were taken in the same year 1 deer season and 2 with hounds in a 5 mile area. A buddy was set up just across the road from where I was trapping and got one on his camera. Last I checked they have no protection outside of the Black Hills Forest District they are open the year round. The last tag I bought was $25 back then.

The plan today is to whisk broom every set and re wax dirt if needed to insure function and check on the kids sets too. I will put a cell cam on their cubby with this sub zero weather it might be easier on them. More snow coming in a few days so I better get ahead of that.

good luck,

Good thing I checked most sets were frozen down they must of been hit with some freezing sleet then it snowed on top of that. The others probably would have been very slow if they did pop off doing the slow creep. Took the old dirt and leaves and whisked it away from the opening like it was dug out by something so a controlled mess of “something happened here.”

Checked every camera to make sure they all worked and moved some around so I have cameras on every cubby, culvert and snares that are set in that spot. Checked the students sets and changed out that SD card also I will go over the SD cards tonight or tomorrow. Tried to put a cell camera on their cubby but no signal in that area to work a camera.

I didn’t get home until 5:30 then I had neighbors chores to do and checked the boiler. Had to make a detour to get a Pepe out of a cage for a buddy so I was running late.

This has been very fun and informative to follow, LG. Thank you. I hope you continue to have success and document it.

Regarding your earlier comment about observing smaller cats on fringes and bigger cats in the core areas - what are some of the consistent characteristics of the core areas you’re seeing? Obviously food and cover, but anything really specific you can share?

Lack of roads and access for long periods with premium cover holds the larger cats early on here they show up later in the season looking for love I'd guess. I say that because that smaller cat I cut loose last week is the same size cat that set takes every year without fail. This year I'll hold out as long as I can but that location is a long rough hike to check just 1 trap and 3 snares.