I’m always looking for dry spots to set cat traps. Today I found an old mine adit in the gully next to rocky ridge I was planning to set. About 15 feet deep drift and no pack rat middens in it which was surprising. Seems like a natural spot nonetheless. Anybody have any luck setting in the mouth of caves or mine adits? I usually look for overhanging ledges or rocks. Just wondered.

Looks great! Mountain lions MIGHT like it too....be prepared.
How are you going to anchor the trap? Can you stake outside...looks rocky.
Drag might cause issues if 'cat or lion goes into cave....thinking out loud.
Good luck.

Beware "no sign of pack rat middens" could be a warning sign.

I wouldn't set the mouth of the cave. I would set the trails leading to it on either side of the cave approach.Or what ever you can develop to block down a couple trails or more.

Like stated you could be dealing with a lion or two at some point or bears during your set up time there. Lots of wildlife that seek shelter or harborage will know about that cave as well. Better have a secure anchor point so you won't lose a catch that makes it to the cave.

If possible I bet a trail cam set on that hole would produce some good information.

Trail camera sounds like a good idea. Got awhile tell the season opens and for what western cats are bringing it would be worth it. Plus it might be intresting seeing what comes and goes. Just make sure it takes clear pics in case a big foot uses the cave. Blurry BF pics dont count anymore

I grew up in coal country and us kids were fed a regular diet of roof fall and gas stories, heck most of knew folks who had died in the mines. We wouldn't go near those old open drifts.

Now strip pits were a different thing altogether.

I had to look up adit, never heard that term before (no mines around here other than open pit coal)

Like others, no way I would venture into one or want to try and get a critter out of one.

Bet there is a bear or lion that occasionally uses that

I've set a couple of old portals before, just caught skunks.
Both where pretty good walk up to them, was good with just
setting the lower draw that led up to it.

All good advice.. I’d probably anchor it to a good sized log. I’m not worried about bears but it does seem kind of lion-y. I’ll put a camera on it and report back in a couple months. I often use cameras and almost never get pictures of cats. I generally assume that’s because they are not in the same place during summers and during trapping season.

I once went 600 feet back in an old shaft mine to get my dogs off a bear they ran in there. Not my favorite experience in the world.

One time I was with a houndsman and his dogs bated a lion nd followed it to a rock shelf overhang cave. We wanted to go home and he had one hound that was about 8’ baying the lion and wouldn’t quit. I found a piece of fence wire and made a hook and crawled to hook the dogs collar and drag it out. When I got herewhere I could sort of see the dog I took a photo with my phone. I snapped a flash photo and dragged the dog out. When I looked at the photo there are 4 pairs of eyes glowing, the lion had 3 cubs in there as well!