My first attempt at a bobcat cubby. I have a dead rabbit inside with bobcat gland and urine. I have a trap at the cubby opening and one about 24 inches in front of the cubby opening. Any feedback would be appreciated! Good or bad!

Put some type of flagging close by so the wind will move it a bit. Cats do a lot of hunting be sight. Maybe clear more of a approach to the cubby.

I prefer more open area sets for cats, brush piles, rocky ledge areas etc.. Cubbies work but take valuable time to construct and set one up. Once you feel you are in good cat habitat find your trails, outstanding features and make use of the local terrain and materials to make your simple sets.

I catch a large percentage of my cats on exposed traps set on trails, trash/cache' sets, and rub type sets. Fairly fast to put together and remake after a catch. Some are caught on dirt sets of various types. Cats can refuse new construcion and other manmade disturbances to their environment for a period of time. Other type sets in more open settings produce first nite catches with no adjustment period needed to become comfortable with things.

Thanks for the response. It was time consuming as you said. Can you say more about the trash sets and the exposed traps?

There may be more detailed information in our Archives on bobcat trapping and exposed trap setting techniques plus photos.

Just curious about these cubbies…after a catch are they still as is or do you start over and rebuild?

Seems a gaudy dirthole would be easier and less time consuming.

I don't use them but a couple local trappers would set a couple hundred a year. They are very effective at keeping your traps working in heavy snow country. Usually will take 2-3 feet before you have to do anything then shovel a little snow away from the entrance and they are back in business. I've seen a lot of refusals though by the tracks going by and up to their cubbies but refusing to commit and go inside.

The trap you set a couple feet outside should help alleviate that.

Walk thru cubbies have better acceptance then one way types it seems. Animals just don't trust the unknown and potential ambush/surprise concerns. Just trade places with any animal that has been around the block a few times.

Experience lives on within their behavior and consequently drives their reaction and willingness to enter such things. Over time if they become familiar with it, and you have the time to wait that is another story.

The construction time could be better spent moving along and covering more ground and being more selective at choosing your better locations and potential travel ways.

Like stated if you are working in sustained snow fall areas there can be some benefits and advantages. Likely cubbies used in those areas are built to last many seasons with that thought in mind.