Cat trappin'

TxPigKiller

New member
Hey, maybe I'm getting edgey in my old age. I'm so tired of everyone looking for bobcats. Can you help me trapping cats, etc. Most of us consider cats a bonus, we all trap yotes and work WITH landowners.
Hey, greenhorn listen up!!!! Yep bobcat goes for high lot 1100 bucks, those are just an amzaing cat. You cant just get on here, ask us guys/gals that trap to polish your checkbook. I like helping people but this is nuts. Learn how to trap, learn how to get ground, F&%?K learn how to get ground, dont come here and ask me to tell you how to just come here thinkin' you are going to be getting your lessons from Bear Claw Chris Lapp.
I do share info with FUR_DOWN, OL'TURTLE(when he aint teachin me), and ROCKY1. Whens the last time you strapped on snowshoes to check traps? Stuffed cardboard in front of your grill to keep the -20 air out so you dont freeze to death, or had your gal find your special lure mix in the frig?
Slow down turbo, the help is here, just dont shove your cash money dreams down our throats. We got enough of Obummer Care.
 
Originally Posted By: WyYoteKillerHey, maybe I'm getting edgey in my old age. I'm so tired of everyone looking for bobcats. Can you help me trapping cats, etc. Most of us consider cats a bonus, we all trap yotes and work WITH landowners.
Hey, greenhorn listen up!!!! Yep bobcat goes for high lot 1100 bucks, those are just an amzaing cat. You cant just get on here, ask us guys/gals that trap to polish your checkbook. I like helping people but this is nuts. Learn how to trap, learn how to get ground, F&%?K learn how to get ground, dont come here and ask me to tell you how to just come here thinkin' you are going to be getting your lessons from Bear Claw Chris Lapp.
I do share info with FUR_DOWN, OL'TURTLE(when he aint teachin me), and ROCKY1. Whens the last time you strapped on snowshoes to check traps? Stuffed cardboard in front of your grill to keep the -20 air out so you dont freeze to death, or had your gal find your special lure mix in the frig?
Slow down turbo, the help is here, just dont shove your cash money
dreams down our throats. We got enough of Obummer Care.

Get off your high horse pal this is a forum, I have endured months of learning how to trap cats and yotes, I didn't have internet when I started so it was trial and error, still if a greenhorn goes out there with advice he still has learn his way. Nothing wrong with asking for help. If you don't like it then don't respond.
 
what's wrong with asking questions. atleast we are trying to learn how to do this and just for your information im not doing it to line my pocket book I could care less for the money im sure there are a few others that feel the same way if you don't like it don't look at the threads.
 
Well I worked hard to learn my lessons amd I share my experience...its all the I"M A CAT TRAPPER, tell me how I get tired of.
I share, I just hate these guys that hear that cats go for $2000 a piece that think they can be trappers with a dozen trap and go for it
 
Originally Posted By: WyYoteKillerWell I worked hard to learn my lessons amd I share my experience...its all the I"M A CAT TRAPPER, tell me how I get tired of.
I share, I just hate these guys that hear that cats go for $2000 a piece that think they can be trappers with a dozen trap and go for it

Its happening all over Montana and Wyoming, a lot of those types make us look bad. I understand your frustration on this subject, I remember trapping cats in Wyoming when the prices were pretty low, and nobody hardly trapped, yotes were only bringing about 15 bucks cats were about 75 or 100. Now there are trappers everywhere. My Old man started trapping cats in Cody, WY back in the 70's when the fur prices were good and he still talks about all the trappers there were back then. I am sure the prices will fall out eventually and so will the fly by night trappers.
 
Sorry to hear that some of the newbies are giving the sport/trade a bad name. Those of you who don't want to open up to us,..I'm sure your reasons are valid in your mind.

My personal situation is I am 70 and have always liked to call coyotes and I did run a trap line in Arizona once. When I came to Colorado the laws didn't allow leg holds of which I still have about 25 of mine.
I finally found several ranch managers who have allowed me to have access to their place, and it has come through years of working with them.
At my age and health, or lack of it, I have decided to try to trap bobcat this year. I never thought to ask the older guys if it would be alright. I'm somewhat crippled now, but I still have my snow shoes and can make the rounds slowly.
I just bought another ATV and trailer, and today I just ordered some cage traps. I know it is an up hill battle but this is coming from within, not to make money. I love the out doors and the combination of the ranch availability and my past experiences, I am going to learn how to trap and put up some skins. Failure is a definite possibility and you are certainly welcome to put me into a pigeon hole, call me names, and /or ignore me.

I'm relatively isolated, so I can't hurt anyone with my lack of success and I certainly will not bother any of you knowledgeable old salts with my feeble attempts. In a few short years there will be a dozen slightly used cage traps for you to bargain for.

My background is in education, as I had 35 years in the classroom, ran a small farm and a photography business.
I was among many hard working individuals who poured their lives, both day and night, to make all facets of education work. Not only doing the teaching job for profit, I volunteered a lot. Sports, after school activities, you name it. I coached many years too. There are thousands of individuals who dedicate their lives into showing young people what they know and they love doing it. My own children are all working and all are still volunteering to help others after hours. One of my sons coaches several teams all year in BBall Fball,soccer and is greatly responsible for a high school feeding program of many serious dedicated athletes.

I am somewhat surprised at the attitude that too many newbies may be asking for help.

I have to admit that I'm old and may not understand all things properly. I have respected those who have helped me along on my journey of life however, and I stand ready to help others still.

Pack
 
Pack,
I am not a cat trapping expert, but I do catch my fair share and also run a few cage traps down here in New Mexico.

Neat to see you out giving it an effort and keeping on the move. My own father who is shy of you only by a couple of years would be out with me on my line if he lived close by.

If there is anything I can offer, please PM me and I will throw out my .02 cents for whatever it is worth. Best of luck this season.
 
Pack my post was not directed at folks like yourself, sounds like you have paid your dues and sounds like you have a good plan. It was the opposite of you it was directed at. It wont be long and you'll see another one thats says "well I got my new dozen cat traps, what do I do?" The only thing these guys read in FF&G is the last auction price and a way they go.
I normally try and help everyone out, just tired of the same question, anyone whose trapped yotes has more than likely caught a cat or 2. I dont find them that difficult to catch when I find them. And I do share what I have come across, but most of these guys have no clue what they are getting into.
I do cheer on all new comers, as I do wish you a good season with lotsa hair.
PS- I hope I'm still at it when I got 30 more winters behind me, hats offs to ya Pack
 
I fully understand the frustration. Here in Colorado the number of guys trying to trap cats is unreal. If I wanted to I could go out and find 10-15 different traps a day. It seems like everyone wants to trap cats now and none of them know WTH they are doing. I am not against trapping and new people but seriously just around my home town last winter there are a known 180+ Traps. Like I said they were everywhere...

The other crap is the new guys are happy to get any cat. Last year the local DOW officer checked 26 cats. Of them 18 were females, 2 were kittens and only 1 was a mature tom.

It will not be longs with those sorts of numbers until we see further regulation here... Fun part was last year yote hunting. I saw where 4 different guys had traps with in 600 yards of each other. One guy would come through at first light check his trap, next guy was at lunch, another at quitting time and the last guy was checking with a head lamp at around 9:00pm

My only hope is that some of these guys start loosing so much money they get out of trapping and start selling thier old used traps for cheap.

I also know that many are not following our state laws either. We are required to check traps ever 24 hours. I know traps that get check once a week at best. I have turned this over to the DOW, but really they are not going to sit on a trap waiting for the owner to show up in 1-5 days.
 
I absolutely am all for new folks, I have had several teenagers shadow me, I actually went thru 4 in one season. Its all fun for a week, then the early mornings and repeated checks turns out to be too much for them and they just quit showing up. The law is every 3 days on footholds and every 7 on snares. I try and check all EVERYDAY, and its alot of miles.
These guys that kill every cat are going to really hurt the seed stock...It is literally the market leading them down the path to OUR ruin. I really yote trap and only set for cat when I know theres a big one around, most of my cat catches are cats checking out a yote set. And I carry welding gloves to turn Females and kittens loose. I have seen, like yourself, while I was checking in a cat a guys showup that traps further down a drainage, off the ranch I was on. I have one cat(600), and he has 4 (12 lbs maybe). The next year he sees me at the bar and ask how my cat season is going, I said it was a tough year....He tells me he hadnt even seen any sign...I was like even though you killed all your kittens last year, you dont have any cats on your ground? I still dont think he understands that the hole in jis foot is from his own gun.
 
Wy, I have several new guys that Im taking out with me this year to kind of show them the ropes. I understand the "where do I set the trap to get the cat" mentality with those looking at shear numbers at the sales. First thing I did with the guys that wanted me to take them out their first year was make them find a spot to scout and trap. Im not going to take them to my trap line only to have every one of them start trapping it! I am a firm believer and practice letting all the females and small y.o.y. kittens go. At the same time, I dont try and stop guys within their legal right on harvesting. I figure if I can educate them on the reasons to let some cats go, maybe they will spread the word with the other new trappers. I would hope everyone would practice releasing a portion of their catch. but I know of one guy here that keeps EVERYTHING he catches. had a several kittens in his lots last year. cant get everyone on board...

Pack, Keep at it! If you have any questions feel free to ask! I talked with a guy about putting up fur for someone he sees as another father figure. The gentleman is 83 and still trapping strong! I hope Ill still be able to get out and trap that late into life!!
 
Yes, big money does crazy things to people. In Iowa coons are rumored to bring good money this year and their are "coon" trappers everywhere.

I have seen some of the cats that come from the Buffalo, Wyoming area. Simply amazing critters. Back then they were only worth $300 bucks on the top end...
 
Theres a wannabe in gildford mt. aka The Gildford Legend. Got kicked off several sites for his rude coments and big mouth. frequents a couple other sites , making everyone think he knows what he's doing ,claims to catch truck loads of coyotes , { about 6 or 8 a year } fact of the matter is he couldn't catch a mouse in a coffee can. Invites guys from surrounding states to come trap his area , then follows then around trying to learn their ways . He takes them to places without getting permission , doesn't tag his traps , pretty much illegal with everything he does , someday he and his buddies are gonna get busted big time and then he'll blame them . a real piece of work this dude is .
 
They will all get out of it after this year when since the cat prices are down. Then you won't have to worry about them. I don't think there is a problem if they Ask a question or two but I think some are just lazy. If you just read around on the forums and buy a couple dvds you can get a decent idea of what to do and learn from there.
 
Originally Posted By: WyYoteKillerI absolutely am all for new folks, I have had several teenagers shadow me, I actually went thru 4 in one season. Its all fun for a week, then the early mornings and repeated checks turns out to be too much for them and they just quit showing up. The law is every 3 days on footholds and every 7 on snares. I try and check all EVERYDAY, and its alot of miles.
These guys that kill every cat are going to really hurt the seed stock...It is literally the market leading them down the path to OUR ruin. I really yote trap and only set for cat when I know theres a big one around, most of my cat catches are cats checking out a yote set. And I carry welding gloves to turn Females and kittens loose. I have seen, like yourself, while I was checking in a cat a guys showup that traps further down a drainage, off the ranch I was on. I have one cat(600), and he has 4 (12 lbs maybe). The next year he sees me at the bar and ask how my cat season is going, I said it was a tough year....He tells me he hadnt even seen any sign...I was like even though you killed all your kittens last year, you dont have any cats on your ground? I still dont think he understands that the hole in jis foot is from his o


I want to know how your cats far with a frozen foot once your release them, yea letting the ones go that you can is good practice but I just don't see how you can let ever single female and kitten go. Most of the time kittens are in search of a home range so even if you do let them go they very well might never be back.
 
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I started trapping WY for coyotes. I didn't go late enough and buy license till my 4th yr. I did it so I could keep the badgers and the few cats I caught, most I got was 12 in a trip, they averaged 125$ back then.
When I first got my license the # was 19 or 20 and my last one was 289 I think. 10x the non res going to WY.
 
it would be a waste of money and time to check everyday when you have a 3 day check. The best coyote trappers think 3 days is too often. I would never let a frozen foot cat or canine go. A cat can't survive without both front paws.
 
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