Cage Trapping Bobcats tips

Whoo-hoo! Road trip!
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But wait, I think archery season opens that weekend too.
 
I hope you guys still have the rifle shooting contest at your rondy! (NV)

Ely Nevada? That is one cold son of a gun there. Them women must be tough.

I used to work that fur sale with member Joe Maes and his wife Melanie, before he passed. Did you know him elkhunter?

Huntingal then maybe I will bring my bow. Dan has me buying a D-E-071-01-A deer tag to have when he takes me elk hunting. I haven't even looked on the map or the season. 71 is down by you I think?

ML

ML
 
Unit 71 is east of 711(where I live) and in the high country-think Rico. There are some nice deer up there, but you had better get your lowland Cali lungs and legs in shape before you come
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Most deer tags that I know of are good for both units.
 
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What's all this digression into big game hunting talk??? I wanna hear more from the experts about cage trapping! lol! Big game hunters are shady people...
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Gotta watch out fer em!

I'm interested to hear what your stats were last year? How many cages you all ran? How many nights did you trap during your season? What state are you trapping? I know every area is different and there are slow weeks and good weeks but How often did you catch on average for your time spent? Bobcat, fox, average one a week, 2 or 3 a week? how many total? What style of cages did you use? How long were your trap lines?
I know every area and situation is different so I'm not going to think any less of you for not having as much as the next trapper. It's all fun!
Would also love to hear where you all sold your furs and your averages if you don't mind?
I think that's all fun info that every one would love to read through while waiting for trapping season.

Thank you.
Lance Crowther.

PS. you can talk big game hunting all you want, and I wont hold it against you.
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Yes - Dan is tougher than most. Younger than me but he has little short legs. I haven't hunted above 6500 feet since my bow hunting days above Beaver Utah. 9,500 ft plus and it was hard then - that was 20 years ago. I am gonna have to exercise a little before Sept. I think...

Huntingal: Planning a trip the first week in May. Keep an eye on our Pdog honey hole for me and give me a report, please.

Lance Crowther - the next big thing in bobcat cage trapping. Sure was a nice cat your son had in the T&PC magazine. Gave me an idea on where to go scouting this summer...

These days I burn all my vacation time going to conventions and family trips. So I run with a partner. The last three years it has been a young guy who I have been friends with since he was in high school. I took him out for a couple of years and he really got interested. The last three years he saved and burned his three weeks vacation for trapping. Pretty good deal if you ask me. I provide a place to stay, all the traps, all the lure, all the gas and all the cages. Everything he owns for trapping fits in a tool bag. He has developed a pretty good touch for location. Every once in a while I have to knock him down a peg, for the sake of my own ego as well. This year he had been driving by a spot everyday that was no more than 300 yards off the freeway and 20 yards off the side of the road. I told him to put a trap there when he had time. We caught three cats and a coyote in that cage. Our best spot of the trip. He told me that he never would have though about setting there. I told him in 20 years or so he would have thought of it. lol

ML

 
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Mercer I have a 36" inseam. I just have a short torso ... LOL. Otis I hope that you are not referencing the part of the mtn goat that smells ?? LOL.
 
Mercer
Thanks for sharing the info. That's awful nice of your helper to let the old man sit up on the high horse now and then. Good help like that can be hard to find!
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And I had no idea my boys picture was in the magazine. Do you know what issue it was? I'd love to get a copy of it for him.

Any one else want to share their results from their fun last season?

Thanks
Lance.
 
Mercer-the P-dogs have wintered well and nobody has harassed them-yet!

Lance-I trapped the whole Colorado season-3 months, running 16 cages total. I averaged a cat every 3-5 days, plus a few porkys and badgers for added interest. There are not many fox where I trap. I caught all my critters within a 15 mile(as a crow flies) radius of my house. I had an above average catch rate this year due in large fact to the absence of snow, allowing me to trap areas that are usually under 3' of snow.
I also think I am 'getting it' as far as where to set. Last year I recognized a good place to set, a place that I had driven by for 3 YEARS. I set a cage there and the NEXT MORNING had a huge tom.

I think I posted pics of my cats and what they brought under the 'cat prices' topic.
 
Hey Lance I trapped the whole season the same as huntingal, I ran 11 traps for Dec. and 8 traps for Jan Feb. I ended with 15 cats, with one getting out, and two not coming back after the doors were triggered by rabbits.
Had one back out of a trap that I did not make, because it was to big to fit in!
Caught a 40# tom one of three in my life of trapping!
On a side note I gave a trap and set to a young friend of my sons told him to keep the set where it was, that he should catch a couple more after I had caught one, he ended with 2 at that set for himself!
Out of all my sets I had two that did not catch a thing, multiples on most of my sets.
 
Got back from my CO. trip a few days ago.

Thanks Huntingal for the hospitality, Dan and Otis as well. Have met some real fine folks through this trappin biz and you guys are some of the finest.

Shot plenty of pdogs and whistle pigs despite the foul weather. Rain, wind and cold.

ML
 
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I just wanted to say thank you to all those helpful people on this awesome post! For someone who paid attention to every little detail there really is a lot more information on here than you think!
Our kids and I didn't get to trap as much as we had planned because we were very busy hunting, but we had a great time and ended up catching 19 AZ cats! We kept a dozen of them and let the rest go. We sold this batch of furs at the Globe Fur Sale in Arizona. Although prices were low we did well over average at the sale and had a great time making some awesome memories!

Lance Crowther
TLO
Not sure how to add pictures????
 
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Glad to hear you did well Lance.

I thought I would add a few things I learned this year-
Big cats will go in small cages

Side door traps are a wonder for catching "hard to catch cats"-
But a pain to dispatch cats in
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I you have a hunch about a certain spot-set it- this one yielded two BIG toms

If you have a pack rat messing with your trap-set a rat trap in it then use the rat for cat bait(thanks Mercer-sometimes the answer is just to obvious for me
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Bobcats move out when lions move in.

Hold the shotgun tight to your shoulder when shooting a 12 ga loaded with magnum shot. It will kick a little.

The cat you miss this year should be there next year.

Also, earlier in this thread I mentioned a 640 ac parcel I trapped in 2013-14, taking three cats. I trapped this same parcel this year and caught 8 cats! Released 3 YOY and one female, kept 3 toms and one female. Something to say about management, I hope.
 
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