Bobcats love regrowth pine and lorel thickets from when people logged or did some excavation in an area they will also walk the edge of heavy brush but bobcats will walk through the woods like a fox or yote will to if you want to catch a bobcat i love hellfire for a bobcat lure it makes them go nuts and some cat urine but visual attractants are key just know bobcats loose their curiosit quick so its key to throw some curiosity lures in a cage and bobcats arent that smart they just loose interest fast that could seem as they were refusing your cage but keep a couple good lures in a cage withe visual attractants and good bait you will catch a cat if there are some in that area you set up but location is key

This is a very late reply but thank you for your advice. I will try the [beeep] fire and curiosity lures. I have also noted your advice about the laural thickets and logged areas. I know a couple of areas on public land that fit that description. I will however only call on public land. Traps are inclined to walk.

Trapping is location,location,location. Including when using bait,lure. Most predators are rarely hungry enough to override natural survival instinct, that includes getting them to travel in or through locations they don't feel safe in.

Imo Bobcat are interested more in your set up "visually" than any bait or scent. I had my traps out for months last year. I refreshed my bait ever 2 weeks or less. Had one walk right by one of my set ups i had a trail cam pointed at with Zero interest. Then I finally got dumped on with snow for the first time in the area. The next day I dug all the snow off my traps, the trench in front of them, and the bait hole located at the end of the trenches. I kicked dirt out of the trenches all over the soureounding snow.
I made it look like a predator freshly dug and worked over the area. I used sticks and logs to try and steer what ever was going walk into my trap. Got my first ever bobcat the next day!!!! I tried cat nip, sardines, 2 types of bobcat lure, bobcat urine, bobcat scat,and some fake feathers. We can't use real ones...and any anywhere within 25'of the trap. I also hung up CDs with fishing line as well. I got a double front pad catch!!! To bad it wore the hair wore off where the Duke 650OS held it.

I was all bowhunting yesterday and I heard squirrels going bonkers at about 9:30 in the morning worse than they normally do when they see a predator. Nonstop for about 10 minutes and then the birds were going nuts by me. Literally sounded like Alfred Hitchcock’s the birds! After about 15 minutes or so they started quieting down I knew there had to been a coyote or bobcat in the area but I couldn’t see anything. When I walked out there was a fresh pile of bobcat scat exactly where I placed one of my traps last year! I had fresh snow coming down nonstop so the tracks were gone but there still was a big burn horn in the snow from the scat. He had to have snuck right by me that’s where I had the trap was probably 75 or 100 yards in back of my tree stand. We get drawn every other year for bobcat so I’m sure he’ll be around next year. I had one on each one of my trail cameras in September so if they’re still around. I haven’t had a bobcat in my area that I’ve known of up until about three or four years ago. I believe the DNR planted them. Can’t wait till next year! I’ll have to get some buddies to put in for the bobcat draw and let them trap with me. I want all those rotten things out of there so they don’t eat my turkeys and deer fawn.



It crapped right on top of where I had my foot trap buried last year! I would assume it still visits the spot since I had a lot of bait, scent, bobcat pipe and scat left on the ground when I pulled my trap last year. Looks like he’s been catching and eating squirrels. Got my tanned hide back a few weeks ago. Turned out great! I just need a few more to go with it.