cybball
Hyper-Active Trap Talker
Posts: 166
|
Post by cybball on Dec 22, 2013 17:40:22 GMT -6
Went out today to my spot I have been catching beavers. I threw the first carcas onto the small beaver pond that I have a trail cam set up. A bobcat visited and fed on the carcass. This is on ice. What would my best bet be for catching him or another at this spot. Now, there are two very large beaver carcasses at this spot, so they will have plenty to eat for a while. Should I try to set snares up at every single trail? I saw where I think it walked in and it's not really a trail. Looked like it just meandered through the brush. Is there a foothold set I could use? I have only caught one bobcat in my life, years ago, and in a coyote set. With the ground frozen, I wasn't sure how to pick one up. Thanks for the help!! Bye the way, the carcasses are right on the ice, right in the middle (you can't see it in the pic as the cat drug it to the left). I moved it back.  |
|
vikesbull
Hyper-Active Trap Talker
Posts: 146
|
Post by vikesbull on Dec 22, 2013 18:21:10 GMT -6
Don't waste your time on a standard dirt hold, flat set, or cubby. With the beaver meat they won't care. To catch the cats you will need to not force them into something they would then have to turn around to go where they want (beaver). This means blind sets (traps or snares) and walk thru sets. On the walk thru make them on the way to the beaver on the direction he came and went before (right on tracks) with blocking to each side forcing him over the trap. You can use a visual attractor (polyfill, feathers, etc) to direct them to the walk thru and lure/urine in line on both sides of walk thru. Stay the legal distance away from the beaver (exposed bait).
|
|
|
|
Post by medicdano on Dec 22, 2013 18:34:14 GMT -6
Snare every trail, 7" loop, 8" off ground. Or you can cover carcasses with straw and make a hay set with drags. Snares are your best bet.
|
|
|
|
Post by dennisj on Dec 22, 2013 21:39:32 GMT -6
Seeing as they're allready feeding on the beaver, I'd run a stake or 2 thru the carcass, on shore, and make a hay/straw pile set. With the bait covered with straw or hay, tis not visable. 2 to 4 trapps lightly covered in the same pile& Wa-La ya got em.
|
|
trout
Active Trap Talker
Posts: 91
|
Post by trout on Dec 22, 2013 23:39:52 GMT -6
Track the cat trail it will likely restep in its own prints, come in on the trail 90 degrees dig out the snow under print without disturbing the surface .Place waxpapered trap or two with drag directly under print -stepping sticks optional not needed .I would leave the bait unmolested and trap all the fresh visitors this way untill the snow melts or similar blind sets as other suggested.Merry Christmas cyball may your stretchers be full.
|
|
cybball
Hyper-Active Trap Talker
Posts: 166
|
Post by cybball on Dec 23, 2013 9:11:33 GMT -6
Thanks for all of the suggestions. I may try the straw set covering the beaver with traps around it, but also snare and trap the trail. I REALLY want a cat this year. The one that I caught years ago I had to release (before you could keep them in Madison county). I'll be tanning the first and keeping it for my collection.
|
|
cybball
Hyper-Active Trap Talker
Posts: 166
|
Post by cybball on Dec 23, 2013 11:00:15 GMT -6
Never made a hay/straw set. I have a straw bale at home that I will use. I'm wondering about how to set the traps. Just place them on the ground and cover them? Also, I'm wondering about trap placement. I think I'll cover the carcsss with a lot of straw and put is up against some brush so they have to come at it from one direction. I'm guessing you put traps out like you would a fishstick set? Will straw mess up the trap jaws? Should I just cover them with snow?
Sorry for the rapid fire questions. Think I'll try to get this set up today if I can.
Thanks!!
|
|
|
|
Post by TRapper on Dec 23, 2013 13:07:59 GMT -6
trout's post above has merit...many times a well used house cat trail usually is only one set of tracks but upon looking closer you can see where they use the same tracks over and over
|
|
cybball
Hyper-Active Trap Talker
Posts: 166
|
Post by cybball on Dec 23, 2013 13:39:09 GMT -6
trout's post above has merit...many times a well used house cat trail usually is only one set of tracks but upon looking closer you can see where they use the same tracks over and over |
|
cybball
Hyper-Active Trap Talker
Posts: 166
|
Post by cybball on Dec 23, 2013 13:39:41 GMT -6
trout's post above has merit...many times a well used house cat trail usually is only one set of tracks but upon looking closer you can see where they use the same tracks over and over I will be doing that too.  |
|
cybball
Hyper-Active Trap Talker
Posts: 166
|
Post by cybball on Dec 24, 2013 14:16:12 GMT -6
Done! I built a really awesome cubby with cedar branches and straw covering the thing. Have 2 #3 footholds just inside a stepover log going into it. I chunked up that carcass into 3 pieces and placed them in the back. Added bobcat lure and glands. I also set snares up and down the creek as I could see the tracks going either direction. Something worked over both carcasses last night and drug them off a ways. I will get my trail cam card out tomorrow to see what it was. I moved the camera across the creek from the cubby so I can see any action going on.
|
|
|
|
Post by jkl on Dec 24, 2013 15:48:37 GMT -6
I hope you get him. That would be a good Christmas present.
|
|
cybball
Hyper-Active Trap Talker
Posts: 166
|
Post by cybball on Dec 26, 2013 15:39:15 GMT -6
Nothing yet. I moved my camera to catch the action at the cubby. This is 30 feet down the creek. I did have a couple pics of the cat that returned to the beaver though. HE buried the carcass with snow right on the ice. You can see the buried carcass behind him.  Here, you can see the cubby from my trail cam pic from across the creek. Not much for new tracks. Hope we didn't spook the cat off by moving the carcass to build the cubby.  |
|
vikesbull
Hyper-Active Trap Talker
Posts: 146
|
Post by vikesbull on Dec 26, 2013 18:11:08 GMT -6
Mistake doing what you did IMO. Yes you still may catch a cat, but with this warm up now you will have possum and coon to deal with with the baited set.
|
|
cybball
Hyper-Active Trap Talker
Posts: 166
|
Post by cybball on Dec 26, 2013 21:02:36 GMT -6
Mistake doing what you did IMO. Yes you still may catch a cat, but with this warm up now you will have possum and coon to deal with with the baited set. I do have snares on the trails leading into the area. I sort of did both methods. Hope I didnt screw it up. |
|
|
|
Post by Griz on Dec 29, 2013 15:25:12 GMT -6
Maybe I can't see it, but I can not see through your cat cubby. It is my understanding that cats do not like to turn around and prefer a walk-through cubby. Thus, an improvement might be a walk-through cubby with bait in the middle and a trap or snare on each end. You may catch a cat in your cubby (and I hope that you do), but an improvement for your next set might be a walk-through.
|
|
cybball
Hyper-Active Trap Talker
Posts: 166
|
Post by cybball on Dec 30, 2013 20:10:51 GMT -6
Saw a guy build this kind of cubby on youtube. Not a walkthrough. I probably screwed up moving the carcass once the cat buried it. I am hoping I have fresh tracks in the morning tomorrow. I will put in more snares.
|
|
|
|
Post by 4fur on Dec 30, 2013 21:10:51 GMT -6
Great pictures, Cy! Love the one of the covered carcass. I posted one a while back of a covered carcass and a little later of a caged cat the girls caught. I caught a cat in a Shroeder cage 11" wide, so I don't know about the turning around thing. I like the looks of your cubby, hope you have some skunky smell inside! I'd chop up some beaver meat and scatter it out front of the cubby. Just throw it in the snow or get it 20' out if your snow has melted.
|
|
cybball
Hyper-Active Trap Talker
Posts: 166
|
Post by cybball on Jan 4, 2014 11:34:12 GMT -6
Love it when a plan comes together! Went out this morning to find my cat waiting patiently at my cubby. He must have snuck in from the backside as there were no tracks on the creek in front of it. Nice tom. I haven't weighed him yet, but he is pretty good sized. This is my first one I get to actually keep. Caught one by accident in a yote set about 6 years ago in Madison and had to let him go. I always have my "firsts" tanned for my collection. Now I have to figure out how to skin him the right way. YIPEEEEEEE!  Had a yote in a snare this morning 40 yards from the cubby too.  |
|
|
|
Post by 4fur on Jan 4, 2014 12:13:15 GMT -6
That's fantastic! Way better than catching him the first check, don't you think?  |
|
|
|
Post by hunter43 on Jan 4, 2014 12:41:39 GMT -6
Nice catch, glad you finally got him. I still have sets out trying to catch a bobcat also. On my check this morning I snared another beaver on the ice. More bait for this season and next.
|
|
|
|
Post by billallenisu on Jan 4, 2014 12:49:23 GMT -6
Nice catch. It was fun following along. Thanks for posting.
Bill
Lyon County, Iowa
|
|
|
|
Post by jkl on Jan 4, 2014 14:05:09 GMT -6
congrats.
|
|
|
|
Post by Twiner Trapper on Jan 4, 2014 15:59:54 GMT -6
Awesome! Great job
|
|
vikesbull
Hyper-Active Trap Talker
Posts: 146
|
Post by vikesbull on Jan 4, 2014 16:55:55 GMT -6
Nice. Next up a catch pole for dispatch!
|
|
cybball
Hyper-Active Trap Talker
Posts: 166
|
Post by cybball on Jan 4, 2014 19:25:22 GMT -6
Nice. Next up a catch pole for dispatch! Funny you should say that. I actually own one and 99% of the time have it in the truck. For some weird reason, it wasn't today. I hiked back to the truck for just that reason. Didn't have much choice. One small hole through the side did the job though. |
|
|
|
Post by Griz on Jan 5, 2014 13:58:16 GMT -6
Congratulations! Nice cat. |
|
|
|
Post by ~ADC~ on Jan 5, 2014 14:28:44 GMT -6
Looks like a really nice cat.  |
|
