Since we are seeing more and more trapping threads, I thought I'd join.

This is awesome guys, I just started trapping this year and I am loving it so far, like Greg said its very addicting, thanks for all the advice its a big help. I have two questions.......
1) Greg.....do you ever catch a bobcat in dirt hole sets or do you catch them on urine post all the time if so how do you bait your dirt hole sets for bobcat's?

2)Keith.....I was wondering if you had a picture of a hay set you could show me we are dealing with a good bit of snow right now so I was going to try to use a hay set.

Thanks again,
Hunter

 

Pulled my sets today, nothing for this go round. I can promise this isn't the end. I am gonna get myself setup for next year and get in deeper. Thanks for the advice and encouragement.

 

Here's the address. Scroll down to the trapping section, you'll see the Hay Set thread. There are good pics. there. I hope it works for you if you try it.
http://www.huntingpa.com/forums/ubbthreads.php?Cat=

 

Normally, my sets for 'cats ARE dirt-hole sets; I just make the hole a little wider and sometimes place a rabbit head at the back of it so you can JUST see it if you peek into the hole. I pin the head down with a gutter spike to keep something from swiping it and running... I want the critter to have to "work the set" for a while.

I also use flagging of some sort. This can consist of a variety of items. I typically use a big wing feather off a goose or turkey (usually goose) tied to an overhanging branch with monofilament fishing line. Be sure to include a barrel swivel in the middle or you'll come back the next morning to find it all wrapped around the limb and the line kinked like crazy.

Because of that, some other trappers use a piece of wire to hang their flagging; usually, when I see that done, they're hanging a whole bird wing. Dove wings work especially well if you've got friends that dove hunt.

As always, be sure to check your local game laws on baiting.

Others hang an actual music CD; the spinning, reflective surface will perform the same job. Christmas tinsel works well, as does a pulled-out piece of cassette tape.

I also make the set very "loud" by strewing goose feathers all around the set...

Remember that cats are visual hunters, even though they DO have far better noses than most are willing to give them credit for.

This set was sort of an "in-between"... I livened it up a bit with a handful of feathers, but didn't have any flagging over it. I half expected to catch a gray fox in it, or possibly a cat if there was one in the area.



There... I found it. This is the actual set I took my very first cat in.



It's also the one I think I mentioned above that I had to trip before I left town for an out-of-state business trip and returned to see another cat had left his calling card at the set. Point being, when you find a good location, they will often produce for years and years at the same spots...

This is the set that the cat I caught on the rub-pole set visited the night before, but I missed him at this one. Cats don't "commit" to a set like a canine does, and that's why it's always an extremely pleasant surprise to discover one on your morning run. It's hard to see because my feather "flag" was dancing in the wind above the set, but it's there if you look closely.



A lot of people prefer to use "walk-through" sets because of this reason after discovering a trail they think cats are using.

I'll check back later, but I'm actually about to leave to go put in some brand-new sets at a new farm I just got access to.

 

Keith that site was very informative....thank you!!

Greg thank you very much for the info I have seen two different cats lately and I am going to try to get set up on them thank you very much I'll let you know how it turns out!!