Bobcat trapping?

[flea]

Ok I have a few questions for the cat trappers. First what kind of traps do you prefer? Longsprings or coil? I have been using bridger #3 coils, same as I use for coyotes. I am going to buy some more traps and am wondering if I should get maybe a smaller jaw spread trap like a #2.

I missed a cat this year, it stepped inside the jaws but missed the pan enough to not fire the trap. I use an exposed walkthough set but I put a wax paper pan cover with some dirt or brush tops covering it. That is the way the trappers around here taught me to do it, after reading on this site I put in some sets without a pan cover but never had another cat come by to see how it worked. Maybe using a exposed pan or a shingle would fix this?

What do you look for first when looking for new places to trap? Rabbit density? Terrain? Water? Cover? When I was setting traps this year it took me a long time just to figure out where to set my traps. This tree looked better than that rock and so on. I finally just started putting traps everywhere.

We didn't get very much snow at all this year, would that make the cats stay way up high and not come down in the canyons. One of the guys that traps here said that is why I wasn't seeing alot of tracks. I know some of you guys don't get much snow where you trap so do you set on top of the ridges or still set in the bottom of the canyons?

Ok that is probably enough questions to drive you mad, so I will stop there. I trap mostly beavers and coyotes but it would be nice to get a few cats a year. I ordered Bills' book and Steves' video so that might answer some of my questions, but I figured I would pick your brains as well. Thanks for any help.

[lynxcat]

IF I were to buy some new traps... I'd get the #2 bridgers...

[mostinterestingmanintheworld]

I think if I was going to retool for cats I would go back to longsprings with a 3.5 inch pan with a paws i trip system.

That way you don't have to dick with shingles or pan covers.

I've always just prospected habitat, sign being a plus but not a neccesity.

That bit me this past month. I went into an area that usually gets trapped every year and had one part of the line produce well but nothing on the other end.

Cats can and will travel a lot.

In the winter understand that the canyon bottoms get no sunshine and are the low spot where cold accumulates.

Cats caught in canyon bottoms are often crossing from one ridge to the next.

They like South facing slopes and ridge tops where the sun is in the winter.

You are just going to have to learn by experience which specific place is best to set I think.

You listen to what Bill and Steve have to say and you'll do fine.

Joel

Sometimes one set will produce cats every year while a better looking one next to it never catches. Why that is I have no idea.

[mac]

Joel

Why would you switch to long springs?

mac

[mostinterestingmanintheworld]

Because you can put big pan on them and not have to worry about the springs whacking the pan from the bottom and throwing the foot out.

They also work better if they get frozen from the bottom.

I don't bury cat traps much any more and having the big pan in place just results in one less thing I have to do.

Just set it build the walkthrough and go.

No need to get on your knees or sit down, just bend over and set the trap.

Joel

[timbob]

flea said:

I ordered Bills' book and Steves' video so that might answer some of my questions,

[woodie]

Are you talking about the Bill Ilchic book?

[timbob]

woodie said:

Are you talking about the Bill Ilchic book?

I got one and its real good.

[flea]

Thanks for the replys everyone.
Lynx do you think it is best to get the bridger #2 modified or think they are fine stock? I was planning on getting regular jaws and modified.

Joel, I thought about going with longsprings but the older victor #3s are hard to find. I don't know much about the newer longsprings but they are expensive. I thought about maybe buying a few Bridger #4 longsprings and see what they are like.
Do you ever use the exposed pan set with a coilspring?

I had one area I set with a bunch of south facing black rocks. I wasn't putting pan covers on hopeing I could catch some thing and show my friends that the set will work but no luck. I didn't have any tracking snow at all so I couldn't see if cats were there and I was just missing them or not.
I think I did find a cat toliet there though, it was way down low where I didn't think there should be one. It looked like 3 different piles all uncovered. I am planning on going back this summer a few times to see if anything else has been deposited there.

Thanks again for the help

[timbob]

Flea- Steves Bobcatching dvd has a good segment about traps and shingles etc thats real helpful and informative Also bills book

There are some #3 victors on ebay- quite a few

I used my modified 4 coil Bridger #3 CS and removed two of the springs - you can get away with a 3 1/2 inch wide shingle on these.

If I bought new I might try with 1.65 or #2 which seem to be efficient from what Ive heard