bobcat boys...

[deanchapel]

I've heard about people using flashing lights to attract bobcats, but has anyone tried reflector tape or material, perhaps attached to your flagging, so that it moves and reflects moon light as a way of attracting cats? I would think a small circle of it waving in the breeze at night would look an awful lot like a rabbit or whatever blinking. I think I'm gonna try it this year.

Dean

[bobwendt]

yes works dean. remember cats can`t see color, so use green or plain white. red makes it invisible to them. they can see some unknown degree of blue/green

[redeagle]

A piece of aluminum foil or an aluminum pie plate would reflect plenty of moonlight.

[musher]

dvd or vhs tape

[bobwendt]

beter yet, just set where he is going to walk , or 1 inch from a track . that is the trick to be the top bobcat man in the state. know the cat better than the cat knows himself and no need for any foo-fa-rah. it`s not the "SET". it`s where you "PUT" the set.

[ryanvo]

exactly all that crap blowing in the wind will atract bobcats, but also every other person in the area. i quit useing that stuff years ago. Way less problems, way less time at set, and way less junk to carry around.

[mostinterestingmanintheworld]

I'm the same way, caught hundreds on flags of one sort or the other. More and more I've quit using flags and scent as well. Pinch them in to where they're going anyway.

[SteveCraig]

Trap them in a snare location, if you cant use the snare. No flags, no lights, no scent, nothing but the trap set in a Steve Woods manner. And like Bob says, get him where he is going, and set where he already went. If you do need to pull him where you want him, then i do like a noise maker to help in those situations that do come up.

[robertw]

I don't use flagging. Draws the wrong kind of attention and repells other animals.

[mostinterestingmanintheworld]

Interesting point R, I use flagging to purposely repel coyotes. If using a covered set usually.

[ChrisM]

The "Woods" style works great in the right habitat. But there is a huge pile of cat country out there that does not lend itself to "pinchin em in" technique nor uncovered sets.

[bobwendt]

like where I trap in ks. a guy can make the odd trail set, but he`d starve to death in uncoverd blind sets in that heavier cover country like I have. I was top cat catch in the whole state and next highest not even close. and only there for a limited time, and AFTER everyone else had 2 months to trap and shoot already, and never had a cat in a trail set this year, so there are other methods that work. I`m sure there were plenty trail setters all around me too. lol, mostly full up on skunks and coons and porkys etc I`d imagine. one thing you can bet is most of my cats WERE on purpose too. a few luckys in coyote sets, but those type cats got caught long ago for the most part. now a guy needs to go to the cat and find him and then set for him. and set right where he is, or will be. they are pretty dumb so basically just find the cat and about any type set will catch him. kid set, old man set, stink set, sight set, whatever floats your boat.

[bobwendt]

ps, when a man knows his animal, and has a work ethic, and a system, the "set" soon becomes something way down on the list. those doing it full time or serious or big catches know that. the "set" is for selling videos to newbies who think if they just had that dirthole at the right angle , or the trap exactly zxxx inches back, or the right brand of trap and dinked up correct, then they too could be da man. don`t think so. I just laugh at the videos that show only sets, or even worse, multiple videos on a dirthole set, or variations of such. I think SUCK- eeers! why often a demo at a meeting is pretty worthless, all huddled arounds watching a guy makea "set" whahahaha. how silly without the real goodys added to the demo. kudos to those that really do give a good teaching demo. to the others, not fooling the guys that know, you know?

[stickbowhntr]

excellent post Bob and may I add that the ones with THIS or THAT lure too to the list... I am NO expert and no big numbers guys like many of you but things have changed for me now that I have seen the light. Guys that have shown me that sets and lures do not make a trapper ...yOU HAVE TO HAVE AND HAVE TO KNOW ANIMALS.

[SteveCraig]

"The "Woods" style works great in the right habitat."

And this is the point of the thread.
I have that "right" habitat here. So we use what works for us. Problem is that we have to use a cage in place of the trap in most areas. But on private areas, just use the walk through. Use a flag and you will have alot of people checking your traps for you. A squeaker works much better.
I am just saying that when using the walk through, you dont need lure, flags, etc as you are basically trapping your cat in a snare location is all.
With the cages, yes.......... we use and need lure, danglers(in the cage), etc, just like any lured or baited set.
But we still set on top of the track whenever possible.

[mostinterestingmanintheworld]

Using lure at a walkthrough changes the cats behavior from "walking through" to stopping and smelling and poking around. Tracy has videos of them crawling all over everything trying to locate the lure and not getting caught.

I don't want him to stop and fool around I want him to keep traveling and not break stride.

Lure down the trail aways has some value but at the set it is more harmful than beneficial IMO.

Flags are another story, I think that they have some value above a walkthrough as they keep his attention up in the air.

Also they keep most of the coyotes away.

[Wright Brothers]

What Bushrod said in reply #15 works same for me over here in non exotic cat land. When I find those good blind sets the last thing I would do is lay stink down. There are 57 other locations (and trappers) here doing that.

When greys were 42 to 57 the other year, catching multiples in blind sets was real rewarding for me.

With that said I have used a squirt here and there when knowing only a check or two left.
AND, that's not my whole line. If I did have a whole line to set blind that way I would.
Every year that number grows though.

Silver bullet hunter asks, "Whats'at favert lure you used?" Who Me?, "tracks".