Ideal bobcat snare......

[Bristleback]

What would be your ideal bobcat snare, IF coon were not an issue......let's say it's cold enough the coon are laid up........what would be your cable choice, lock, with or w/o spring? I'm looking for the most "low profile"...least visable lock......
Anyone tried 3/64" cable?? Many thanks Bristleback

[ADC]

I'd like to take a shot at this question as a person who has never snared a bobcat (illegal here) and never tryed, this will be a total guess based only on what I have read and my knowlege of how different snares, cables, locks, etc... work. Please take these things in to concideration when you tell me how stupid my answer is....

Here goes.... If no one told me better and I had to choose/make the perfect snare for the situation Bristleback described my first choice would be a loaded 5' of 1/16 7x7 cable with a BMI mini lock. I'd set it for a neck catch with entanglement.

Here is my thinking on why I came to that decision....I know cats move more cautious so the thin cable and thin profile of that lock seam on paper to be a good choice. The BMI is very non-relaxing and I would think it would choke a cat down quickly in an entanglement situation. I think the 3/64 my work but I bet the BMI mini locks tighter on the 1/16 as they offer the same lock for each of the 2 sizes of cable. I also like the flexibility of the 7x7 cable in that if they bump it the loop may distort just enough to let them slide right into the loop.

Anyway thats what I'd try first but like many others I'd keep trying different things in search of the "perfect snare".

OK let me have it..... ;D

[Snareman]

Well, I wish I had some real good stuff to input here, but I don't. I've always wanted to manufacture an "Ultimate" bobcat snare that would presume to be more marketable by the mere sounds of it, but as you well know, bobcats are the easiest to put down in snare and using fancy setups is not necessary for them.

My best luck comes from using 1/16" 7x7. I load my snares so the issue of the 7x7 being flimsy is not an issue. I can get a 13" wide loop if need be. I also like the BMI mini-lock with this rig as well. It's simple, low profile and works nice. Bobcat can refuse a snare, but not so much in the traditional sense of the word... it's just they will see the snare and step around or under it. They don't perceive danger, just some brush they need to navigate through, then you end up missing them. The 1/16" helps prevent this. I like about an 8" to 9" loop about 8" off the ground for 'cats.

Snareman

[ADC]

Hey Snareman, thats great looks like my guess may not as stupid as I thought it could be......