Who Traps Bobcats With Conibears?

[Snareman]

Does anyone trap bobcats with conibears?

What sort of sets do you use? Bait? Lure? Trap size?

Any specifics would be nice.

Thanks,

Snareman

[Corey]

The first year I trapped cats seriously, I caught 12 in 220's in buckets with beaver for bait...I liked them because I could run late evening checks on them when it was cold out, and for the fact they were pretty weather resistant. I disliked them, because I had ALOT of cats walk right on by the bucket never breaking stride? It seemed the cats I did catch in buckets were mostly toms for some reason....I also disliked them for the trash factor, i've got tons of possums around here, and unless it gets pretty cold out they usually plug the bucket before the cat gets there. It just seemed to me that I do alot better with pawhold traps or snares.

[ADC]

Corey you ever set the 220's blind in trails or fence crawl throughs? I have heard of a few people around here catching them that way set for coon.

[buckfreak]

Yep you can catch spotted possums in blind sets in trails, especially trails that connect big block timber with river systems. Man I wish Iowa would make a season on em. I don't know squat about cat fur but some of the ones I have caught have been beautiful. If we ever get a season I think the first decent looking one is going to a taxidermist. For now they either go free or to the DNR. I have some friends in Nebraska that uses Coreys method with about the same results. Have heard some people using rabbits with better success than the beaver meat. They were road kill and still had the fur on em. Maybe that was a contributing factor?

[Corey]

I've never caught a cat in a 220 that wasn't in front of a bucket, i've set some that I though would snag a cat, but they never have. I know I have limmited myself, but i've never done much with 220's in trails for anything, about the only way i've used them is in front of buckets, for cats and coon. I've pretty much gotten out of the 220's, too big of a possum/skunk magnet for me, I can put some tension on the pan of my #3 Bridgers to stop some of the junk on my cat line...Thats the funny thing about the buckets, the first year I did great with them, the second year same setup, same bait, exact same locations I did poor...it wasn't for a lack of cats, they were there, the cats just didn't seem to want to stick their nose in the buckets, maybe they weren't hungry enough, who knows?? I've pretty much went to walkthrough type sets for most of my cats 75%, the other 25% are snared in high bank trails. If I didn't have so many coon on my line I would snare more of my cats, when Dec, Jan, and Feb roll around i'm sick of greasy coon and want to concentrate on cats I hate seeing a coon in a cat snare. FWIW. Corey

[Snareman]

Corey,

What part of the body do you target when going after coon? What is the loop size and height you use.

What is the loop size and height for bobcat? How big are your cats there?

Snareman

[Corey]

Robert, when I try to snare coon, I try for neck catches, generally I get one front leg through though, I set my snares mostly by "eye" I would suppose on coon I use a 6-7" loop 6-7" up from the ground, I will say that since i've started using cam locks that my % of neck catches on coon has went up some. We get some big cats here, i've caught 5 or 6 that were pushing 40#'s, probably on average though our mature female's will run 18-25#s, and the mature toms will run 25-30#'s...cats I probably run a 8" loop 8" up off the ground on open trails. I really enjoy getting into the brush to snare the cats, plum thickets, heavy draws, brushpiles, etc....in those types of spots I try to find a spot where the cats are really restricted, as in going under a log, or through a hole in the brush, a very tight spot if you know what I mean, in that type of situation I use a smaller loop and get away with it. We don't get alot of snow here most winters, but ever time we do I will go out to track cats...its a very eye opening experience to see some of the spots the cats will hunt, they hit some pretty tight spots, at least my cats do. One thing I will say is that i've never used loaded snares before, I watched a demo by Rally at the FHA convention he explained loading snares well enough that even a dummy like me could understand it..LOL I think a loaded snare will help with my neck snaring alot. One other thing, I love cam locks very much, Bristleback did turn me onto the BMI mini locks last year, I used them a little late last winter, and liked them also...I'm thinking after using the bmi minni's this year they will probably be my go-to lock.

[SteveCraig]

Musta said something wrong. Looks like my post got deleted and some of Corey's.

Here goes again:
Yes I have trapped bobcats with 220 conibears! If it were legal to do here, I would again. But I have to go out of state to do it now. It is not hard to do at all. In fact Johnny Thorpe taught me how to take both coyotes and cats in 330's back in 1980. The man has forgot more about trapping than just about anyone I know. I dont know any state except maybe Alaska that would allow a 330 on dry land anymore. But bobcats are not hard to take in 220's. Here in AZ, I have to use cage traps for bobcats. Cage trapping has a whole nuther learning curve to learn, so you can be consistant at it. I will say that if you can catch bobcats in cages, they are even easier to do in 220's.
FWIW
Steve

[Corey]

Steve, I wonder what the problem is with me and 220's on the cats? Like I said the first year I did it seriously I did very well catching cats in buckets with 220's, havn't been able to be consistant in catching cats since.....i've done the same thing year after year, same bait, same locations, same lure, it just went sour for some reason that I can't understand, any thoughts?? One other thing, I believe I mentioned catching more males than females in buckets, any one else notice this? Any thoughts on it.....thank you. Corey

[ADC]

Steve, You mention Johnny Thorpe taught you how-to, I was wondering if you would please be willing to share some of what he taught you as to what kind of traps, sets, locations, ect... that info could really help me out when we do get a season on them here. Probably really help the new trappers here as well. Thanks!

Yes and thanks Corey for the info. you provided. I hope Steve will help us both out here.

[Corey]

Cmon guys lets talk about catchin cats some more....My name is Corey and i'm a cataholic...LOL

[45/70]

States "other than Alaska" do allow 330s on the ground.
More later on.
45/70,
RKBA !!!

[buckfreak]

Corey, if you aren't setting thick trails coon use for cats you are missing out. I know you snare them but in certain spots a 220 will preserve the location. Here we get alot of trails going through thick grass and brush. Blend your 220 in and put grass in the springs and drape it over the top of the trap. I set all my coon conibears about six inches off the ground. Alot of cats will make their way through this stuff hunting and bam hes yours, In my case hes the property of the state.
Not sure on the buckets? Are you blending them in? If we get together to go fishing we could talk trapping too. Heck if we don't get to go fishing maybe we could get together and talk trapping anyway.

[Corey]

I usually snare those thick trails your talking about, I know where you are coming from though when you speak of preserving the location. If theft is not a problem, I seemed to have better luck on my buckets not blending them in. A white bucket in a brown enviroment sure seemed to grab the cats attention. I snare quite a few cats on "high bank trails" along the river, they seem to love being up there where they can look down into the river. In the last 5 years in my country the farmers have planted alot of CRP filter strips along the creeks/river/ditches....they are a HOT spot to snare. Its too bad you guys don't have a cat season across the river, i'm sure you have just as many as I do. Do you see many otter over there buckfreak?? Otter fascinate me just about as much as the cats do.

[buckfreak]

We don't seem to have many otters in our corner of the state. I think I have seen three total. If you get about thirty miles north or east they have an abundance of em. The only one here close I have heard of being caught was by Red O'hern. I know in the eastern part of Iowa they are thick. Those high bank trails are one of the best locations going. Don Bolte told me if you can find a thicket along a high bank and use a bait in it multiple catches of coyotes in snares are common.
Can't figure out why the avoidance on the buckets all of a sudden. Maybe the first year feed was harder to come by or something. Are your buckets solid backed or screened? You would think they would work them the same but who knows about them. If they are like house cats they can be contrary....