Iowa kitties

[buckfreak]

Here are three Iowa kitties I snared in coon snares two years ago. Western Iowa is crawling with em. The one snarling is my favorite.


I left the one in the snare large so you can see the swivel and cable on the killpole. Didn't show up as well when it shrunk. Using a deer stop per Iowa regulations you basically "tie up" cats. Getting a neck snared cat out of this type of set up is a real rodeo. Most of the killpoles that take cats spin so they don't tangle. If they tangle on ANYTHING they are dead when you get there.
Have several more photos of Iowa cats but these are the better ones.

[coonsnareman]

I live in Eastern Iowa and didn't realize ther was that many cats in Western Iowa.

[Snareman]

buckfreak!

Nice pictures! I'm just seeing them for the first time.... they slipped by me!

Cats sure look nice. They're spottier there than they are here.

Snareman

[martentrapper]

So if western Ioway is crawling with kitties, are you going after them? Does Iowa have a cat season? Nebr. does. Maybe eastern Ne. is a good cat trapping spot.
Cool pics.
mt

[ADC]

Nice pictures!

Sure don't see many of them over my way.

Martintrapper nope no season on them in Iowa yet. No otter season either but it looks like it's coming in the fall of 06. The bobcat season will likely be further than that down the road.

[Jake]

I live here in Bellevue, Nebraska(S. of Omaha, real close to the Missouri) I saw cat tracks last season. Im gettin some MB-650s and already have some Cam-locks. So are the cats getting caught in the coon snares because they're the right size, height, and diameter? If so, I'll hit the coons hard, an cross my fingerd for some cats!

[lucas]

I don't know were you guys live but I live in southeast Iowa and were I trap at is alive with them I tried for 3 years to catch a coyote or fox with on luck but I caught 2 cats so that tells me that cats a very easy to catch or we have a lot of them yo can be the judge

[buckfreak]

Thanks, for the kind words guys. Iowa doesn't have a season but needs to. I don't target cats, in fact I hate the d**n things. Try to turn one loose at three in the morning wearing a headlamp and hip boots it's a rodeo. Our soil is loamy and the poles will spin in the ground so no wrap up on the cats. If they wrap on anything at all they will be dead when you get there. I can't claim to be an expert but an eight inch loop six inches off the ground has an amazing catch rate right behind the ears. I use 5/64 cable and a swivel. I think this helps keep them alive too. The deer stop we all so dearly love acts just like a collar. They end up with the lock under there chin within two inches of those pearly whites and all them claws. Did I mention I really really hate bobcats?LOL
Jake if you live in Bellevue you are only about forty miles from me. I live at Hamburg. My dad is good friends with Bill Spradlin "Buggsy" and Dick Rugey. Not sure if I spelled Dick's last name right. If you are on the river much you probably know him. He is and expert on the river. If you target coons in snares on beaver trails you'll catch the cats too. Jake the river is crawling with cats on both sides. We see them when were fishing and catch them in the fall when trapping coon and beaver. I have caught them in about evry set style imaginable for coon. It got so bad three years ago I started avoiding locations that might yield cats. Talked with Red O'hern and he said he had alot of trouble with them too. I wish we had as many otters as we have cats. I have only seen three otters in my entire life. They are neat, bobcats are a pain.

[Corey]

Well heck Buckfreak, you arn't too far from me either..I live about 25 miles south of Auburn Nebraska...yep cats are a pain to try to let loose once you catch them...Teeth and claws growling and spitting...not much fun at all.