Bruces Trapline

[onetrapper]

Ditto that

[Humptulips]

Pulled all my water sets and then I got a beaver complaint call yesterday so this one my catch today.
Small beaver, LM and a pretty nice tom bobcat, poor color but they all are here.



That was a real feisty bobcat. Never had one damage a trap before but this one did. Took a few pictures of the trap damage but this is the only one that wasn't blury. There will be some patching going on tomorrow. Just made the trap this year and it has caught two beaver and otter and now a cat so I guess it has earned a little repair work.



Another story to tell. I was kind of sweating on this one, worried all night. I went to check a cat set the other day about a quarter mile beyond a locked gate, Forest Service walk in only. Getting close to the trap and I hear a bear cub bauling from the direction of my trap. Momma bear is eating grass along the road about 40 feet from the trap. I was just sure I had that cub in the trap. Even fired my gun and she wouldn't leave, just stood up and looked my way. I was afraid to go close as I only had my 22 pistol, shorts in it to boot. It was late in the day so there was no way I could make it home and back before dark. Went the next day with my rifle, 300 WSM. It was all a false alarm as there was nothing in the trap. What a relief!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I don't know what the heck that bear and cub were doing out. It was snowing at the time for Christs sake. Pulled the trap because I didn't want to get in that situation again if she comes out.

[kirkdekalb]

As I was reading the bear story I was imagining what you were going through.

That was a good one!

[dbfalls]

 Well Bruce if you had caught a bear cub in that trap there wouldn't have been anything left to repair. If the cub hadn't ripped it's way out of the trap,momma would have destoried it. You said you herd the cub balling and momma of to the side if the cub had been in the trap momma would have been focused on the trap not on something else. But it can get the adrenaline pumping non the less. Killed my fair share of bear mainly off of bait barrels couple chasing them with the hounds. When I lived in Idaho, killed them with the bow.Only had one incounter with a two hundred pound male that wouldn't leave me alone while I work on one I just killed off of a bait. Had to put the hurt on him.So I know how you felt.

[Humptulips]

I probably would have walked up on them and tried to scare her off  but I felt a little under gunned with 22 shorts.

[seth30]

Love the thread! 

[Humptulips]

Caught this beauty today.

[3nails]

 Wow, that's a beautiful west side cat!

[hardkorrhunter]

Thats awesome cant wait for my turn. Im movin two up on the mountain and now i got beaver for bait. Are you trappin cats up high or down low?

[Humptulips]

Thats awesome cant wait for my turn. Im movin two up on the mountain and now i got beaver for bait. Are you trappin cats up high or down low?

Pretty low but this one came from the east side of 101 close to Quinault Ridge. Seems like the cats are all better in that area from my experience in the past.

[Humptulips]

Had a little luck today, brought this fella home:






I'd almost given up on this set. I put out a bait  there and left it for a long time. Finally got tired of checking and didn't look at it for over a week. What do you know a cat came in and ate the bait. It was practically liquified. So I put in a trap and of course my high hopes gradually went lower and lower as days went by with no action. Two weeks went by but today their he was sitting in the trap. I guess he didn't go by that spot very often. Picked a couple civets too. Up to 38 on them.

[bearpaw]

Thanks for posting all your photos Bruce, I have really enjoyed following your season as well as the other trappers. 

[ouchfoss]

Awesome! You've been pretty successful with cats here on the wetside this year.

[NoImpactNoIdea]

Ive been reading this thread for months but never posted how much I have enjoyed it.  I think that its time to take the trappers course!  Thanks for sharing your season.

[UrbanTrapper]

Had a little luck today, brought this fella home:






I'd almost given up on this set. I put out a bait  there and left it for a long time. Finally got tired of checking and didn't look at it for over a week. What do you know a cat came in and ate the bait. It was practically liquified. So I put in a trap and of course my high hopes gradually went lower and lower as days went by with no action. Two weeks went by but today their he was sitting in the trap. I guess he didn't go by that spot very often. Picked a couple civets too. Up to 38 on them.

How do you determine that it was a cat that ate the bait you had out before you put the trap in?