Bobcat advice

[BenTernan]

So here's my dilemma. I'm new to bobcat trapping, last year i was pretty successful with beaver and muskrat and just wanted to target cats this year. I've had a chance to talk to a few people but I still don't really know what to look for when it comes to finding a good spot to set a cage for a cat. I live in Morton, Wa over in east lewis county, and if anyone has any advice it would be much appreciated. If we could start a good thread on just cat trapping on the west side i think it would be very beneficial. Lets hear what you guys have to say!

[onetrapper]

Lots of good area there..look for old grades in second growth near clearcuts

[Trapper John]

Cats work off of eye sign more than they do by smell.  Use a duck or pheasant wing hung up or even a pie plate.  Chuck Bailey use to use pie plates all of the time.  Put a hole in the plate's edge tie some fishing line to it and hang it up in the tree letting it hang and twist around in the wind.  Cats can see this from a long distance and will come over to investigate.  Put your cage trap close by and bait the trap with beaver.  You can camouflage the trap.
JC 

[BenTernan]

All sounds pretty familiar. I guess my next question is do you guys set on sign much? Or just look for areas that look like it would hold cats. It being so brushy where we're at its pretty tough to find cat it seems

[whitey]

Set the Box trap in an area that has alot of rock structure.
Beaver Castor as a sent and a small bunch of feathers suspended with fine fishing line. cover well and bed the trap very well. Also make sure the trap doesnt move, stake down really well.

[Bigshooter]

Pre bait and when a cat hits the bait set a trap with bait in the back of it.  Cover the floor of the trap really well and then cover the trap really well.

[Big Valley]

I am  not a cat trapper but a cat caller, here are some techniques that work for me as far as finding cat locations and core areas. First and foremost is snow, when that happens drop everything and hit the hills, look for tracks and get out and walk, the tracks will revel a lot. The next best is to look for turds and scrapes. I walk old skidder roads to look for these but will also find them while driving main roads. Toms will usually drop a turd at a intersection, hill top or maybe a corner, it may or may not be with a scrape. With that said it is important to know the difference between coyote turds and cat turds and how each animal makes there scrapes. I also run cameras with a little RK Predator Plus to get the cat in front of the camera, most all cats i kill i have already seen a lot on camera.  Don't get me wrong and think I get lots of cats, it's not a highly productive sport and I'm no expert by any means but it sure is a lot of fun and quite addicting.
 

[BenTernan]

Thanks for the input you guys. It sounds like I just need to get out in the woods and start a little trial and error for myself. I've had a few see out for just over a week now with no luck. So I'm gunna give them a little more time before looking for new locations. If anyone has anything different to add or just more I for that would be great keep it coming!

[Turner89]

I had my trap out for almost a month before getting my fist cat 2 days ago. I was getting a little discouraged, but I knew that they came through the area. I would get them on my camera that I had out in October for deer hunting.

[BenTernan]

Turner, That discouraging feeling is definitely starting to set in. Everytime it's time to check the traps and the doors are still up is always a bummer. Once I get more familiar with  this area I'll start hitting it hard with some trail cameras which would help a ton. But for now, just waiting on that first cat is getting frustrating!