New Trapper Winging It

[bear hunter]

Don't have pictures but seen fresh scat. Looked like cat scat but was very light brown to off white in color. No fur or bones in it. Seen the same color scat mile behind gate. Lots of furry and off white scat on road. Place one trap 3/4 mile in off a well used trail by pond. The other one 10 feet off road lots of fresh scat. Even spotted fresh scat 200 yards by my truck that was not there heading in. Looks like people dump deer bones, cow bones, and today a goat head. Seen a hawk eating something so I walked over to see what he caught. It is a goats head with no body. Hmmmmm so animal are walking done the road to feed. So I place my trap 1/4 mile done from these bone piles. Fresh beaver meat in trap. Placed a rubber fish hanging in trap with some fish oil. Also put beaver caster in trap and hug a bloody plastic above the trap. Looks like a good spot. Will check tomorrow after taking my friends sea duck hunting.

[Kit Carson]

Sounds great. Good luck! 

[bear hunter]

Hmmm today went to check traps. Looked in the spot I placed the trap and nothing was there.  . Area ripped up and ferns damaged down the hill. So I followed the damage and nothing. Went back to the setup site. Looks like dog or coyote tracks. Look up and out in the open by the 30ft away 10 ft off the road was my trap on its side. . What tge heck is going on. Trap was fine no damage and bait was in side. missing the back strap and ground past beave meat. Hmmmmm Moved the trap 30 yards down up off the road so people can't see it as well. Might of caught a persons dog and it rolled down a hill and the owner ran down the hill to get dogvand carry my trap to the road. Sounds good to me. Or had a bobcat and some other animals ate him aqnd dragged my trap up and down the hill. Lol Crazy wish I had a trail cam on this one. The first picture is the the bobcat set ready to go.
Second picture is the after math.
and so on. The last 2 pictures are the new spot 30 yards down and up. Will see at least I didnt loose a trap. Almost looked like a pack of dogs screwing with me. Glad the meat was still in the trap. I didnt have anything to put in the trap.

[Humptulips]

I have had that happen. For me it was cougar. It sprung the trap but the bait was still inside and it wooled it around trying to get to the bait.
I have had coyotes dig around traps often but they never move the trap except maybe a few inches.
Cougar will go in after the bait but of course spring the trap and back out, If the bait is still in the trap expect them to roll it around a little.
I have had to track down several traps like this. I know wire the trap to a tree so I don't have to look for it.
Without looking the site over I would say cougar.

[bear hunter]

I have had that happen. For me it was cougar. It sprung the trap but the bait was still inside and it wooled it around trying to get to the bait.
I have had coyotes dig around traps often but they never move the trap except maybe a few inches.
Cougar will go in after the bait but of course spring the trap and back out, If the bait is still in the trap expect them to roll it around a little.
I have had to track down several traps like this. I know wire the trap to a tree so I don't have to look for it.
Without looking the site over I would say cougar.

Thanks for the info thats what Jake said. But the was wire was not pinched. Seen little tracks in dirt like coyote but they could of came after the cat. Was thinking of chaining up with lock  or useing wire to tye her down. I have a 3 ft spike I use to hold down my otter traps. Could stack her.

[JakeLand]

Ya I had a cougar take mine about 12-15 yards away and had it wedged between logs this cat bent the crap out of the cage and you could see where it was biting the wire by the beaver meat
     Now I wire my cages to the tree or log or a horse shoe nail it to a stump

[bear hunter]

Made 8 ft 1/8 inche wire rope to lock it to a tree or log.

[ouchfoss]

Had cougar get into one of.my traps a few days ago. Pushed the cage about 5 feet and still managed to get all the bait out of it. Never figured I'd need to tie down my traps but I guess I was wrong. Sounds like it's becoming a more common occurrence.

[Cultusman]

I had the some coyotes release a bobcat for me once, they dug all around the trap and then tipped it over.
Was one of the biggest trap circles I've ever seen.

[Kit Carson]

Sounds like we need new laws and bigger cages 

[JakeLand]

I know Cougars will go in cages now we just need it to be legal !!! Now coyotes that's another game

[Kit Carson]

That'd be great. Even one cougar per trapper per year, fair enough

[jasnt]

That'd be great. Even one cougar per trapper per year, fair enough

[pnwmtnmn]

How about just being able to fill the cougar tag legally by using a cage trap?

[JakeLand]

How about just being able to fill the cougar tag legally by using a cage trap?

      I like that idea ! Hmmmm now our state department needs to get on board with the same idea