Scouting a new trapline

[KFhunter]

Hey when you're all scouting for a new potential trapline, if you come up blank for Bobcat sign do you go back over it in a week and try again?  Or just hit new area.

It was very promising looking area with ooodles of rabbit and a few grouse but not one Bobcat track, hasn't seen snow for a few days and the wet snow was perfect for cutting tracks. 

I ran mostly creek bottoms and some 5 yr old logged areas and some cedar draws, birch areas, seems there should have been bobcat.  Think I'll wait a few days and run it again. 

[JakeLand]

I hang baits around rivers , ponds ,streams and power lines a month or so before trapping then check them once a week and that tells me if there's cats around and it could take a couple weeks before they start getting hit

[TeacherMan]

There are cats in your area trust me on that one 😏 The areas your describing are perfect. I set on area! Out of my 18 sets out only 2 have been on tracks. Neither have produced yet lol. Use good bait and good LD lure and you will connect.

Biggest thing look for other HUMAN TRACKS. When I started my new line I cut other trappers sign and moved to completely diff area. If you have questions on good spots in your area let me know I’ve trapped most of it over the years and there are dumb amounts of cats in it!

[KFhunter]

Interesting, I would have thought people look for sign then set up nearby but you just set on areas that look good. hmm

How long to you soak a cage that doesn't produce before you move it to a new area even if it looked good?

[JakeLand]

If a cage doesn't produce atleast one cat in a MAX 10 days it's pulled

[Bigjon]

What about when the weather is this warm and the cats arent moving as much do you still pull your cages and go to another location?

[JakeLand]

It doesn't matter, max 10 days and I move them I only trap January and February for cats so it's time to move on when they don't connect
My 

[Triplej]

It doesn't matter, max 10 days and I move them I only trap January and February for cats so it's time to move on when they don't connect
My 

   I agree !

[Eric M]

I hang baits around rivers , ponds ,streams and power lines a month or so before trapping then check them once a week and that tells me if there's cats around and it could take a couple weeks before they start getting hit

What r u hanging for bait? Are u using beaver carcasses or do you have something you found that's effective if you don't have beaver meat?

[JakeLand]

Beaver
Duck or goose carcasses
Muskrats ( they rot quickly when warm out)
I like to hang them high so the coyotes don't get them

[Eric M]

Beaver
Duck or goose carcasses
Muskrats ( they rot quickly when warm out)
I like to hang them high so the coyotes don't get them

Thanks!

[TeacherMan]

Interesting, I would have thought people look for sign then set up nearby but you just set on areas that look good. hmm

How long to you soak a cage that doesn't produce before you move it to a new area even if it looked good?

Depends on the part of the season I’m in. I also have a lot of box traps. I let them soak a month. I’ve done that and then pulled 3 cats in a week. PLUS February is like the whitetail rut. Toms expand their range to over 60 sq miles! Great time of year to have double sets out. Bait for me consists of deer hide strips and beaver carcasses plus few duck and grouse wings. AND good LD lure.

[Skyvalhunter]

It doesn't matter, max 10 days and I move them I only trap January and February for cats so it's time to move on when they don't connect
My 

Found the same thing on my traps along the Sky and Miller.

[redi]

Teacherman. What is LD lure?

[JakeLand]

Teacherman. What is LD lure?

Long Distance lure

[Humptulips]

Interesting, I would have thought people look for sign then set up nearby but you just set on areas that look good. hmm

How long to you soak a cage that doesn't produce before you move it to a new area even if it looked good?

Where I am I seldom get snow so it is hard to see sign. Because of this I am usually setting on my idea of good habitat along with features I consider catty.
I have fallen into the habit of giving a line 2 weeks, sometimes a few days longer and then pulling. Weather can be factor in how long I leave sets out. I do not believe nice weather or cold and clear is the best for catching cats. I like stormy miserable weather. If it has been nice out I may extend the time a set is out by a couple days.
Other things make me move. If I have civits show up IMO it s best to pull. I have rarely caught cats after civits have started working a set. When I was using foot traps if I caught a kitten or a female I left the set in. If I caught a tom I moved on. With cages I had more of a chance to release stuff so I have been releasing the females and kittens and resetting but pulling when a tom gets caught.
I am kind of rethinking that though. As I lose access to more areas it leaves a lot of area for refuge and maybe I might take the females. As a for instance I caught a female near a gate recently and decided to keep her. Approximately 25,000 acres behind that gate I can't get too so my thinking is I can't hurt the population.
Hanging bait is a good practice for those who have the bait to spare but some of us do not have much to spare. If you are going to hang some bait it needs to be something a cat cannot eat up completely at one setting. Half a beaver or smaller if it is frozen. If you don't have much bait I think it is better to use it in the trap and make the catch the first time they show. Often a cat will completely eat a small bait and it gives them no reason to return.
I seldom use lure because with the warmth we have bait spoils fast and puts out quite an odor. If I was on the drier and colder east side I would add a LD call lure to my sets.
All my experience has been along the coast so I believe a lot of my thinking might change if I was plopped down on the east side or even higher up in the Cascades.

[TeacherMan]

Interesting, I would have thought people look for sign then set up nearby but you just set on areas that look good. hmm

How long to you soak a cage that doesn't produce before you move it to a new area even if it looked good?

Where I am I seldom get snow so it is hard to see sign. Because of this I am usually setting on my idea of good habitat along with features I consider catty.
I have fallen into the habit of giving a line 2 weeks, sometimes a few days longer and then pulling. Weather can be factor in how long I leave sets out. I do not believe nice weather or cold and clear is the best for catching cats. I like stormy miserable weather. If it has been nice out I may extend the time a set is out by a couple days.
Other things make me move. If I have civits show up IMO it s best to pull. I have rarely caught cats after civits have started working a set. When I was using foot traps if I caught a kitten or a female I left the set in. If I caught a tom I moved on. With cages I had more of a chance to release stuff so I have been releasing the females and kittens and resetting but pulling when a tom gets caught.
I am kind of rethinking that though. As I lose access to more areas it leaves a lot of area for refuge and maybe I might take the females. As a for instance I caught a female near a gate recently and decided to keep her. Approximately 25,000 acres behind that gate I can't get too so my thinking is I can't hurt the population.
Hanging bait is a good practice for those who have the bait to spare but some of us do not have much to spare. If you are going to hang some bait it needs to be something a cat cannot eat up completely at one setting. Half a beaver or smaller if it is frozen. If you don't have much bait I think it is better to use it in the trap and make the catch the first time they show. Often a cat will completely eat a small bait and it gives them no reason to return.
I seldom use lure because with the warmth we have bait spoils fast and puts out quite an odor. If I was on the drier and colder east side I would add a LD call lure to my sets.
All my experience has been along the coast so I believe a lot of my thinking might change if I was plopped down on the east side or even higher up in the Cascades.

I completely agree with what you said! There is so much country in my area now that is closed from 12/1-3/31 for "Winter Range" I dont think I can hardly impact the population. Our local biologist keeps thanking us for taking cats. The average temps on my line dont go above freezing all season so a good LD lure really helps in my area. I don't hang baits for couple reasons. One I dont have enough, two I like to get them the first time they come in. I've had cats on many occasions hit my bait once and move on never to come back, especially in February with toms while their looking for females.

[JakeLand]

I agree with both I hang pre baits the month  before I start trapping once cages are out pre baiting stops

[Bigjon]

Jakeland

What would you recommend is the best cat lure for Washington state?  Do you also recommend this time of year when this weather has been so warm and now the cats are mating to put out bobcat piss or gland?  Can you give me maybe an example of a set using the above and some beaver meat that would be most productive?  Thank  you Jake.

Jon

[Eric M]

Interesting, I would have thought people look for sign then set up nearby but you just set on areas that look good. hmm

How long to you soak a cage that doesn't produce before you move it to a new area even if it looked good?

Where I am I seldom get snow so it is hard to see sign. Because of this I am usually setting on my idea of good habitat along with features I consider catty.
I have fallen into the habit of giving a line 2 weeks, sometimes a few days longer and then pulling. Weather can be factor in how long I leave sets out. I do not believe nice weather or cold and clear is the best for catching cats. I like stormy miserable weather. If it has been nice out I may extend the time a set is out by a couple days.
Other things make me move. If I have civits show up IMO it s best to pull. I have rarely caught cats after civits have started working a set. When I was using foot traps if I caught a kitten or a female I left the set in. If I caught a tom I moved on. With cages I had more of a chance to release stuff so I have been releasing the females and kittens and resetting but pulling when a tom gets caught.
I am kind of rethinking that though. As I lose access to more areas it leaves a lot of area for refuge and maybe I might take the females. As a for instance I caught a female near a gate recently and decided to keep her. Approximately 25,000 acres behind that gate I can't get too so my thinking is I can't hurt the population.
Hanging bait is a good practice for those who have the bait to spare but some of us do not have much to spare. If you are going to hang some bait it needs to be something a cat cannot eat up completely at one setting. Half a beaver or smaller if it is frozen. If you don't have much bait I think it is better to use it in the trap and make the catch the first time they show. Often a cat will completely eat a small bait and it gives them no reason to return.
I seldom use lure because with the warmth we have bait spoils fast and puts out quite an odor. If I was on the drier and colder east side I would add a LD call lure to my sets.
All my experience has been along the coast so I believe a lot of my thinking might change if I was plopped down on the east side or even higher up in the Cascades.

So once you catch a tom in a spot do you wait until the following year to put a set back in that area?

[JakeLand]

I sent you a PM  John

[Humptulips]

Interesting, I would have thought people look for sign then set up nearby but you just set on areas that look good. hmm

How long to you soak a cage that doesn't produce before you move it to a new area even if it looked good?

Where I am I seldom get snow so it is hard to see sign. Because of this I am usually setting on my idea of good habitat along with features I consider catty.
I have fallen into the habit of giving a line 2 weeks, sometimes a few days longer and then pulling. Weather can be factor in how long I leave sets out. I do not believe nice weather or cold and clear is the best for catching cats. I like stormy miserable weather. If it has been nice out I may extend the time a set is out by a couple days.
Other things make me move. If I have civits show up IMO it s best to pull. I have rarely caught cats after civits have started working a set. When I was using foot traps if I caught a kitten or a female I left the set in. If I caught a tom I moved on. With cages I had more of a chance to release stuff so I have been releasing the females and kittens and resetting but pulling when a tom gets caught.
I am kind of rethinking that though. As I lose access to more areas it leaves a lot of area for refuge and maybe I might take the females. As a for instance I caught a female near a gate recently and decided to keep her. Approximately 25,000 acres behind that gate I can't get too so my thinking is I can't hurt the population.
Hanging bait is a good practice for those who have the bait to spare but some of us do not have much to spare. If you are going to hang some bait it needs to be something a cat cannot eat up completely at one setting. Half a beaver or smaller if it is frozen. If you don't have much bait I think it is better to use it in the trap and make the catch the first time they show. Often a cat will completely eat a small bait and it gives them no reason to return.
I seldom use lure because with the warmth we have bait spoils fast and puts out quite an odor. If I was on the drier and colder east side I would add a LD call lure to my sets.
All my experience has been along the coast so I believe a lot of my thinking might change if I was plopped down on the east side or even higher up in the Cascades.

So once you catch a tom in a spot do you wait until the following year to put a set back in that area?

This practice depends a lot on the numbers of cats in your area. In the past there were more cats here. Since the mountain beaver population collapsed here there is not the prey base to support the cat population there used to be. In the past I would leave the set in and have caught as many as 3 cats year in and year out at a location. Not possible now IMO. Just not as many cats in a given area. Now if I can do it and still find a place to trap I would prefer to not set the same spots every year.. Give them a year or two to recuperate. Like I said it depends on your population though and I judge that partly on sign and a lot of guess work based on prey population.
No one answer as there are a lot of factors and you are always guessing, prey population, competition, refuge areas and age of the habitat. That last maybe not so much some places but here it can mature pretty quickly and be too old for a good prey population.
If you have access to most of the land cats are easy to over trap so you have to be careful. One year in OR I took 22 cats in two weeks off a 20 mile loop and they never recovered. Learned my lesson about overdoing it.

[Eric M]

Interesting, I would have thought people look for sign then set up nearby but you just set on areas that look good. hmm

How long to you soak a cage that doesn't produce before you move it to a new area even if it looked good?

Where I am I seldom get snow so it is hard to see sign. Because of this I am usually setting on my idea of good habitat along with features I consider catty.
I have fallen into the habit of giving a line 2 weeks, sometimes a few days longer and then pulling. Weather can be factor in how long I leave sets out. I do not believe nice weather or cold and clear is the best for catching cats. I like stormy miserable weather. If it has been nice out I may extend the time a set is out by a couple days.
Other things make me move. If I have civits show up IMO it s best to pull. I have rarely caught cats after civits have started working a set. When I was using foot traps if I caught a kitten or a female I left the set in. If I caught a tom I moved on. With cages I had more of a chance to release stuff so I have been releasing the females and kittens and resetting but pulling when a tom gets caught.
I am kind of rethinking that though. As I lose access to more areas it leaves a lot of area for refuge and maybe I might take the females. As a for instance I caught a female near a gate recently and decided to keep her. Approximately 25,000 acres behind that gate I can't get too so my thinking is I can't hurt the population.
Hanging bait is a good practice for those who have the bait to spare but some of us do not have much to spare. If you are going to hang some bait it needs to be something a cat cannot eat up completely at one setting. Half a beaver or smaller if it is frozen. If you don't have much bait I think it is better to use it in the trap and make the catch the first time they show. Often a cat will completely eat a small bait and it gives them no reason to return.
I seldom use lure because with the warmth we have bait spoils fast and puts out quite an odor. If I was on the drier and colder east side I would add a LD call lure to my sets.
All my experience has been along the coast so I believe a lot of my thinking might change if I was plopped down on the east side or even higher up in the Cascades.

So once you catch a tom in a spot do you wait until the following year to put a set back in that area?

This practice depends a lot on the numbers of cats in your area. In the past there were more cats here. Since the mountain beaver population collapsed here there is not the prey base to support the cat population there used to be. In the past I would leave the set in and have caught as many as 3 cats year in and year out at a location. Not possible now IMO. Just not as many cats in a given area. Now if I can do it and still find a place to trap I would prefer to not set the same spots every year.. Give them a year or two to recuperate. Like I said it depends on your population though and I judge that partly on sign and a lot of guess work based on prey population.
No one answer as there are a lot of factors and you are always guessing, prey population, competition, refuge areas and age of the habitat. That last maybe not so much some places but here it can mature pretty quickly and be too old for a good prey population.
If you have access to most of the land cats are easy to over trap so you have to be careful. One year in OR I took 22 cats in two weeks off a 20 mile loop and they never recovered. Learned my lesson about overdoing it.

Thanks. I appreciate the detailed response.

[TeacherMan]

Interesting, I would have thought people look for sign then set up nearby but you just set on areas that look good. hmm

How long to you soak a cage that doesn't produce before you move it to a new area even if it looked good?

Where I am I seldom get snow so it is hard to see sign. Because of this I am usually setting on my idea of good habitat along with features I consider catty.
I have fallen into the habit of giving a line 2 weeks, sometimes a few days longer and then pulling. Weather can be factor in how long I leave sets out. I do not believe nice weather or cold and clear is the best for catching cats. I like stormy miserable weather. If it has been nice out I may extend the time a set is out by a couple days.
Other things make me move. If I have civits show up IMO it s best to pull. I have rarely caught cats after civits have started working a set. When I was using foot traps if I caught a kitten or a female I left the set in. If I caught a tom I moved on. With cages I had more of a chance to release stuff so I have been releasing the females and kittens and resetting but pulling when a tom gets caught.
I am kind of rethinking that though. As I lose access to more areas it leaves a lot of area for refuge and maybe I might take the females. As a for instance I caught a female near a gate recently and decided to keep her. Approximately 25,000 acres behind that gate I can't get too so my thinking is I can't hurt the population.
Hanging bait is a good practice for those who have the bait to spare but some of us do not have much to spare. If you are going to hang some bait it needs to be something a cat cannot eat up completely at one setting. Half a beaver or smaller if it is frozen. If you don't have much bait I think it is better to use it in the trap and make the catch the first time they show. Often a cat will completely eat a small bait and it gives them no reason to return.
I seldom use lure because with the warmth we have bait spoils fast and puts out quite an odor. If I was on the drier and colder east side I would add a LD call lure to my sets.
All my experience has been along the coast so I believe a lot of my thinking might change if I was plopped down on the east side or even higher up in the Cascades.

So once you catch a tom in a spot do you wait until the following year to put a set back in that area?

This practice depends a lot on the numbers of cats in your area. In the past there were more cats here. Since the mountain beaver population collapsed here there is not the prey base to support the cat population there used to be. In the past I would leave the set in and have caught as many as 3 cats year in and year out at a location. Not possible now IMO. Just not as many cats in a given area. Now if I can do it and still find a place to trap I would prefer to not set the same spots every year.. Give them a year or two to recuperate. Like I said it depends on your population though and I judge that partly on sign and a lot of guess work based on prey population.
No one answer as there are a lot of factors and you are always guessing, prey population, competition, refuge areas and age of the habitat. That last maybe not so much some places but here it can mature pretty quickly and be too old for a good prey population.
If you have access to most of the land cats are easy to over trap so you have to be careful. One year in OR I took 22 cats in two weeks off a 20 mile loop and they never recovered. Learned my lesson about overdoing it.

Very much agree Bruce. We usually give 1-2 yrs off in an area. Currently we are trapping a 150 mile look with 18 sets so in the reality of it only scratching the surface.

[CAMPMEAT]

KF, Go up 2 miles on the Plantation Rd on Boulder Pass. I used to see all kinds of Bobcat tracks in there.

[TeacherMan]

KF, Go up 2 miles on the Plantation Rd on Boulder Pass. I used to see all kinds of Bobcat tracks in there.

TON of cat all the way to the top on that rd!

[KFhunter]

I think I'll avoid that whole area now that it's broadcast to everyone 


(not that I need too, it's all burned up now)

[Bigjon]

What are of Washington is this in where are the cat sings are at

[TeacherMan]

What are of Washington is this in where are the cat sings are at

Every pull out from Colville to Tonasket, North to Canada and East to Idaho. South back down to Newport.

[Bigjon]

Very nice wish I could set some sets up there if I new the country better.