Missed cat !!!

[Pockets_full_of_sawdust]

Hi guys have a question?   I had a pre bait hit 3 days in a row by a bobcat.  I pulled the bait from the tree stuck it in a trap and brushed it in.  Today when I retuned the door was closed and bobcat hair on the trigger but no cat!   I’m using one of Bruce’s traps. Trap baited with beaver.  Should I still keep the trap out or is the cat  educated and won’t come back now? Am I wasting my time now ?   Thought and suggestion? 

Thanks

[JakeLand]

He will be back ! Cats aren’t very smart

[Pockets_full_of_sawdust]

Good to know. I’ll check it in the motif see what happens!

[WA hunter14]

I know guys here in idaho that release all the female bobcats out of their leghold traps, sometimes the same female will get in the same leghold multiple days in a row.

[Humptulips]

I'm wondering how that is possible. What did the fur look like? On the trigger wires? Door closed all the way? Trap moved?

[Pockets_full_of_sawdust]

I'm wondering how that is possible. What did the fur look like? On the trigger wires? Door closed all the way? Trap moved?

There were 2 quarter sized tiffs of fur on the wire trigger, the door was closed all the way.    Trap was not moved and I checked it to see if had flex but no way it could have tripped by being jumped on. Tracks outside the door and a bed area in front of it. Really scratching my head on how the cat worked its way out.

[Humptulips]

Was the floor covering disturbed? What did the tufts of fur look like?

I have never had a cat get out or experienced anything like that except I have had plenty of them sprung and empty and it always is civet cats. You said there were tracks outside. Is it possible that cat was never in the trap but just looking in a sprung trap? Bait still in the trap? If so what does it look like?
What did the bait look like when you had it in the tree and you say a bobcat came to it? Size of prebait? How much was eaten over the course of the three days? Trail camera pictures?

[Pockets_full_of_sawdust]

The tuffs of fur were blond and white about an inch long quarter sized. Floor covering was messed up a bit but I didn't pay to much attention the bait didn't looked hit. I had a whole beaver hanging in a tree about 25 pounds I have video of the cat eating on the bait 3nights in a row and during the day. That was left was the head ,front shoulders  a hind quarter back bone picked clean and guts gone. I placed the remainder of the beaver in the trap and covered the trap up with bows and  logs.
I'm thinking the cat may have stretched I'm a hit the trigger before getting half way in. Only thing I can think of at this point. 

[Pockets_full_of_sawdust]

Here's a picture of it on the prebait

[JakeLand]

Either way a cat will come back ! I’ve had coyotes trip my cages and back out with the door just on their back

[Humptulips]

Not possible for them to back out of this trap. Half way in the door will wedge against them. They can pull forward into the trap but not back out.
Hard to figure. Several things don't add up. Trap not being moved rules out a cat escaping somehow IMO.
I see only two possibilities, either a civet sprung the trap and the cat came afterwards or I think the more likely a cat reached in through the cage and sprung it.
Either way reset, I bet he comes back.

[Pockets_full_of_sawdust]

Thanks. For the help and advice Bruce went back today and found the trap on its side and sprung again. All my covor was pulled off the trap and moved. I reset the trap and added extra covering and logs to covor the cage better and added some more meat.  Also set another cage next to the tree.  We will see my camera had the cat at 12:30 pm but then died.    If this keeps happening I just wounder how long the cat will keep coming back for.

[lewy]

You may have a lion messing around

[Pockets_full_of_sawdust]

You may have a lion messing around

When I reset today I made sure to put bigger logs around and over it to hopefully make it harder to set off.

[Humptulips]

I think not a cougar. In my experience a cougar will just take the trap. If they go in, they get stuck for a while and wear the trap until they blow the door out backward and escape. Otherwise they just take off with the trap. Had both happen numerous times and unless you attach the trap to something it will be gone but within at most 300 feet. Why I always recommend wiring to a tree. Even then it will obviously be pulled out of position more then that.
Coyotes always dig a lot so IMO not a coyote.
I'm betting it is a bobcat. Brush the sides and the back of trap so it is impossible for the cat to get to the bait except through the door. While it does not hurt to have the top well covered the sides and the back are where they will try and get to the bait.
Question, Originally when it was sprung did the bait appear to be pulled towards the front of the trap or was it clear to the back?

[Pockets_full_of_sawdust]

Both times the bait was placed In the back of the trap and both times the bait was pulled our through the back yesterday it was a hind quarter bone pulled out. Check the trap today nothing had a pice of bail pulled just under the trigger. Camera got a cat walking past the trap.

[Humptulips]

Pulled under the trigger and not sprung? How much clearance under the trigger wire?
All this makes me think you might have something else besides the cat helping its self to the bait. Wire the bait to the trap so it can't be dragged around.

[Pockets_full_of_sawdust]

I want to say the wires are pretty close together.  Do I need to speed them apart ?  Tomorrow I’m going to make adjustments wire the bait down is one of them. But today the cage was solid and not moved.

[Humptulips]

I want to say the wires are pretty close together.  Do I need to speed them apart ?  Tomorrow I’m going to make adjustments wire the bait down is one of them. But today the cage was solid and not moved.

Spread the wires out so one reaches down and the other is more in its original somewhat up position. I always hang my bait from a wire in the back of the cage.

[Pockets_full_of_sawdust]

I want to say the wires are pretty close together.  Do I need to speed them apart ?  Tomorrow I’m going to make adjustments wire the bait down is one of them. But today the cage was solid and not moved.

Spread the wires out so one reaches down and the other is more in its original somewhat up position. I always hang my bait from a wire in the back of the cage.

That may be part of my issue maybe the the trigger is blocking the view and line of sight to the back of the cage. I’ll adjust it tomorrow.

[Triplej]

 I would wire the bait really good and block in the back of the trap as best as possible good luck man you'll get him!

[Pockets_full_of_sawdust]

Checked traps and camera today made adjustments and also found 3 cougars on camera checking out my traps at 5pm last night

[Humptulips]

Maybe that answers some questions. If those cougars are hanging around I think it lessens the chance you will get the bobcat. Bobcat might skedaddle.

[Pockets_full_of_sawdust]

Maybe that answers some questions. If those cougars are hanging around I think it lessens the chance you will get the bobcat. Bobcat might skedaddle.

Yesterday was the first day mt lions were on The camera and the first day the bobcat was not so we will see maybe need to move the cages.  Still hung up on why the bob didn’t commit to the cage but checks it out daily.  May need more sets out.

[Humptulips]

Maybe that answers some questions. If those cougars are hanging around I think it lessens the chance you will get the bobcat. Bobcat might skedaddle.

Yesterday was the first day mt lions were on The camera and the first day the bobcat was not so we will see maybe need to move the cages.  Still hung up on why the bob didn’t commit to the cage but checks it out daily.  May need more sets out.

That is not uncommon. Some cats are finicky.