Post by: Bango skank on December 05, 2019, 05:19:42 PM
Post by: lewy on December 05, 2019, 05:20:46 PM
Post by: Threewolves on December 05, 2019, 05:49:08 PM
A couple of years back I had a Master Hunter cow tag. It was January, warm about 60 out. I usually take a noon siesta (naps are for old people) I decided to lay down in a ditch at a forked logging road intersection. This was about one PM. I was about 20 minutes into my siesta and moved around a little and zipped up my jacket. I heard a strange growl behind me. I grabbed my .300 jumped up an turned around. I was thinking cougar and looking for a cougar. What I saw was a bobcat about 12 feet from me. Well, it took off not running and bounding, but walking really fast. I lipped squeaked and barely got a reaction. I must have been 20-25 feet from me when I shot it. Yep, a 22 mag would have been a lot better choice. I still skinned it out and had it tanned makes a super nice wall hanging.
Post by: Jerry malbeck on December 05, 2019, 06:17:03 PM
Post by: Bango skank on December 05, 2019, 06:58:34 PM
Busy high pitched sounds.
Thats kind of the impression i was under. I have this little squeaker from bearmanric that i think im going to use. I bought it a while back thinking it would be good for bobcat, but ive never gone out actually targeting bobcat before, so ive never used this call yet.
Post by: snowshoes22 on December 05, 2019, 07:15:58 PM
Post by: Boss .300 winmag on December 05, 2019, 07:21:58 PM
Post by: KFhunter on December 05, 2019, 07:22:40 PM
I got a primos hardwood and a plastic one I dunno who made it
Post by: BeerBugler on December 05, 2019, 07:24:26 PM
Post by: KFhunter on December 05, 2019, 07:24:29 PM
Killed one with a .17HMR at about 50 yds, two flops and done.😉
:yeah:
.17hmr is good medicine for bobs, last one I shot it didn't move! almost went through it
Post by: boneaddict on December 05, 2019, 07:25:45 PM
Post by: Boss .300 winmag on December 05, 2019, 07:25:58 PM
Killed one with a .17HMR at about 50 yds, two flops and done.😉
:yeah:
.17hmr is good medicine for bobs, last one I shot it didn't move! almost went through it
Mine went through it.👍
.22WMR is almost over kill.🤣
Post by: KFhunter on December 05, 2019, 07:37:51 PM
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Post by: Jonathan_S on December 05, 2019, 08:04:25 PM
Has anybody here had repeated success specifically targeting bobcat via calling? Whats your m.o? How long on average til you get a response? .22wmr should be adequate id think, yeah? As far as i know ive only called in one, and it busted me. But ive never actually tried to target them. Im about to go for it. Words of wisdom would be much appreciated.
They come in slow, slow, slowwww.
Post by: buckcanyonlodge on December 05, 2019, 09:01:26 PM
Post by: Boss .300 winmag on December 05, 2019, 09:42:27 PM
I like to hang my call in a tree and stab my decoy in above it and play bird sounds(https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20191206/42f45394e6f4800e4aa45df6873e43ad.jpg)
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What’s hanging in front of the speaker?
Post by: KFhunter on December 05, 2019, 09:48:12 PM
like 40 bux, but the AUX works with my foxpro :tup:
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/71hW-AiwCBL._SX425_.jpg)
I stab the stake into the tree, its on the right side it comes off then screws into the base then you stab it into the ground (or tree) the stake is aluminium so you gotta be careful with it.
I might make a metal one better for stabbing trees
Post by: KFhunter on December 05, 2019, 09:57:55 PM
What’s hanging in front of the speaker?
uploading that vid to youtube so you can see how it spins when it's sideways like that. I wasn't actually calling bobcats in this video, this was a bear stand that nothing showed up too.
Post by: KFhunter on December 05, 2019, 10:08:09 PM
Post by: Okanagan on December 05, 2019, 10:35:53 PM
Has anybody here had repeated success specifically targeting bobcat via calling? Whats your m.o? How long on average til you get a response? .22wmr should be adequate id think, yeah? As far as i know ive only called in one, and it busted me. But ive never actually tried to target them. Im about to go for it. Words of wisdom would be much appreciated.
Yes.
To target bobcats I set up quite a different ambush than for canines. Every time a bobcat responds to your call, think about how it approached and let them teach you what they prefer. Set up to take advantage of that. Walking a circle in snow after a calling stand can teach a lot about calling cats
Shortest call-in was a minute and a half, longest was 52 minutes. I stayed that long only because I saw him slowly approaching. I prefer to stay 45 minutes for bobs. Have had several appear in the 12-14 minute range.
22wmr seems perfect for bobcats.
A majority will probably sneak in except for the ones that run up to you full speed or the ones that casually stroll in. :)
Sounds that have called bobcats for me are cottontail distress, deeper raspier jackrabbit distress, fawn bleats, woodpecker distress (my first choice for bobs) cougar vocals (no idea whey they come but they do), bobcat in heat, housecat distress, and had one come in when I was rattling for whitetails.
I like to start with distress, probably woodpecker or cottontail, and switch to bobcat in heat for a few seconds every 1-3 minutes. Rapid, frenetic, higher pitched busy sounds produce well.
You are a savvy caller and will get good at bobcats.
Post by: Gobble Doc on December 05, 2019, 11:35:06 PM
I've contemplated taking one of my cackling hens out with me. :chuckle:This ain’t a bad idea. We lost our last hen about a month ago and I’m fairly sure it was a bobcat.
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Post by: Samloffler on December 06, 2019, 09:17:32 AM
Post by: Okanagan on December 06, 2019, 12:05:47 PM
Post by: Tracker0721 on December 06, 2019, 04:51:50 PM
Post by: Bango skank on December 06, 2019, 05:54:22 PM
Also Utah published a study showing that a majority of mule deer deaths were due to bobcats. And if you want I saw 3 bobs on Sherman tonight, pm me your number and I can send you the OnX pin of where they were. There was a solid looking trail. I’ve got all my traps out a lot closer to home right now so I don’t wanna put one up there yet.
Got a link to the study?
Post by: gramps on December 06, 2019, 06:28:15 PM
I have called in 2 bobcats in the Blues. Both times I was using a FoxPro with deer or goat distress sounds.
I was having so much fun watching the first one walk and then sneak a little, then walk then sneak That all of a sudden I realized it was only 8 or 10 feet from the call. About 30 yard shot.
The 2nd one came in and sat down about 40 yards from the caller. Easy shot also.
Both time the caller was set in an open rocky flat area.
Post by: Tracker0721 on December 06, 2019, 06:33:49 PM
Post by: Okanagan on December 07, 2019, 07:06:59 AM
Went to hear a biologist in Port Angeles a few months ago who is doing a multi-year study on blacktail deer and cougars.
The biologist said that they started out to study cougar kills of deer but ran into so many bobcats and bobcat kills that they had to expand their study to include bobcats. Over the four years for which they have compiled deer mortality, my rough average of their data showed that bobcats killed on average about 1/3 as many deer as cougars did.
In the highest bobcat kill year, bobcats killed as many deer as cougars. In the low year, they killed 20% as many.
They had at least 27 cougars and 160 bobcats in the area studied (west of Port Angeles) so the deer kills per bobcat are much lower, but total kills make bobcats a major predator on blacktail deer.
Post by: Okanagan on December 07, 2019, 07:15:09 AM
The only one I've called in that I've seen was with a turkey box call whole turkey hunting.
:yeah: If we only knew... !!!!
Post by: jasnt on December 07, 2019, 07:49:18 AM
Post by: gramps on December 07, 2019, 09:19:32 AM
Post by: Bango skank on December 14, 2019, 06:24:47 AM
Post by: HillHound on December 14, 2019, 06:32:42 AM
Post by: bigskyhounds on December 14, 2019, 06:08:21 PM
Also Utah published a study showing that a majority of mule deer deaths were due to bobcats. And if you want I saw 3 bobs on Sherman tonight, pm me your number and I can send you the OnX pin of where they were. There was a solid looking trail. I’ve got all my traps out a lot closer to home right now so I don’t wanna put one up there yet.
Know a guy in MT that killed a 40 pound bobcat off a yearling whitetail it had killed!
Post by: Bango skank on December 14, 2019, 06:28:11 PM
Post by: Bango skank on December 14, 2019, 09:11:48 PM
On the 9th i put my lion bones and trimmings in the timber 50 yards behind my house where i could shoot from my living room window, thinking maybe id get lucky and get a bob or yote over it. I left for seattle on the 10th. Got home last night, checked cam this morning. On the 10th and 11th a cougar came in to it before dark. If somebody with a lion tag had been sitting on my couch they could have shot it 2 days in a row. Ill post pics later. Had to get a new phone, and my sd card reader wont fit in it, so i need s new card reader before i can post the pics.
Post by: Birdguy on December 14, 2019, 09:45:10 PM
Post by: HillHound on December 14, 2019, 09:46:09 PM
Post by: Bango skank on December 14, 2019, 09:47:08 PM
That looks like a pretty big cat! And way to close to the house. Great pic though, nice job!
Ive found lion tracks in the snow about 10 feet from my porch before. Keeps a guy on his toes when he steps outside to take a leak in the dark.
Post by: bigskyhounds on December 15, 2019, 04:28:14 AM
That looks like a pretty big cat! And way to close to the house. Great pic though, nice job!
Ive found lion tracks in the snow about 10 feet from my porch before. Keeps a guy on his toes when he steps outside to take a leak in the dark.
I've ran many cats that either slept on porches or under them. most of these situations were with seasonal use places that no one was using at the time.
Post by: Bango skank on December 15, 2019, 05:17:21 AM
That looks like a pretty big cat! And way to close to the house. Great pic though, nice job!
Ive found lion tracks in the snow about 10 feet from my porch before. Keeps a guy on his toes when he steps outside to take a leak in the dark.
I've ran many cats that either slept on porches or under them. most of these situations were with seasonal use places that no one was using at the time.
Oh they dont care that im here. Ive had one crouched behind a bush at the edge of my lawn about 25 yards away just staring at me through the living room window while i was cleaning the house. And here in early june i was doing yard work, just finished up i think my 3rd tank of gas with the weed eater, sat on the rock next to my fire pit about 10 yards from the house and was looking as t my phone. Look up and another one was right there hunkered down in pretty much the same spot staring at me. That one was creepy. It was about the only time ive been outside without a gun on me. Figured all the noise of the weedeater would have any wildlife getting the hell away.
When i bought the place you couldnt see into the timber at all, it was a solid wall of green. Ive thinned out and limbed up the trees and hacked down bushes so i can see 50 yards or so from the house because these things are always creeping around and i want to be able to see when theyre that close. So far ive only seen them creeping around in the yard when the seasons closed.
Post by: Boss .300 winmag on December 15, 2019, 07:46:52 AM
That looks like a pretty big cat! And way to close to the house. Great pic though, nice job!
Ive found lion tracks in the snow about 10 feet from my porch before. Keeps a guy on his toes when he steps outside to take a leak in the dark.
I've ran many cats that either slept on porches or under them. most of these situations were with seasonal use places that no one was using at the time.
Oh they dont care that im here. Ive had one crouched behind a bush at the edge of my lawn about 25 yards away just staring at me through the living room window while i was cleaning the house. And here in early june i was doing yard work, just finished up i think my 3rd tank of gas with the weed eater, sat on the rock next to my fire pit about 10 yards from the house and was looking as t my phone. Look up and another one was right there hunkered down in pretty much the same spot staring at me. That one was creepy. It was about the only time ive been outside without a gun on me. Figured all the noise of the weedeater would have any wildlife getting the hell away.
When i bought the place you couldnt see into the timber at all, it was a solid wall of green. Ive thinned out and limbed up the trees and hacked down bushes so i can see 50 yards or so from the house because these things are always creeping around and i want to be able to see when theyre that close. So far ive only seen them creeping around in the yard when the seasons closed.
Bobcats, or cougars ?
Post by: Bango skank on December 15, 2019, 07:51:26 AM
Post by: Boss .300 winmag on December 15, 2019, 07:54:32 AM
Cougars. Ive never laid eyes on a bobcat on my property, just get cam pics and see tracks. Guess i kind of got off the subject when i put up the pics of what showed up to what was supposed to be my bobcat bait.
Those would be dead cats on my place.😉
Post by: KFhunter on December 15, 2019, 08:29:17 AM
(https://hunting-washington.com/smf/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=244917.0;attach=550888;image)
Post by: Bango skank on December 15, 2019, 08:30:10 AM
Post by: jasnt on December 15, 2019, 05:56:40 PM
Post by: Bango skank on December 15, 2019, 07:50:25 PM
Post by: Bango skank on December 15, 2019, 08:04:59 PM
:peep:
This could go sideways!
Yeah, i think jasnt is trying to set me up. Then humptulips will come in and delete several pages of this thread.
Post by: jasnt on December 16, 2019, 07:18:55 AM
:chuckle::peep:
This could go sideways!
Yeah, i think jasnt is trying to set me up. Then humptulips will come in and delete several pages of this thread.
Post by: Bango skank on December 18, 2019, 06:59:18 AM
Post by: Tracker0721 on December 18, 2019, 08:04:04 AM
Post by: Bango skank on December 18, 2019, 03:48:57 PM
I haven’t cut a bobcat track in a week! Think they’re hibernating.
I feel your pain. Put just shy of 8 miles on my boots today in an area i havent hunted in a few years. Always been lots of bob tracks up there, but nothing today. Saw some wolf tracks and about a million lion tracks everywhere.
Post by: KFhunter on December 18, 2019, 06:08:04 PM
Friday I hope to get out after a lion again, work and life keeps getting in the way of my hunting :chuckle:
kids bring me home I swear every friggn bug that floats through the school system :bash:
Post by: Bango skank on December 19, 2019, 05:47:03 PM
Post by: MADMAX on December 19, 2019, 05:53:58 PM
Never tagged one yet
Usually see them as they decide to leave
Or the appear too close and on the wrong side
I have also called in and killed a lion and it is a serious rush
Good luck
I have had best results with around 10 inches of automotive fuel line and a C-3 Reed stuffed inside it
It let’s you sound like something is shakin a rabbit screaming
Good luck
I need to get out myself
Procrastinating
Post by: KFhunter on December 20, 2019, 08:22:16 AM
So supposed to be getting 1-2ft of snow in the mountains. Aside from me personally not wanting to deal with that, im guessing it will push the bobs down lower too. Going to start focusing on lower elevation, heavily timbered creek bottoms where the snow wont be as bad. If this snow concentrates the little rascals into smaller patches of habitat, maybe i can finally get on some good tracks. Still havent called on my property yet, but i think i will at first light. Then maybe just walk down the rd to the state land and work my way up the creek calling every quarter mile or so. Im thinking calling and killing a bob might just be the biggest challenge of all of them. Just as sneaky as a lion, but even harder to spot due to their smaller size and more camod pelt. Plus not being the top of the food chain, theyll likely be even more cautious. Im thinking it could take me a few years to get one of them this way.
one thing that stood out to me in your posts was that you seen a ton of Cougar tracks while looking for bobs, I don't usually see cougar tracks where I see bobcat tracks.
Not that they don't overlap territory, but bobs gotta be wary of mt lions and would probably not be where you see a "bunch" of lion tracks.
Post by: Bango skank on December 20, 2019, 09:22:01 AM
People say the same thing about wolves and coyotes, but everywhere ive been that has a good amount of wolf activity is also full of coyotes. Figure how big a wolf packs range is. To wipe out coyotes, theyd have to be 100% single mindedly focused on hunting yotes, to the point that they never hunt anything else, and even then i dont think they could do it.
On another note, it was damn nasty out this morning, so i decided outdoor activities can wait. Tomorrow isnt looking so nice either.
Post by: Odell on December 20, 2019, 10:25:54 AM
That area has always been infested with lions, but i also used to see lots of bobcat sign up there. My back yard has a ridiculous amount of lion traffic, and also has a regular bobcat presence. If anything id say the guy that traps the hell out of them up there has had an effect on the bob population.
People say the same thing about wolves and coyotes, but everywhere ive been that has a good amount of wolf activity is also full of coyotes. Figure how big a wolf packs range is. To wipe out coyotes, theyd have to be 100% single mindedly focused on hunting yotes, to the point that they never hunt anything else, and even then i dont think they could do it.
On another note, it was damn nasty out this morning, so i decided outdoor activities can wait. Tomorrow isnt looking so nice either.
man I want to get a lion...good luck on the bobcats
Post by: KFhunter on December 20, 2019, 07:13:34 PM
I had seen lion tracks in this area but not today. Got a ton of exercise though, truck almost got hit by a falling tree top while I was out calling., so many needles on it looked camoflauge but no dents
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Post by: Bango skank on December 20, 2019, 07:18:09 PM
Post by: Tracker0721 on December 20, 2019, 09:31:07 PM
Post by: KFhunter on December 20, 2019, 10:18:19 PM
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Post by: Skyvalhunter on December 21, 2019, 05:44:39 AM
Post by: Bango skank on December 22, 2019, 08:09:03 PM
Post by: hunter399 on December 22, 2019, 08:45:23 PM
So get this. I put "operation bobcat" on hold today to go play with song dogs. Did about a 7 mile loop hiking and calling. On the downhill portion nearing the end i walk by a small clump of large trees with good snow surrounding it. I see a set of bobcat tracks walking into the clump of trees. It was really brushy between the trees, so instead of fighting it i just walked a circle around the patch of trees to pick up the cats tracks. Fresh snow all around, ill find them no problem. Only there was a problem. The little sneak walked into the clump of trees, but never walked out. So one of two things happened. Either he grew wings and flew away, or he heard me coming and scrsmbled up a tree. I tried and i tried to spy fur in those branches, but i just couldnt make it happen. A bobcat 80+ ft up a tree cant be easy to see. Maybe if id had binos... it sure was frustrating. The little creeper had to be up there laughing at me, but i just couldnt see it. And it sure as hell knew i was there, so there was really nothing i could do at that point but forget about it and keep moving.You positive there wasn't a down tree or log or anything it could of walk out of there on.
Maybe you where very close ,animals will do some strange stuff when they know your tracking them.BOBCAT GHOST.
Post by: Bango skank on December 22, 2019, 08:54:40 PM
Post by: Boss .300 winmag on December 23, 2019, 11:09:32 AM
Post by: KFhunter on December 23, 2019, 12:21:41 PM
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Post by: bigskyhounds on December 23, 2019, 04:34:39 PM
Post by: Bango skank on December 25, 2019, 11:10:55 AM
Post by: Tracker0721 on December 25, 2019, 12:35:47 PM
Post by: Bango skank on December 25, 2019, 12:38:07 PM
Post by: jasnt on December 29, 2019, 04:51:53 PM
Post by: ruttnbuck on December 30, 2019, 09:26:18 PM
Post by: Bango skank on January 06, 2020, 05:54:20 PM
Post by: bearpaw on January 06, 2020, 05:56:34 PM
3 attempts to call in a bob today. Nothin. Not even a yote. In a bit of a slump. I think the bobcat thing will be harder than cougar. Need to just go out and target coyotes for a while maybe, better chance of success. Get a kill or two, get my confidence back. Man, theyre sneaky suckers. Ive seen way more lions and way more wolves than ive ever seen bobcats. Hell, ive seen more wolves at one time than ive seen bobcats my whole life.
Remember my advice! :tup:
Post by: Daman9091233 on March 13, 2020, 04:40:09 PM