Bobcats are everywhere!!!

[itsasmallfarm]

first off like everyone else said the best bet is a good defense.

but i would highly suggest looking into trapping. (maybe because i am a trapper so am a little bias towards it)

but going on if you catch a bobcat you can sell the pelt for cash (not sure what there worth in your area but they can be worth quite a bit at times) just make sure you have all your permits in a row before doing that.

also i would only recommend using foot holds to start off with as some one said above they injure animals not sure what there thinking of as i see no injury's with them and have been slapped a few times by a number 3 coil spring (for coyotes) they hurt less then a rat trap.

also i would highly suggest not going with 330 coni-bears for them. first off they are very powerful and take some skill to set also they have different laws from reading not many states allow them on dry land. (here where i live in Canada we can use them on dry land but we have a different trapping system up here.)

 

[HomesteaderWife]

I also want to add in to check Minnesota Trapline products as we've found really good deals through them in the past. They've got a big selection of traps, lures, fur handling equipment, books, you name it.
Personal opinion added after seeing @itsasmallfarm mention it, conibear traps are really tricky if you've never set them, especially for an animal that size, and they're meant to kill so again big risk if you have loose dogs around your land and other animals you don't want to trap. But yes, check your local laws.
Also, yes there is a big misconception of foot-hold traps being painful. I can't count the times I've seen trappers slap their hand in one on purpose to show people this isn't the case. (Now, if someone is malicious and has illegally filed the mouth of the trap, that's a different story. Someone years back trapped my cat with one filed like this and she almost lost her leg.) It's meant to hold the animal in place, but from experience make sure you anchor or tie that trap securely. Even in the event a dog gets accidentally caught in one, they will be alright...maybe a bit shaken up but uninjured!

 

[itsafowlthing]

The best attractant is a shiny CD disc hung on fishing line a couple feet away from the trap set so the lightest breeze can spin it. The best bait is a good sized wad of cat nip at the traps. The light reflecting of the CD brings them close enough to the cat nip. Once they find the cat nip they become house cats on steroids. They can't lay off of the stuff once they find it. They throw caution to the wind.

The best trap is a #3 connibear trap set inside a the opening of rectangular box that is elevated about four imches. The box needs to be about a foot deep. Bait is placed in the back of the box. Smear some bobcat urine on the box.

Be careful with that big connibear trap. It can break bones.

 

[itsafowlthing]

Thanks for all the replies regarding our bobcat problem. We went with electrifying the perimeter of our acre and a half homestead. Set up with 1.2 joule charger with wire about 3 feet high and another strand 6 feet high. So far haven't lost another hen. Tractor Supply was most helpful with what we needed! Fingers crossed.

 

[cmom]

I have electric wire around my coops and pens. I don't know why you have a wire 6' off of the ground. The predator has to be touching the ground to get zapped. My bottom wire is around 4" off the ground and then approximately every 6" to 8" above the bottom wire are the other wires. My top wire is around 3' from the ground. So far nothing has gotten past the electric wire. Most of the predators here will try to dig under the fence first. I have seen attempts but once they touch the wire and get zapped they abort the attempt. I have had my wire up for around 10 years. Nothing tries to jump over the fence because I have netting covering the pens. I also put concrete under the gates because of a fox in the past that dug under a gate and killed some birds. I also have a hot wire across the bottom of all of the gates because most critters first explore with their noses and once they touch the wire with their noses they get zapped. I think you will be happy and can sleep well knowing your birds are protected. Here most of the predators roam at night. There have been a few exceptions. I have several game cameras up and most nights I see a predator on at least one camera. Mostly I see coyotes and fox. Good luck and have fun...

 

[itsafowlthing]

When we started being a chicken farmer only had 5 strand barb wire around 1 1/2 acre home place. Next our neighbors we're getting rid of 1000 ft of goat wire which went up against our barb wire. All the while loosing hens to the Bob cats. Trapping was only catching possums and coons. Next we put up 5 ft tall 2x3 " roll of wire. Rocks all along bottom fencing. Went 6 months without a bobcat attack. Until this month, when we lost 3 hens. RATS. So we finally hooked up 2 strands of electric fence. 1.2 joule. Now we wait. Hoping this will be the end of loosing chickens.

 

[Fluffy Hens]

 

[Fluffy Hens]

 

[Fluffy Hens]

Sorry about the double images. Can't seem to get rid of them........ Fixed it I think

 

[Fairview01]

Has anyone had any success at trapping bobcats? I'm pulling my hair out trying to save my ladies from bobcats' finger licking good lunches!!!
Have had good luck for the last six months but now they're back. Seen them on trail cameras. TIA

Here is my cat set. I have to admit it's not an original idea. I learned it from the Alaskan bush people show.

Depending on the size of the connibear either use a tote or a 5 gallon bucket as appropriate. Cut 2 notches opposite each other for the springs to set in. They need to be wide enough not to interfere with the springs releasing when the trigger is released.

I hung a chicken head in the back as the final attractor more for racoons and the like. 9n top of the set is a stick with a CD disk hanging off of fishing line. This is the visual attractor. The piece of duct tape on the bottom is covered with cat nip. Bobcats have serious ADHD. More than one sense needs to be stimulated or they will loose interest in investigating. This set incorporates visual movement, scent and food. Interesting that the identical set with chicken wing feathers has never caught anything. Just the one with the CD.