I live in SE Florida, in western West Palm Beach, in a semi-rural acreage neighborhood. This is the first time in 6 years of poultry-keeping that we've had continual losses from bobcats. I believe it began late this summer, that we were losing birds without a trace. I have a large flock of standard-sized chickens, a small flock of bantams, a small flock of Khaki Campbell ducks, 2 Pekins, & a dozen young runner ducks, and 8 Embden geese. The ducks & geese free-range all day, the bantams roost high in a big ficus tree and hop in & out of the chicken pens all day, and the large chickens are let out mid-afternoon to range. Everyone would come back to the pens at sunset, although sometimes the ducks & geese would stay out in the yard.
It started with the Khakis and took me a while to figure out what was causing the losses. It would be just one at a time, maybe once a week or so. I didn't know if it was the hens going off to be broody, or illness, or maybe a big owl. After one night when something reached through the wire of the duck house and killed a duck by wounding her neck, I finally got serious about setting traps & trying to get home in time to put the birds away by nightfall.
At this time I also realized that some of the bantams were missing, and also a few chickens who roosted in the top of a large bush. One night a big old rooster went missing & I realized that the predator was coming right before nightfall. Because Homer would spend his days in the front yard avoiding the younger roosters, but would come back to the coop before dark.
The next morning there was a bobcat in one of the live traps.
I thought the reign of terror was over, but 2 nights later there was another runner duck missing, and fresh bobcat tracks in the sand. I have since kept traps set & baited but the cat walks right past them. And it is still killing my birds. We have been trying to get home by 5pm now, an hour before nightfall, to put everyone away, but the few nights we've been late, like 5:20 or 5:40, birds have gone missing.
I have caught the few remaining bantams and now have them confined to covered pens. The bobcat would lie in wait for them as they flew up into the ficus tree to roost for the night. I am rearranging everything else in my schedule, including Thanksgiving dinner, to be sure to be home by 5pm every night from now on, to put everyone away before dark.
HOW CAN TRAP THIS BOBCAT???? Shooting is not an option, it's a residential neighborhood and also, I have neighbors who work for the Sheriff's Dept who would hear & report. That one bobcat went into the trap for smelly canned cat food. But the other hasn't been tempted by it. I've tried adding catnip and cat treats (free-range chicken flavor!). I've even placed a dead chicken in one trap.
What have you used with success?? Please help me!
It started with the Khakis and took me a while to figure out what was causing the losses. It would be just one at a time, maybe once a week or so. I didn't know if it was the hens going off to be broody, or illness, or maybe a big owl. After one night when something reached through the wire of the duck house and killed a duck by wounding her neck, I finally got serious about setting traps & trying to get home in time to put the birds away by nightfall.
At this time I also realized that some of the bantams were missing, and also a few chickens who roosted in the top of a large bush. One night a big old rooster went missing & I realized that the predator was coming right before nightfall. Because Homer would spend his days in the front yard avoiding the younger roosters, but would come back to the coop before dark.
The next morning there was a bobcat in one of the live traps.
I thought the reign of terror was over, but 2 nights later there was another runner duck missing, and fresh bobcat tracks in the sand. I have since kept traps set & baited but the cat walks right past them. And it is still killing my birds. We have been trying to get home by 5pm now, an hour before nightfall, to put everyone away, but the few nights we've been late, like 5:20 or 5:40, birds have gone missing.
I have caught the few remaining bantams and now have them confined to covered pens. The bobcat would lie in wait for them as they flew up into the ficus tree to roost for the night. I am rearranging everything else in my schedule, including Thanksgiving dinner, to be sure to be home by 5pm every night from now on, to put everyone away before dark.
HOW CAN TRAP THIS BOBCAT???? Shooting is not an option, it's a residential neighborhood and also, I have neighbors who work for the Sheriff's Dept who would hear & report. That one bobcat went into the trap for smelly canned cat food. But the other hasn't been tempted by it. I've tried adding catnip and cat treats (free-range chicken flavor!). I've even placed a dead chicken in one trap.
What have you used with success?? Please help me!
