I need a surefire way to catch a bobcat!

[Wolf-Kim]

I was at me barn and all of a sudden my horses spooked from deep in their pasture. Watched them and they stood at attention for 10 minutes, before spooking again. So I decided to investigate, thinking there was a deer in the pasture or the neighbor's cows. I walk into the back of the pasture and I hear a weak honk. There is my goose laying in the tall weeds, at first I thought it may have been a nest. Then as I got closer there was blood behind his head on his neck and feathers everywhere. I gently pick him up and carry him to the barn and tell Adam to get his rifle. I thought it was a fox attack and thought the horses spooking, spooked the fox and he would be back soon to claim his prey. So we're in the pasture with the rifle and all of a sudden I make out a face in the weeds. "Adam, it's looking at me, it's looking at me Adam!" but hubby couldn't get a clear shot until it bounded into the woods.

Took me a few minutes to realize what it was I had actually seen, it was a fricken bobcat! We waited and waited for it to come back again, but no luck. Thinking about asking the local farmer to borrow his coyote livetraps. All we have is a single legtrap, sized for a fox, and I've never had any luck catching anything with it.

Please help. It's aggravating that it would hurt my geese, I like them even more than my chickens and I hate to think that this ##@(@)*&$(* cat is after them. I know it's nature, so don't give me all that, I just want the cat GONE.

-Kim

 

[dacjohns]

Find a trapper in the area and let him do the deed. Bobcats can be hard to trap.

 

[Wolf-Kim]

I tried it when we had a fox problem. Problem is, legholds are illegal in our county, so trappers won't touch them. And then NC has a bobcat "season" so I think that trappers won't want to deal with it until hunting season.

I will contact the local groups again and see what they say. It's just aggravating.

 

[acdoc]

dont even bother with a trap that is to small he will get out of it for sure. If he is a nusinace and on your land i dont see why you cant trap him or shoot it.

 

[CMV]

Did your goose make it?

I have no suggestions. Our bobcats are so shy we barely know they are here. I hope it stays that way!

 

[Wolf-Kim]

I have him in the barn in a stall. He's on his feet and bloody on his neck. I don't know if he'll make it or not, while I was carrying him, I could hear air escaping out of the wound on his neck when he breathed or called out.

He's up and moving around, time will tell I guess. I love my geese.

 

[keystonepaul]

bobcats are easier to trap than fox and coyotes and can be caught w/ box traps. Some time a visual attractent hung in front of the trap will get the cat to come off it's travel path to investigate- a CD twirling on fishline or in the old days the tape pulled from a cassette tape Check the regs in your area as to seasons. Here in PA trapping season is only a few weeks away and folks do draw cat tags here so you can eliminate your predator and remain legal. Other states trapping seasons will start at different times so check your local regs. The key to a cage/box trap is making sure the bottom is is flat on the ground if there is side to side movement when the cat/fox steps in it will not continue going in. Sifting dirt or using a think layer of forest debrie to cover the wire bottom is also a help, just make sure you don't hinder the mechanism. Good luck, Keystonepaul

 

[Wolf-Kim]

Quote:
A cage/box trap is simply a live trap correct? I plan on asking(BEGGING) the farmer up the road to borrow one of his coyote livetraps. They're big enough, I simply can't afford one of those traps right now, I think they're like $70+ at TSC. I figured I'd bait if with a spare bird or fish from the kitchen. Then sit and pray I catch the darn thing.

I have large wire dog kennels/crates, but I'm not sure how I'd rig it to catch a bobcat. Then if it fell for it, I surely wouldn't want it to escape somehow and become trapwise.

 

[Chook-A-Holic]

I had bobcat troubles about 10 years ago. One thing I noticed is that you can set your watch by them. He may stay gone a day or two due to the confrontation today, but lookout, he will be back.

I dispatched one only to end up with one that was more determined. Thats when I started experimenting with higher voltage electric fences around my coop and runs. I found that anything less than about 8000volts only made them madder and more determined. Only after a good hit from a 10,000volt pulse charger was I able to not worry about them anymore. No, I did not lose any animals to them, but the stress of them snooping and trying to gain access into the runs put me in protection mode.

I was born and raised in the area I now reside and never even seen one until about 10yrs ago.

 

[Wolf-Kim]

I know he'll be back, that's why I plan to take care of it. I've had my geese for a year or so, so it's possible those darned cats can live without targeting my geese. I don't mind natural predators, truly I don't, but there is plenty of game for them around. They need to stay away from my birds.

The geese are the only birds I truly free range. The problem is because my father in law sold the bushhog, so the pasture weeds have grown tall. Allowing this predator to sneak up on the geese. I'll also be begging the bush hog off of the neighbor down the street as well. I hate begging and borrowing, but I suppose you have to do what's in the animal's best interests.