Trapping a Bobcat

[ColtHandorf]

Good afternoon everyone. Can any experienced trappers please fill me in on the best way to do this? I have a very problematic feline that is making me and the birds miserable. I've done some Googling, but I don't know enough of the lingo to know what most of the people are talking about. Any helpful links, tips, tricks, and definitions would be great. Is there a good place to find someone who could do the trapping for you?

 

[JacinLarkwell]

I think @aart might have some knowlegde

 

[aart]

Never had bobcat trouble.
But would be good to contact the DNR and find out the rules and regs for deterring/trapping/killing it.

 

[itsasmallfarm]

trapper here.

First off i would check with your local DNR, find out the rules on trapping and killing a predator. where i live in is fine if they cause damage.

i don't trap bobcats (don't got any where i live) but i do plan on trapping lynx. but seems that most trapping tips work for either.

i would highly suggest getting a foot hold trap (make sure its a humane and legal to use) or a cage trap. both are easier to use. i would go with cage traps first then look into foot holds.

i will say avoid coni-bears, you would have to use a 330 (maybe a 280 of certain brands) and i don't know any state (maybe Alaska) that allows them on dry land. (to note they are legal to use on dry land where i live but i would only use them on my land up north where i know i would not catch a pet such as a cat.)

 

[cmom]

I had a bobcat that killed 14 birds one night. I set leg traps. It didn't come back the next night but did the following night. I eliminated it. I didn't have electric wires around that coop and pen but now I do.

I have seen another one but it hasn't bothered the birds. It probably knows there are electric wires there. I have seen it now and then but just passing through.

 

[ColtHandorf]

@cmom did you bait the bobcat to get it to come out? This one has been getting turkeys when they decide they don't want to be in the safety of a pen. During a really strong thunderstorm she scaled a covered dog run and got into a pen to snatch a turkey and killed most of my White Orpingtons that I was growing out. When she took the bird up the chainlink and back over the top their combined weight and the wind did something and the vertical supports shifted and the whole roof collapsed. Which is what alerted me to the problem in the first place. She's very brazen. Usually attacks in broad daylight in the morning. And takes her kill over the property line less than 50 ft. to eat. I sat up for 12 hours one day with a hunting rifle over a carcass I'd tied out and she didn't show. I haven't seen her again until now. I figure she must have kits she's feeding which is why she was desperate enough to be out in weather that rough. All the birds are locked in the barn now, much to their displeasure except the waterfowl which are inside the fenced in backyard.

 

[cmom]

No. I put the traps inside the fence where it had dug under and it went back into the pen where it had originally dug and got in the traps. It had a trap on each foot. It didn't come back the next night but did the following night. I was surprised. It was a quite big kitty. It didn't take any birds that I'm aware of but might have, but the next morning when I went out I picked up 14 dead birds all intact. It probably has young it's feeding. I had tried to trap some coyotes I was having an issue with but they wouldn't go into the trap. I had a dead bird in as bait and one got a hold of the dead birds leg and dragged the trap. It's a quite heavy trap. It's 5' in length. I'm 5' tall. It even tried to dig under the trap but wouldn't go inside. A neighbor that was having issues allowed some hunters to hunt them on his property. There were some dens not far from his house. Apparently they must have got some because I haven't seen many since and did hear some shooting around midnight in the direction of his property.

 

[cmom]

You can see in this picture next to the big trap where it had dragged the trap over and tried to dig under it. I put the trap back to where I had put it. it's a pretty heavy trap and not easily moved. It was a chore for me to put it back to where it was.

 

[Sportsman94]

Bobcats are pretty easy to trap with a foothold. You dont even have to bury them. Look into what is called a cubby set. You can form a "cubby" out of sticks, debris, etc and put a carcass, some feathers, or some other kind of attractor in the back of it. Use guiding sticks to block the approach so it has to go over the pan of your trap to get to the cubby. Sometimes I put the trap as far back as 18-24" because they will sometimes just come look at it. Just use enough sticks and debris where the pan of the trap is the only option for it to step. Two years ago I made a modified form of this set with a goose carcass between two trees with a trap on each side and took three bobcats in the same spot. Good luck

 

[cmom]

I hadn't been seeing this one for awhile but it showed up last night.