Caught my first bobcat!
12-29-2009, 02:03 PM
#1
Nontypical Buck
Thread Starter
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: Lubbock, Texas
Posts: 1,401
Caught my first bobcat!
I thought I would share my Christmas present with everyone!
Caught my first bobcat over the Christmas Holiday. Had 5 sets out. We had some weather including rain and snow, but I still ended up with a cat in a trap!
When I got close he would growl at me, but he never did scream at me. I left him for a few minutes to check on a few other traps and he was actually sitting there with his eyes closed when I got back. Then he bluff charged me a few times while I was getting the catch pole ready and that sure got my attention!
It's a male, and it's a good sized cat for around here according to the taxidermist. Seems kinda big to me, but I really have no clue. I'm 6'2" and 235lbs for size reference. I thought he had a pretty belly.
I didn't put him on a scale, but I doubt he weighs much more than 20lbs.
Thought I had a pretty good catch on him, but with the wet conditions the stake ended up pretty loose. I was able to pull it out very easily with one hand. I bought a bunch of berkshire disposable stakes, but when I got out there to use them, the S hooks I bought to attach the chain to the stakes were too big so I ended up staking them. I used 1/2" rebar 24" long, but there is no doubt that it would not have held a coyote in the wet conditions. Very happy that he was still there for me.
I can't decide whether to do a full body mount on him or just get him garment tanned with feet and claws on. I'm pretty picky and it seems like cats are about the hardest things to mount and have them look really good. I would hate to spend a bunch of money and not be 100% happy with the end result. I'm leaning toward the garment tanning.
I actually took a picture of the sets when I made them. From what I've read on www.trapperman.com, for a cat you can use all the guiding you want to get them to put their foot exactly where you want it. You also need something to get their attention to the set since they don't have the nose of a coyote. I used both on this set.
Here's the picture of the set. That's a pheasant wing in the tree and some dove carcasses I saved from dove season in the brush behind the set. I also used some O'Gorman's Powder River Cat Call Lure. I think I threw in some left over KFC chicken in there too somewhere!
Just thought I would share. Nathan
Caught my first bobcat over the Christmas Holiday. Had 5 sets out. We had some weather including rain and snow, but I still ended up with a cat in a trap!
When I got close he would growl at me, but he never did scream at me. I left him for a few minutes to check on a few other traps and he was actually sitting there with his eyes closed when I got back. Then he bluff charged me a few times while I was getting the catch pole ready and that sure got my attention!
It's a male, and it's a good sized cat for around here according to the taxidermist. Seems kinda big to me, but I really have no clue. I'm 6'2" and 235lbs for size reference. I thought he had a pretty belly.
I didn't put him on a scale, but I doubt he weighs much more than 20lbs.
Thought I had a pretty good catch on him, but with the wet conditions the stake ended up pretty loose. I was able to pull it out very easily with one hand. I bought a bunch of berkshire disposable stakes, but when I got out there to use them, the S hooks I bought to attach the chain to the stakes were too big so I ended up staking them. I used 1/2" rebar 24" long, but there is no doubt that it would not have held a coyote in the wet conditions. Very happy that he was still there for me.
I can't decide whether to do a full body mount on him or just get him garment tanned with feet and claws on. I'm pretty picky and it seems like cats are about the hardest things to mount and have them look really good. I would hate to spend a bunch of money and not be 100% happy with the end result. I'm leaning toward the garment tanning.
I actually took a picture of the sets when I made them. From what I've read on www.trapperman.com, for a cat you can use all the guiding you want to get them to put their foot exactly where you want it. You also need something to get their attention to the set since they don't have the nose of a coyote. I used both on this set.
Here's the picture of the set. That's a pheasant wing in the tree and some dove carcasses I saved from dove season in the brush behind the set. I also used some O'Gorman's Powder River Cat Call Lure. I think I threw in some left over KFC chicken in there too somewhere!
Just thought I would share. Nathan
Last edited by npaden; 12-29-2009 at 02:06 PM.
12-30-2009, 04:30 PM
#4
Boone & Crockett
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Maine
Posts: 12,564
Congrats on your first cat!! Nice picks as well!!
Here the bobcats have started taking out beagles that have been rabbit hunting. At first they thought it was coyotes! But after being tested by the biologists it has been proven to be the bobcats doing the work.. No one is sure why except for the fact fewer people are hunting or trapping the compared to years ago..
Here the bobcats have started taking out beagles that have been rabbit hunting. At first they thought it was coyotes! But after being tested by the biologists it has been proven to be the bobcats doing the work.. No one is sure why except for the fact fewer people are hunting or trapping the compared to years ago..
