Welcome to the Wild-About-Trapping.com Forums

We're anticipating a bobcat trapping season for the first time. I know "flagging" is the status quo for them but is it that important? We cant use any animal parts for it so Ive been collecting cheap CDs and old computer program CDs. Has anyone ever tried those? I got an idea about yarn and then the plastic bottle wind spinner thingymabubs too. Our CO said he thinks the regulations will be any exposed animal parts/products will have to be minimum 100' from the trap. Is that too far for flagging if we use turkey feathers etc? Thanks for any help.

_________________
Waitin for the leaves to fall...

BWM, some say you can't do as well on cats without the flagging but some of us just do what we do. Seems to me that if a cat checked out every surveyor's flags in our woods they would never have time to hunt! I realized this past season that skunk essence in the area of my sets brought more cats in. I had sworn off skunk essence years ago as it seemed to produce mostly buzzards (vultures) and possums. The trick is to have the odor wafting in the air. Seems I noted some of the trappers doing that in Canada on their marten lines.....hmmmm.

_________________
Actions Speak Louder Than Words

That makes sense on the flagging Swamp, thanks. Ive found too much skunk essence seems to be a bad thing with possums and more skunks seem to be the result? Of course skunks are a good thing on our line but slicktails i can do without.

_________________
Waitin for the leaves to fall...

Although I do not have bobcat I think lynx act much the same as bobcats. I also agree flagging is so common in the bush that critters often ignore it, thus it is less effective than a bird wing, CD disk or whatever. Myself I use a 4X6 inch piece cardboard, brown on one side and white on the other. When fluttering in a breeze the white stands out against the dark forest cover background and the brown against the snow, like a flashing neon sign. This flasher is place about 5-10 feet out side the cubby where it can be seen from several long distance directions within hare activity areas. Once the cat is drawn to the flasher, close to the set, the bait or lure should draw the animals attention to working the set.

_________________
The only thing constant in trapping is change so keep on learning.
BCTA, CNTA

Like swamp said, everybody has their things they do that feel works for them. I've done some pretty extensive studys in the field on bobcats and flagging in my area. The main things i have came up with are....if you arent set where the cats are traveling, no amount or type of flagging will do you much good 90% of the time. I came to realize that for me, if I had to be right where the cat was traveling in order to connect, then really what good was the flagging doing for me? I found by NOT using flagging, I was forced to learn how the animals move and reacted with the land. In my opinion that is much more important and reliable then any type flagging. Since I gave up on hanging visuals, my catch rate has never suffered, but quite the opposite in that my success has gone up. I also can now feel reasonably confident in targeting and catching bobcat instead of wishing or hoping. Im not afraid to trap a cat wherever i may go as a result. I cant speak for anyone else but for me, flagging was a crutch that i used for a while because i wasnt confident in my knowledge about the cats. For the little amount of time i can trap for cats, i have not had
trouble catching at all without flagging, making me to realize I dont need to waste time messing with it. I would much rather use visuals on the ground then hanging. For 2 years running virtually all my cats come from blind sets and blind set snares. Its likely you or any other folks wont go against the grain on this and will use flagging anyway as that seems to be the norm. I have had very many cats go right by hanging attractors of all types, and even attractive sets both visually and scent wise, and do so anywhere from 50 ft to 1 ft from my trap and never pay any of it one bit of attention. So Will flagging work? At times maybe....but not often enough for my having big faith in it. Instead, let me submit that you spend your time truly coming to understand the bobcat and you will be miles ahead over the alternative.

ng
I have to say I agree with Amak on this I also have tried flagging and have long since given up on flagging and gone with more in your face sets if you can't use bait a 2 inch by 2 inch piece of fake fur with a fake eye ball attached to it placed in the back of a dirt hole set with or without call lure placed in the back of a dirt hole set right in their travel path is also a good set I am by no means a great cat trapper but since I started studying the cats and started taking the traps to them instead of trying to bring them to me my catch ratio has greatlyincreased I also am a firm believer in blind sets and I am in no way saying that flagging sets are not successful different strokes for different folks this way just works better for me

_________________
2014-15
bandits 3
grinners 7
pepe lepue 3
greys 8
reds
coys3
Johnny sneekum hopefully
beaver 9
bobcat 7
otter 2

Some good ideas. Thanks guys. Still waiting on the word if we'll have a season. Havent asked in a little over a week. Our CO is the last to know anything I think? If the season runs as late as our other land trapping we may have snow. The cardboard idea interests me. Low fur prices should ease trap theft. Ive always tried to "fly under the radar". So the "flagging" seemed foreign to me anyhow. We've got one in the next hollow over from my brothers for certain now. We may try a mix of sets. These "uneducated" cats may not be too trap shy or set shy? Thanks again.

_________________
Waitin for the leaves to fall...

I have sometimes wondered if people are making a bit of a mistake. And that it isn't so much the movement of said flag, but the sound of it.

I have an older friend who loves to trap tree rats around old stumps with #1s. While tagging along on his lines I have seen where cats have completely changed directions of travel
to come over and eat the squirrels. There is no way they could have seen them, the only way they could have known was the sound of them rattling around in the trap.
Just something to think about.

_________________
Yup, Welcome to Montana. Now go home.
There are two types of people in this world. Those who shape it, and those who are shaped by it.
2014 season
Beaver--2
Muskrat-0
Squirrel-6
Fox------2
Coon----1

Backwoodsman, I have never seen a cat that was trap shy or set shy. Cats are weird....... Just be on location and you will connect.

I heard one feather hung 7or6 feet above the trap with a piece of sewing threat will do the trick, a cat will spot it real quick, but in pa nothing visable from the air.

Thanks again for the info guys. According to our CO we wont be having a bobcat season after all. Legislatures and Humane groups are debating it from what I gather but no ones talking much. Shouldnt be too much to debate Id think? Last governor signed the bill( about the only thing he did right) limits, season dates, quotas should be about all that needs debated. Should fall under the tagging requirements like our otter(or everyone elses too I guess?).

_________________
Waitin for the leaves to fall...

sure is screwed up there in springfield..been months since this states had a budget..not to worry the lawmakers are still being payed

_________________
buck creek coon hounds ... [><] .. >>>>>>--------->

.......well........that just sucks.

Christmas tinsel..... but it also attracts people, even ones that don't trap. I use it a ways away from my trap. I use skunk essence to pull them from the flag, and the lure gets them the rest of the way. Works for me, don't know if it will all over. One idea I have tossed around is this, what about a LED, down the hole. That lil bit of light should get their attention and hold it I am thinking. They are pretty cheap out of China, just tape a AA battery and tape it up and drop it down. I have not tried it yet, yall think about it.

The white plastic bags make ok flags, but the sounds they make seem to repel yotes.