How to Trap a Bobcat
The bobcat is an elusive predator that is making a comeback in the United States. Unfortunately, the animal is becoming a nuisance to some farmers. As the population of bobcats increase, its territories can expand to include farms where livestock become its prey. Trapping bobcats is a way to control this problem. Read this article to learn more.
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Instructions
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Research the regulations regarding the trapping and hunting of bobcats by contacting the Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife or by going online.
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Learn the habits if these secretive beasts by reading articles at Bugspray.com, or Milligan's book, "On the Prowl for Bobcats." You may also find information at Big Cats Online.
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Look for signs of bobcats by searching the ground for large cat prints (a bobcat is two to three times larger than a common house cat). Because bobcats are territorial, except during mating season, the travel patterns of the bobcat are very specific within a territory.
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Look also for signs of bobcats in animals that have either been killed or injured. Claw marks around the back and shoulders are a sign of a bobcat kill or attack versus one by a coyote or some other predator.
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Choose the trap style you wish to use to trap a bobcat: either a long-spring trap or a coil trap, or a homesteader or rear door trap which is designed to capture the bobcat without injuring it. You may find coil and spring traps at hunting supply stores or online at such sites as Bugspray.com. The homesteader trap would also be found at hunting supply stores or online at Cooperseeds.com or other online vendors.
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Set the trap by taking advantage of the bobcat's habits. Since the bobcat is very territorial and marks its territory with its urine, you may trap a bobcat by baiting it with bobcat urine, available at hunting supply stores or such sites as Bugspray.com. Or you can cover the trap with sticks or brush and bait it with a piece of meat. This mimics the bobcat's habit of hiding away portions of larger animals it cannot finish in one sitting for another time.
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