How to Build Homemade Bobcat Traps
Although bobcats are fascinating, powerful animals, they can also make a nuisance of themselves. Bobcats can damage property via their methods for hunting; they carry fleas and may even carry disease into your property. They can also be dangerous to your pets. Many homeowners seek to trap these animals and release them far away from their property.
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Things You'll Need
- Bacon, chicken, vegetables
- Large, heavy wooden box
- Plywood (roughly the size of the box)
- Stick or pole
- String
- Screw hook
Instructions
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1
Prepare the area you want to use for trapping the bobcat. Consistently leave the food out in one spot, so that the bobcat gets used to being fed and comes back every night.
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2
Screw the hook into the center of the inside of the box, in what will be the roof. Use a heavy box, so that the bobcat can't get out from under it.
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3
Lay the plywood flat on the ground in the place you've been leaving food.
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4
Use your stick or pole to prop up one side of the box over the plywood. When the box falls, it should fall on the plywood. Make sure there's enough room under the lip of the box for the bobcat to get inside. There should also be enough room for you to reach inside the box and bait it.
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5
Tie the string to whatever treat you're using to bait the trap. Make sure the food is tied securely and in several places. Run the other side of the string through the hook
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6
Pull the string tight, until the treat is suspended near the roof of the box. It should be high enough that the bobcat has to pull it down to eat it. Tie the other side of the string to the base of your stick.
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7
Leave the trap. When the bobcat enters and tugs at the treat, the string will jerk the stick out from under the box, and the cat will be trapped. Turn the box over, keeping the plywood in place. Take the bobcat to a preplanned holding place or release destination, or call wildlife control.
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Tips & Warnings
Use long, thin treats like strips of chicken or bacon in your trap for ease of tying.
Bobcats are wild animals and have very sharp teeth and claws. Always use caution with these dangerous animals. Always plan what you're going to do with the animal after you trap it. Even though they're wild animals, bobcats should be treated humanely. The best option is to trap them and release them into a wild area outside of town or call a professional company that's used to handling dangerous wildlife.
