Rub sets

Coyote, Fox, Beaver, Racoon, etc.

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Coyotehunter
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Re: Rub sets

Post by Coyotehunter »

In Minnesota there is a limit on how many you can check in with each family member who hold a valid trapping tag. There is no limit of course on how many you can catch. Very low numbers in Minnesota, I had one DNR official tell me they had a estimated population of around 2400 bobcats in the state. I have no idea if this is factual or not.

If you look at the map we got mountains over here...........not exactly snow free.

Quote - "I guess if some think 2 traps per set is the way to go great, I would rather have my traps on more locations in other areas and not having to redo 2 traps per set but have 3-5 sets on a location to take cats and other critters." Well this makes no sense to me at all on a production cat line. Again I really see from what your saying is that your just setting predator sets in hopes of catching anything that comes along. I mean you have said that over and over again. I guess for the guys who want to catch cats and multiple cats at a set.........well I would suggest keeping the badgers out of the set or at least try to anyways. your worried about two traps at A set but you will set 3 -5 in the same area?? I will make my set and run trail snares if the sign suggests that I need to limit the non-targets. I am not setting my bobcat sets on water tanks and two tracks. I am setting on toilets. Pretty rare I will make a cat set with out a toilet present. Look for the females and the males will be there as well. Not that I don't catch cats in dirt holes and flat sets. I said earlier, I have caught as many as 5 cats at a dirt hole set made for a coyote. The next year I did not catch a single cat at that location. I try to get them up high away from all the traffic..........but I guess we have covered that. As far as catching cats by the back foot. You do realize that they want to piss on your turds and cat gland you have at your set......that is what they do if you give that focus point. because if your cat trapping your on toilets. turds and gland smells are already present and that is what they are doing there.............marking. The female lives there and males come through to check on her. They piss and shit to make there presence and smell hers to see if she is in heat or not. You make your mock scrape with TWO traps and collect your cats. So if you are on toilets and you are focusing on cats and make a proper cat set.........you will catch a percentage of your cats by the back foot..............because they turn in the set to piss and shit on your focul point. It is something they naturally do.

Quote - "Boils down to what ever works for you or I to achieve what we set out to" This statement I totally agree with. You keep setting 3 - 5 traps on a location catching all the badger you want and I will make my cat set with 2 traps, a flag and gland.
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Prairie Ghost
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Re: Rub sets

Post by Prairie Ghost »

Good topic gentlemen!
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Tim Anderson
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Re: Rub sets

Post by Tim Anderson »

The limit for Mn. cats is 5 per season. There where 346 cats trapped in 2005-2006. The highest numbers come from the north-central part of the state. From Fergus falls east and north is good cat country. Staples and Detroit lakes area has a few also....
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barebackjack
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Re: Rub sets

Post by barebackjack »

You cat guys.....are you leaving your traps exposed? If so are you camouflaging the trap in any way or just setting that black hunk of steel down and "dusting" it with dirt?

Are you using shingles or other methods to increase pan size for exposed walk-thru type sets?
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Re: Rub sets

Post by Prairie Ghost »

NO GOOD TRAPPER leaves a trap uncovered. Steel screen in my opinion should be used for a pan cover on all predator traps
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lyonch
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Re: Rub sets

Post by lyonch »

When I can get on a computer, rather than my phone, I will respond more on this topic. I have been talking to a few well known trappers on another site about cats and this exact topic
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Re: Rub sets

Post by EO caller »

I've learned my lesson with gang setting for cats. Every location I set up last season I had at least three sets. I caught alot of coyotes in them. One trap at each. I caught my cats at one set and that was it. our numbers aren't great but I caught two cats at one spot staked and the other two traps caught 1 porcipine and two coyotes. I was trying to set on decent looking location instead of sign. Toilets are key. I set up on a trail going through a shale slide that had a toilet in it. . Zero ways to flag so I made a trail set. Stuck a rock in the middle of the trail, set a trap on the other side of it and squirted a little piss on the rock and the next check had female. Not a hundred yard away their was a great tree that had a track next to it and I set up with a flag and gland and foodbait and piss, caught nothing. 1/4 of mile away from the trail set I found another toilet next to a couple of big boulders so I made a walk through and caught a big tom. I have about fifty traps in the arsenal and after November I'm gonna have twentyfive bobcat set-ups. 90% of my bobcat locations are not a place I can use stakes so it'll be two traps with a drag. I can usually drag so they won't go anywere. I worked at it pretty damn hard last season and I caught plenty but I think I could've done alot better.
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coyotelatrans
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Re: Rub sets

Post by coyotelatrans »

I think your missing my point, our season doesn;t start until Dec 15th by then the majority of cats will be in the areas the food is concentraited, here where you find the prefereed food along a travel way you will have cats !!!! Not just singles but a migration. stalking cover, shelter and food and water is key in this country. Toilets are great but one doesn't need them to find cats or catch mutiple cats. I have 1 area that we set 8 traps on and took 11 cats in 3.5 weeks major travel way and the food/cover they seek out in the winter time. This areas was less than 2,500 acres in size. The coyotes at this time aren';t out in their typical areas as the snow and the pressure from the deer hunters have moved them into the same areas these cats seek out, why? The food, cover are there. We caught 3 coyotes so there are ways to help avoid coyotes, but 100% is tough when you ahve hungry/agressive coyotes due to time of year and the need to add calories.

Not just hoping to catch cats with other things but key on the cats and have the other sets to take out what other species might be in these areas. We have vast areas of open ground snow covered and deep means little travel or food for any predator, so we target the cat rich areas but they happen to be areas of other predators.
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Re: Rub sets

Post by EO caller »

Totally know what your saying. Even O'gorman says cat trap your coyotes in the winter. I've caught coyote in spots were you would just shake your head. You'd think never in a million years their would be a coyote walk into that mess to get caught but they do. Seems like especialy after a full moon my cat traps are full of K-9's. I'm gonna catch plenty of coyotes in the fall so i'm gonna get more focused on just catching cats. Like I said we don't have the #'s But I have probly 50,000 acres to work with that is prime cat country. Maybe more. It is unheard of to catch 8 cats in a twenty five hundred acre area. Usually a tom and a female and thats it. I don't have the weather you guys do either so I can be more picky about were I set up.. My season starts Dec 1st and go's to the end of Feb. We also only get five tags.
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bucksnbears
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Re: Rub sets

Post by bucksnbears »

EO caller wrote: My season starts Dec 1st and go's to the end of Feb. We also only get five tags.
so where does you pa set his :wink: :lol:
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Re: Rub sets

Post by EO caller »

bucksnbears wrote:
EO caller wrote: My season starts Dec 1st and go's to the end of Feb. We also only get five tags.
so where does you pa set his :wink: :lol:
Bucs, he's so damn secretive that he doesn't even know were he sets his. :?: :wink: He's a real old school trapper. One of those guys that can go fishing 5 out of seven days work the other two and still end up filling his bobcat tags. :shock: :shock: :wink: :lol:
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barebackjack
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Re: Rub sets

Post by barebackjack »

Prairie Ghost wrote:NO GOOD TRAPPER leaves a trap uncovered. Steel screen in my opinion should be used for a pan cover on all predator traps
Hmmm.

A lot of what I read on cat trapping talks about the virtues of exposed traps, especially in keeping coyotes out of high dollar cat sets.

All I hear is how stupid cats are, slap a trap down, block and guide the piss out of it, hang a feather and move on. They cant be THAT stupid. I dont know, ive never trapped cats, but I dont think I could leave a trap just laying on top of the ground.
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coyotelatrans
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Re: Rub sets

Post by coyotelatrans »

It isn't that we have a ton of cats like some other states, it is where we set those traps that are in particular had 3 drainages that all lead to this spot, it is where the majority of the food is located, the cover is their for stalking on prey, water to drink most years because of springs and cover for them to lay up and get out of the wind. Ant cat along those 3 drainages will end up in this spot because it offers them everything they need in most years in abundance, also means that is where the coyotes will end up as well for the very same reasons, bait stations at the intersections and snares hammer alot of coyotes in this particular area.
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Re: Rub sets

Post by Coyotehunter »

Its tough not covering a set. No self respecting trapper is OK with it but you will catch cats and you will avoid some non targets if not all. Cats are really about as dumb as they come as far as predators are concerned. EO I just carry 5' lengths of 5/8 rebar and pound that in the ground. grab some wire and hang a flag. next time you are out here I will show you a couple different ways I use that. CL, I get your point just disagree with your approach.......
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Re: Rub sets

Post by coyotelatrans »

Coyotehunter I get some of what your saying as well, as do I on the disagreeing I'm not carrying around 5 ft lengths of 5/8" rebar for nothin, no need that went out with kill poles in the early 90's :D
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