My Wisconsin Bobcat Season

This morning I went to check my coyote sets and see that I caught this beautiful bobcat in a Bridger #2 dogless!  It's no secret that Wisconsin has PLENTY of Bobcats.  I've had several big cats on my trail cameras just this year throughout 3 counties, have cut more coyote and bobcat tracks than deer tracks in some areas, and have watched the turkey population in this area decline rapidly.  It takes a hunter/trapper an average of 10-12 years to draw a kill tag for Bobcat in the area I'm in.  Regardless, I had to release this big kitty because I don't have a tag.  It was an easy release, he was unharmed, no paw damage, and just sat there staring at me for a few minutes before walking off.

THE SET:

The very next day, I went to check my sets and caught a SECOND cat, except it was this year's kitten.

Yep, you guessed it.  It's three weeks later and I'm back on this blog to update this post, changing it from 2 cats to THREE.

Here's my third bobcat in three weeks.  All released because of no tags given out.

I'll just make updating this post as frequent as my morning coffee.  Here's bobcat #4 from this morning.  Caught in Bridger dogless attached to a drag; my critter drag caught critter.  It was a flat set with Coyote Jelly Urine from Southern Snares and Supply and a scat pile.

Update: 12/28/2015
Caught my FIFTH bobcat this season.  A 2 year old, in a flat set using bait and urine.  I can't believe I have had to let 5 cats go this season because the Wisconsin DNR will not issue enough tags.  They go for average of $100/each on market, so that's $500 that I've had to let run off in the last 2 months.  Ridiculous.

Wisconsin Trapping Season 2015-2016

Here is my photo gallery and stories from the 2015-2015 Wisconsin Trapping Season.  I am only targeting fox and coyotes, however I'll harvest any coon or skunk that happen to get in the mix too.  I'll try to update this blog as often as catches come in.  

I set a Bridger dogless #2 in broken cornstalk set, using Trapper Art's NITRO long distance call lure on the cornstalk, and Southern Snares and Supply's JUST MICE predator bait in the dirthole.  That same night, I caught a coyote that I believe was "stolen" before I got there.

So the next morning, I made the exact same set, except I moved the remake set to the outside of the first catch circle, shown above.  The urine/scent from the first catch would attract another coyote, but sometimes they are circle shy and won't step directly in the messed up area.

And, it worked.  I caught this male on the remake set.  I remade the remake set, and just moved the trap another foot outside the second catch circle. 

Update: 12/4/2015
Caught this male, probably from the same family lines, as it was the exact same trap and set as the coyote above.  2nd trap night.  Capital Punishment predator bait down a dirthole with red fox jelly urine on the backing.  MB550.

Ermine

I'm up to 5 bobcats so far this season; all caught and released..refer to my Bobcat blog post for more pictures and details of the sets.

01/11/2016:
Got my first cable restraint catch of the season today; a young male caught in a cable that hung since Christmas day, 17 nights total.  It was -26 degrees F when I started my trap check this morning.  Another nice neck catch using cables made by Brian at Southern Snares and Supply.

Red Foxes Digging Holes in a Lady's Yard-Nuisance Trapping

I got a call from a lady this summer who said she had red foxes digging up the sod in her lawn and destroying it so much that she couldn't even mow her lawn all summer, and that every morning she had to wake up early and re-roll the sod over the holes to fix it.  I chuckled a little and said, "Ma'am, I think it's probably skunks doing that, they dig up the grubs".  She said, nope, she knows they are foxes and that nobody else would believe her either.

So I went out to her residence and inspected her lawn.  I was dumbfounded.  I couldn't believe the huge areas that were ripped up; some were 8 feet in diameter and 6 inches deep.

So I set 6 traps in her lawn and baited them with various baits, urine, gland lure, etc.

The next morning, I came back to check my traps and caught THREE foxes!  I couldn't believe it.  I relocated them to my relocation spot, and kept trapping that week.  The next morning I caught another big male and relocated him as well.  I only had a few days to trap there, but I ended up relocating FOUR red foxes from her property.

I followed up with her a month later and she happily reported that she had NO MORE diggings and that the problem seemed to be solved; this year.

One of the diggings before I set traps...

The same digging after I placed 3 traps there

The first day I caught 3 foxes; these two right next to each other.

Three total on the first night!

Then this male on the second night, making 4 foxes total from this one lawn.