Bobcat hunting

Dux-R-Us · Jan 18, 2012

I been calling my brains out for the last couple of winters. I have called in just about everything but a bobcat, which is my ultimate goal. Is there a special secret to calling in cats? Are they really that hard to call in? I have tried injured rabbit, woodpecker, and the generic dying critter. All to no avail.

I see cats in the early fall, but they become not existent by winter (at least I can't call one in yet).

Tally ho

Kevin

Browtine · Jan 18, 2012

Be prepared to sit at least 45-60 minutes on each set if you are after a Bob. They will not come in fast like a yote. Use your eyes and binos a lot. Movement helps as well, a feather hung in a bush will catch their eye.

1000YRDSHOT · Jan 18, 2012

Had 4 cross the road in front of me off of Lone Chimney rd and Perkins Rd. It was about 3 weeks ago.

Not sure how to call them, but maybe you can get permission in that area.

dennishoddy · Jan 18, 2012

Browtine said:
Be prepared to sit at least 45-60 minutes on each set if you are after a Bob. They will not come in fast like a yote. Use your eyes and binos a lot. Movement helps as well, a feather hung in a bush will catch their eye.

I attended a calling seminar a year ago, and Browtines suggestion is really close to what I learned. I've trapped bobcats for years, along with other nest robbers. Use the feather in a bush technique over my traps. A cat doesn't have a very good sense of smell, and is primarily a sight hunter.
What I learned in the seminar from a guy that travels the country, and produces video's that sell everywhere: Call softly at first, bringing up the volume slowly on suceeding repeats.
Don't use a decoy. Look, Look, Look for a cat sitting on its haunches looking over the area your trying to get them into. He had video clip after video clip of cats just sitting at the edge of the woods watching, but not advancing. He said the best time to get them is when you get tired of calling and get up to go home. The movement in the corner of your eye will be the cat hauling butt!
My friend Scott Ruff will be putting on another FREE seminar at Bass Pro in Broken Arrow on Jan 24 at 7pm in the upstairs seminar room if your interested. Tell him I sent you, if you attend.

Dux-R-Us · Jan 19, 2012

Lots of calling and sit for a long time. I been doing that. I have not used field glasses. When I call, I get paranoid that animals are all around me and I am afraid to move. I will continue to be vigilant. Eventually I will call one in that I see.

Did any of you see the article about bobcats in last sunday's news paper?? ODWC estimates that between 15-20 thousand bobcats are taken each year in OK. The article also read that pelts are about $200 now.

We have at least one bobcat in our neighborhood now, but shooting it is out of the question. I already get blamed for shots taken that are not from my rifle gun. Plus we got incorporated into the City a year or so ago. Since then I have been a good citizen and have cut out the squirrel potting, unless especially requested from the wife (heavy bird seed depredation is an ongoing thing. Where do they keep coming from????).

Dux-R-Us · Jan 19, 2012

1000YRDSHOT said:
Had 4 cross the road in front of me off of Lone Chimney rd and Perkins Rd. It was about 3 weeks ago.

Not sure how to call them, but maybe you can get permission in that area.

Did you at least try to run them over??? 4 cats together seems odd. Must have been a female and her kittens yet?

dennishoddy · Jan 19, 2012

Dux-R-Us said:
have cut out the squirrel potting, unless especially requested from the wife (heavy bird seed depredation is an ongoing thing. Where do they keep coming from? ???).

Trap them. Its very easy. After about three days of them running in and out of the live trap, you can set the trap and catch every one in the neighborhood. Eat them, or take them to a city park to be released.

Dux-R-Us · Jan 31, 2012

dennishoddy said:
My friend Scott Ruff will be putting on another FREE seminar at Bass Pro in Broken Arrow on Jan 24 at 7pm in the upstairs seminar room if your interested. Tell him I sent you, if you attend.

I attended this, but only the bobcat part of the show. The new information I came away with was quit trying to call bobcats out of cover.

A few days later I sat down in thick stuff along a creek and called in my first bobcat. He showed up after about 15 minutes of calling. Unfortunately he saw me and sat down at about 45-50 yards. Too much junk to shoot. When he decided to skiddaddle, he covered 25 yards in about 1 sec. [it seemed]. Too fast for me and I shot right as he went behind logs. Even though I was sure I missed, I checked for blood and fur. None, but the smell of cat urine was heavy. He must have pissed himself when I shot. tee-hee. It was a rush! Can't wait to try again.

A few days ago I shot a big male coyote at 15 yards with the 12 ga. and 1.5 oz. lead BB. A big dog, almost as big as our Golden retriever. Really nice thick winter coat and he's going in the man cave as a trophy.

Tally ho!

Browtine · Jan 31, 2012

Nice job!!!!!

dennishoddy · Jan 31, 2012

Scott does a great job of putting on the seminars. I'm going to start a new thread about a charity hunt he is putting on for two hunters, food, lodging provided.

Ksmirk · Jan 31, 2012

$200 for a cat pelt? if that's true might be time to break out the callin' goodies! I stopped shooting them when they got below $100 unless someone was having issues with them then they got shot.

I do know calling cats is easier with 2 people as you have more eyes to find those tricky little suckers in the brush. The feather on a branch gets their attention almost as well as a SALE sign gets the girls attention hehe Later,

Kirk

dennishoddy · Jan 31, 2012

I use the feather trick while trapping.
As you well know they are better sight hunters vs scent hunters.

Dux-R-Us · Feb 1, 2012

Kirk Smith (ksmirk) said:
$200 for a cat pelt?

take that information with a grain of salt I say. A reporter provided that quote in his story. Who knows what his source was?

dennishoddy · Feb 1, 2012

I just checked Kanokla for fur prices.
Top_Prices
Carcass Unskinned Top_Prices
Skinned Top_Prices
Kansas/Oklahoma $ 110-200

I've sold furs there for years. A person will likely never see $200. $110 is what I would expect.

Eric long · Feb 1, 2012

A friend and I mouth call around tahlequah. He called in two cats at two different call sites. Both came in a out 10 minutes. First at 7 yards- it saw me and I missed it. Second one at 20-30 shot with .223. Also came in about 10 minutes.

Dux-R-Us · Feb 1, 2012

dennishoddy said:
I just checked Kanokla for fur prices.
Top_Prices
Carcass Unskinned Top_Prices
Skinned Top_Prices
Kansas/Oklahoma $ 110-200

I've sold furs there for years. A person will likely never see $200. $110 is what I would expect.

Dennis, what are coyote pelts selling for? Just curios.

dennishoddy · Feb 1, 2012

This link will keep you updated on current prices. He has a route that he drives on a schedule, and may be closer to you on one of these routes.

http://www.kanoklafurco.com/

BLR · Feb 3, 2012

The main thing when calling cats is to be patient and use your eyes they really like to hang up in cover and just watch. I also use the feather trick but take it a step farther i use a old arrow shaft with the feather tied to it with a piece of fishing line (turkey wing feather works great) and place it about 15-20 yards from cover it will get them in the open for you. Bird sounds, mice and baby rabbit sounds work good. One thing to remember, calling coyotes with barks, howls, rallies and all the coyote sounds has become very popular, but if you use any of the coyote sounds on a stand your chances of calling in a cat go to zero, cats will not come in and try to compete with the yotes. actually have video of a cat turning and running during a howl from a live coyote we had coming in.

1000YRDSHOT · Feb 6, 2012

Dux-R-Us said:
Did you at least try to run them over??? 4 cats together seems odd. Must have been a female and her kittens yet?

Sorry for the delay in response, Kevin. They were so far down the road, that I had to look through the binos.

If they were a females kittens they were last years... They all looked the same size.