Winter tracking skills... (photo heavy)

[Horridus]

Most of this winter I have been out tracking. Mainly bobcats in a state where they are endangered. Not because I am hunting them, but just for fun and to test my skills. My friend Doug has been along with me on most of my trips and has been teaching me stuff along the way. We are both avid outdoors men and spend all spring and summer doing herpetology stuff.

Anyway... This post is about bobcats.

Here is some good signs. Print and scat.

We have to bypass these tracks for now (coyote):

Tracking takes across all kinds of nice semi-frozen swamps. Sometimes sliding on our stomachs to avoid breaking through. No. I am not kidding.

In order to find this: an intersection and increased activity

We will track them past their food stashes. Deer and blue jay:

...and keep on going until we find the den.

Throw up a trail camera or two or three:

And then we wait....

For this:

[youtube]w4KIZqZTPX4[/youtube]

Note: I forgot to set the date/time on my trail cam.

Thanks for following along! Next targets: minks, otters, fishers, and weasels.

 

[orchunter93]

Wow thats really cool. I sure wish that I had that kind of skill.

 

[DH1]

Great thread. Thanks.

 

[Delkancott]

Very cool. Great skill.

 

[R.A.T.]

Love it. I've got a couple of bait stations out that I'm working every day. Not for the cats but for the things that cats like to eat. So far, all I'm catching are dogs

 

[mlrs]

To bad those cats are endangered in your neck of the woods. I was able to trap a few this year.

mlrs

 

[uncouth]

Wow that's cool, thanks for sharing with us.

 

[Grunt167]

Great job and beautiful animals...

 

[Decklin]

Very Cool Post! Nice way to spend time in the woods. Thanks for sharing.

 

[adaman04]

Very cool!

 

[Volnut]

Man that's awesome. I've never seen a bobcat in person but heard they are starting to pop up here in middle TN. I have seen several coyotes while hunting deer. I plan on going out looking for them in another week or so.

Thanks for sharing.

 

[JGON]

Awesome stuff...

 

[BloodGroove4570]

Great pics, thanks alot:thumbup:. I hunt them sometimes with a friend, a few years back he got one that was either 44 or 46 pounds almost the new state record. Fun to track them and also to use dogs.

 

[CM_Rick]

Nice, really nice. I am an avid tracker as well.

 

[shotgunner11]

To bad those cats are endangered in your neck of the woods. I was able to trap a few this year.

mlrs

Not starting trouble but what's the reason for the trapping? Are they a problem in your area? Do you eat them?

Just wondering, if your just doing it for shits and giggles so be it. Not my thing but I wouldn't cry about it.

 

[adamm]

Very cool, i didnt think they were endangered in pa, I thought you could hunt for them?

 

[mlrs]

Not starting trouble but what's the reason for the trapping? Are they a problem in your area? Do you eat them?

Just wondering, if your just doing it for shits and giggles so be it. Not my thing but I wouldn't cry about it.

No worries with me thinking you are starting trouble. Most people get very inquisitive when they find out I am a trapper in my free time. I trap coyotes, beavers, muskrats, and raccoons for some ranchers when they are having problems and get a few cats as well. If I am not going to use the animal it gets released after some photos. All female and young bobcats get released. Most of the stuff I trap is kept, skinned, and the meat used. Sometimes the meat is eaten, somtimes used for bait, or given to somebody who needs it. Coyote meat cannot be eaten. I tried it. It tasted horrible and made me sick. Bobcat meat is really good and kinda sweet. Raccoon, beaver, and muskrat can be eaten as well and is very tasty. I also keep the pelts. They are skinned, scraped, dried and sold at auction. Hunting and trapping these critters helps keep the populations in check. It helps keep diseases like mange, rabies, and distemper outbreaks from happening. I had to just burry several coyotes this year that had mange. Hope I answered your question.


mlrs

 

[simple6]

Thanks for posting, that was awesome!

 

[Horridus]

Thanks everyone! I'll keep you guys posted with more tracking stuff as time goes on. Afraid minks and weasels may not be as exciting as bobcats but they are next on my list.

Very cool, i didnt think they were endangered in pa, I thought you could hunt for them?

You are absolutely right, but that cat was in New Jersey

 

[Horridus]

Love it. I've got a couple of bait stations out that I'm working every day. Not for the cats but for the things that cats like to eat. So far, all I'm catching are dogs

Give it time, or maybe bait with some roadkill somewhere near by . Took about 10 total days on that den to get a picture. Up here, they move from den to den in their territory so if they were there last week they maybe hunting and denning on the opposite side of their range now. I don't know if their habits are different down there or not, but keep that in mind.