Finally.......

QuietButDeadly

Old Mossy Horns
Contributor
I have not had a land trap set since early November. With all of the rain and mud and all of the problems the beaver have been causing, it just has not made any sense to try to keep the mud churned up and trying to keep traps working. And even with a week with no rain forecast, I still waited a couple of days to allow the surface to dry out a little because tearing up 2 tracks is not a good way to win friends and influence people in a positive way.

So Tuesday I headed out and found some fresh sign and started setting in the dirt. Still had areas I had to avoid on the property but it was at least a start.

First check, I had a speed demon possum in a perfectly good exposed pan bobcat set that was the first trap I set but nothing else. Did some more scouting and put out a few more traps.

This morning was check #2. Same exposed pan, walk through cat set had this fella waiting for me.
IMG_20190110_094722.jpg
I have heard a lot about exposed pan sets being used out west in walk through or rub sets but this was my first time trying them here. It will not be the last. There was a small pine bent down by the last ice storm across the full width of a shooting lane. I used the tree limbs that were holding the trunk of the tree off the ground and gathered up some more ice storm casualty limbs to make a narrow walk through under the tree at about the center of the shooting lane. Bedded the trap in the center of the opening with the pan and jaws about level with the ground but did not cover them. I blocked around the trap with rocks and sticks so the trap pan was the logical place for the next step. I also hung an artificial turkey feather off the down hill side of the tree in line with the opening for a visual attraction. I pre-hooked a 10' drag to the tree itself and put a couple of different smelly goods on each side of the opening about a foot above the ground. It could not have worked any better as his paw was still on the pan and the jaws above the pads.

The slightly under 20 lb. tom rearranged some limbs but it did not take long to get it put back and ready for business again.

I manage to catch a few cats each year but will be the first to say that most of them are caught in coyote sets in catty areas. But not this time. This set was make to catch a cat!

Here is what it looked like after the remake. If you look close, you can see the trap pan and the artificial turkey feather.
IMG_20190110_101013.jpg
 

team muddy creek

Twelve Pointer
I have not had a land trap set since early November. With all of the rain and mud and all of the problems the beaver have been causing, it just has not made any sense to try to keep the mud churned up and trying to keep traps working. And even with a week with no rain forecast, I still waited a couple of days to allow the surface to dry out a little because tearing up 2 tracks is not a good way to win friends and influence people in a positive way.

So Tuesday I headed out and found some fresh sign and started setting in the dirt. Still had areas I had to avoid on the property but it was at least a start.

First check, I had a speed demon possum in a perfectly good exposed pan bobcat set that was the first trap I set but nothing else. Did some more scouting and put out a few more traps.

This morning was check #2. Same exposed pan, walk through cat set had this fella waiting for me.
View attachment 24410
I have heard a lot about exposed pan sets being used out west in walk through or rub sets but this was my first time trying them here. It will not be the last. There was a small pine bent down by the last ice storm across the full width of a shooting lane. I used the tree limbs that were holding the trunk of the tree off the ground and gathered up some more ice storm casualty limbs to make a narrow walk through under the tree at about the center of the shooting lane. Bedded the trap in the center of the opening with the pan and jaws about level with the ground but did not cover them. I blocked around the trap with rocks and sticks so the trap pan was the logical place for the next step. I also hung an artificial turkey feather off the down hill side of the tree in line with the opening for a visual attraction. I pre-hooked a 10' drag to the tree itself and put a couple of different smelly goods on each side of the opening about a foot above the ground. It could not have worked any better as his paw was still on the pan and the jaws above the pads.

The slightly under 20 lb. tom rearranged some limbs but it did not take long to get it put back and ready for business again.

I manage to catch a few cats each year but will be the first to say that most of them are caught in coyote sets in catty areas. But not this time. This set was make to catch a cat!

Here is what it looked like after the remake. If you look close, you can see the trap pan and the artificial turkey feather.
View attachment 24411
Good going QBD, i'm wanting to catch a car bad. Thanks for shareing this set. Planning on giving this a try myself.

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Justin

Old Mossy Horns
It could be, but that’s a unique looking coat on that Tom. I’d struggle giving him up. Most look fairly similar but he seems different.
 

sky hawk

Old Mossy Horns
Contributor
Nice setup and nice catch.

You used an artificial feather because you couldn't get any real ones? ;)
 

QuietButDeadly

Old Mossy Horns
Contributor
I have plenty of turkey feathers but they are a pain to deal with. The artificial are much easier deal with.
 

Jammer

Six Pointer
Nice job Harold. Prune and I catch a few cats every year in all purpose dirt holes but we may have to try a few cat specific sets in the near future.
 

buckman84

Eight Pointer
It could be, but that’s a unique looking coat on that Tom. I’d struggle giving him up. Most look fairly similar but he seems different.
Definitely alot of spots on the top of his coat. Good looking pelt on that one!
 
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