2014-2015

Well I was going to get pics and post with length but got busy with side job. He stretched 47" and I will get pics tomorrow I promise!

How does everyone tie off their cat sets, other than staking. Add chain to the trap for a drag, or just an 8 foot cable tie off or so? If the cable what size? I'm using chain now but if I buy more traps I might want to go with cable.

NVArcher:

Most guys who have watched Steve Woods' DVD's go with an 8-10 foot length of 3/32 cable with slip nooses on each end. If you want to go a bit heavier, you might just get 1/8" beaver drowners from someplace like the Snare Shop. They are pre-made, strong enough to hold a horse, and have slip nooses on both ends. They also have a one-way slide in case you want to try and hide your catch by using it to slide the trap out of sight.

Personally, I used drags with about 6-8 feet of chain. I'm all about speed at the set. That's why I developed the weld-on pan cover so I don't have to diddle around with a pan cover at the set. It takes time to find something to tie off to, anchor it right, thread the cable through the brush to where the trap is, etc. When you make a catch, you have to repair the whole thing. Yes, drags are heavier but when I set or remake a set, all I do is toss the drag into a bush beside the set, set the trap, drop it into position, arrange blocking/backing, find a couple good lure sticks, place a little polyfil and I'm off to the next stop. Takes longer to describe it than it does to do it.

Just a little food for thought. If you have an area where you're afraid of thieves (like, say the entire state of Nevada :-) ), you can make life rough on them by welding about 8 feet of chain on your trap (by weld, I mean weld all the swivels/J hooks closed), and then attach a large washer to the other end of the chain. Now get a half inch concrete masonry bolt. Drill a hole in the rock near your set (or even a tree if you don't have a rock within reach -- if you don't think you have a rock within reach, try driving a stake in the ground; you'll no doubt find one). Put the concrete bolt through the washer on the end of the chain and using a box end wrench, tighten the bolt down into the rock good. Unless someone is wandering around the hills with a wrench or a pair of bolt cutters, they will be hard pressed to get your trap with this set up.

How far does a cat take your drag in that somewhat open terrain down there? My concern about drags is that if you make a catch right before a storm and then on your next check you have no sign of where they are. Had this happen once this year and spent hours looking for the trap, which used a large piece of brush as a drag. Found the trap the next check and it turns out it was a lion and it took that drag through about 40 yards of some of the thickest, nastiest brush you could find in Nevada, hooked up, and popped the jaws on that Duke, and took off. I would hate to lose a trap and animal due to something like this.

I pretangle my drags so 95% don't go anywhere. Once in a blue moon I will have a cat go 50 feet or more but haven't ever lost one. Of course, I have a dog so that helps.

nvarcher1 wrote:

How does everyone tie off their cat sets, other than staking. Add chain to the trap for a drag, or just an 8 foot cable tie off or so? If the cable what size? I'm using chain now but if I buy more traps I might want to go with cable.

I have 6' of chain attached to all my traps. I too am always trying to get faster methods and I set real similar to the way Cameron2 describes his sets. I don't like drags unless I cant find another option. I use a quick connect link (that is already on the end of my chain) and wrap my chain around what ever is close and link it back to itself. I also always carry a steak with me for that option. I have also used the Steve Wood set up and it is good too.

End of 2014-2015 season. See what everything brings on Tuesday.

Looks great partner.

They look great. Nice job. I hope Someone give you a good price at tagging Tuesday.

Got to take my wife today on the trapline. Found 2 pretty good arrowheads, seen 70 antelope and 5 coyotes. I got a shot at the dogs but he was about 300 yrds. No cats but a nice day.

I've got two more cat checks this season. Let's hope they cover a lot of ground this week!!

Good luck to both of you guys. Season is coming to an end fast it seems like.

Great picture nvsage! Good luck on Tuesday.

Well, I spent today getting some of my catch ready for tomorrow's tagging. Thought I'd post a picture, tons of junk in the background.....

Any of you Southern Nevada guys do any Cat trapping in the McCullough Range or the Highland Range. Hiked a lot of miles and saw a lot of good sign in that area on my Desert Sheep hunt this fall. I must say that it truly would be a much different area to trap than up here, cool stuff for sure though. Just was thinking about all the sign I saw and got curious.

Nice looking fur teach!

I hope you Elko guys have some good news from today's tagging.

I avg just shy of $58 today on my coyotes.

Cats were not looking good for the most part. Saw bids from $250-$400 range on most lots of cats.... Some lower with poor put up. I got lucky and sold my cat for $660.

Nice job nvsage. I would say that's good news. How'd you do on the Reds?

I lotted cat and 2 reds together. And just took highest on cat and sold both reds to the same buyer. $45 for both reds. Did get an offer for $63 on them but guy I sold to had the other beat by almost $200 on the cat so just sold all together.

Nsage
Good looking cat how big was he? Good to see you can still get good prices for good fur.

Well I'd say $660 for a female is pretty good news? If I can average $350 on my cats, $35 on my coyotes, and $14 on my kit fox's I'll be happy.

I wanted to update everyone on my tagging today. I sold 13 coyotes, two were slights, for just over a $66 average. If someone had have told me I'd sell 13 coyotes for $862 at the beginning of the season I would not have believed them! The left cat in the picture I posted yesterday sold for $770 and I was offered $280 for the other cat. I kept it for Fallon.....I needed an excuse to go to Fallon in case I go cat less the next four weeks! Cats were up and down, but I think it's doable to average over $400 for prime, well put up cats this season.....unless the market drops in the next few weeks? I wanted to publicly thank nvsage for his advice and knowledge on coyotes and how to put them up. It was a blast chasing coyotes and I learned a lot. I still have some to put up and get ready for Fallon, but hopefully the cats start moving!

How long were those two cats?

Left was 45-46ish, the right was a solid 43".

Left one is a real nice cat, right one has a narrower belly but $280 at 43"? Man that's rough. Hopefully the market turns quick on the cats. I'm sure you coyote guys are loving it! $60 average is awesome on those stinky dogs, nice work!

Teach great job on the put up of all your furs. The cats looked great too! Good call on the 280 cat for sure. Good luck the rest of the season!!

Teach glad you did so well, wish I could have staid longer and bullsh!t with ya a little bit. I am happy to help with coyotes... They really are my passion and enjoy seeing everyone do well with them and it's even nicer to see them put up well like yours were. Good luck the rest of the season everyone. I am starting my summer project and will post some pics up of that soon.... New/used Trappin Truck paid for with my coyotes. I am now in the Toyota Tacoma club! Leo you are the man and appreciate all your help so far with trying to help me get it runnin.... I will make sure I make your time worth it.... Thanks buddy!!

So far reservations for the sale are way below last year. About the same number of trappers just their numbers are down. No large numbers out of California yet. Mercer called the other night and he hasn't trapped at all. Too busy making traps. He indicated that no one is catching much on the southern desert.

Next week I will call the buyers again to let them know the catch is way off -which is true. In the past, that news has pushed the price higher

I've got my reservation for the fallon sale! Be there on Sunday!

Teach nice job! I hope to see you in Fallon. I will be there Saturday. Lance you are welcome, glad to help you out and thanks for all your advice over the years.

New to the site just wanted to post a pic of the cats we are selling tomorrow

Welcome sweny. Lots of good info here. Good luck on the sale.

Sombody will have to tell me how to post pics!  Thanks

Sweny get your self a photobucket account by far the easiest way to share pictures weather it be from you phone, tablet or computer. Can't wait to see that pictures of your cats.

Ok guys I have a photo bucket account now. I feel like a retard cuz I still can't post a photo. Walk me through it please!

I believe you just use a link to the photo bucket page that the picture is on? Never used it but I think that how it works?
Anyways let us know how they sell!

Sweny, I know how you feel! Last year I had the same thing happen to me. The way I post pictures into a post is to click on the photo you want in photobucket after it has been downloaded. On the right side of that screen will be three URL links under the "share links" title. I go to the bottom one that says "img" and select it all. I then copy that URL link. Next go to the bobcatsrus page and where you want that picture, right click and paste the URL that you just saved. That's how I found it easiest to do it on both my samsung and iPad. Pc's are the same way I think.

Hey guys thanks for the help. I will try and get a pic up here in a few.

Sold most of my fur today in Ely.

I had a bunch of stuff happen this week and I barley made it to the tagging at the last minute. There were only two buyers there but George came through and offered me prices I could not walk away from. I only put up 3 of my cats and sold them (first @700, second @600, and third was a 36" @250) for a 516 average. I had 5 coyotes with a 66 average and one red fox @ 40. I was told there were other buyers earlier in the day but they didn't stick around very long. George told me I should of put up all my cats because the price is only going to go down from here. I guess we will see.

The one on the left is the 600 and the one on the right is the 700 and the cat that is my avatar

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Good job moneyspots those are good prices! Those cats has some great looking bellies. The coyotes paid for your fuel I'm sure.

Thanks teach. It was a great season in all and I had a blast trapping. Ya, it more than paid for its self too. I cant wait to do it all over again this fall.

Nice job Moneyspots glad you were able to catch them before they left.... And get some dang good prices too!

This is the little fellow I caught yesterday. Not a bomber but a cat none the less !!!!!

Nice picture Bucks, he kinda has grumpy cat's demeanor on his face. Keep up the good work!

That's a good sight. Its been a while since anyone has posted a live one.

Nice job bucks! Maybe them big toms will start moving. Sure is nice seeing a cat in a trap. Moneyspots is right, it's been a while.

Found couple good spot last check so we will see how it pans out? County looks good and some old sign but I have caught them with no sign! Just hope it gets cranking soon.

Interesting commend from George Kordum at the Ely sealing.
Have you ever heard a fur buyer drive 1,200 miles to a tagging and say please don't sell to me as the price will be going up in a few weeks???