Bobcat cage escapes

Wondering if anyone else who traps w/ cages has ever had a cat escape. This past season I had a few that would lift the safety latch w/ their paw and nose open the door, I welded on a second latch and stopped the breakouts.

You had this on video?

Not on video, walked up to check a cage and saw one attempting this. Found paw prints on latches on the empty cages. I'm trapping on private land, so no one released cats. that was what I thought initially but no footprints and no one else on the property. then when I caught one in the act, this confirmed what I never thought possible.

Who made the cages??

They are the Mercer Lawing Design from Barstow Ca.

I would think that would have to be a pretty talented cat to hold the lock up with a paw and then get the door open.

I have tons of video of skunks and civits caught in cages and able to escape, a 10 lb. skunk can squeeze between the 1 1/2" gap between the bars. This can lead to people believing in theft or coordinated escapes by other animals. Not saying what you think happened, didn't. I just have never seen an cat manipulate a lock and door at the same time. Coons will on home made cage once in a while.

This year was a real eye opener, I investigated every detail of these escapes, cats were in the cage, pushed the swinging latch forward and at the same time pushed up on the door w, their face. Many cats that are caught in cages have rub marks on their eye and nose area due to the efforts of pushing up on the doors.  I walked up to a trap and saw a cat w/ his leg thru the door pawing at the latch!!. No bull. I couldn't believe it myself and thought it was something else. So I reset and along the line there it would happen again, I hate to admit it but I had 9 cats escape.

Thanks for the info. I just got some of Mercers cages and frankly can't believe what you are saying. One thing I've learned on my tapping experience is anything can happen and will happen, especially to me. I will be adding a latch on the other side.

I have caught many many cats in Cam Trip cages and NEVER had that happen. Very seldom is the door dropped without a critter in it. I have even had a big tom lay an 8 inch cage in it's side and not escape. I do agree that there are better door locking systems on cage traps. Briarpatch cages have the best locking system on a cage trap that I have seen out. Having said that I dang sure think Cam Trip cages are far better designed cages for my needs. I have seen evidence of cats sticking their paws out of the door and scratching the dirt on front of the set, but never had one manipulate the cage door lock and open the door at the same time. That's one talented cat! For this to happen maybe 1 time in a lifetime of trapping (Maybe) but for it to happen 9 times in one season.     I'm not calling you a liar but my BS flag is flying high.

Well up until last year I had but a couple of traps that were empty after catching something, presumably a cat. now this year a full on nightmare. I have to only assume that these cats are getting wiser, I'm not sure why but I'am SURE.. After welding another latch to the other side, all escapes seized. I set 98 cages and caught 113 cats last year, believe or not. those who trap w/ me know these are all facts.

I have to say that the thought of Cats getting wiser is weird for me to process. I'm certainly not a disbeliever that it happens, just hard for my brain to comprehend the level at witch it takes a Cat to unlatch and slide a door open.
I was watching a documentary today and in it they mentioned that over the last 100 years birds wingspans have been getting shorter (for less drag) in order to help better avoid collisions with traffic. I guess if I can buy that than it is certainly possible for Cats to get wiser in that aspect. Lets hope they don't start to grow thumbs next! LOL

When i started trapping in 1981 we used legholds in Ca. in 2001 I bought cages. since then, the past 13 years have been filled w/ unbelievable experiences but none that can hold a candle to believe a bobcat is capable of such a task. The swinging latches all had paw prints on them, even the ones that still held cats. Check your latches this season and see if u see a print on it.

Someone pointed this out to me and man I am trying to walk away from it but I just can't.

3sons - I must know you but don't recall ever being contacted by you regarding this? I am not a fan of screen names. Makes it tough to remember who everyone is.

At first I thought this post was eventually going to have a punch line, but it didn't.

Then I figured it was a sneaky way to start a cage trap fight but you say you like my traps so I am ruling that out.

Then I figured it might be just a novice trapper with problems but you have cage - caught a lot of cats according to your report and have been trapping since the eighties.

I am left nearly speechless but I will do my best to figure this out because I truly do want to understand

I believe you witnessed something that you find difficult to explain but not for a moment do I think that a bobcat is capable of what you think has occurred.

A captured cat playing with the door lock is not entirely uncommon as I have seen it on trail camera before. It rattles and moves. They are stuck in there with nothing to do. I believe to some extent that it is the same instinct we rely upon to get them into the cage, their curiosity. They are just being a cat. Same reason they are attracted to the attractors we put inside the trap. Same reason they come to our flags and have been seen and recorded batting at them.

They do rub their faces on the cage and door bars. Some more than others as they all have different personalities. I have many hours of video of cats captured in cages. Likely more than anyone in the nation. The camera runs until the battery dies or the card fills up and I have watched a lot of it. I have never seen a cat purposely attempt to lift the cage door. They do lift upwards but that is only because it’s the only direction it can move.

I am pleased to hear that your problem was resolved but at the same time I am left wondering why I have not experienced this in my 450 plus bobcat cage captures and why is this the first time I have heard of it from any customer (5,000 plus cages in the last three years and nearly 8 thousand to date).

I am left with just one question and this is not intended to be rude:
If these bobcats (9 by your account) are intelligent enough, possess the mechanical aptitude to determine that that piece of metal is in fact a lock, raise it with their paw while simultaneously lifting the door with their face and then, once the door is past the lock reach down and raise it further and root their way out...

Why would they enter the trap in the first place?

Mercer I laughed so hard I think I sprained a rib! Is that possible?

I've been the biologic mechanics of this escape over in my mind. How can a a cat physically lift the latch with its paw (keep in mind the paw has to be over the cats head at the same time reaching around backward through the door) while it gets its nose just right against the door and lifts? The cats arm/leg would be twisted in what would be an uncomfortable position that even if accidentally tried once would probably not be attempted again. Maybe if the cat was laying on its back, but then it would have to reach way up, flip the latch and lift the door at the same time?

Just like with bigfoot-untill I see it with my own eyes-call me a skeptic.

I have the same problems with unicorns!!!!!! Houdini little suckers!

it always comes down to politics, a know it all to down play the situation. it happens. I've used this style trap since 1999, before it was made available to the public. never had this happen until recently. I too have a difficult time w/it. two latches this season and 89 cats that didn't escape, plus 35 fox that were uninvited.

Not sure Mercer was making cages in 99'.  At that time it would have been a Aiton/Yancy cage if Im not mistaken.  

I myself have had escapes from different drop door versions, all of mine were accredited to my operator error.Usually a branch that did not allow the lock to completely rotate and did not allow the lock to use gravity.

Hey, anything could happen in this world, who would have thought pot and gay marriage would be allowed in Colorado.  That being said, did you realize there is biblical reference to that, I think Lev. 20:13 states, "any man who lies with another, shall be stoned".

mercer had not taken over the yancy design yet. I'm forced to believe what I see. yeah there are small creatures that squeeze out the door. this year a cat was upside down in the cage pawing the latch when I came to check it. they are a lot smarter than most of us think. I hate that when the door gets caught by a branch that has fallen into it.      prices are what they were previous to the big jump, it's back to reality. in the 1980's when cats were hot, the top price was 450. a lot of backyard trappers now, I saw some really unorthodoxed sets this season that were only educating the bobcats and would set for weeks w cats refusing them.

coloradocat wrote:

 That being said, did you realize there is biblical reference to that, I think Lev. 20:13 states, "any man who lies with another, shall be stoned".

Ahh, Otie, that was Law of Moses stuff . . . fulfilled and done away with under the New Testament. "Ye have heard it said by them of old time Thou Shall Not Commit Adultery. But I say unto you, whosoever looketh upon a women to lust after her, hath committed adultery already in his heart."

Guilty as charged!!!

"He who hath no sin, let him be the first to cast a stone . . ."

If this guy was a little taller with longer arms I would have lost him!

W/M ,,,that's a good one. had a boar that lunged thru and took out the front door as I approached, wearing my door around its neck and running for the hills. Is that one still loaded.? don't know if u r still trapping, if u r check your safety latch after you catch a bunch of cats see if you see paw prints and or scratches on it. Good luck 2ya.

He was still loaded in the pic. I am still caging and have a couple cameras on traps. I have only had 2 fired traps this year. One from a pack rat and one from a ringtail. I adjusted pan tension on those traps and everything is going smooth.

WM, did the pack rat get out of the cage before you checked? My daughter had a sprung cage without anything in it, I'm thinking rat. I can't see a cat triggering the cage with its butt still outside the door blocking the cage door.

I have not caught a pack rat. I can see where my cage hanger has been mauled and all the disturbance across the pan. My theroy is the rats will climb up on my cage hanger, usually a dove carcuss or piece of a feather boa, to strip it for nest material. After 20+ trips they finally trip the trigger. From all the videos of a cat working a cage I have seen, when the door drops the cat jumps forward. I have also had spotted skunks, ringtail cats, domestic dogs, lions, coyotes, rabbits and deer set traps off. If I have alot of pack rat issues at a cage, I will set a rat sized snap trap next to the cage. that usually takes care of the issue.

Thanks WM, I am fairly sure it was pack rat and he crawled through the front door slots after the door shut. I'm going to follow your advice with the snap trap, plus that will give me something to hang in the back of the cages!!