BOBCAT Trouble

[Rolando]

Damn cat is eating my chickens.

Any advice for how to bag that SOB?


I've seen him a few times and even taken a few shots with some #4 turkey loads in 12g. One time I was walking the fenceline about 15 feet from the fence and heard a rustle. I just knew it was the cat so I jumped forward and landed in a ready position with the gun shouldered. Sure enough that damn cat turned tail and jumped up to run off. I saw his butt in the air as he jumped into the brush and BOOM BOOM BOOM. By the time the first shot went off he had already landed in the brush. No blood trail but I'm sure he must have caught a pellet or two. Another time I saw him hiding by some round bales just watching the chickens. I crept out the front door and he saw me. I popped off a round at about 35 yds and then chased him into the brush and shot off 4 more. Not aiming at him but more for the load noise to scare it off.

Another time I was in the barn by the door painting and some chickens were scratching about 10 yards away. I heard a rustle and outta the brush pounces the cat!! right there in front of me. Jumped on the Rhode Island Red Hen like a national geographic special. I was so shocked!! I actually saw the cat in the air before he landed on the bird. Looked like a lion taking down a gazelle in miniature.

Another time my wife heard a racket and saw feathers. She knew that cat took one of our meat birds and she ran into the bush and actually scared off the cat. The chicken was alive but had to be eaten that night. I told her that cat might fightcha for the bird. Not a good idea. She's pretty tough though.

Today I was walking the fence line and I smelled him. No kidding. I thought my senses were fooling me but sure enough I started looking around and found 4 piles of feathers were he had dragged a kill off to have a meal. He must have sprayed the area with urine to mark it. Smelled like a nasty litterbox.

I have a live catch trap about 15X18 inches entrance that I've caught coons and possums in. No luck with the cat though. Think it'll work?

How about calling the cat in with dying rabbit sounds or chicken sounds.

Maybe bait the trap with a live chicken!! I'd hate to lose a chicken to catch a coon though.

What's the best strategy? I'd use a kill trap but I don't want to catch one of my dogs or cats.

 

[Husker1911]

Off the top of my head, why not tie a live chicken so that it has three or four feet of movement, and stake it out with a rifle? With any luck, you might get the cat before the bird is damaged. At the worst, you'd get the cat and have another chicken for dinner that night.

Good luck.

 

[Savage Shooter]

First off if your going to shoot it with a shotgun and you want it DEAD use 00 buckshot or at least #1. take the chicken tie it up on a stake and play some chicken in destress sounds(works well on feral cats and coyotes as well) it may take a while for the cat to come 30+ min as opposed to a coyote 15 or so. Seeing as how you've got a brave one I expect less. They can be very sneeky they have a knack for just appearing so be ready BEFORE you turn on the call. If you want to use a rifle go for it .223 or bigger I'd use the shotgun better for quickshots and just puts a lot more lead in the air.

 

[buck460XVR]

Cats are pretty thin shinned so it ain't gonna take much to kill it. I would check with your state regulations first before I attempted to bait/shoot it. Ain't no chicken worth loosing your gun or your hunting rights over.

 

[Husker1911]

I would check with your state regulations first before I attempted to bait/shoot it. Ain't no chicken worth loosing your gun or your hunting rights over.

A valid point, but I honestly doubt any DNR game warden would press the issue about a deprecating predator. You're right, it probably merits a phone call to the local game warden.

Again, Rolando, best of luck.

 

[Matt-J2]

It's much more likely that they won't press the issue if you call first, rather than if someone else calls and lodges a complaint against you(or they find out some other way, after the fact).
Might even turn out that as a landowner, you already have special permission by the laws, but it's better to know ahead of time then to pay a fine for it later.

 

[FlyinBryan]

live trap it and haul it 30 miles away and cut him loose.

 

[TAB]

Contact your local Fish and game office and/or animal control.

 

[Rolando]

I checked the hunting regs and no license required if they're eating your poultry. I like the chicken lure stake-out method. I might even set up a tree stand. This could even be fun. Maybe I could download a free chicken sound file??

 

[helz_mcfugly]

get a super soaker.

 

[9x19sig]

I would trap it and let it free elsewhere, it's just trying to hit the free dinner buffet your providing.

 

[Mountie855]

Latest issue of Predator Xtreme lists western bobcat hides as brining up to $750 at the fur auctions...

 

[Floppy_D]

If you're within your rights, #4 buck and timing. Hang out late with a light, use a call if need be, light him up and let him have it.

I used to get stuck in the back of my papa's grain truck at night with #4 buck and a flashlight, to curb the coyote population. I betcha it does the trick.

 

[TCB in TN]

I would trap it and let it free elsewhere, it's just trying to hit the free dinner buffet your providing.

Just pass the buck? Some people just blow me away. Moving that cat is just passing him off for someone else to have to deal with!

Don't stake out a chicken. Put one in a wire cage and hang it in a tree, (Preferably a rooster) out away from the house in a spot where you have a good view, and field of fire. Do it in the middle of the night and early in the morning when he starts crowing he will draw in predators real quick. I have taken several coyotes like this and if your cat already likes chicken he will come running to what looks to him like an easy dinner.

 

[Zip7]

My neighbor caught a big one in an extra large live trap a couple months ago. He has peacocks, or he did before the bobcat moved in.

He set the trap right where the cat was coming in to his coop - he had a little gap where the grown birds could get in and out... He thought it was feral dogs, because he had caught some before. I think he said he didn't even bait the trap.

I live right in the middle of town too.

 

[9x19sig]

edit: pointless to argue

 

[RKellogg]

Get a six pack and do the stake out thing from the top of the barn . You will get him . I wouldn't call anyone to find out the laws , I would just do it and keep your mouth shut .
I would use something like a 22 mag or hard ball 223 , and put him in the freezer to have him mounted later .

 

[buck460XVR]

Get a six pack and do the stake out thing from the top of the barn . You will get him . I wouldn't call anyone to find out the laws , I would just do it and keep your mouth shut .
I would use something like a 22 mag or hard ball 223 , and put him in the freezer to have him mounted later

I hope this is a joke post. Ain't tryin' to be an arse, but to advocate drinkin' while hunting illegally and then to suggest mounting a possibly illegally taken animal to display as a trophy is NOT...IMHO taking the High Road. This is the stuff that gives legitimate hunters/sportsmen a bad name.

 

[CB900F]

Rolando;

Get an old wire milk crate. Or other heavy wire cage. Put a chicken in the cage. Stake the cage down. While the cat is messing with the cage trying to get dinner, it'll give you time to get an aimed shot off. Make sure it counts. End of problem.

900F

 

[Lon371]

I hope this is a joke post. Ain't tryin' to be an arse, but to advocate drinkin' while hunting illegally and then to suggest mounting a possibly illegally taken animal to display as a trophy is NOT...IMHO taking the High Road. This is the stuff that gives legitimate hunters/sportsmen a bad name.

The drinking and shooting don't mix I agree, here it comes BUT I believe it was posted above

I checked the hunting regs and no license required if they're eating your poultry.

There fore it would not be illegal. There is a little bit of difference between hunting and protecting your property and livelihood.

Good luck I hope you get the critter.
Lonny

 

[NonConformist]

Off the top of my head, why not tie a live chicken so that it has three or four feet of movement, and stake it out with a rifle? With any luck, you might get the cat before the bird is damaged. At the worst, you'd get the cat and have another chicken for dinner that night.

Good luck.

Theres your answer!

 

[deaconkharma]

Live trap

Live Trap is the way to go. Shoot at your leisure.
The tie off of bait and wait method: If you doze off and he gets your bait... You're out another chicken. IF he is on a pattern for coming in, set a trap up and catch him. I'd use a really strong welded cage. cover up the floor with natural vegetation etc (so it feels natural). A lot of creatures will avoid a non natural feeling floor. Put it at the door of the coop and keep the chickens in the coop (so he's at a bottleneck to get the yardbirds). I dentify the cat first, and make sure male or female.

My understanding of behavior is:
Males bring food back to the den for awhile but don't teach hunting habits to the young so if it's male, it's likely the only one. But if a female and maybe a mom... If so, the young should be getting close to old enough to hunt on their own this time of the year... But since the mom teaches the hunting to the young,, they, may be learning the in's and out's of easy pickings at your house. So you may want to double check for other tracks.

I'm not an expert so just some thoughts...

 

[buck460XVR]

The drinking and shooting don't mix I agree, here it comes BUT I believe it was posted above

I checked the hunting regs and no license required if they're eating your poultry.

yep read that Lonny, and I give credit to the OP for doing things the right way. The problem I had was with this statement...

Get a six pack......I wouldn't call anyone to find out the laws , I would just do it and keep your mouth shut and put him in the freezer to have him mounted later.

This poster is advocating shooting the cat even if it is illegal as if ignorance of the law makes it's legal. Sorry, I just have no respect and little time for those that recommend not checking the laws when unsure before killing something and to also advocate drinking while doing it. If some folk feel the need to hunt illegally, with poor ethics and a few stiff ones to feel like a real hunter, so be it....but don't go recommending it to others seeking information on a public forum. I don't feel, as a hunter, that this is really the image we want to portray to the rest of the world. Anti's have enough ammo to use against us, we don't need to hand them more.

One reason I first warned about checking the game law first was because where I live, it is illegal to possess a bobcat/bobcat hide without the proper tag affixed. Taking a hide to a taxidermist or trying to sell a hide without the tag affixed will get you turned down and probably turned in.

Again, I have no problems with the OP protecting his property, and I will defend his right to do so, as long as it's done within the confines of the law. That's the High Road.

 

[deaconkharma]

so what ever happened?

did I miss the update?

 

[Bigjake]

Claymore....