PPHA Forums
Predator Hunting => Predator Hunting => Topic started by: Bigcat on January 16, 2016, 01:29:27 PM
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No cats this morning. I did see a red on my last set came by before I started calling. I didn't shoot I'm regretting that. Also got to hear some pup distress from a house near by when I was loading back up into the truck after a set. Thought that was pretty classy. Hope to see some red eyes tonight.
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Hunted hard all day. No cats for me yet either. Quick stop for dinner and will be back out tonight
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Catless here too! First set of the day was fruitless. Called for about an hour and a half. Second set I cut a set of tracks (should've made that one the first set) Called about an hour, nothing showed. Followed the tracks a little to get an idea which way it was going. Got back in the truck and went about a mile up the road and dropped back into the ravine to try and get out ahead of it. Set up and called for another hour. Drew a blank..... From the looks of the tracks it travels that route regularly. There were old tracks and fresh ones. Guessing it's a big male. The paws were huge.... At least I learned something and I know where I'll be focusing on the rest of the season.
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Sorry to hear that guys. That's pretty awesome Frank. Hope you run into him sometime soon.
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No cats part 2.... First set of the day was an epic fail!!! Went to my spot where I had fresh cat tracks on Saturday. Figured he has to come back through sometime. Sooner or later we'll cross paths.... That was my thinking anyway. What I hadn't planned for was that about 10 minutes into some snowshoe hp full blast (it was windy) I would have 2 hounds come running my way. Caught movement out of the corner of my eye. Saw them about 100 yards out. Hit the mute button and turned off the decoy and sat motionless. They kept their distance and went on their way. I could here them barking down through the valley. I was debating about whether or not to stay on stand. Then I swore I heard something off to my left (remember it was windy) I wasn't certain, so I continued to sit motionless. I heard it again.... This time I turned slowly for a look. All of a sudden 3 guys appear and walk to within 20 yards of me. They stand there looking around and talking. I politely cleared my throat to alert them I was there. Nothing.... So I did it a little louder. They turned and said "oh $h!t" sorry sir we didn't see you there!!! Apparently natural gear snow camo is very good... ;D ;D ;D At that point it was time to pack it in and move to another location down the road.... I'm guessing they know about the cat and were hunting with hounds. All 3 had rifles, no fluorescent orange, no camo of any kind. Just dressed in regular street clothes. The rest of the day was cold and catless....
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You should've unmuted you call since it was full blast. Lol
Sorry to hear that things didn't work out for yet a different reason.
Chad
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:o :o :o..... Dang!!!! You're right.... That would've been priceless!!!! I like the way your mind works! I'll file that one away in the memory banks and use it if there's a next time... ;D ;D ;D
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:o :o :o..... Dang!!!! You're right.... That would've been priceless!!!! I like the way your mind works! I'll file that one away in the memory banks and use it if there's a next time... ;D ;D ;D
Brother, you have no clue what this sick mind can come up with. Lol
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Had a similar thing happen also. Was calling near a gas line when a truck drove in and blew the set .
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No cats here either, last week I found where a cat either killed a deer or found a dead one, it had it all covered up with leaves and grass. I checked it on Thursday and Friday in the snow and the cat hadn't come back. Started there on Saturday morning at 7:00 a.m., when we got there two coyotes had found the deer and pulled it out of the brush, called the spot for an hour and nothing. Made a bunch of stands on Saturday in good cat country and nothing. Went for an hour last night before dark and nothing, cold and windy.. I have some time off at the end of the week so we will be back at it..
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I'm going to get back after them tomorrow. I found fresh tracks Saturday so that's where I'm heading.
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No cats for me either. Had a vehicle malfunction to the tune of $383.00. Had to turn around and get my sons truck. Got rained out Friday night after one set. Hunted hard the next day on several sets of older tracks thinking the cat would return to the area eventually. Snow and slush froze Saturday night, that was the end of hoping to see any fresh tracks. Saw a cat crossing the road like it was being chased around 1 am. Set up on it where I thought it was heading and drew a blank. Oh well. Called a Grey and a big mountain coon in (did not shoot) and saw some elk. The only bright spot to the weekend.
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I cannot stress how important it is to scout.
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Lookn4fur
You picked a hard weekend to call. Scouting or knowing some one that knows were cats are is inportant. When you do not live close to Bobcat hunting area finding them is harder then calling them. Then you have to find a cat that is not in his hole or log and can not hear you. For the long distance cat Hunter in pa it is hard. But when it happens it seams easy.Lol
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Agreed 100%. I am up there a lot and do know where some cats are. The weather seems to be getting the best of me lately though, plus the cats just were not there when I was. In one months time I have seen three different cats. One of them happens to be the biggest cat I have ever laid eyes on and I have been a party of a couple 35 and 40 pounders. Hoping to go back up next weekend.
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I think the guys that have seen bobcat activity have a real good chance... Don't be surprised if Scott and LookN4Fur do score down the road... Only thing that can hurt them is the window and having to work...Good luck I hope you all score and if you miss one at least you will have one heck of a memory that's for sure.. People use the bobcat in heat and etc and woodpecker distress....I have only called in two bobcat in Cumberland County...Both times it was the cottontail distress sound that lured them in.. Probably best to use the electronic to since it could take awhile for them to come into the sound.. You do the rabbit distress constant for well over 30 minutes your going to get the dreaded Trombone Lip!!! Jerry from Arz use to refer to that all the time.. I think that would be Jerry Blair..??????
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Every cat that I have called in has been to rabbit in distress of one form or another. Also they have been in the first 5 minutes of calling. I am going to head up north this weekend I am going to try a night of shorter call times and hit more spots. Can't hurt.
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That sounds like a good plan to try...kind of hunt them like huntetrs hunt when it's a contest.. Make more stands...
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Totally agree with scouting being key! The cat I've been pursuing is about a 45 minute drive away. I have another spot in my back pocket that I've been saving. It's only 10 minutes away and it's a smaller cat. However, any cat is a trophy in my book. I decided to go with the closer spot today to save time. Found fresh tracks right where I expected to. Set up and called, drew a blank.... Think I'm going to do some night hunting at this spot to up the odds. I'm glad to see members with good cat sign. I'm hopeful that someone will connect with one soon.
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Yeah the I can't hunt cats in my area the ones I'm after are about 30 minutes. The tracks I found are the same place they were last year. Another place I spotted one in turkey season. I don't think I called the area enough last year just thinking like I was fox hunting and didn't want to over call it but I don't know if that applies for cats. What do you guys think about over calling a area for cats?
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Good question. I know I stay on stand calling far longer than I would for coyote or fox. I've always heard cats can be slow to the call. As far as calling an area too often, I suppose that's possible. I never thought about that much. I always have such limited time during season I just try to hunt as often as I can. You've given me something to think about.....
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I hit 2 spots tonight, first one I called for 1/2 straight with rabbit sounds and left. Second stand I was 2 minutes into it and a grey fox came in from behind me. I never heard him or saw him on the road he cut on my side of the road only yards from me scared me I jumped like alittle school girl. He circled into my field and I shot him at 50 yards. I body shot him to see what would happen to the fur because I use that gun for cats and always wondered if I would ruin the hide on a cat with the .222 using the double hollow points. Blew an exit hole about the size of a softball. I may go to a soft point or use the .22 hornet instead.
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LOL :D
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Bobcat and just like domestic house cats.. Surely you have called them in...most of them just come in so slow too.. However I have has housecats charge me like they were getting that rabbit.. again... it was even the rabbit that they were attracted too..
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Dang.... That's a good size hole! A .22 hornet would be more fur friendly. Just curious, what grain were those .222 rounds?
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42gr James Calhoun double hollow point at about 3100fps
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I remember seeing the Gerald Stewart video.. He was hunting bobcat and he was praising the 223 and 50 or 55 grain Win Silvertip Ballistic bullets for not making big holes.. I have reloaded them 50 grainer in the 22250 and close shots out to about 50 yards the wood chucks had no blow up.. A 100 yards the chucks had a nice size hole in them. This was with the 22250.. I have reloaded some of the 50 grainer STB in my 223 and have to shoot them for effect this Spring with all kinds of powders.. I do have 222 Model 340, and two 223. one a 24 V the other the Savage Axis.. I have been playing around so much with the 17's I have to shoot these 223 in to see which powder is the best for these STB.
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I'm using a .223 with 45gr jhp. Hopefully it won't tear up a cat.... :-\
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I am going use a .22 hornet. When we hunt I usually don't take a gun or use the 10ga at night. 99% of our fox are shot with the shotgun so I don't have a lot of experience with predator rifles but I can tell u what choke to use with what size shot. Lol.
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:) Over the years, I have called 2 cats while fox-coyote hunting :) Both times I was using "Yellow Hammer Woodpecker" by Johnny Stewart, both times it was around midnight.....for what it's worth....... 8)
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Jaspr1, That is my go to call. Now my Super Secret is out. Seriously it is. My cat area is 3 1/2 hours away. I wish I had a 30 minute drive like some. I would be there every night. And no, I don't think you can over call a cat.
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L4F 3 1/2 hour trip to your bobcat hunting spot. I hope you score you deserve it.. I have a friend that has caught two bobcats in Dauphin County. One with a restraint and one just a few days back with a leg hold set for a coyote...He left both go of course.. So that WMU is now open for bobcat trapping and hunting.. So I'm hoping to go so I will be hitting places I know in that WMU.
Tim as you know I can go out in my back yard and spit on your house... Virginia border is 2 hours from us.. Places like Winchester, Woodstock, New Market. all have public lands to hunt in theGeorge Washington State park.. Where I hunt if there is traffic it takes 2 and 55 Min... It's down by Harrisonburg va... For $109.00 the out of state small game license for Va... You can shoot all the small game and that your furtakers hunting license too.. Coyotes, Fox, Coon, and now get this.....Unlimited bobcat for the entire season.. I say for the entire season since you can shoot them in archery, regular gun, regular predator hunting season.. .So that like from 1 Oct to the end of Feb... As you know the Maryland border is 40 min from us... I just wonder what their furtakers hunting license cost? as you know the mtn there over the border are large and wide.. This would be where Camp David is...Thurmont area of Maryland... Go the other way by Hagerstown ...Boonesboro is down around there. they have many trapping events there. th Va small game license.. If you purchased it today..20 Jan 2016 you can use it all the way up to Jan 19 2017.
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Also don't get me wrong... I have a bobcat permit just like every other pa hunter... I'm just informing people of what is available in near by states.. maybe people in the Northern tier need to check out NY bobcat hunting seasons and cost.. Just say you have a cabin in Potter county.. You hunt cats there a few days and then you shoot up to NY and hunt some too...Kind of like having a lot of things going for you. Also from what I can see the coyote hunting in upper NYS is just awesome!!!
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Maybe someday we will have to have a bunch of us meet for lunch somewhere and talk about Va hunting..
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Has anyone ever called in a cat using the forever always load of the Bobcat In Heat on all the electronic callers you buy? Same for the distress house cat... Maybe I don't use that enough for coyotes. also the sheep distress.. The Good Ole Jack Rabbit and Baby Cottontail always seems to be the go to for coyotes for me..
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Just how it is out here, they will start out fast but as they get closer to the sound they will proceed a lot slower and occasional stop to survey the area. Then they creep in closer to the sound. If you have Lucky Bird on your caller I would suggest you try it, also use a small decoy slightly above your caller. You may also want to have a set of binoculars with you to scan the are when you fist start calling and again when you are ready to leave.
If you are going to hunt VA would suggest Camp A.P. Hill, it's a Army installation but open to all. Check with their game management people for requirements. When stationed at the Pentagon I hunted it on a regular basis and did quite well.
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most of the cats I have called in have come from a pretty good distance, they would walk like it was no big hurry to get there, stop once in awhile to listen and look. last year or two years ago I called one in 3 days after the season, it came across an open snow covered field, every time it would stop it would twitch its tail like it was excited but that one also took its time, I could have killed that one 100 times.. called it in to about 20 yards..
I have tried aggressive bobcat and bobcat in heat with no success. my house cats like them though especially the aggressive bobcat which is weird.
never had any luck with cat distress for coyotes (chicken distress either)
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Jaspr1, That is my go to call. Now my Super Secret is out. Seriously it is. My cat area is 3 1/2 hours away. I wish I had a 30 minute drive like some. I would be there every night. And no, I don't think you can over call a cat.
Anybody that would travel 3 1/2 hours to kill a bobcat surely deserves to kill a bobcat. Agree that you can't over call a bobcat. Before we moved into the city I could call them in off our back patio. Even now living in the city but with a dry wash behind us I have seen coyotes using it and have found bobcat tracks.
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John thank you for the info about A. P. Hill.. Now that would be just about 1hour and 30 min from many of us in this part of Pa...
I am going to start to use the ICOtec now with the decoy... I called in quite a few coyotes this year and I know if the decoy would have been on the caller I would have nailed them. just to understand why we have a problem here in SCPA... The coyotes are after the deer.. the farms that have the deer on them have the coyotes on them.. I do call in deer all the time.. So...I have to make sure it's not a deer.. That give coyotes in this populated small farm area a little jump on you.. I know this ICOtec and the attached decoy is going to be an awesome tool for me.. especially when I hunt alone.. See when I hunt with others... i'm the caller and they are the shooters. I have only called in two cats here in Cumberland county.. What was something I noticed their eyes seemed like the size of a quarter..
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Many of the well known callers say: "Bobcats aren't the smartest animals!" Something to the effect they don't even use scent much but visual.. Don't know if this is true or not but it would be good to start a discussion on "THE BOBCAT!"
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I use to hunt NY all the time but it became too expensive and too time consuming. Killed lots of fox and a couple coyotes up there. Turkey was always good also. never called in a cat there but had them on trail camera once. This is the south west portion of the state. I would love to hunt Virginia it's just not in the cards right now plus it would be nice to be able to share the gas and other expenses with someone.
Anyhow. Bird and rabbit sounds work best for me. I have used bobcat in heat and aggressive bobcat but have had no luck with those sounds ever. Although I hunt mostly for cats at night, I have hunted them in the daytime. Never called one in during daylight hours although I have seen them in the daylight hours. I have trapped several cats and they are a creature of habit. they are more sight driven I believe rather then scent. I look for cat toilets. If I can find one, that's like money in the bank. A good one will show different ages of scat. Swamp edges, draws that funnel down from the mountain to a swamp or creek are great places also.
I found a roadkill deer once in a draw close to the road that led to a swamp. The cats hit that deer up every night until it was gone. When I investigated further, I found the cats where using that draw to get to the swamp. I started looking at other draws and finding even more sign. Just this past weekend the cat I saw crossed the road and headed up through a draw towards the top of the mountain. I tried to cut him off but no luck.
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I found a new cat today. I went to the place where I found tracks Saturday made 3 sets nothing. I didn't go investigate to see if they had been back through the area the tracks were at. Next stop was a farm I have done good on for fox and I knew there were cats in the area. Made a set nothing picked up the call and decided I would check out the rocks there and about 20 yards from the call fresh cat tracks. I followed them up the cliff, wasn't sure I was going to make it, they went across the top and I found some more tracks from a smaller cat. Never ran into the cat but I think I I know where I'm going to be spending the rest of my cat season. They are only about 10 miles apart and the one I saw in turkey was in between these ones. Thinking of going back to night shift for awhile.
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That's great news Cat. Hope you're successful.
Chad
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Coyotejohn...I wonder if the Army has a lodge at A. P. Hill? I am a man from Uncle.. DOD retired and we can use all the 5 armed forces military housing like Navy Lodge etc... Now wouldn't that be something if I could stay at their lodge and hunt on A. P. Hill.. Sadly ...because of Sep 11 2001 many of the military bases get real strict for even entering... Such is the Coast Guard Tracen at Cape May NJ... I had to get a Warrant Officer to sponsor me on the entry to the base.. She was a young lady and once she found out was a Coastie that it was my birthday she met me at the gate and showed my family and me around.. Even allowed me to buy anything I want in the exchange.. Of course I loaded up with some good USCG stuff... again RETIRED dod MILITARY AND CIVILIANS..You can go and stay at all of these lodges once you retire.. Like I can go to Pittsburgh and stay tat the USAF base for $71.00 a night and they give you breakfast and your room has a kitchen in it.. Gee maybe I need to do more things out in Western Pa.. Even some of the shroomin events out there and stay at the USAF base...
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Second stand on Saturday night, I get eyes within 2 minutes of calling. I am overlooking a small field with a brushline to my right, forrest is on the other side overlooking a cornfield. As soon as I seen the eyes I knew it was a cat he was about 75 yards out and to my left. he comes up to the edge of the field and walks the edge at about 50 yards, I can see it is a cat but can't tell if it is a house cat or a bob. he wouldn't break the edge of the field. he came up and worked the brush between me and forrest. He got to about 20 yards from me but I couldn't tell what he was because he was in the thick brush. Forrest said he can see it working the brushline to him but couldn't i.d. it. I tried to move because it was going to get between me and forrest, but when I did it heard me and went back down the hill.
if it was a bobcat it was a small one. also I made a mistake with call placement, I put the call lined up with the brushline figuring the animal would come up one side or the other like they would any other time. but that cat got in direct line with the speaker and worked up the brushline, if I had the call at my feet i think it would have come across the grass field i was standing in. also i was using the shotgun with my scanning light only. if i had the rifle i would have been able to scope it for a better id.
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I had a short lived Bobcat calling season.
-Saturday no Bobcat, but two Greys. One Grey stood on it's hind legs to get a better looksee. Never saw a Grey do that. I've seen two Coyotes stand on back legs to look over weeds.
-Sunday, another dead Grey around 8 am. Walked out of woods and onto the lane and hokey smokes! Fresh Bobcat tracks!
Snow doesn't lie. Bobcat tracks weren't there when I went into the woods. Dang. 100 yards behind me.
Three Greys from this location in 2 days.
-Heading to next stop, 9:30 am, driving on lane in wide open winter wheat field, hokey smokes! There's two Red Fox. Mated pair or are they mating?
They were not spooked, but trotting along heading for a large depression in the open field. They disappeared in depression, so I moved the pickup closer but couldn't see 'em. Told my partner, to get his .22 mag ready. We set up nearby, in wide open.
I blew on a Crit-r-Call the best I knew how. To my surprise, NOTHING. I switched to an ERNIE WILSON CALL that works magic. NOTHING. What the heck is going on here, where are they, partner ask. I said, they didn't go anywhere, it's too wide open for them to sneak away. Let's move closer. They were walking/standing around the weeds and water in the swale. We set up again. Still too long a shot (300 yds.) for a sure kill. I worked my magic on the EW Call, sweet sounds, NOTHING. We got the looks, but Reds were not interested. After 5 min. they trotted away and into the brush 600 yards away. Dang that was humbling. Just wasn't interested.
-Today, I went back to Bobcat hunt same location as Saturday & Sunday.
Was there at day break. I gave it about an hour. Nothing. No action today. Only one stand today.
This is a new location to me, so I took some time to scout and learn the lay of the land. A few Bobcat tracks, lots of Coyote and Grey Fox tracks and found fresh Red Fox droppings. This is another trappers locations that he and owner said I could do some Bobcat calling. The trapper was my partner Saturday & Sunday, so we shot Greys on his request to shoot anything we called...lol.
I will be back next season.
Not going to make it out tonight or tomorrow morning, so that's my short lived Bobcat adventures.
My best to everyone.
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No snow around here the last week or so so I haven't been able to keep track of the cats I found early in the season. Was out today for 6 hours nothing came in. Looking like we are going to get some snow tonight but I don't know if it's going to lay or not. Hoping there is some in the morning so I can get a track so at least I know I am in the right spot.
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No snow here for a while either. Started coming down and sticking this evening! :) :) :) Going to hunt all day and night tomorrow. Good luck tomorrow Bigcat.
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Same to you foxhound. I got my fingers crossed.