The first thing to do when Bobcat trapping is look for locations within locations. By that I mean find attractive terrain features and travel routes (locations) then look for cat sign (your location at your location). In cat country I like to look for certain landmarks such as salt cedars, deep washes, gulley’s, etc. I've found most Bobcat toilets in these kinds of places. The thing I have found most important is to set on sign and not just look for a place that would make an easy set. With cats there's no point making a set outside of its travel routes. Bobcats will follow the path of least resistance, so bear this in mind when looking for terrain features that dictate travel routes. I often make a set in a location of a toilet in rocky cliffs and bluffs and also set on the trails leading to it, as well as places where travel routes intersect.
Most of my sets are constructed sort of wide, giving the cat enough room to turn around but not always late season I like to leave it open they seem to be less apt to work a crowded set in late season in my experience. I heavily guide cats on both sides using rocks, twigs and sticks early season. I like to use a flat rock for a rubbing post where I smear a good amount of gland lure. Last year I used Dobbins Purrrfect and a lot of Wayne Derrick’s lures, Pecos Valley Cat Call and Tombstone. I use cat urine but I don’t overdo it urine is an attractant not a confidence booster. My favorite sets are trash mounds rub sets and some hole sets with a gland type lure that makes him want to rub but down the hole he will work it harder and that is what we are after here bear in mind a cats attention span is like a two year olds keep his attention food lures and baits fail to shine if he’s not hungry that’s a fact hit him with several angles!. If the cat happens to not be hungry a good loud gland lure is necessary to raise his curiosity, again because cats have the attention span of a two year old.
For flagging I use Christmas thistle and the fuzzy ball decorations hanging from a branch near the set. I've also used sardine can lids and small utility flags. Tie a small piece of white ribbon to them to make them more eyes catching. Game parts in this state are illegal “hide fur feathers or viscera” bear in mind flagging while effective attracts thieves and non targets like birds of prey etc it is our duty to avoid them! Also if one can learn to coyote trap bobcats it will help when a lot of thieves are about that’s where the trash mound and sets such as come into play.
As for traps, I use a modified #2 or #3 Bridger and #2 Monty’s #3 montanas #3 and 4 dukes’ victor long springs 3s and 4s. I like the dogless Monty’s and Montana’s especially. I used the kb 5.5 one season I loved the trap in most of the country I trap it is rocky so I use a wide drag made of heavy rebar with cotton pickers welded on each side. I also anchor traps to salt cedars and other small trees and think the cable I use to tie them off adds more of an attractant to cats. I bury the drags or hide them in brush. When I can use cable stakes its wolf fangs or super stakes.
Regarding weather patterns and time, I give a single cat 3 days to a few weeks to work his territory and come back on his circuit. High pressure systems and cloud cover before a storm will get cats moving looking for food making their rounds basically cats being cats.
All things considered, it's not much more difficult than finding and setting on good sign. Trail intersections or single trails leading down into draws, washes or sandy bottoms are deadly locations. Find these features, look for sign, and you've found your location at your location and that is what catches predators setting on location
