Originally Posted By: TommyPI look for woodlands with a creek/ stream bed. I tie my spinning decoy to a tree branch about 3-4’ above the ground and put my caller in the tree as well. Cats like visuals. I’ve killed five bobcats using this in the last 3 years. Use rabbit, rodent or bird. I recently added a chicken in distress call to my FoxPro. I used it two weeks ago in southern Iowa and shot a bobcat fifteen minutes in to my set. I try to use a call that is common to the area. This cat was less than half a mile from a farmyard with chickens. Try to figure out what game your bobcat eats for dinner.
Also, call with the sun at your back so when a cat comes in, the sun will light up it’s chest. Many times they will come in but sit back in the brush. You will see them better this way.
I haven’t called a cat in while calling coyotes but have called coyotes in while calling cats. I mute the caller until the coyotes leave, sometimes two or three times if the coyotes are stubborn. If I’m on a cat hunt, I don’t shoot coyotes. I’m going back next week for another cat or two. Iowa has a three cat limit where I hunt.
Originally Posted By: btech29Bobcats are not difficult to call if you can find one. Play busy sounds, switching every 5 minutes or so. Just let them play continuously. They are easily distracted and lose interest. Keep changing it up. Rabbit works best for me personally.
I personally do not use decoys. It seems to me it will have the opposite result to what you want. If they see the decoy before you see them many times they will lock up. If they set there looking around they will likely see you. I kill plenty and have never kilt one while using a decoy.
Amount of time on stand depends on how much ground you have. If you have several spots, I would make 15 minute stands and move on. Most will come under 5 minutes. If they come at the 30 minute mark, like you hear told, its because they stumbled into hearing at the 28 minute mark. Again, depends on the amount of ground you have. If limited spots you might as well stay longer.
Cats move around alot. If you find tracks, or get pics, keep trying it. Just because they were not there today dont mean they wont be there tomorrow. Dont be afraid to hit the same spot in the morning and then again that afternoon. They are not smart and do not get call shy as bad as a coyote.
Dont overthink it. Bobcats are the dumbest animal on the planet. They dont take a lot of skill, or fancy tactics. Remember, finding one is 90% of the battle. Always play the wind, but even that is not that important. Just use good common sense hunting techniques. Sit still, believe it can happen. If they are there, they will come.
Love to hunt bobcats. Some excellent advice here, try it all! What works for one, does not necessarily work for all; for example see red highlights above from two successful hunters who use some very different styles and bring home the fur.
As stated, cats are not the brightest bulb in the box. Once you find a cat, you can usually go back and call him again; as stated, they are not easily educated.
I've called in a number of cats using a combination of many of the suggestions above (some of them being exact oposites) and have had them show up anywhere from 5 minutes to 30 minutes.
The ranch I hunt protects cats except in two pastures in which they have some small exotics (Thompson Gazelles and Springbok)which are a favored prey of bobcats, so I enjoy taking pictures of those called in all other pastures.
Have also called in same cat two days to a week apart @ same location on multiple occasions. One particular huge cat which I called in sitting just outside the border fence of a pasture in which the owner wanted all cats removed I passed the shot. Told the landowner and he was pleased that I passed, but a week later the biologist flew the ranch, spotted the cat and told the landowner he needed to remove that cat. Took me 6 months of calling that area once on each trip to that ranch, but I finally got him. They do travel, but will return to an area sooner or later.
What works best in my area is hunting near heaviest brush, not too far from water and using busy bird distress for the most part. I like decoys with remote controls. I'll run the decoy and call continuously until I spot a cat; if he hangs up, I try shutting decoy down to see if he'll move.
Sitting in shade w/sun to back allowed me to spot this cat sitting 300 yards out staring at my decoy. Don't know how long he had been there when I picked him up in my binoculars just before he melted into the high grass.
This cat was called in first in April, wearing his winter coat.
Four months later called him back and took this picture of him in front of the very same tree as the first picture. This time both cat & tree were in their summer attire.
Cats will often sit down and stare when they first spot you, so, as stated above, sit still!
This one stepped out of heavy brush within 15 yards of me and spotted me immediately, sat down and posed for a dozen or more photos before wandering to the left for a closer look at the decoy.
I have called and shot bobcat
and/b] a coyote on same stand using nutty nuthatch. Cat ran out of a trail in thick brush while watching the decoy across the road. He stopped between the ruts and I dropped him there. Immediately after the shot, the coyote ran out of same path, looking over his shoulder toward me (where the shot came from), tripped over the cat and fell to the ground, then jumped up and stood looking back to see what he had tripped on...long enough for my second shot.
Cats are fun....try all of the above and have a ball.
Regards,
hm
