Distance between stands for Bobcats?

davr

davr

New member
I've done about as much research as I can handle, and did not see the answer to one question I have.

How far should you travel between stands for Bobcat? For coyote I usually give .5 mile minimum, although I've gone as little as 500 yards from the previous stand and called in coyotes.

Since Bobcat move so slow typically, how far are they coming in the 30 plus minutes it takes them rascalls to come in?

From what I've read, it almost seems reasonable to me to make it about 500 yards between stands for Bobcat in prime country. Yes?

And, will I increase my chances at a cat by calling 8 stands a day for 30 minutes, or 5 stands a day at 45 minutes plus? I know enough cats come in after 30 minutes to justify staying on stand, but is it at a ratio to justify losing 3 or 4 stands a day to the extra wait?

Are cats any more road shy than coyotes? Do I need to get further into the interior areas, away from roads? With coyotes my best luck seems to be if I am better than 400 yards from the road.

Okay, make that three questions. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/tongue.gif I'm done for now.... /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif
 
davr - Cats are in way faster than 30 minutes, you probably just didn't see him arrive. Typically the cats are called fast, but like to look over the area from around a hundred yards. They will then often sit and watch the area I'm calling from. Just sit and watch for a long time. I think many times they are already in, but you don't see 'em until the final stalk, thats why it seems like it took 30 minutes to respond.

I've watched a bunch of them over the years, and this approach is typical for New England. I'd imagine a cat is a cat, but our coyotes are a bit more reclusive than their Western cousins, so I'm not positive.

They are not coming for miles at all, at least the ones I've tracked back in the snow haven't. 2-300 yards.

I call in snow cover alot, and have seen them arrive many, many times. They often trot in, and then hang back and check it out. Some cats do just trot right in like a coyote. A decoy has seemed to help the cats close that last 50 yards for a shot. And sometimes they just sit until they have seen enough and walk away..........

I'd recommed 12 20 minute stands, and keep those eyeballs peeled :eek:
 
Normally bobcats live there lives out in a one to three sq mile area. Depending on the terrain you hunt and how you hunt has alot to do with what you are asking. I have taken triples on cats before, but I believe that to have been a mom and two older kittens. I know of a team that brought back 15 bobcats on a contest hunt in 1980, I know where the guys got those cats, on about 20 miles of road. I've seen about that many myself on that same road but never took that many. Like I sead before, depends on where you're hunting and how you're hunting. If there is lots of cats, try every mile or two. Cats don't always come slow, if they are hungry they tend to respond much better and come fast. But then again cats are like woman, so you never know lol.
 
Ahh, yes, it might help if I told you what kind of country I'm hunting.

I'll be about 4000 to 5000 feet, alot of dense pinyon and cedar. Canyon country. Hard access. Mostly canyon roads, and an occassional road going out on a mesa toward a point. It will be a lot of walking it looks like, or at least as much as my 11 year old can handle. Pretty rugged area. There are some coyotes in the area, but looks primarily to be cat country. Central AZ just south of the mogollon rim area.

My plan was to call out away a bit from the edges of the canyons and drop offs of the mesas. Drive the roads, and walk in towards the drop offs and draws leading to the canyons, and call.
Also thinking of just skirting the canyon edge about 100 yards or so in, and just stopping every 5-700 yards or so and calling.
 
sounds like your close to payson az. where my parents live.
Maybe pine-strawberry area.
I've hunted closer to gislea, and even back east
in the mountains.
rough country for sure. Never saw any cats, but lots of yotes.
 
That's close. A little west of there, Childs area, is where I'll originally start. Plan on working the N.W. corner of unit 22.

If that's not productive after a few days, I may head south east toward Rye, though I have never been there and would be guessing.

I've got about 7 solid days of hunting, so hopefully I can put a cat in front of that kid! I'd hate to fly him all the way out from Kansas for xmas just to go back without his cat. Of course there's always the memories of hunting with the old man, but that may take a back seat to a bobcat at 11 years old! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif
 


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