what state for bobcats?

nightwatchman

nightwatchman

New member
im looking at taking a bobcat hunt this fall. ive got an offer to go to kansas but i was wondering if anyone can give me some insight where the best bobcat hunting is at besides texas...(im not interested in traveling that far right now)id like to stay in the midwest area. i want to know im not wasting a trip or a weeks vacation on this venture. well it would be wasting would it(i wouldnt be at work). anyway, i know some of you guys live in bobcat areas but ive never hunting them before bc we dont have them so ill take as much advice and opinions as i can get. thanks
 
If you can't hunt Texas, then, according to stats, Kansas will do ok. But, let me tell ya, if you want to get a cat, take the extra ten hours of drive time and go to Texas. If you are taking a week off, those ten hours will be hours well spent.

Depending upon where you go in Texas, and if you hunt at night, you are ALMOST guaranteed a cat.

Did I mention that last week in Texas one night we called in a cat at EVERY stand? The next night we called in a cat at least every other stand.

Randy

This is ONE from that first night.

206cat.jpg
 
ok, im moving to texas. goodness buker, youll get me divorced telling me stats like that.my suitcase is allready laying on the bed after reading that. one at every stand. ive been wanting to take a bobcat hunt for the last two years and just keep putting it off until this year. are there places out there a guy can hunt on his own or should i hook up with a guide service? if so are there any reputable that u would recommend?
 
I have had the best year for calling cats in Ky our cat hunting season is still new but the trapping season has been for several years, I limited out in both this year and every one was very very nice toms I called in 3 little females also.
 
TN is not far behind! I have seen more cats in the past couple of years! They are everywhere! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grinning-smiley-003.gif
 
I'm with Buker, If you want a cat go to Texas.The license is fairly cheap,there is no season and you can hunt them day or night.Since Texas is almost all private your best bet is to get with a guide.It will be money well spent.okhunter
 
You need to know someone or you need to spend a lot of time knocking on doors and hopeing for the best or you need to hire a guide.

The best way to do it is to hire a guide. Texas isn't an easy place to find hunting on your own. And, a guide knows his business.

And, there is none better than Randy Watson.
 
It will cost you a lot more to hunt bobcat in Kansas.

Bobcats are considered furbearers in Kansas so you will have have a non-resident fur hearvester licence ($252.15 I think) and you have to have their trappers education course before you can even buy it.

http://www.kdwp.state.ks.us/hunting/hunting_regulations/furbearers

Non-residents can hunt bobcats in Texas for the non-resident special license price of $125 for a season license or $45 for the 5 day and are not considered furbearers.

Texas bobcats do have to be tagged (free) before they are carried across the state line.
 
in texas a five day nongame license is $45 ,which is what you need to hunt predators! I'm not sure about any extended time!
good luck
 
that is sounded sweeter and sweeter going to texas. more cats and cheaper hunting. i knew the price of kansas was high just didnt know it was that big of a hassle. tenn. is only 4 hours from home and ky is within 15 min so both of those sound real enticing. thanks for the texas license info hammer, and guess. ill have to talk this over with my hunting partner and go from there.
 
A buddy of mine from Michigan wanted to shoot a bobcat. He flew down I loaned him a rifle. I called three coyotes and a bobcat the first stand we hunted. Bang, the cat sits over his bar now. Depending where you hunt you might get a shot at a mountain lion, also a non game animal in Texas.
DSCN0399.jpg
 
I would agree with texas also. But here in Western Washington, the numbers are quite solid also, you have to hunt at night in the clear cuts, watch the edges of the clearcut w/ light. We have taken 8 so far this year. I hope it will be good weather tmmorow night. Biggest so far was 31 lbs. LONG Guard hairs on all and thick. supposed to be super cold but supere windy, i hope it dies down by night fall! I need some points in the VH!!
 
Quote:
Bobcats are considered furbearers in Kansas so you will have have a non-resident fur hearvester licence ($252.15 I think) and you have to have their trappers education course before you can even buy it.


If you look closer, you'll find that you can buy a tag that allows you to take one bobcat, for $100. and it can be bought on-line. Also, the furbearers class is only required if you're born after sometime in 1966, I believe. If you want to also call/kill coyotes, you'll need a small game license at $72.50/annual!
 
If your not looking to drop a bunch of cash, KY would be your best shot. This area around us holds alot of cats, farmers are willing to let you hunt if you spend the time asking. We adverage two or more cats a year over there. You just haft to pay your dues and do some scouting. Finding cat sign is not a problem. Carter co has some good cat areas. And it is close to home for you.

Your welcome to come along with us some next year if you like.

If I was going to spend the money to go after cats, it would be TX!!!! Hands down!

Brent
 
If anyone is looking at going to Texas I would remind you Texas is a BIG state. Some of Texas has fantastic bobcat densities others do not. Please do your home work before you just show up hoping to find a bobcat behind every bush. I've seen many people come to Texas with expectations that were, lets say, a little unrealistic. Don't wish to discourage anyone but also don't want anyone to get to Texas unprepared.

The South Texas brush country holds lots of bobcats. Most of the places in that country are large and are leased up by either deer hunters or guides. Access to these places will cost $$$$. The further North and West you get the fewer deer and the cheaper the Access will be but still lots of bobcats. When you start getting into the panhandle region you are still in pretty fair bobcat country but your starting to get back into more deer and bird hunters so access $$$ go up. North Texas from the panhandle East to Texarkana holds pretty good bobcat numbers as well but places are smaller and access is tough. Last on the list is East Texas. Lots of people = lots of smaller tracts of land and lots of hunters. This combined with thick terrain and fewer bobcats makes it the toughest region of Texas to score on a bobcat.

I get tickled when I hear people explain Texas as if it were easy pickings. With all the private land we have it should be easy pickings right? Access to private land is usually only granted after deer season or bird season is over. These seasons start in October and run until the end of Febuary. By that time they have been called at and shot at just as much if not more than any public ground I have hunted in any state. Deer hunting is big business here in Texas anything that might damage this cash crop is shot at and harrased not only by the land owner but the leasee as well, 12 months out of the year. This being said Texas does have some of the finest predator hunting in the world but you had better do your homework before you cross the state line and expect them to be hiding and waiting to run in to the call.

Byron
 
Byron. You ever notice just how hard it is for us to explain Texas to other folks. It is hard for them to realize we are divided into eight geographic zones. From my house in Orange to El Paso is 886 miles. Ever think how far that would get you if you headed North. We both live in East Texas. Yet when you get a weather forecast, the wind is given in MPH. Mine is given in knots.

It is hard to explain that thanks to the Spanish land grants 98% of Texas is private land. Just how many places can you go and shoot a Jack Rabbit with out paying for it.

Come on down to Texas. We got plenty of everything, just bring plenty of money.
 
Well, Nightwatchman, you are getting lots of advise. The bottom line is that if you go out of state & don't know anyone & not familiar with the area, it is a hit-miss proposition. Therefore hiring a guide works best at least for the first few trips, if you can afford such expediture.

Another possibility is to Swap Hunt with someone. Although Bobcats are found just about any where in the 'lower 48' Texas probably has the thickest population.

Kansas does have a good population and a special HUNT ONLY permit is available for non-residents for $102.15 during regular furharvestor seasons (Nov 16, 2005- Feb 15, 2006). Keep in mind with this hunt only permit you cannot hunt bobcats at night, only from 1/2 hour before sunrise til sunset.
 


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