Bait Pile Guarder

[LittleM]

Edited October 25, 2015 by LittleM

[LittleM]

Big bobcat eating squirrels, not deer.

[BowhunterNJ]

What a shot!  That's great!

 

I was watching Ted on the outdoor channel last night and he was talking about how he never baits "in the open" due to hawks and owls having easy pickings at squirrels, rabbits, etc.  He instead tries to bait near easy escape cover for them.  Also whenever he trims bushes/trees, he throws them in a pile around his property versus burning them to add to the ground cover for small game.  Was a pretty interesting explanation

[gobblergetter]

Here kitty kitty...

Looks like this spot.....

[Rusty]

Big bobcat eating squirrels, not deer.

 

Is that for BnBs?  

[LittleM]

 

 

Is that for BnBs?

No, not at all.  Some of you guys know that I have a soft spot for bobcats (and snakes) so I will try to do what ever I can to ever keep them from becoming a game animal (boy, lets see how much crap I catch for that) which includes dispelling any myths about them.  While I am sure they will kill a fawn, it would be the exception and not the norm.  And even if they do, so what?The gotta eat too.

 

I think the pics GG posted is of a large male I caught as part of the study.  I had numerous pics of it crossing my infamous log.  And it was killed in a snare.

 

So if you read this B&B - its all good.  And it will even be better tomorrow - I am bringing you a bag of jerky as well as for the poster formerly known as 870.

[rgw]

I saw one in hunterdon county 2 weeks ago, thanks for posting this because I forgot to fill out the sighting form and submit it, every year we are starting to see more and more of them down here

[Rusty]

So if you read this B&B - its all good.  And it will even be better tomorrow - I am bringing you a bag of jerky as well as for the poster formerly known as 870.

 

BnB can't make it but bring his jerky anyway.  

Edited October 25, 2015 by Rusty

[Matty]

You're gonna "save" his jerky for him Rusty? lol

[230jhp]

cool pic

[Rusty]

You're gonna "save" his jerky for him Rusty? lol

 

I just spit coffee all over myself.      

 

 

You are joking, right? 

[redneck]

So littlem you caught my eye with your statement.  (so I will try to do whatever I can to ever keep them from becoming a game animal) your statement is that based on science or is that emotion.    If the science states something contrary to your emotion where do you go?  This is not trying to state problems just trying to see where you are at.  We both know I am on the opposite page as you on the Bobcat issue, but will say here that I would love to see them state wide in good numbers.   But I will say here and now as a trapper I have no desire to trap Bobcats in NJ at this point.  But the question to you is, what if the Numbers was high across the state at some point would you still be against hunting them?  Just a word here, in NJ the Bobcat is ALREADY CLASSIFIED as a Game animal with no open season along with the endangered classification.  It is not a Furbearer here in NJ,  So trappers can not have a  trapping season on a Game animal, only fur bearers.  IMO NJ never see a trapping season as it is only a Game animal.  Again hopefully I am being respectful of your position and not coming off aggressive as this is not my intent. 

[rgw]

bobcats are a amazing animal and the state did a amazing job restoring their numbers, unfortunitally I think we are going to see the same thing happen with these cats as we did the bears and coyotes where the carrying compasity is way out of ballance. I already been hearing more farmers complaining they are starting to loose chickens and other fowl to them. in my opinion it would be more bennifical to have a verry limited season on them soon like we have for the otter where the population can be closley watched opposed to having the farmers take matters into their own hands later down the road. be honost how many bears do you think these farmers shot before the kill permitts came out. now they can obtain these permitts and kill them legally but everything has to go to waste. again this is just my opinion and doesnt amount to two cents

[LittleM]

IF it can be established that they have fully recovered over their entire former home range in Jersey and/or they are becoming a SIGNIFICANT problem (i.e. predation on livestock and I mean not just an issue here or there, but a major issue). then I think a limited trapping season would be in order.  But I don' think that's the case yet.  Data shows that major transportation corridors represent a huge dispersal barrier.  I know folks say they have seen them south of 80.  Send in the pics.  It should be really simple to set up a scent post and get them, given how many pics I have managed to obtain over the last few years.  I agree that the population has increased and range as also slightly increased.  But just because some guys (like me) are adept enough to manage to regularly get photos of them, or even catch them (again like me or GG - but that's really no pat on the back - they are really easy to catch - to catch a coyote is way more difficult and would/should be more of a status symbol to a trapper), it does not necessarily mean they have reached sustainable numbers, yet. 

 

Agreed on the already classified as a Game Animal.  My mistake.

 

I have a lot of time and sweat equity with the reestablishment of the bobcat. I did it more to restore a predator  to the ecosystem and not just to present another "target".  So, to answer your question, as of right this minute, my comment to which you responded to was based 90 percent on science and 10 percent on emotion.  Ok, maybe 80/20.  Sway me back to 90/10.

 

And given cat biology, I very seriously doubt that they will ever become the issue the coyote and the bear.  I'm not even sure there is an issue with the coyote population.  Yea, they eat deer.  Its what they do.  I think that's more of a point of view thing.

 

I appreciate the tone of your post.  I hope I have been respectful of your position, as well.  As I spoke, I have a bit of a soft spot for the bobcat.  I do not work for ENSP.  Mammals are not really my area of expertise.  I got on the bobcat project as a volunteer and was afforded the opportunity to basically run the trapping/telemetry program.  It was an opportunity that was priceless.

[rgw]

the one thing that gets my goat with these bobcats is when the state gets these roadkills or incidental kills they take their samples and burn them. it is a huge waist. they should be taking the fur and putting it in a auction and using the money recieved towards enhansing their cat study or put it towards hunter or trapping education. to waist a presious resourse by burning it is not right. think how many more collars they could of bought by now or relocated some new blood line from pa or ny.