The New Huntmastersbbs!: Rate your area

This is topic Rate your area in forum Cat forum at The New Huntmastersbbs!.

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Posted by Leonard (Member # 2) on September 18, 2003, 06:29 PM:

How's the bobcat hunting where you live? On a scale of 1 to 10.

Good hunting. LB

Posted by John/Alaska (Member # 25) on September 19, 2003, 08:06 AM:

We have Lynx the big pawed relative of the bobcat here. Currently in my immediate area we are on the down cycle so I have to rate cat hunting a 2 based on last year. In a couple of years it should be back to 5 and hopefully up to a 7.

Posted by Greenside (Member # 10) on September 19, 2003, 10:42 AM:

Since we have no open season on cats in IA, I'm going to rate it at 0. I have called 3 in the last two years and I'm seeing more tracks and sign every year. Hopefully we'll get a limited season sometime in the future.

Dennis

Posted by Lone Howl (Member # 29) on September 19, 2003, 01:22 PM:

10 all the way.
Sierra Nevada hills have tons and the Central Coast range has tons. Im right in the middle.
Im goiong to concentrate on cats this year.If I can get out much that is.

Posted by Leonard (Member # 2) on September 20, 2003, 12:03 PM:

A ten?

I thought 10s were reserved for the "happy hunting grounds"? Man! I gotta check out your spots, even the second tier would be worth the drive!

(just kidding) Lucky you!

Good hunting. LB

Posted by Lone Howl (Member # 29) on September 20, 2003, 02:45 PM:

OK LB,
Im downgrading my spots to 9.5. [Big Grin]

Posted by LionHo (Member # 233) on September 20, 2003, 06:32 PM:

John in AK: I'd started a thread on another forum this year asking how the rabbit populations were doing elsewhere. Response ran about 25:1 was that populations were booming (Only one reply, from Quebec, that rabbits were crashed). Is the snowshoe population starting on the upswing there and the lynx just not following it yet? Or are both augered out?

Heard many years ago (grammar or junior high school, LONG time ago) that Snowshoe/Lynx population peaks are tied to the 11 year sunspot cycle. Sunspot cycle is now couple of years past the peak, but it so happens that this is still a busy year. I've also watched local wide swings in the bobcat/rabbit populations for the last 17 years, from what I've seen I'd say it mirrors sunspot activity. (Work with a number of PhDs at an astronomical observatory these days, most of whom pooh-pooh my bobcat/rabbit/sunspot observations and any possible corellation.) What do y'all think?

Whatever the cause, bobcats hereabouts seem to be doing very, very well indeed, just like LoneHowl says. Weds afternoon I stopped to watch one stalking gophers midday, with temps in the 90's, in ranch meadow right alongside a busy road.

LionHo

Posted by onecoyote (Member # 129) on September 20, 2003, 11:41 PM:

Bobcats have always done very good here in California, so have Mt Lions. No other state in the USA has more cats then California short or long tails. Califorina is a cat hunters heaven, plus the fact we have so much public land to hunt them on.

Posted by Leonard (Member # 2) on September 21, 2003, 09:55 AM:

Okay, Danny. Now rate Nevada, where, as a non-res., you can no longer hunt bobcat?

Good hunting. LB

Posted by onecoyote (Member # 129) on September 21, 2003, 04:59 PM:

I rate northern Nevada great for large bobcats. I have never seen big numbers of bobcats in Nevada like we see here in California, but they do have a few. As far as lions go, I can't say for sure. I have seen a few lions in Nevada thats a fact. As you recall, six bobcats and one lion came out of Arizona on a club hunt once, I'd say thats pretty good, lots of cats in Arizona, to bad they can't hunt at night. I'd think Texas has alot of cats too, what do you think?

Posted by Leonard (Member # 2) on September 21, 2003, 06:24 PM:

Weeelll, lemme think. Pat and I got five bobcat one nght in Nevada, I can't remember better than three, anywhere else? Maybe four?

I like Nevada. Give it a 9.5.

Good hunting. LB

Posted by onecoyote (Member # 129) on September 22, 2003, 07:54 AM:

Interesting, I never seen that many on a weekend in Nevada. Yes I'd say 5 bobcats in one night is real good, but that would be good anywhere. I don't think any place holds as many bobcats as much south of the border does, but thats another story.

Posted by Purple220 (Member # 173) on September 24, 2003, 11:09 AM:

A 10 for West Texas

Posted by Bob in TX (Member # 66) on September 25, 2003, 06:56 AM:

I would have to give west Texas a 10 as well.....especially Coke and Tom Green counties.

Bob

[ September 25, 2003, 06:56 AM: Message edited by: Bob in TX ]

Posted by Leonard (Member # 2) on September 25, 2003, 09:12 AM:

Nice cats, gents.

But seriously, if the subject drifts to total numbers available, that is a little different from a local season forecast.

I've hunted in a number of western states, and for sheer numbers, in my opinion (of course): Oregon, Caifornia and Nevada have cats up the butt.

Honorable mention: New Mexico, the left half.

Good hunting. LB

Posted by onecoyote (Member # 129) on September 25, 2003, 01:45 PM:

I could be wrong but I think I remember an article in Trapper Predator Caller that stated the number one state for bobcats was California with about 75,000. Second was Arizona and third was Texas. I kind of think Texas has more cats than they know about. Much of Texas borders Mexico, a place people don't hunt predators to speak of and I'm sure many of those animals cross the border. Leonard, to me this is an interesting subject. I really believe the Fish and Game Departments are guessing at how many bobcats there are [Confused]

and really have no idea. [Wink]

Posted by crapshoot (Member # 225) on September 25, 2003, 04:32 PM:

Southen Nevada I would rate a 5. Las Vegas Area.

Posted by Leonard (Member # 2) on September 25, 2003, 06:02 PM:

Welcome to the New Huntmasters, crapshoot. Nice talking to you last night, by the way.

I think you are being conservative in your estimate, judging by your success ratio of cats to coyotes, which is better than three to one!

[Smile]

Good hunting. LB

Posted by Cal Taylor (Member # 199) on September 25, 2003, 08:05 PM:

Leonard,
You are just asking me to lie to you. LOL!!
If I knew the best cat spot in the world, would I be wise to post it here? I think not. ROFLMAO!!

Posted by onecoyote (Member # 129) on September 25, 2003, 11:45 PM:

Cal, I use to know one of the best cats areas in North America, it was called Mexico. I don't mind telling people about it because they don't have what it takes to do it, money and alot Ba--s lol.

Posted by Cal Taylor (Member # 199) on September 26, 2003, 06:45 AM:

I'll bet your right on Mexico being full of them. Our populations aren't as high as most places, but our cats are very high quality and have been bringing alot of $$. I plan on a pretty extensive little trap line this winter just for bobcats.

Posted by onecoyote (Member # 129) on September 26, 2003, 09:25 AM:

Hey Cal, I read about one northern Nevada bobcat last year that brought over $300. Maybe the good old days are coming back. I hope you get alot of them this year, good luck.

Posted by Az-Hunter (Member # 17) on September 26, 2003, 10:37 PM:

I would rate my particular area a 4.

Posted by WhiteMtnCur (Member # 5) on September 29, 2003, 07:32 PM:

Danny, the Northern Nevada cats were bringing in excess of $300 last year, but you should have seen the Northern Wyoming and Montana cats. I saw highs of $550.

Posted by onecoyote (Member # 129) on September 29, 2003, 09:26 PM:

Dang, I never read about that. 550+ bucks is a hole lot above what the cats were back in 78 and 79. Your talking BIG bucks buddy. Move over, I'm on my way lol. [Big Grin]

Posted by Q-Wagoner (Member # 33) on October 02, 2003, 05:04 PM:

Well I use to kill a bobcat at a ratio of about 1 for every 100 coyotes I shot but that average is slipping away quickly. It is true that prices are high and still climbing so I may target them later in the year when I finish up with coyotes. Just before I left for AK I got lined up on two large ranches in WY to hunt that show a lot of promise for bobcats. We will see.

On a 1 to 10 I would have to give my hunting areas a .05 or less. LOL I am sure if I were to target cats rather than coyotes I would take several a year in my immediate area but the populations are so spotty that my time is better spent hunting coyotes and coons.

Good hunting.

Q,

Posted by Cdog911 (Member # 7) on October 07, 2003, 02:12 PM:

It isn't that my area doesn't have plenty of bovcats, becasue it does. Probably as many cats as there are coyotes in many areas. My problem is that my ADD kicks long about fifteen minutes into the stand and I start thinking about how I could be better spending my time heading for the next stan d and that next "first five minutes".

On the flip side, when I have called them (mainly because they responded right away), I've found it to be a very intense hunting experience while you wait for them to close the gap. With prices where they are, I may have to dope up on ritalin and wail away. [Smile]

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