Thanks to Tim from Maine for sharing photos and his success story in catching a 30 pound bobcat in a 12×12 cage trap, which incidentally in a big cat. Though many bobcat trappers would argue for taller traps for ‘cats, there is evidence that bobcats most definitely are not limited to entering only taller cage traps. For the most part the guys who have taken bobcats in big numbers primarily rely on traps from 15 to 21 inches tall. We make individual and nested sets of both lock ring and bi-fold door bobcats in single door and double door models, 15, 18, 21 and even 24 high, reflecting what trappers who have taken bobcats by the hundreds prefer.
However, I know of one trapper in Massachusetts who took a bobcat in a 9x11x24 inch powered door Comstock trap some years ago. One western trapper, who uses taller, relatively narrow traps, said he too had seen where a competitor using 12 inch high traps had also made numerous bobcat catches.
In the photo Tim provided the 12 inch Comstock Cage Trap used was set right side up with the door closing downward. This makes the actual opening from top to bottom about 10.5 inches. The 12×12 traps were designed with both beaver and raccoon in mind. They work in water as a swim through trap for beaver and on land in trails or baited for raccoons.
It should be noted that these traps can be set sideways with the door closing like a gate from the side. When set sideways the door opening becomes a bit narrower while the height of the trap remains a full 12 inches! Most traps with doors that close downward will lose some of the overall inside height as the door takes up room in the trap, while a sideways closing trap utilizes the entire opening.
The interesting part in all of the cage traps is that they have exceeded expectations. Beaver traps, including the 12x18x39, will take bobcats, while the bobcat traps have taken beaver too.
