County, Rutherford, where i am at in NC has a prohibition on steel leg traps. I am not a trapper but that sounds like that is what you primarily use for bobcats, coons, yotes? I have a ton of bobcats and a good number of yotes and was wondering if I built a large version of a rabbit gum if that would catch a bobcat. I would love to trap some, especially where I rabbit hunt, they have some pretty hides. Yall got any advice I would truly appreciate it.

Everyone allways talks about what hunting takes the most woodsmanship and i always say yall trappers got that locked down. Good luck this season.

Wow, leg holds are banned, HSUS at its finest. Bobcats and fox are tough to get in legholds let alone a box trap. Some of it depends on how hungry they are. My wife caught one fox in a box trap and it was in bad shape. Healthy animals are harder to get. I think I would try a snare before a box trap, but they are probably banned too. Heck, give it a shot. Won't know until you try.

Are you sure your county bans foot traps? Do you have a link to the law?

Fox trapping is banned in a lot of NC counties, but I have heard of none, nor seen mention in the statewide regs, regarding any county banning traps authorized by state law.

Well I aint exactly sure how to link but here is how it reads:

"Possess or set a steel trap, or take an animal therefrom, except on land owned or leased solely for agricultural purposes by the trapper."

This is a law for Polk and Rutherford counties.

Now I am live and am caretaker on a 100 acre tree farm. I also have permission on about 1200 acres of adjoining land. I dont own any of the land and I dont lease any of it for any reason let alone agricultural purposes. The way I read it I would have to own the land or lease it for farming in order to trap with a steel trap.

I am not a trapper but I would understand "steel trap" to be reffering to leg hold?

I appreciate yalls help certainly dont want to break any laws but would love to get into trapping some of these wild cats and yotes.

There are some guys in state like Ca and Co that catch all kinds of predators in cage traps, everything from cats to yotes, but I have never tried it. You would need to get the right diminensions and brush them in well. Check out trapperman.com. I have caught coons, possums and skunks with cage traps and that is pretty easy. With coons just make sure you stabilize them properly or they'll roll the trap and get out.

BTW I would think that a tree farm definately counts as agriculture.

thanks Neil I'll check it out.