 What's cracking y'all? Welcome back to the channel. If you've never been here before, this is the Lake Forkot channel. I do mostly outdoor type videos, fishing, hunting, etc. During the corona lockdown, we've been basically hanging out here at the house and taking care of the homestead. And let me catch you up to speed. We have chickens. One of the chickens has been taken by a bobcat. We've had a lot of flooding. It has basically driven all the animals from the woods into the backyards of my neighborhood. After the bobcat took one of the hens, it didn't come back the next day, but it's been back every day since. And I've got it on trail cams. It's been here late in the night, like when the creepy crawlies are out, like early three, four in the morning. It's been here at eight o'clock in the morning. It's been in here at like six thirty a.m. It's been here at nine thirty p.m. I've got it on camera over by the hog trap. I've got it on camera climbing on top of this wood pile right here, trying to get in and just basically doing circles around the perimeter, you know, trying to get to the hens. Now I made a mistake when the bobcat took the hens. I let them sleep outside because they weren't going in the roost because of the coop lamp that is on for some reason. They didn't want to go in there and I let them stay out there. I should have physically come out here and put them in there. The bobcat came up to the edge of the fence and pulled it out, got up under, and went in. Since then, I've reinforced with big staples, 16 gauge staples, one inch. I like y'all's comments about putting an outside board right here on top of that fence and then screwing it or nailing it in. I think that would also work well and I actually thought about that, putting some cedar planks. I think it would actually make this look a little bit better as well. But because of the persistency of this kitty, I have gone out and I have purchased traps. I'm not a trapper. I've never trapped before. I'd like to learn a little bit more. So I started researching and I went and got me some basically some paw traps. So what that means is if an animal steps on it, it clamps on. You know, like an old bear trap that you see. So I've got three of them and I've placed them around the yard. Two of them right here. So this is the wood pile. I've seen this cat come up here multiple times and then it crawls up on the beam and then it just kind of looks down. So what I've done, I'm taking this chain. The chain is attached to the chain of the trap. The trap is up here. So in the preparations of the trap, I spray painted them brown. So they're very hard to see. I have to be very careful, especially with a one and a half year old running around and myself because I am forgetful. So that's covered up with some leaves that's on top of there. I was gonna put the third trap on the beam on top because I've seen that bobcat just walk up and down that thing and I might end up moving it if this doesn't work. But on the trail camera, I've seen this kitty over here and I think it's because the foxes and other animals come down here as well and it's walked around this. Now the chickens have free range around here a bunch today, like within hours. So this might work as well. So the trap is right over here on this left corner. Again, very hard to see and I've also taken some some fresh salmon skins. We just had fish for dinner and I've put them just on the other side. So I'm hoping that it's going to walk up to smell it and then get popped on all of them. I've attached, I forget what gauge this is, but I've basically attached wire to a very solid object like a tree or in this instance this hog trap that's sitting right here. So we have three traps in place. We are also going to be hovering this evening with the air rifle. Last night I missed it by about 30 minutes. I went inside after it was dark but at 9.20 or so the cat came out and basically got on top and was trying to get in. So if I just sit out here a little bit with a red light and listen, I might be able to get the cat but I don't have night vision. I need night vision. You know, I'm a Texan. I should have night vision in my arsenal but I don't. So anyways, we have those straps. We're counting on those. We're also going to be sitting around with the air gun. Y'all, I want to get this cat dead. I had the opportunity. I saw it. I had time. I got it on camera. I thought it'd be cool to show you guys the chicken. One of our chickens died like within days after that. So it's time. If I don't have time to get to the camera and I'm grabbing my bow or I'm grabbing my rifle, I'm doing that because I don't want any more animals getting lost on my watch. It's corona locked out time. I've got time to do it. So kitty cat's going down. Let's sit and let's wait on our prey. My first attempt at trapping. I know I didn't get the bobcat and you're pissed. I'm sorry. Yes, y'all. I did not get the bobcat. Instead, I got a possum. And let me just tell you something. I didn't know possums growled the way they do. My daughter's bedroom backs up to the backyard and sometimes she wakes up because she hears things going on back there. We woke up at a weird time and I thought, huh, something's probably out there. So I came outside and I showed my light and I could see two beady eyes looking at me from the trap. The trap that had the fish on it, that's the one that got the possum. And I was out there at, you know, like one in the morning getting a possum out of a trap because the possum's not what I was going for. Incredibly ugly. And I'll admit, I was a little bit scared dealing with that possum and had some big old teeth. I thought they just roll over, you know, they say play and possum. It's like common saying is roll over play dead. Not this one. This one was angry. And every time I tried to get close to it, I was trying to bite. I agree. Good news is we've made reinforcements on the coop. So I'm not as worried, but I still want to get this cat because it keeps showing up like it's showing up on other cameras. You know, it's obviously like made its residence around here. It's taking daily routines. And I think something that I want to try is a snare trap as well, because it's taking a lot of paths and there's some narrow passages through the yard where there's a lot of sticks and a lot of holding a wooden club. I do realize I made that proud of it. There's a lot of narrow pathways that the cat has to go through. So if I could do a snare trap, that might also be an option. And I probably wouldn't catch, you know, a possum or a fox in one of those. Maybe I'm totally new to trapping. That's kind of the point of this video. If you have tips for trapping bobcats, especially in paw traps, let me know in the comments down below. I want I want to get this done. I don't want to stay up all night with, you know, a pellet gun, but I'll have to. If you guys don't quit, let me know about it. Geez. But I think it's time to move some traps after seeing some more activity and lack of activity in other areas. I just want to move them around to what happens. I think I want to leave this one right here. This is the pathway basically to view the chicks. You know, they're they're actually sleeping up under the coop right now where that heat lamp is. And this is one of the best spots to view them. There's a panel board up on the other side on the back side, and I usually have it up on the other side so that they can have some more warmth kind of block them from the wind. So this spot right here is one of the best spots for viewing them. So if the cat is just like walking back and forth, try and get a you know, a bead on what's going on in there and how it can get in there. The trap can just sit inside of there. I'll cover it with leaves. And hopefully the the cat will just walk through that pathway and get snapped. Okay, it was not around the coop last night and it didn't jump up on the wood pile. Maybe it's it's starting to figure out that it can't get in there. I don't know. But there's only a matter of time till it comes back and starts messing with it. So where I actually did see the bobcat was down here where the possum was. So this happened before the possum got in the trap. So that is this pathway right here. And actually, I've missed the pathway. The pathway is just right over there a few feet. And where I set the trap was actually off, you know, just off this cage right here. And where I've seen the bobcat go and mostly the other animals is this little track right here. And I just mowed so you all can see it. But a lot of animals go over in there and those that's like a thicket back there and there's a creek and you know, it kind of connects on to other parts of the neighborhood and whatnot. And I think they kind of stay back there sometimes and then walk back and forth. So I know hogs have gone out back there. I've seen the bobcat now on the camera. So the craziest part of this video is when I actually looked at the footage when I was editing and I could see that the bobcat was coming in around the cage because the possum was trapped there. The small screen on the truck came. I couldn't see those little beady eyes back there. But that's the reason it was coming in and then a dog started barking and scared it off. I can't believe I missed it. I was literally out there just minutes later. So I'm going to move that one on to the actual pathway, which seems kind of obvious. And then I also moved one of my cameras to be positioned right here. So it is right there. And that is going to get like a more wide review of the art so I can get more action. Really see what's going on here. Investigation, that's part of it. I mean, if I can figure out the exact pathway that the cat's going every time, then I can add some of those snare traps and be really efficient. I just want to get this thing going, just dispatched out of the way. So I don't have to think about it because I really like to let our chickens free range. I'd usually do I let them do that. Well, let them out right now. So I let these out usually every day that I'm home for an hour, an hour at least because I'm always doing something out in the yard or out in the driveway garage some where I can have an eye on them. But that's just the thing. Like now I have to be especially watchful. Like I'm watching a child just just around here. This is actually one of the spots where they like free range. There's a lot of chickweed and stuff like that. That's growing on the ground and right past that is the danger zone. That is the dark waters where the sharks swim. So I'm always keeping my eyes peeled because I know somewhere in there there's a lurking predator. And yes, they come around at night. But the first time I actually spotted it, it was eight a.m. in the morning. And usually I let them free range like any time from, you know, eight to two o'clock in the afternoon, just somewhere in between there. I don't want this thing coming around. It's not just the chickens while I'm out here. It could definitely happen. It happened with the fox with Stephanie. So as soon as we get just some nights that aren't cold. I mean, it's been like in the 30s and 40s here recently is I can turn this heat lamp off. And that is going to reduce the urge, I guess, for some of these predators to come around because that is just a beacon of, you know, baked chicken just sitting under there. Probably emanates the sale, the smell. What am I trying to say here? Illuminates the smell, enhances it. And here's our mighty guard duck. I think he's a male. I'm not sure I need you guys to help me out here. I wish I could tell honestly the khaki camel ducks are incredibly hard to know unless you're looking at their ducks. The ducks, ducks? So I'm going to sign it off right here, but I need y'all's help to help me eliminate this kitty. And it is the perfect time to do it while we're on quarantine. And a lot of the lakes are flooded. And I'm spending a lot of time here at the treehouse. So let me know in the comments. Thank you guys for tuning in to the Saga's. The Saga drama is around here at the treehouse. By the way, Lake Clyde Family Channel, if you want to see more chicken stuff, link down below. And right here what we do, you know, outdoor stuff, including trapping now I guess. So I've signed it off. Thanks for being here. God bless you. I'll see you on the next one.