Top or Bottom?

[Big Horn Posse]

Hi guys, I took my pup out tonight to the canyon I have been hunting. I usually walk up the bottom free casting her. Tonight I decided to walk up along the north rim. I have been hunting mainly canyon country all the years I have been lion hunting. I have better luck and it is easier for me as I prefer to lion hunt on foot free casting than driving looking for tracks. Now, I have hunted lion from the mouth of canyons walking up the bottom and have had very good luck as the dogs usually find where they have come down and crossed in the bottoms. It also seems to hold the scent better for a dog to start it as there usually is more shade and vegitation to hold the scent longer. I have also hunted along the rims along the top and this is usually where I find the scratches. I am curious what you guys prefer? Do you like hunting from the top rims or to start at the bottom? Either way you are going to end up at the top or the bottom no matter where you start. That is a given Just would like to know your opinions on this style of hunting.

[Kenneth]

I don't have a choice in most of my areas. Most of the country I hunt in has roads at the bottom and not at the top. I usually have to start at the bottom, work my way up, and then go back down to my truck. I guess it wouldn't matter to me either way...as long as I can get out and hunt.

Ken

[Benny G]

I have always traveled the tops, right along the rim in the middle of the day. If there was a lion that went up to the top to look around, or traveled up there, the dogs should strike it. As the day warms up, those thermals drifting up from the bottom of the canyon should carry the scent up to the dogs. Now since I can't smell all of this, my thoughts are complete speculation!

[Big Horn Posse]

Interesting theory Benny. Now, does it make a difference north or south rim? the north rim will get the most sunlight as it faces the south and south will get the most shade. I know this affects snow conditions and burn off, but wonder if it affects the dry gound? Also, I can only get out after 5 PM cause of work, so I am hoping I hit a cat that is laying in the sun on the north rim or it is on the move waiting for the deer to come out at dusk.

[Benny G]

Now you're starting to screw up my hunting. I've never thought enough about from which side of the canyon, or if it even mattered. I always just figured the side I was on was the side I was hunting from. Tessa, I just got home from a quick road trip, and if you keep this up and make me consider things, we'll have to offer this topic to the coffee shop crowd.

[Big Horn Posse]

Benny,
See this is what I think about when I am out there hiking the canyons while Bella is out using her nose. It is so quiet and peacful that I start thinking of the how, why, what and where. I think I need to find someone to hunt with. Might start refering to myself in the third person next...... well, don't think it will ever get that bad.

[pegleg]

i like to think i have a great method with many hours of thought behind it. the truth is i travel in the area that is easiest . generally i try to get on the top and ride the ridge backs and stay level about two thirds or more up on most ranges here. the problem is that often it's impossible here and you may wear you or your mount to a frazzle climbing up and down. when i find myself in a area like that i stop and try to give the hounds the trail to work and me the time to figure out were it is likely to end. then choose to go high or low to circle around. problem is my track record isn't real great. the mts. aren't real high here just steep and bad. so in theory ever lion should be able to bluff up close to the top easily with a head start. I've heard they will be above their kill but often as not they get caught on the other side of the canyon. if i ever figure out which rock or tree to wait under until the hounds herd the cat there, I'll look for a new enterprise. as far as top or bottom I'm happy with either

[Benny G]

Pardon me for just a minute Tessa, as i hijack your post.
Pegleg, Iwas at Bill's today and he was asking about all of his "old" dogs. How's Copper?

[Big Horn Posse]

Benny,

How polite of you. BTW Bella is turning into a real hunting machine..... She is trashing on deer, antelope, rabbits, and chipmunks. Just need to get her on a decent lion track and there will be no stopping her! Gamey little thing and all nose. Going to make a fine hound I have no doubts about it.

[Benny G]

That's good. I've always believed that if they wouldn't run anything as a pup, they would, more than likely, never run anything as a dog either.

[pegleg]

Pardon me for just a minute Tessa, as i hijack your post.
Pegleg, Iwas at Bill's today and he was asking about all of his "old" dogs. How's Copper?

copper is a good dog and doing real well he's adjusted pretty well to the heat and lost some weight and feet are doing well. he is doing well with the track conditions too. he has some real good qualities. jake on the other hand has been having heat problems pretty bad. I have been working him in the morning and evening and trying to get him leveled out and toned up. his pads are coming along slowly. he is hard to keep lean and fed at the same time so have been adding some bulk but trying to keep him from bloating. he is full of desire and trails ok just a little scatter brained on some scent conditions and looses it due to excitement. he has to be watched real careful to keep him from pushing to hard and over heating for sure. he's a bit raw around the edges but should be doing good by next summer. how are yours doing? tell bill hello I will call just the days have been getting long and busy this year.

[Benny G]

Pegleg-
Asul has been the easiest to trim the weight off of. He does, however, find it hard to understand my reasoning in the unneccesities of barking just to break the peace and quiet. Baldy is a little harder to trim down. I have some dogs of my breeding that are hard to put weight on, so to make myself feel better, I'm considering parking Baldy between two of them. Baldy is an easy keeper in more ways also. He doesn't carry on without cause, he's very mellow and easy to be around. I have not had any of these dogs out this summer. I added 5 dogs to my mess this summer, and along with me traveling all over, and having both knees overhauled, I thought the dogs could use some "yard time" to get to know each other. Hopefully the dogs will have figured each other out to some extent, and not feel the need to treat each other poorly while hunting, and therefore making me bring them the hard lessons. Time will tell, but I have no doubts that they will perform to my expectations.

[Mike Leonard]

Tessa,

I like hunting canyon bottoms but I will tell you I never catch many lions in this country hunting that way. Lions generally cross canyons at only certain places and they like to end rim around rather than cutting across. If there are side cut drainages that run up high you might stand a good chance of striking up near the head of them. Oh once in awahile you will catch a lion just out for a walk and wandring around but mostly they hang up high like Benny said right under the main rim line and travel there. Oh they will pop up to the top and back down in lots of places to get a look around but they like elevation to be able to see out there because that is how they do most of their hunting.As always check the hog backs at the highest and lowest points of the saddles. Watch for lone large pines and big dead snags that grow on the shelf right under the rim but their tops reach up over the top and stand out on the skyline or from the rest of the trees. Good luck!

Pegleg, glad my old one eyed Copper is doing well he looked more like his Daddy Gunner than the rest of the pups. Baldy, Little Blue, Tuck all took more after their mother Josie.Gunner and Josie were a deadly combination on bad lions till the day they died, and their ashes still blow thru these canyons up here where i hunt and I can swear I hear them bawling on trail at times when the wind is just right.

[Benny G]

Mike,
I was accused of putting a little too much catnip in my coffee. You might do well to watch that yourself!

[Big Horn Posse]

Gunner and Josie were a deadly combination on bad lions till the day they died, and their ashes still blow thru these canyons up here where i hunt and I can swear I hear them bawling on trail at times when the wind is just right.

Mike,

Reminds me of the song Ghost Riders in the Sky.