Lions in culverts

[finch]

Fellas, I thought some of you might find this sort of situation interesting, though I’m not sure what can be done about it. I got my leg busted but good mid-December of last year, and I had two 7-month old gascon/bluetick pups that needed training this season. So I had a friend drive them up to Jim Harrell’s place in NW Montana. The thing that had me worried some is that they have wolves up there. Now everybody has heard about the wolves going after the dogs while they're on the track, but there's another, related problem which I'll bet some of you have run into even if you are careful and try to keep your dogs out of those areas occupied by wolves.

The first morning out, Jim’s dogs treed a pair of lions, though they saw only one in the tree at first. Here’s two very short video clips:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nvWA4UBprf8

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_JppTjcRtvY

(By the way, you won’t have trouble picking out Jim’s hounds. They have that classic Cameron look. Mine are the all-blue pups who mostly just look bewildered. This was the first lion they ever saw.)

Both lions were encouraged to jump out of the tree, and Jim’s hounds tracked one of them and it ran into a culvert. Jim then had my buddy Derek position my two pups at one end while he chased the lion out from the other end of the culvert. You’ll see that Derek is trying to hold back the pups with one hand while trying to shoot video with the other. It gets a little shaky, but you’ll see the lion come running out of the culvert. Derek is also worried about that second lion being in the culvert as well, though it turned out it wasn’t. Here is the video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tvQzluG4IsQ

Now here’s the deal. After that lion ran from the culvert, he wasn't long in taking refuge in yet another culvert! (I tried to attach a picture of him in there, but I'm a computer moron, so we will see if this works.)

Jim says he thinks that this particular lion has learned to make a practice of using culverts, probably sleeping in them too, in order to protect itself from wolves. A mature lion can, no doubt, defend itself from a single wolf, but a pack of wolves has got to be a different situation altogether.

Now crawling into a culvert with a lion in it has got to be like feeding yourself into a meat-grinder. But Jim’s Jenny dog seems plenty game, and she got herself clawed/chewed up some when she went in after the lion that hid in the first culvert. (I am happy to report, though, that she has since healed up and has been back out hunting.)

My question is, do any of you guys have any experience with sort of thing, and what do you make of it. And how do you discourage your hounds from following a lion into a culvert or mine shaft or adit? Can you do anything so they don't get too torn up and maybe killed? I'd like to know. Thanks.

[007pennpal]

Finch,
I saw your dogs at Jim's. Nice looking. Seriously blue. And I heard that story. I've had similar deals with the culverts and usually you can get the animal to come out and or the dogs. Some of my dogs will come out when called. I don't have a problem shocking one of my dogs if it doesn't come when called no matter what game it is or isn't on. Haven't broken one off of good game yet. Although, not sure I've completely broken them off deer yet either, ha ha. Anyway, what I don't like is when a dog goes in both sides and you have a lion sandwich. Or, when there is a hill, rock or log in the culvert so the game animal can get behind it. If you can fit in and you are brave you can pull a dog out by the tail. I've heard where guys have had to shoot a lion or bear that has dogs trapped and ripping them up. I think there is no good answer exept to do the best you can to protect your pack.
Sean

[finch]

Sean, Thanks for the kind words and the good advice. While those two pups are plenty goofy, I'm nuts about them, and I'll be sure to do as you advise. Besides, how could I do otherwise, and hold my head up around guys like you and Jim? I hope your hunting season is going well. Best regards, Tom