Missouri Cats

[Mo hunter]

While this forum is chock full of great information, I have a sort of region specific question. The area I live in is mostly made up of river bottoms, the surrounding bluffs, and a lot of cow farms consisting of 20 to 100 acre open areas split up by wooded hollers. Now i've heard about what kind of hound it takes and how to hunt desert cats, mountain cats, pacific northwest cats and most importantly Arkansas cats; My question is, does anyone have any experience catching what i'd call "farmland" cats? Thanks for any help.

[Dads dogboy]

Mo Hunter,

PM Turtle Dove here on BGH. Mr. Reber will give you good info. He lives out from Cabool, MO.

You will probably be able to use a more Treebred type Hound and be sucessfull. A Hound of the type of English Red Tick that Second Nature-Spruce Mountain use, one of the New England Bred TW type Hounds who know how to pick up their head and move a track, will most probably work. Some of the MT type Hounds (Twist's Nance TWs), the CA-Oregon type TW and Trigg Crosses will work.

If you are just wanting to Tree and harvest the Cats, get ahold of one of these fellows who is Hunting Leopard Hounds. they have lots of Tree in them and will move a Hot track fast. If Hunting small tight covers this type of Hound may keep you out of trouble with Non Hound friendly Land Owners!

Just our thoughts, MR. Reber is a good resource!

CJC

[pegleg]

I don't have much to add or say. I just thought it was nice to see a new question on here that hasn't been beat into the ground before. I think all hunting dogs can benefit from a good handle
However in your case a real fast easy handling semi silent hound would probably be a good choice even. Though I can't say those quiet types are my favorite. Good luck and hopefully you get a good debate going that will educate us all

[Mo hunter]

Thanks for the replys fellas.

Mr. Clay - Thanks for the heads up on Mr. Reber, i'll be sure to get in touch with him. I figured that if there was a guy catching cats any where in MO. you'd probably know of him. You also hit the nail on the head about anti-hound landowners. Big local whitetail bucks+Doctors and Lawyers looking for hunting ground=unfavorable conditions for hounds. I'm 22 now and I missed the boat by about 20 years. Back in the day everyone in my area had foxhounds and it was understood that the hounds were going where the fox led them. If your hogs or cows got in the way, sorry. Grandpa used to cuss about what 15-20 dogs would do to an almost ripe field of wheat. But everyone back then accepted it and went on. Now a days, not so much.

Pegleg - I hear what your saying on easy handling. I coon hunt with a treeing cur and it is so much nicer being able to whistle him back in at the end of the night than having to look all over God's creation for him. Saves on having to buy a tracking collar too.

Another question. About every other farm here has at least one brushpile on it. Are cats more likely to hole up in one of these than climb a tree or rock bluff?

[Dads dogboy]

Mo Hunter,

A Bobcat will know and use every feature in it's home territory to evade the Hounds!

In some areas they will tree more than Hole or go in a pile, however what ever they do once they will do again and do it quicker.

At least that is what we find!

CJC

[livetohunt]

" about anti-hound landowners. Big local whitetail bucks+Doctors and Lawyers looking for hunting ground=unfavorable conditions for hounds "

You might trying using that as a way to gain more hunting land. These guys make there money off the deer, when the fawns are being taken by Bobcats they are taking a hit to there bottom line. Same as out here with ranchers and Bobcats eatting lambs and calves. With a little leg work and some facts some of the spots might just open up for you. Its always worth a shot and even with 50 no's that one yes might just make it all worth it.

[tomtom]

Then let me know how you pitched them the idea without the dog yet. It sure would help me a lot.

[donbhuntn]

hey where do you live?im 20min east of springfield id love to join you,my coon dogs have treed a few but trees here are to small they tend to jump out.i do trap quiet afew around my house and find nice tracks in snow every year,i live near sme conservation land and have lots of back roads to look for tracks

[Mo hunter]

You gotta be a cagey salesman, Tomtom! DonB, I'm about 25 miles west of Columbia, right on the Missouri River. We might have to get together this winter and see what happens.

[donbhuntn]

sounds goo,bring a 4wheeler or somethn and il take you to some great places,theres hills,but theres moreats in the hills,found a few mtn.lion tracks to,if yu get some cat hounds we are definatelly going!!

[donbhuntn]

i got 3 hounds id pitch in,one has ran a few but i only coon hunt she treed a few coon huntn,the other two are pups id put in,griiiittttttyyyy...not mean,u get the start dog i have the rest of the pack!

[Olmuleskinner]

I live southeast of springfield hour and half, we not find that much cat sign here drove over two hundreded miles last winter in the snow and only foound a few set of tracks, don't have any cat dogs though just a pack of running hound crossed with english potlickers that likes to run to catch.

[donbhuntn]

if one or two of you boys wanna go ona cat hunt this winter we should go...would be tons of fun and we would be one ofa kind everyone else runs coons

[Mo hunter]

Just thought you guys should know, I was let in on the secret to catching cats last night.

I was talking with a guy who used to competition coon hunt. Over a couple of cold ones, I told him about my desire to start running cats. After he got over his look of shock and horror, he told me, and I quote, "Well, if you wanna catch cats with any sort of success at all, the very first thing ya gotta do is get yourself a good kill dog like a chow or a doberman or somethin!" Hope this nugget of info helps you guys out.