al baldwin wrote: It is strange that age has made me have a little regret every time I harvest a cat. I just know, I have a much better feeling about myself & the hounds when I pull the hounds off a catch & leave the cat to chase again.
Mr. Baldwin, you aren't the only one that gets that pit in your stomach when a bobcat is dispatched. My Grandpa and almost all the Southern California Cat and Fox hunters during his era would absolutely refuse to harvest a varmint. My Grandpa never even took a gun to the woods. Those Southern California houndsmen during that era almost considered it a sin to shot a varmint from a tree.
When I was younger and very much dumber (age changes your views and thinking) I got my butt chewed out several times by my Grandpa when he found out I took a cat or fox from our hunting grounds. I used to think that my hounds needed to wool a varmint to make those running hounds tree better. I couldn’t have been more wrong.
In the last decade the dogs I owned have only chewed on a few cats that refused or didn’t make it to a tree or rock pile. During fur harvesting season, after I’m positive I’m only taking a mature Tom will I harvest a cat for its fur. I tie my hounds back and would never allow them to chew on a thin skinned cat hide. Having hounds chew a cat hide up is going to drop its value alot. If you are in doubt about the sex of the cat, leash the dogs off the tree. If you have confidence in your dog’s abilities you know for sure you will tree more. I can guarantee you it will not hurt your hounds abilities to tree game.
I know proper predator management is necessary to maintain a healthy overall cat population. Mature male bobcats are female bobcats worst adversary for producing a healthy litter of kittens and maintaining a cat population.
Basically what I’m saying is you don’t need to harvest cats to make better hounds. Hounds don’t need to chew on a cat to be better dogs. Cat hounds need exposure and a top handler not a chew toy to make better dogs. Better dogs come from a careful breeding program and wise thought out crosses and hard hunters that know what their dogs are doing at all times. I always looked at it this way show me a good hunter and I will show you a good pack of dogs!
I know you are a very experienced cat hunter and I’m not teaching you anything you don’t already know. I just wanted you to know that there are large groups of likeminded hound hunters out there that feel the same way you feel about harvesting game, but like you stated it's up to the hunters discretion. We just hope hunters make a wise decision before they chose to harvest a cat. After its harvested its too late to change your mind. A nippled or milk stained bellied female isn't worth much at all, and has way more value to the hound hunters and the cat population left unharmed.
