Road kill

[Texasplotts]

I'm a rookie houndsman at best. I have a 8 month old plott and a 15 month old plott. Both have been exposed to pigs only (younger one seems more interested). I live in south Texas and thought bobcats would be something else we could try to hunt. Everything I am reading looks like a dog is going to be a cat dog or not depending on the dog. With all this said, I scooped up a fresh road kill tom bobcat on the way home from work (night shift cop) and skinned it out; yes, no or maybe on using it as a training aid (drag?)?

[mike martell]

Texasplotts.

You are asking for trouble. I suspect you would constantly be trying to run bobcats and end up on pigs. The guys who have pigs where they hunt, break their dogs off them and keep them target specific. I'm the worlds worst case example for trying to allow a dog to run everything that climbs a tree with the same dogs and the only reason I responded to your post. I understand how easy this can be and also how complicated. I don't have pigs where I hunt, but I do switch hit my dogs to the tenth degree. By switch hitting, I mean allow them to run bobcat, coon, Gray fox, Lynx, cougar and bear. All these species climb trees, pigs don't....

Its very easy to underestimate dogs and their ability to perform, but having pig dogs will keep you chasing pigs when you want to hunt bobcats. If Oregon had pigs, I would break my dogs off of them and keep on switch hitting. Out west, we hunt a lot at night and rig our cats, you best know what a dog is rigging and how to read (know) your dogs before dropping them in the middle of the night. It can be done but you will end up frustrated more then having success. The idea of hound hunting should be for pleasure and when you have train wreck after train wreck is where most young hunters quit and take up another hobby. Dead animals are dead and serve little purpose, if you want to expose your dogs to bobcats, try the real deal. You will be resisted to tag along with an experienced bobcat hunter for the following reasons.

one who is a straight bobcat hunter and knowing you run pigs will not allow you to turn down with them on a bobcat race. I also suspect a straight good bobcat hunter would not allow you to turn any dogs into a bobcat race with their dogs for obvious reasons. Making bobcat dogs requires time and lots of trial and error and mixing any game species is a bad idea.....You are fortunate to have some world class straight bobcat hunters on this board who offer thousands of dollars worth of advice for free....Read and reread their post over and over and you will save time, money and more importantly your mind!

Good Luck!

Mike

[treetalkingjp]

I'm a rookie to bud , I've treed a good bit of cats this winter but most was not on purpose , you say your plotts show interest in hog but if they don't run them now then your fine , just cut the tie hog hunting . Or make one or the other a hog dog and the other a cat dog . The drag should be fine in my opinion , but I think older experienced dog works best . As the guy said above straight cat hunters don't want a hunter that has dogs that trash on other game , I mean i don't want other dogs other hunters own trash on deer when we run bear. I think work them on drags to you find a hunter . I just wait to it snows to find tracks but you live in Texas haha . Live trap a cat would be good ! A wise man once told me its easier to buy a dog trained then to raise a pup . I wish the best , hope they come out good ! Some coon dogs run cats too so might look into that ! Take care

[Texasplotts]

Thanks guys for the responses. The older of the two didn't much care for pigs, but was putting squirrels up trees in my yard as a pup. She has also showed interest in neighborhood cats when I took her for runs; I was actually thinking trying her on small game.
The younger one put teeth on a small boar last week, I am going to work her into a friends pack for pigs. I'm have no plans of getting rid of either as they are pets now as well, eventhough I got them for pigs. In 17 plus years in Texas we had one freak snow, not counting on another; but I'll do an even 20 here and go somewhere with seasons other than hot and hotter.

[treetalkingjp]

If he trees squirrels he must be a good locator , you want that for cats . I'd try him on small game