running with high wind

[chilcotin hillbilly]

Have any of you noticed a difficulty for the hounds to find the right tree in a high wind chase. the last 2 bears I let go on I had one hound on each chase, both had a hard time finding the right tree and spent some time circling the tree until I pointed out the bear to them. Both trees were big fir trees and the bears can be way up there, that might make a differance. I probably should have let them figure it out themselves as they are both young hounds. I've never noticed this when hunting more then one hound, but I guess this justs increases the chances of one hound finding the right tree.

[Mike Leonard]

It certainly can add to the difficulty of locating quickly or accuratly. I have observed this with bobcats and lions more than coon or bear, but if a coon has been laid up for a good while and a stiff wind comes up it can drive a dog nuts for a bit. On bear the probem in those tall bushy trees like a spruce is they are hard to see and the flutter of the boughes disperses that scent over a broad area. Usually plent of scent but you may have to get behind the dog figure the main direction of the breeze coming your way and go from there. Coons mar a tree from the bottom, bear usually go up to a tree paws up look back over their shoulder and then start their accent. Bobcats many times spring into a tree from a good distance and don't contact the tree near the bas lions can do this from even a further distance . Lions are a bit easier to spot in tall trees and do give off more scent. A 20 pound bobcat can virtually disappear in a bushy tree, and not only give the dogs fits in high winds but drive you crazy as well. That smart old experenced hound is usually the one that doesn't just grab the wood and go crazy he is the one who makes his circles confirms his suspicions and then fine tunes the locate and then sounds the alarm. Some are much better at it than other. I firmly beleive great locaters however are born with that . Sure expereince will help all of them, but I have seen certain pups that just shined from an early age on the locate. Bobcat hunters sure do like that kind.

[doug]

I've seen several times when the dogs couldn't locate in the wind on bobcat.I'm going to say it's the wind anyway.My main problem with hunting in the wind is that I can't hear the dogs and that makes me nervous.