Bobcats on the ground
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bearcat
- Bawl Mouth
- Posts: 158
- Joined: Wed Aug 29, 2007 12:40 pm
- Location: Idaho
- Location: Idaho
- Contact:
I tree most of my cats here, put a few in holes, very seldom catch them on the ground, when I hunt the breaks or the desert I put a lot in holes, catch some on the ground and tree a few. When I hunt on the coast I probably tree more than I catch on the ground, but its a tossup, and depends on the area I hunt. Some areas I'll tree most of them, and others I'll catch almost every one on the ground, and you always will put a few in holes. It depends on the area, but I think it is genetics as well as terrain. Obviously if your hunting sagebrush where there are no trees, your not going to tree many, but certian areas on the coast, where it is solid timber, you still will catch them mostly on the ground while another area with identical terrain you will tree almost every one.
It seems like we sure can learn some things from folks who have high expectations for dogs in other areas of use.
Like the Pete's rabbit dogs, and the man trailers. Sounds pretty clear that certain dogs or lines of dogs tend toward non-switching, yet it also sounds like dogs that will switch can be taught not to.
I always figured they could be taught it if I could just find a dog that was not smarter than me.
It only makes sense because on the extreme end of the spectrum, trash breaking is a form of teaching non-track swithching between species.
I think the leash thing, or at least a high level of monitoring and control might be the key. Seems snow would be almost mandatory. For me, I have never done it, but have often thought that if track switching on the same species was treated similar to track switching on different species, most dogs with a bit of intellegence would understand what is/ and is not/ allowed.
I suppose situations could be created as with those training for man trailing, otherwise, it seems like it would just be back to the good old boot leather, and walking out a bunch of tracks with the dog on leash, and just waiting and watching for the right teacing situations.
Come to think of it, there are times when there are older and newer tracks crossing the road very close to each other.
It sure would be a weird change to put the dog on the older track and expect them to hold it. Hmmm. This is sounding more difficult by the moment.
Part of the problem would be me thinking I know more than I do about the tracks present.
I remember once trying to run down a dog that was obviously back tracking a bobcat. I finally caught her and got her turned around, only to have her turn instantly backwards again. After about the third time of this, I got lucky enough to see the track she was actually following the correct direction. The tracks were together. The old "backwards" track was sinking in a tiny bit, the new forwards track was not even leaving a trace on the crust except a slight trace in select spots.
I hate to embarass myself with remembering all the times I thought I was right and the dog was wrong, when the opposite was true. Now I trust my dogs a lot more than I trust myself.
Hmmm......... Hmmmm... Maybe I better be happy with my track switchers. Not sure I would want my dogs thinking I am more messed up and crazy than they already thought I was.
Like the Pete's rabbit dogs, and the man trailers. Sounds pretty clear that certain dogs or lines of dogs tend toward non-switching, yet it also sounds like dogs that will switch can be taught not to.
I always figured they could be taught it if I could just find a dog that was not smarter than me.
It only makes sense because on the extreme end of the spectrum, trash breaking is a form of teaching non-track swithching between species.
I think the leash thing, or at least a high level of monitoring and control might be the key. Seems snow would be almost mandatory. For me, I have never done it, but have often thought that if track switching on the same species was treated similar to track switching on different species, most dogs with a bit of intellegence would understand what is/ and is not/ allowed.
I suppose situations could be created as with those training for man trailing, otherwise, it seems like it would just be back to the good old boot leather, and walking out a bunch of tracks with the dog on leash, and just waiting and watching for the right teacing situations.
Come to think of it, there are times when there are older and newer tracks crossing the road very close to each other.
It sure would be a weird change to put the dog on the older track and expect them to hold it. Hmmm. This is sounding more difficult by the moment.
Part of the problem would be me thinking I know more than I do about the tracks present.
I remember once trying to run down a dog that was obviously back tracking a bobcat. I finally caught her and got her turned around, only to have her turn instantly backwards again. After about the third time of this, I got lucky enough to see the track she was actually following the correct direction. The tracks were together. The old "backwards" track was sinking in a tiny bit, the new forwards track was not even leaving a trace on the crust except a slight trace in select spots.
I hate to embarass myself with remembering all the times I thought I was right and the dog was wrong, when the opposite was true. Now I trust my dogs a lot more than I trust myself.
Hmmm......... Hmmmm... Maybe I better be happy with my track switchers. Not sure I would want my dogs thinking I am more messed up and crazy than they already thought I was.
Just saw bearcat's post and remembered what this thread started out as.
Sorry about my part in taking it elsewhere, although it has been fun.
IF you are gathering data:
In the areas I have hunted in recent years, 80% of the bobcatst will run past hundreds of trees until they are forced to stop and face the dogs. They will face off with the dogs and never give a thought or a look to the big tree they are backed up against.
DNR says there are only 1,500 bobcats in MN. I have often wondered if a non-treeing gene pool could have been created with such a small population. Kill every one that climbs. The ones that live to breed dont climb, (because there are not a lot of dogs around here that can consistently stop a cat befor it finds refuge in a hole or abandoined beaver house/log pile etc.) Dont know.
Sorry about my part in taking it elsewhere, although it has been fun.
IF you are gathering data:
In the areas I have hunted in recent years, 80% of the bobcatst will run past hundreds of trees until they are forced to stop and face the dogs. They will face off with the dogs and never give a thought or a look to the big tree they are backed up against.
DNR says there are only 1,500 bobcats in MN. I have often wondered if a non-treeing gene pool could have been created with such a small population. Kill every one that climbs. The ones that live to breed dont climb, (because there are not a lot of dogs around here that can consistently stop a cat befor it finds refuge in a hole or abandoined beaver house/log pile etc.) Dont know.