cat hunting methods

[Mike Leonard]

Shorty and Steve,

I think you may be right but also you are going to see more people getting out of the hunting game, and let me explain why I say this.

Each year I see new guys get into the sport. They hear about it go out a time or two with some friend or a friend of a friend, and really enjoy themselves, and maybe even get to see or harvest some game.

Ok this is pretty neat how do I get started? Friend of a friends says well I have an old one eyed dog that use to be pretty good and he will help you as a pup trainer so get him from me for $1500. and I will sell you one of these world beater pups for $400. and boom you will be in business. I forgot to mention dog houses, runs, tracking collars, e- collars shots, and all the rest. Oh you need a big powerful four wheel drive to get around and a an aluminum dog box, and better have a quad or a snow machine. Now you are in the business. A year later you are likely on the verge of a divorce, your boss is pretty pissed at you most of the time, and your bank account is not too flush, and old Cyclops and the Wonder Pup ain't put nothing up yet and all they have run up is bills. Ok meet you at the Quick Stop at 4:30 am Louie and we will go look for your cat. 4:30 Louis is waiting you fill up the F-250 twin tanks to the tune of $120.00 better top of the quad might need it. Buy burritos , pop candy bars, time to settle up with the cashier, where's Louie? Oh he is in the restroom had a sudden attack of alligator sickness. Oh yeah a lot of hunting buddies get this when it is time to pick up the tabs. Great big old deep pockets and little bitty short alligator arms. So finally he comes out jumps in grabs a burrito says thanks pard, boy that was a close one for me in there! And off you go pissed offed. Well no tracks or no trees again Louie bails out beaming well better luck next time, thanks and have a good evening. You go home and pull up and the shining star of your life is standing in the yard covered in mud, from the new dog you left home that you wanted her to get use to, and she doesn't look any too happy. Hi Honey! About time you got your lame A$$ back gere to shut this stupid dog you bought up! Oh I am sorry honey he will be ok after he bonds with us. Right now mister I am about to bond him over to animal control and call a divorce lawyer when are you going to get this hunting thing out of your head? We are going broke over it and you haven't caught one thing!

Well this is match point and with high fuel costs it will come sooner than later for many. Yes the horse is fine if you are stupid enough to be like me and have a bunch of those hay burners standing around, but you still have to hook the diesal up to the trailer and haul them out there some place for the drop. Hoofing it yourself is ok if you are young and in top shape and have nothing else to do. But let me tell you a bunch will not start and a bunch will get out.

Is that ok? Well maybe it is maybe it isn't but that is just a fact. A year ago down south of my place there was a fella that got into hounds for a couple of years. My gosh he had tons of them tied all over down there. Barking their fool heads off and the only time he paid any attention to them was on the weekend when he physically picked them up and threw them in the dogs box to take them out and drive around looking for a track. Today it is quiet down there. What happened? I asked him and he said you must be nuts, after all these years, I got out and went back to dirt bike racing. Then he said even though we go all over and buy the kids high priced bikes it is still cheaper and I don't have to feed them or listen to them bark. I also don't have to spend two day driving around burning high priced fuel trying to find those deer running sob's.

So there you go.

[nmplott]

Mike,
what you have said is something that is truely taken into heart. This is a sport that research has to be done, does my family want this? Will we be ok financially? What dog should I get, do I have time to get the dog what is needed (food, training, affection, woods time, vet expenses)? Where will I hunt?
I think the saying fools rush in, is true here, perhaps a little too true. One thing that has really taken most people for a loop is the price of fuel, then everything that is based on fuel really comes in to play, hay prices rise, food prices rise (both human and k9).

[Shorty]

I agree with you guys 100%. Alot of people are going to get out of hounds. I already know of a few. I'm not so sure weather it's a good thing or a bad thing but it's already in progress. It may be good for those who guide hunts. Although alot af people won't be able to even afford that. People will probably less likely to take a chance on a pup they know little about. Maybe it will be good for breeders who have a good reputation of producing high percentages of good dogs. Like I said before I'm interested to see what comes of all this. I know one thing I'm not giving up any time soon.

[northwestcat]

in my mind if you realy catch stuff on a reaglure basis and are making money on hides and other things the gas will never be paid for or the time away from home belive me i know bout twenty or so ladies later and thell all tell ye the same thing he dont give a shit as long as hes huntin thell get over it so i think but the good from this its gona alminate all the idiots out ther runnin shit for dogs and cant catch a thing and if ya got something worth a dam why would ya sell it cost me 230 dollars to hunt three days a week right now bear huntin and money is the last thing im thinkin about dragin out a bruit hell i go to oregon every weekeend from sept to march and hunt its 3/1/2 hours from the door and its not cheep but in the end where are you the happiest at sittin at home bored stiff or chasen the dogs up on the hill

[roscosrokons]

I like hunting on foot for the most part. I think you miss out on alot if you don't try to keep up with the dogs on foot. Allthough I'll have to admit that when I can I use my Rokon. These things are like a mechanical mule. If the terrain is right I can load it up with all my gear and follow the hounds all day long. Ross

[Mt. Dog]

I have found that if I am willing to walk alittle, I don't have to get too far away from the beaten path to find a track. Sometimes as little as 100 yards off the road if your looking in the right spot will get you on a track. Keep watching those crossings that most don't know about,because they never get out of the truck, and sooner or later that old tom will leave his mark. But you gotta keep going back.
If you are lucky enough to hunt on private or exclusive ground, truck snomobile or horse is great.
Hey Mike, how's things in the southwest? Those sound like awesome pups!

[Tim Cook]

I hunt alot out of pickups and off of snowmobiles in the winter months but I think when I have the most fun is when I put the dogs on the fourwheeler and go out behind my house and hunt that way, I like starting a bob track on bare ground from the road and then gettin in there on foot and watchin them work it out. any kind of good dog work is always a pleasure to see and watch. As for the horse back, it's so brushy and thick around here that it woudn't be the best thing to do and would probably be more a problem then anything else, I would like to try it one day though, sounds like it would be alot of fun in a little better country. So I guess my prefered way would be fourwheeler and on foot.