What part of the chase proves a bobcat dog's ability more?

[Twopipe]

Is it what happens before or after the bobcat is jumped?

[Budd Denny]

I've seen quit a few dogs that could get a bobcat jumped but very, very few that could consistently finish them. If you ever have the privilege of seeing a true bobcat dog you will then realize what a true bobcat dog is. I have only seen a couple and never owned either , Nelson Cole owned one and one of my hunting buddies ownes the other.

[Dan Edwards]

Never hunted bobcat in my life but I am going to comment anyway. I am a coyote hunter and a dog that can just jump a coyote doesnt mean a damn thing to me. Its what he does with it after its rolling. I can tell you that most dogs will lose the coyote quickly in my country if they are not unbelievably fast. Its more important to me to see a dog that can run and catch a coyote after its jumped. Not many dogs can do it even though a lot of folks think they own one and talk like they do.

[PIGLET]

someone might argue with me but theres one thing a dog has to be able to do to qualify as a good bobcat dog and that is to locate........ I have seen many great bear and lion dogs that could never locate bobcats. They could trail and they could run a jumped bobcat but then go in there and the dog is all over in a two acre parcel cat tracks going in none coming out but that dog has no idea what tree it is in.. If you have a dog that will locate, sit down and tree You have got one hell of a bobcat dog..easier said than done..

[Spanky]

someone might argue with me but theres one thing a dog has to be able to do to qualify as a good bobcat dog and that is to locate........

BINGO....give that man a cigar. That should have been the answer in the poll. Getting old stubbie jumped never seems to be the problem but once you get into the cedar thickets and in the blow down jungles when that little bastard is walking logs 4-6 feet off the ground having a hound that can check wind direction and locate a tree is priceless

[chilcotin hillbilly]

My vote is before the jump. If my hounds can find a bobcat track I am pleased as punch, as I have only seen 3 tracks in four years where I live. Lynx on the otherhand are tough after the jump as they will spend a 1/2 hr circling in a spruce thicket and then climb the bushiest tree. I'm sure Bobs are the same, just very few in my area.

[Mel White]

every part of the race is what makes a bobcat dog. if you dont live where they is allways snow they have to be good box dogs and strike those old tracks. they have to be good start dogs to find the track and have to cold trail or you will never get many going. on track they have to move a track fast through blow down and thickets. some of these cats will tree in 20 minutes after jumped and some you have to catch on the ground because they will never tree, so they have to run the legs off of a cat trying to catch it. and they have to locate on those big old growth trees and stay treed. thats why real cat dogs are far and few between.they have to do everything. balanced all the way through if your going to catch cats on a consistent basis.

[nmplott]

doesn't after the jump just mean finish the race with a caught bobcat, that would be my first choice.

[uncle Brisco]

after,my problem isn't jumpimng them,or treeing them,or even locating them,its holding power,around here yer tipacal tree dog can't hold a cat,most dogs tree with their feet up on the wood,looking at their tails chopin,empty tree,i flat need a dog that not only will locate but hold eye contact with the cat,its weird but if a dog will do that they will stay in the tree,everyone that is sucsesful around here was at least one dog that will be back out from the base treeing and looking the cat right in the eye,while the rest of the retards are barking a 100 barks a minute,not smart enough to pay atention,so to me a dog that runs a cat, and trees a cat, and can't hold a cat is worthless and wont be feed on my feed bill

[Gary Roberson]

I agree with Uncle Brisco about how important that it is to have your dogs off the wood to hold a cat in the tree. This may not be as important in big timber country but around here most trees are less than 20 ft. tall. It you have all of your dogs locked on to the tree, barking 100 times a minute like these competition coonhounds, the cat is going to bail. When the cat move to the outer limbs, I want a dog that is smart enough to move out there and look back at the cat. This will show the cat that if he jumps old Fido is going to try to catch him before he hits the ground. Hunting around here, the most difficult task is getting a cat jumped as it is almost always dry and a wind blowing. Once I get him jumped, the four seasoned hounds that I hunt will generally make him climb.

[spruce mountain]

Were i live here in maine i think after the jump is more important,if we have to we can walk the cold trail to get to the jump.If getting a cat at the end of the day is what you want,Im not saying these are great cat dogs or anything but you can get cats with them.If you have one that can cold trail but cant figure out all the tricks or locate the tree and hold them youll never catch a cat.

[Melanie Hampton]

Where I live it is all about the locate.. We hunt in some thick.. taaaaalllllll stuff... If I am in an old growth stand with 60ft to 80ft (or more) tall tree, just as thick as you can get.. It sure helps when the dog knows the right tree..

[uncle Brisco]

i count it in thirds,1 third is getting it to climb,1 third locating, and 1 third holding power,if anyof those is lacking yer not going to see cats period

[D/S-hunter]

I would have to agree whith locating,but also would say speed and endurance play's a big part in it as well most of all when they start to run back and forth in canyon wall's and runing in there same tracks.

[Yaak attack]

The best bobcat dog is one that is owned by a man who knows it's limitations. Avoid running cats in places where your dogs don't have a fair chance. I think any dog worth feeding should be able to jump a cat in the snow, if you hunt dry ground you have to have a more balanced attack. Where I hunt holding a cat is way less trouble than finding it in the tree. I have hiked back to the truck for a saw more times than I care to remember.