Advice on 1 dog pack for bobcat...

[david]

Some say its not possible for a 1 dog pack but then 1-2 people say it is and I get my mind to it. Just need a shred of confidence.
Brandon

Brandon, pay close attention to everything Hipshooter says. He is for real, and he knows a style of bobcat hunting that I would really like to learn from him and the folks of Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, etc. It is on my list of things to do befor I die, for sure!

But, the terrain you will be hunting, although usually without snow, is not exactly "dry" ground, as it rains so often durring hunting seasons. Folks in the dry OK TX area have a very different set of circumstances.

I can tell you with 100% confidence that if you have the right dog, you will be able to catch bobcats in the wet coastal hills without the presence of snow. I have done it right there where you live, and I had a freind named Art that never had any more than one dog as long as I knew him. That one dog caught a lot of bobcats.

We all want to see you succeed at this, so keep us posted. Make sure you want it worse than you want almost anything else in life for awhile.
When you are seeking help, you may not get it much unless the person feels you are extremely serious about it. Not because they are mean or judgemental, just because of things that Hipshooter and others have said about the difficulty of what you want to do. They know you will not succed at it unless you want it real bad. If you are casual about it, you will just be frustrated. Well, if you are serious about it you will just be frustrated too, but if you have the "never give up" attitude, you will find success eventually.

AND... even when you are not catching bobcats, being out there in those mountains listening to your dog give it his best sure beats sitting in front of the TV.

Go for it.

[bbell]

Have always wanted to do this and I am finally at the point where I can! And also I hope i didnt come off cocky or stuck up or ungrateful with what I said in response to what hipshooter said.

I do value what you said it just that this is the situation I am dealt with and it would be this or no dog hunting. So here goes I will keep everybody posted on my progress. I get on here about everyother day so I will still be asking questions checking on stuff. thanks guys.

brandon

[doug]

I live in western oregon and only have one dog and manage to catch a cat from time to time. Not as often as I like,but once in a while we get lucky. So it is possible. I traded for her as a started dog so I didn't start from scratch,that would have been a lot harder. I'm not sure that I would have had any succes starting with a pup that did not know anything.

[roscosrokons]

I've caught quite a few bobcats over the years and I would have to say that probably about 90% of them were with 1 dog. Even the cats that I have ran with more than one hound have usually ended up with one specific dog that trees the cat, the others might join in at the tree but usually it is one special dog that does all the work and the others just get in there way. The problem is finding that one dog that can do it by her or him self. Good luck! Ross

[Hipshooter]

David
Amen on your post
Very good advice.
You have to eat, sleep & fight cats 24/7
to be a real bobcat catcher.

[catdogger]

this is just my thought's and nothing more i hunt one dog must of the time unless my training a pup.to many dog's screw up a cat track that is for me.#1 dog chases bobcat #2 dog chases a little bobcat and a little dog
#3#4 chase other dog's ass.LOL. im not trying to start a conflict that's just what i see dog's here in West Virginia do.

[bluedogs]

if you want to hunt with a top bobcat hunter in oregon and i 'm talkin about a guy that catches 50 plus cats a year try to talk to a guy named curt preston he is one of the top guys around here he lives near toledo. ted lives in philomath never hunted with him but i have hunted with curt and like curts style of hunting. if you get ahold of ted he can get you hooked up with curt, i will tell oyu though ted doesnt like them bluedogs and doesnt think they make cat dogs me i think difrent
last year a couple top bobcat guys goto ut of it but there are still a few out there like everyone said hunt with them learn as much as you can and go out and try it, i am still new to cat huntin and still learnin but i like goingo ut with experenced guys and really just pick there brain i figure the more i can learn from them the less i have to learn the hard way. another guy in this area that has some good dogs is a Brice May he runs them high tans i hunt with him quite a bit as well. good look with findin a dog there is a guy in idaho named bret williams he breeds cameron dogs he breeds for speed and brains some really good dogs that can catch cats. lots of guys out there with good dogs just find one and start huntin with him. good luck

[Catman]

I'll add a little here. B-Bell...find a local cathunter who's consistently catchng in your area. Hopefully he will invite you to tag along. Help out with gas and groceries.....don't be a pain in the arse...if he says we're meeting at the local gas and grub at 5...be there at 4:30....its okay to ask questions, but observe more than anything else. These guys know their stuff and don't like someone new to the game making a bunch of suggestions. If you get along with this person and they have a litter of pups....ask for a pup out of their cross.....if their catching game then the lines are proven...doesn't mean the pup is, but getting a pup out of a proven line is the hardest part. DON'T flippin worry what color it is. There is a reason that these guys hunt what they do.....later in your hunting career if you choose something else that's up to you, but for now you are in training. These guys will be alot more tolerant of you and help you out more if your hunting stock out of their stuff or stuff they suggest as they will be as excited as you to see a young dog progress, but if you try to hunt a gascon hound with a walker hunter....he's going to have very little patience with you or the dog Now that is the easy road....the hard road is to buy what YOU think you want and try to make it into something it may not or may never be. There will be a chance of many hours of wasted time, money and effort to make this a cat dog. Just my .02 but honestly there is a wealth of knowledge out there with people who do not mind sharing as long as you keep up with your end and do what they ask of you. They deserve respect....give it to them.