Trailing ?

bency · Post by **bency** » Sun Nov 08, 2009 4:23 pm

Just wondering how others deal with this problem...while lion hunting the dirt.

So your hunting and the dogs find a track and begin trailing...their pushing the track cold trailing, but get hung up in what i call a bad spot for scent so the dogs try grinding this out, but they all pick up and go back to a spot were the scent held best... just to retrail the track again, to end up getting hung up again and repeating this process instead of sticking with and pushing the track further out of the bad spot.

So im wondering how many let theirs dogs trail and retrail like this till they move the track out of that bad spot or hang up, till they can push it further.....

Or do you guys pump your dogs when they do this for not sticking with the hang up and pushing the track out from there....

Catman · Post by **Catman** » Sun Nov 08, 2009 9:05 pm

Bency,
I don't know how much dirt hunting your dogs have done, but they will learn to range out and pick up the track further on if possible. There are times when a track is over, and no matter how far they range out they get to a point where they just cannot trail it an further. Good luck

bluewalkerlionhound · Sun Nov 08, 2009 10:12 pm

make a large horseshoe shape radius. if they cant move it then its time to cull and start over. I have trailed a bobcat that fed on a muskrat kill 2 days after the know kill and trailed it,jumped it, in high 80's with wind gust 5 to 15 through the day and still caught it with the same method of circles and "horseshoes circles".....your dogs sound like they need alittle more nose take care!

Big Mike · Post by **Big Mike** » Mon Nov 09, 2009 11:30 am

I let them keep trying. This is where those really true cold nosed dogs come into play. Those real good grinders will work it out. .Ive sat and let dogs try to work it out of a canyon for hours. Sometimes a dog will cast out and pick it up. As long as the dogs are trying I let them.

Every time I try hoop up the dogs and move them to where I think the lion is going I pick wrong, so ive learned over time if the dogs are working a track stick with it and let them grind it out.

I was hunting with Nick Smith once and trailing a lion. The dogs came to a stall near a bluffy side canyon. We sat and ate lunch for about 30 minutes while the dogs worked on figuring out the track. One dog finally got it going again and we caught the lion in about 1/4 mile from there. Remember just cuz the track gets hard doesnt mean its old that long tail might be right around the corner!

spruce mountain · Post by **spruce mountain** » Mon Nov 09, 2009 11:55 am

Just keep working with them,they and you will get better at it.They may have the nose for it but it takes experience to reach they're full potential.Don't be to quick to cull them they will get better.JMO

bency · Post by **bency** » Mon Nov 09, 2009 1:10 pm

Thanks for the advice everyone. The nose isn't a problem the dogs are cold nosed for sure, but it sounds like i shouldn't change a thing just keep letting them do their thing, i just didn't want to start any bad habits by letting them keep re-trailing instead of trying to push further from that one bad spot.

liontracker · Post by **liontracker** » Mon Nov 09, 2009 1:26 pm

bluewalkerlionhound wrote: I have trailed a bobcat that fed on a muskrat kill 2 days after the know kill and trailed it,jumped it, in high 80's with wind gust 5 to 15 through the day and still caught it !

Nice dogs!

bluewalkerlionhound · Post by **bluewalkerlionhound** » Mon Nov 09, 2009 2:58 pm

bency, just do as i say and youll be just fine....lol cull cull hard...lol like my story?.....i.know where some black and tans that are from irish decent that should smoke those tracks.....go mooncrickets!

Cowboyvon · Post by **Cowboyvon** » Mon Nov 09, 2009 3:33 pm

I think he has plenty of nose power.... before you cull Mike just bring Malibu Mollly over to my place I'll feed her...

Out here in this desert sometimes those tracks just disappear... I believe these desert lions have wings and just fly off..

hunt14 · Post by **hunt14** » Mon Nov 09, 2009 5:22 pm

I truly believe a couple of good strong cold nosed dogs that can grind a track are the staple to a good dry ground pack, but nose isnt always the answer in my opinion. Some dogs have a knack for swinging out way up ahead and picking it up some dogs are cold enough that they can methodically figure it out. If I get in a bad spot like this you can bet that I am right in the middle trying to help out. I just think that a good pack of dogs has different strengths that compliment the others and an ice cold nose isn't the answer to every problem and a smart dog that has a knack to swing out and circle will be just as big of an asset sometimes as ol' reliable that will work it out. A good rock dog is so important to me because the bluffs and rocky shelves are usually where I run onto these problems, and there you go some dogs learn to be better in the rocks and some dogs can bounce around in them things and be gone before you know it, just because they have that knack and athletic ability. Its nice to build a pack where every dog has all the traits but I have yet to see one and I havent seen but a few packs of dry ground dogs but I have seen it where a dog will beat a path from the place to where he last smelled the track to where he looses it and then another dog swings way out and strikes and is gone while that other dog isnt leaving the track. I want both of those dogs in my pack.

Shorty · Post by **Shorty** » Mon Nov 09, 2009 6:23 pm

hunt14 wrote: If I get in a bad spot like this you can bet that I am right in the middle trying to help out.

Thats A big part of dry ground lion hunting. Good call hunt14!

larry · Post by **larry** » Mon Nov 09, 2009 6:44 pm

bluewalkerlionhound wrote:make a large horseshoe shape radius. if they cant move it then its time to cull and start over. I have trailed a bobcat that fed on a muskrat kill 2 days after the know kill and trailed it,jumped it, in high 80's with wind gust 5 to 15 through the day and still caught it with the same method of circles and "horseshoes circles".....your dogs sound like they need alittle more nose take care!

So was the kill 2 days old with the cat returning to feed 2 days later or was the last time the cat was present at the kill 2 days prior to chasing it?

Cold Track · Post by **Cold Track** » Tue Nov 10, 2009 12:17 am

A friend of mine's father (top houndsmen) who is somebody that I deffinately listen to everything he has ever said and take it as gospel told me when I first started into hounds, don't be afraid to help em out. I also give them time to work it out as well. And like Von said, if you cull any, cull that Molly back to my place I'll gladly feed her and give her a warm bed right next to her sis. Boys, I believe BWLH is just jerkin everyone's chain a little on the cull deal.

larry · Post by **larry** » Tue Nov 10, 2009 1:14 am

I believe he's jerkin the chain on a little more than just the culling part.

bency · Post by **bency** » Tue Nov 10, 2009 8:37 pm

Hunt14 and Shorty,

When i get in the middle and try to help the dogs out...sometimes im able to see the track and which direction its going, and I try to hiss the dogs into moving the track from around the track/area...but usually they just ignore me and keep trailing from where they last smelled the scent the best...
So do you guys just pick your pack up and move them in the direction you think the cat is moving in hopes that they can pick it up further down or is this more of a respect and trust issue?

Molly is gonna stay right here at my place

No one is being culled as of yet.

Larry,
You gotta forgive BWLH hes away from home pretty often, so hes jerking just about everything he can.

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