strikes you can't start....

[George Streepy]

If you have a bunch of dogs up there loose and they hit off game I have seen good season dogs run it when fresh and the track is hot.

Something to think about those long hard smart cats that are hard to catch might have long bushes tails. Dewey

I have always limited the amount of young dogs on the box at one time. And I do agree that I have never seen a dog that is 100% trash free. The only way I call it a hard running cat is if I get to see it at one time or another. Otherwise my response would be they ran something.

Now what is rolling around in my head is without an actual track are you folks just watching your dogs to determine their behavior before letting them down? What makes you decide to let the dog down? Or maybe a better question is what makes you decide to not let the dogs down?

This isn't a loaded question. I'm not disagreeing with anyone. I always put my dogs up and they let me know when they smelled a cat. Sometimes they would let me know when they smelled a coyote but most of the time one of the dogs would let me in on the dirty little secret. Occasionally they would trick me pretty good, but I was usually able to get them back for that. It wasn't very often that they ran a hard race without an indicator of what was going on. And even the best dogs I ever owned would run a coyote or two each year.

I just don't understand how a guy would have the dogs blowing up on the box without letting them down unless one was giving you a hint it wasn't right. Most of the time they would give me a hint even if they were on the ground. It was up to me to notice the hint and react.

[dwalton]

George: I box three dogs at a time. I have holes cut into the box for the young dogs to learn to box from. If I get a strike I look for a track if there is a chance to find one. If not them I let the most reliable dog I have down by her actions I usually know if it is a cat before I let her down, when she opens or gets it of the road I let others down. If I know it is a cat a lot of the times I will let a young one down to learn before I let the old dog down. When they open All the dogs get in there from the start unless I am hide hunting and need to rest up a dog. The young dogs that are boxing from inside get to ride on top to finish out. A couple of years ago I got a good strike that I thought was a cat. I let Pepper down, she went up the road smelled in front of the truck and turned and went to the back and under it. I looked and there was coyote in the road. Her strike was a good one looking I found a cat going across the road, which I put her on and caught. Yes I could tell by her strike she had a cat by her actions she had a coyote. A dog that reacts in a negative way to off game is not a broke dog. They are reacting because you are there. The only dogs that I have seen that might be what everyone calls broke are dogs that DO NOT REACT ANY WAY WHEN THEY SMELL OFF GAME. DOGS THAT DO NOT ACKNOWLEDGE OFF GAME IN ANY, WAY MAY BE A BROKE DOG. The rest of the time you are just fooling yourself. Nothing excites a dog like cats do watching your dogs tells it all. Dewey

[George Streepy]

Thanks Dewey,

I get what you do, and it is probably wiser then what some of us do. I remember some of your methods and remember Pepper too.

I liked having the dogs loose, but it was never good letting a bunch of young dogs go at once. I liked watching the dogs work, and watching to see which one would make it happen first. Letting one go at a time probably does up your chances of success.

[lyinhunter]

POOF! ALL GONE i personally thought this was a real good thread. maybe alittle long winded and alittle to much over thinking. but i didn't think everyone would take their ball and bat and go home.

[al baldwin]

Every one box your dogs as you desire. The reason I never leave a dog lose on the box is probley 40 years ago or better I had a very good cat dog, fall off the box. Chiped a bone on his hind leg, down in his ankel, made a three leged dog out of him. Another good reason, once forget to snap skinner dog on box, he struck, came over the hood hit the ground in front of truck. We caught that cat, but, dang near ran him over. Dewey agree one can never be positive dog will not run a coyote in right circumstances. Had dogs go years and not run one, then have it happen. But I doubt if they are going to fool a veteran hunter like yourself if that becomes a habit. Don/t even think they could fool me. Sure don/t know if a dog that does not adknowledge off game is more broke than one that does, but Isure like dogs that let me know when off game is present. Do believe best to trust your dependable dogs until they trash, other wise one cannot enjoy hunting. There are sure more yotes than cat out there. Thanks Al Baldwin

[Melanie Hampton]

Really interesting and good thread.. I'm glad to see some of the posts up here..

I have one of the colder nosed, tends to overstrike, rig dogs that I've tried my best to ruin.. Some days I want to beat my head or his in the window.. But if I take a breath and look back I realize he is probably much better then I deserve and has sure shown me up by catching cats off the rig..

He is the only one I leave loose on the box.. I can tell most of the time if we are going to start it by his strike.. I say most of the time because if I drive past something he wants to check out, he then makes it a little more believable the next time I can tell when he hits the ground what we are going to do with the track..

This thread does inspire me to throw one of his younger daughters up there and see if they have his rigging traits.. Patience for me is something I'm learning when it comes to rigging cats.. I need to quite roading them so much and let him do his thing.. He has it down better then I do..

[catdogs]

Good info and thanks for the responses. I am pretty new to the striking thing. Still learning to read them. I really only have 2 good strike dogs at this time. One, came from a stud of "trueblues" thanks tb... Lots to learning to read the strikes for sure. A medicore bear strike could be a hot cat strike. A strike on a dry warm day could have been a blow up on a wet cool day. Really watching the dogs, long before they even bark is very helpful to me. I can sure see why guys prefer hood rugs. I find myself looking in the rear view mirror more than looking where I am driving... I think it is MUCH easier for dogs to strike bears, at least for mine. I find my dogs have to focus a lot more and really pay attention if they are going to strike a cat. My one female keeps licking her nose as it dries...pretty neat to watch. I think that both dogs I have striking now, are both pretty cold nosed dogs. I sure think conditions play a big part in the strikes as well. If less than about 15 degrees, I can't even get my dogs to hardly stick their heads out. Also, seems that some air movement sure helps, light breeze, thermals moving or terrian that would make its own air currents. Moisture on the road and vegetation also. As far as striking off game, I guess I disagree with Dewey in that broke dogs are not all that rare...I consider the dogs that I have over 2 years of age and when they are not hunted with strange dogs to be broke, and they have not made a fool of me......YET!

[Warner5]

Mr. Al, I spent most of the day up on the family ranch with the chain saw. Opening up old logging roads, and 4-wheeler trails that will help a guy keep up with the dogs. Nothing would make me happier than to see your truck parked down at that wide spot on a regular basis. I noticed you like to hunt with Tom, ask him to bring his 4-wheeler down. There is plenty of room. I would be in your debt if you fella's could train up a few ranch cats. Thank you. John.