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I dont know about other guys dogs but by the time i get to a ground caught cat there isnt much left to pack out and what is left isnt fit for anything

Getting back to John's original question, John what kind of hunter are you? I like to kinda think of myself as a cat hunter but what I really am is a fox hunter that try's to run a cat when the opportunity is convenient.
I have an uncle close to 90 years old that did nothing but cat hunt up until about 20 yrs ago when he quit. He tells me all the time, the only way you are going to start catching cats is to leave those fox alone and just keep putting them on cats, the only way they can learn to run a cat is by running cats, they will get to where they can catch em.
But I guess I don't have to patience to be a cat hunter, when I go l want to hear a race and it's a lot easier to find a fox to run than it is a cat where I hunt.
P.S. When I do jump a cat it usually ends in lose as you described. There's been a couple I believe that treed but didn't go see.

How could you give a pup enough run time if you ran strictly cat? I let my dogs start what they want and when I see it's something I don't want to run, I can get ahead of the race. When they hit the road I blow the horn and they load. I call it my sifter pack, I sift through game till something good shows up. I find I run just as much good game this way and I believe as time goes by they are naturally starting more good game. Dogs get a lot more hunt and run time and learn to handle without a lot of electricity.

Hell bro I know guys that wont run at night cuz they don't want their young dogs to run deer. I'm like whogivs2fuks? I will stop them if they do but I don't get all butt hurt about it.

Perk i never doubted you saw those cats, never meant any disrespect to any hunter or dogs.-----CRA, agree, everyone has the right to not have any use for a tree dog, entirely hunters choice to horn dogs out, without checking a assumed tree, hole or catch. Only disagreement with that is in my opinion, it is impossible to be certain what happened when that race ended. So, how can anyone using those guidelines, ever be certain how many cats they have caught. Not that I really care, however, if I telling others they should be catching a higher percentage of cats, basing my opinion on any hunters catch who does not check these situations. I would be up front about how that hunter obtained his catch rate. ----- Mark I too am glad you traveled to check out dogs in other states, had you not, I would have never known how catch rates & numbers were obtained in those . Maybe,we will have to agree, to disagree on one thing, if you were insinuating, I base my opinions by being negative? I like to think my opinions are based on being realistic, & calling things as I see them. Does not mean I am always correct, just means you know where I stand, If any of this makes you think less of me, assure that was not my intention. Respectful & good hunting to all. Al

Dan, when I load up I tell them to start whatever they want but we are only going to run what I want. I own the truck and that makes me the CEO. Board meeting adjourned.

macedonia mule man wrote:Dan, when I load up I tell them to start whatever they want but we are only going to run what I want. I own the truck and that makes me the CEO. Board meeting adjourned.

Note to self. Start talkin to my dogs but only in private. I wouldn't want somebody thinkin I'm crazy.

If your letting them go and do what they want then you finally blow the horn to pick them up for another ride.... did you ever considered maybe owning the truck doesnt make you the CEO instead just the chauffeur?

Mule man, Dan & you will have a lot more fun hunting with the attitude you have, also a lot less stress than some of us. I believe would enjoy hunting with you folks, as long as I did not take one of my dogs along. Been a stretch since I ran a coyote on purpose, but it could happen tomorrow. Have a good one Al

Al,was not insinuating anything. I was saying that i went back there because of MY pessimitic nature to see for myself. Of the 3 people i hunted with that run straight running dogs back there only 1 didnt confirm the end of races, and as has been stated due to health reasons. I made the comment that if those guys were at a 50% catch rate down there they would be changing dogs. I talk and text with several other hunters from the S E and all confirm the end of the races and say 50% is unacceptable. I could care less what their or anyone elses catch percentage is,all i care about is mine. All i was trying to say and mostly to the young and new to hounds guys was that they dont have to settle for what the norm in their area is. Seek out the ones that arent talking much and see what they are doing different if anything. I like to look at everything in my life from a realistic perspective and it seems more pessimistic the older i get. I wish you were able to travel as i know if you went down there you would have a blast and i believe you would come away with a different view of their hunting style and dogs. Im sorry if you thought i was aiming my posts at you. They are more for young guys new to the sport to set their goals high and not settle for anything less.

No Perk I still think I'm the CEO. Matter of fact im having another board meeting with 10 stockholders about 4:00 am tomorrow morning.

10 4 mule man, hopefuls a good hunt! I known the CEO at my job likes to put a little fire under our butts if we do something wrong.

Back when I was a boy, bobcat hunting was the number one hunting around here. I have been around a lot of cat hunters. I don't believe I have ever been around one that believed another cat hunter when he stated how many cats he'd caught!

I have found this discussion very interesting. I guess I am one of those running dog guys, although I haven't had near as many running dogs near as long as I would have liked to. I don't hunt cats, but I won't break them off of them either. I only ask one thing, if they run something, I want it to know it's getting run. I'll listen to a good race no matter what it is.

On the whole telling that the dogs have caught a bobcat thing, not here, but a little to the east of me, there is country that will make dogs look like they fought a bobcat just coming to the truck. The sorry ones won't look like that, though, they will find a road somewhere.

I agree if my hounds are running hard they're going to be ragged and bloody no matter if they catch the cat or lost it. On the other hand I learned long ago that a pack of hounds can catch and kill a cat and be off looking for another quick enough you might not catch it unless your right there.