Cat Hunting-Oregon Style
Posted: Wed Jan 27, 2010 2:39 pm
My buddy Curt came down to do some bobcat hunting for a couple days. We have had some hard rain for a few straight days, and the forecast was for a lighter rain. The weather stayed damp, with light rain, perfect for cold nosed rigs dogs here in Oregon. Time to put Bruno and Shotgun on the box and get some cats going. Temperatures were great in the low to mid 40's, and the cats were moving as soon as the rain slowed down a little bit.
With all the rain, and no snow, we put those rigs dogs to work. We struck quite a few cold tracks, and trailed a couple the first night, but nothing jumped. Headed out early the next day and same thing, got some strikes, but nothing of substance.
We decided to catch a nap, and see if the cats would start moving during the intermitent rain. We went out that night and got a strike and the dogs trailed for an hour or more, but no jump or tree. Left that area, and headed up the grade, and got a real nice strike from Bruno and Shotgun.
Shotgun and Bruno blew after the track, but overran it, and missed where the cat headed into the dense soaking wet, Oregon rainforest. We decided to throw Ann down to get the boys lined out. She has a little warmer nose, and the 3 worked the track and got the cat jumped and moving in a hurry. Threw the other three dogs in the race, and 45 minutes later we had a decent Tom treed in the thick stuff. Nasty hike up in the cold wet understory, but all the dogs did a nice job treeing and locating in the nasty stuff. We kept hunting a hour or so more, and didn't get anything going, and called it a night.
We headed home for a nap, and were ready to head out before daylight. We ended up hitting a cold track, and Bruno and Shotgun got it moving. We dropped Emma and Ann in to help trail and get it jumped. The dogs worked the cold trail, and got the cat jumped. They bark treed, and we headed up a rock face into the canopy to find a cat treed. We harvested the cat, headed back down, and decided a 2 cats in 24 hours was good, and headed in for the day.
Got to love El Nino weather, lets the rig dogs do their thing, and is a pleasure to hunt without the need for snow.
Dogs Hunted: Bruno, Ann, Shotgun, Emma, Buzz, and Sis
Dogs Rigging: Bruno and Shotgun
Hope you enjoy the pictures, the lense was wet and foggy, due to the weather.
Ann, Shotgun, Bruno, Emma
Shotgun and Emma
Ann, Bruno, Shotgun, and Emma
Ann and Bruno
Cats:
With all the rain, and no snow, we put those rigs dogs to work. We struck quite a few cold tracks, and trailed a couple the first night, but nothing jumped. Headed out early the next day and same thing, got some strikes, but nothing of substance.
We decided to catch a nap, and see if the cats would start moving during the intermitent rain. We went out that night and got a strike and the dogs trailed for an hour or more, but no jump or tree. Left that area, and headed up the grade, and got a real nice strike from Bruno and Shotgun.
Shotgun and Bruno blew after the track, but overran it, and missed where the cat headed into the dense soaking wet, Oregon rainforest. We decided to throw Ann down to get the boys lined out. She has a little warmer nose, and the 3 worked the track and got the cat jumped and moving in a hurry. Threw the other three dogs in the race, and 45 minutes later we had a decent Tom treed in the thick stuff. Nasty hike up in the cold wet understory, but all the dogs did a nice job treeing and locating in the nasty stuff. We kept hunting a hour or so more, and didn't get anything going, and called it a night.
We headed home for a nap, and were ready to head out before daylight. We ended up hitting a cold track, and Bruno and Shotgun got it moving. We dropped Emma and Ann in to help trail and get it jumped. The dogs worked the cold trail, and got the cat jumped. They bark treed, and we headed up a rock face into the canopy to find a cat treed. We harvested the cat, headed back down, and decided a 2 cats in 24 hours was good, and headed in for the day.
Got to love El Nino weather, lets the rig dogs do their thing, and is a pleasure to hunt without the need for snow.
Dogs Hunted: Bruno, Ann, Shotgun, Emma, Buzz, and Sis
Dogs Rigging: Bruno and Shotgun
Hope you enjoy the pictures, the lense was wet and foggy, due to the weather.
Ann, Shotgun, Bruno, Emma
Shotgun and Emma
Ann, Bruno, Shotgun, and Emma
Ann and Bruno
Cats: