BigGameHoundsmen.com

I was interested in getting into cat hunting. I have a few hounds i never really trained just mostly house dogs. I'm looking at buying a cat hound. Wondering if anybody could steer me towards where i could get one or maybe get a pup with good bloodlines and maybe where i could find somebody who trains cat dogs.

I'd say you'll be starting at 5,000 dollars and working your way up for a good cat dog. If someone wants less you better watch out.

is Traverse city in michigan?

there was 4 cat dogs on here for sale but there all gone now. they went from 3,000 to 6,000 thats about the range your gonna pay for a cat dog that can strike trail and tree. there not cheap but its worth it.

The first lesson you will most likely learn is that a dog jockey's definition of "good cat dog" is substantially different from a regular cat hunter's definition of "good cat dog."

How expensive that lesson is for you to learn totally depends on you amigo.

Best advice I could give you is buy the dog under a tree. Or prepare to get an education.

HoundDawg wrote:The first lesson you will most likely learn is that a dog jockey's definition of "good cat dog" is substantially different from a regular cat hunter's definition of "good cat dog."

How expensive that lesson is for you to learn totally depends on you amigo.

Best advice I could give you is buy the dog under a tree. Or prepare to get an education.

Those are extremely smart words..... I see a few people who are constantly selling cat dogs.. You will find that most "good" cat dogs are going to be very hard to buy.. Because most people just don't part with them under normal circumstances....

Keep your eyes open for outfitters that are selling out, and are letting some dogs go, or older dogs that are being passed up by the current owner's new superstars... That is where a lot of time you are going to find the real dogs... And try them before you buy them...

I remember a friend telling me he had a buddy who had bought a finished lion hound a few years ago for $2000. bucks. That dog came from a government trapper that had been running lions year round, so surely the dog was worth it according to this young friend.

First snow came along and the new onwer found an overnight lion track in fresh snow, took that $2000. dog out of the box and couldn't get the track started let alone finished. But I after asking more questions I decided I knew the inside story on that dog. He had bought that dog from a local guide for $500. bucks and hunted it all summer, put it on a dozen lion killed sheep and never caught a single one. That's why he sold all his hounds, cause those dogs weren't doing him any good if they wouldn't catch a lion off a fresh sheep kill in the dirt.

I always tell people interested in hounds and hunting that there is as much difference in hounds (from the best to the worst) as there is in people--some become leaders and others can't seem to even figure out how to make a hound. Years ago, a good hound that would start and finish his own cat track was worth $2500 bucks, but that money wouldn't touch a good up and coming two or three year old these days. The best way to make a top hound is to make it yourself, but plan on spending lots of time and money in the process.

Good luck but watch out for the dog peddlers cause they'll burn you without batting an eye...................

ike

HoundDawg wrote:
How expensive that lesson is for you to learn totally depends on you amigo.

That was some free advice that is worth a ton. Here's a little trick... find someone like Dawg... cause a good cat dog isn't worth near as much to them as say me or you.... He's got like 50 of em. So he'll cut you a deal. If you came asking me for a good cat dog.... well... I'd help you look...lol!

Rockcreek,

Step away from the crack pipe buddy!!

You said "cause a good cat dog isn't worth near as much to them as say me or you.... He's got like 50 of em"

Funny you would make that post on the day I just dropped $600 bucks and some change at the Vet for one of my best dogs.

If I had 50 like him and the Vet said, "That will be $640 dollars"... I would say, "I got a better idea doc." And then I'd have 49.

I got the same stuff everybody else has dude. Hell, I can't even drop any of that high powered purple ribbon line-bred power, papered up to the gills like these other guys. All I got is some grade junk that got peddled on me for free.

I think you mistook me for some others on this site buddy.

HoundDawg wrote:I think you mistook me for some others on this site buddy.

Sorry buddy... you are hunting them red dogs....I guess I got carried away... can I still have a pup....?

Ike wrote: Years ago, a good hound that would start and finish his own cat track was worth $2500 bucks, but that money wouldn't touch a good up and coming two or three year old these days.

How many years ago, for as long as I've known you're not going to touch an better than average grade cat dog for less than $3000. And much higher now. Not a dog that runs cats, but one that starts and catches cats. I'm thinking that since he's from MI he's looking for one for bobbers, not Lions. And Probably in the snow.

With that said, I've never owned a true-blue cat dog. It's mainly been decent bear dogs than will run a cat if you get them on the right track. Put enough time and sometimes we get lucky.

If you want to go the pups route good luck. It's going to be a long haul, but you'll learn a lot about cats and their habits. More than you'd ever find out about on here or in a book. Find a track and walk it up for the pup and see if he'll go on it when it warms up. You learn why dogs have such a tough time running cats.

Good Luck, you've probably picked the toughest critter to run with hounds.

Oh, my, a can of worms. Years ago a good cat dog could be had for three grand. Yeeeaaaarrrrssss ago. If I could find what I'm looking for I'd not bat an eye at five digits, but I'm still looking, and so are alot of others. It really depends how important having a top cat dog is to you. I'd say that a good cat hound that doesn't piss you off too much is gonna sock you 7-10 grand, and well worth it where I come from.

Farmhand wrote:Oh, my, a can of worms. Years ago a good cat dog could be had for three grand. Yeeeaaaarrrrssss ago. If I could find what I'm looking for I'd not bat an eye at five digits, but I'm still looking, and so are alot of others. It really depends how important having a top cat dog is to you. I'd say that a good cat hound that doesn't piss you off too much is gonna sock you 7-10 grand, and well worth it where I come from.

I was just wondering how them expensive dogs pay for themselves??? What I mean is...........do you make that much money back on pelts?? If not you boys have alot more money to throw around than me.

This is a great thread. I would have money if i did not love lion hunting. I had a call not long ago from a friend and he said he had a friend that would like to start cat hunting. I told him to tell that friend to come hunt with me first to see if he had the patience to hunt 3-4 days in a row and never hear a bark or the money and time necessary and physical stamina that it takes to be a cat hunter. If he passes that test then i said i would help him. LOL Have not heard back from them.

No, there is no way in hell I could ever make that money back, but that isn't what this game is all about. An experience like owning a top cat dog for any number of years is definitely worth the vacation trips you would have to give up to pony up that kind of loot to have one. That's why you are damn lucky if you ever do own one.