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What do you guys think would be the best bet to run bobs in AZ? Like as far as dog breed? Everyne tells me runnin walkers stuff like that?

Keep Em Treed,
Zach

I don't believe that the breed of dog matters that much. I think it all depends on how much the dog gets hunted! You could have the best blood lines in the world and not hunt them much and they will never make a dog. I would go with the breed you like and hunt the hell out of him. I'm kinda partial to blue dog's, maybe a black and tan.

What are most guys in your country catching them with?

lionhunterdaves wrote: I would go with the breed you like and hunt the hell out of him. .

+1...And, keep in mind, even when you "hunt the hell out of them" only a few will ever make real consistent bobcat dogs....

Talk to about 10 or 15 bobcat hunters that hunt
the year around on dry ground & catch from 100 to 300 bobcats a year
and see what breed of dog they use.
Not hunters that catch 15 or 20 a year on snow.
If u call me or John we will give u the phone numbers of some of these guys.
These guys use one breed of dog & one breed only.
If u want to catch a cat once in a while by accident,
u can use any breed.

Just out of curiosity is there much dry ground in Kansas or is it mostly bare ground hunting? Big difference

hipshooter can i get the name and number of a houndmen that actually catches 100 to 300 bobcat a year, and i mean an honest 100 to 300 that would be impressive, If they caught half of that on dry ground not only would that be some fantastic dogs i would like to see, that would be some bobcat hunting area i would like to go to!

Brady Davis,

You really must try to go to some of these other places and see if there is a difference in "Dry" or "Bare" ground. Maybe you have I do not know.

What I do know is that where Hipshooter lives and hunts, after the wind has blown 40+ MPH for a week or more all the places that you can hunt tend to be DRY and BARE!

This BS about having to have Long Eared, Thick Lipped, BOO HOO ing Trail and Treebred Hounds to catch Bobcat West of I-35 is bash and bunkem.

Hipshooter has been there and done that and knows where of he speaks. Mr. Luis Chapa from Old Mexico had one of you famous CO Bare/Dry ground Lion hunters down to Mexico this past winter as he thought that he wanted or needed on of these Trail/Tree bred Hounds for more Nose. They found a Lion track on the damn of a stock pond and the CO Hounds were given the opertunity to strike, trail, and tree this Cat.

They could not tell that a Cat was in that country (given them their due, these Hounds were not allowed a chance to aclimate). Then Mr. Luis went and got his trail hound ( a running bred hound from GA who has been in Mexico for more than a year) who stuck, trailed and with help from the CO Hounds treed this problem Cat. Your CO DRY/BARE Houndsman quickly told Mr. Luis "You don't need some of My Hounds, I need some of Yours".

Now this does not mean that Tree bred Hounds will not work for the fellow starting this post...just do not limit your vision as to what will work!

Hipshooter is giving good advise about who to listen to...there are some or at least one Bobcat hunter on here from AZ...this fellow would do well to send a PM to Pegleg, ask him what works, then make a hunt with him to see for himself the hows and whys of what works!

I was probably real direct at the begining of this, however we just had a very nice fellow here fron N.CA , who is trying to do things the right way...go see the the successful folks get her done. Then take a little from each and develope a style that fits their personality and country. Then hunt the hell out of a set of Hounds...then you can truly say that you are a Bobcat Hunter.

For you folks out west, several GREAT Houndsmen have said time and time again "You can catch Lion with Bobcat Hounds, but it is darn tough to catch Bobcat with Lion Hounds".

JMT

CJC

PS Piglet was posting as I was writing. Hipshooter is too much of a Gentleman to get in a pissing match with some of you guys about giving out numbers. So here is mine 870-223-2063.

Piglet you have some very successful Bobcat hunters in your part of the world and I bet you know who they are. Approached with the right attitude I bet most will be glad to have you accompany them on some Hunts.

CJC, I wasn't trying to be a smart ass...I was asking a serious question about where he hunts...that was it. Didn't mean to ruffle any feathers.

I just have never heard of a bobcat hunter who catches 100-300 a year in ARID conditions out west...if they exist that's freakin awesome and I'd like to pick their brains!

Brady,

Arid is not limited to what most consider "OUT WEST".

The Cat Hunters in South and West Texas deal with Arid conditions for most of the year...sometimes all year...for several years.

There are more than a Hand full there and a couple in Old Mexico that really do catch two to six Bobcat per week, When the drought's are bad their catch rate does go down but damn few get out ofthe Cathunting buisness just because it has not rained.

Starting with the McBrides in the TX Big Bend down the Rio Grande into the Gulf Coastal Plain there are Successful Hunters who push the upper limits of Hipshooters guestimation.

Good Running to All!

CJC

I'd love to meet some of those guys. I know you were telling me about some events held down there...PM me if you could the info on them, I'd really like to talk to guys who catch that much

sonof a #$$$ sorry guys I had a decent answer typed out but it disappeared somewheres and I gotta go but will get back to it later.

pegleg wrote:sonof a #$$$ sorry guys I had a decent answer typed out but it disappeared somewheres and I gotta go but will get back to it later.

Too funny, I do that too

Zach,Mr.Clay gives as steady and sound of advice on a consistant basis,as only a few[bobcat hunters]men as I've heard or had the priveledge to be around.CJC stated some very important and absolute facts about this deal-1.the succesful hunters in your area are using WHAT for dogs.#2.how they are handling theses conditions.
All of us have a hard time imagining things we don't have the level of experience in or the success in as others,so we[being human nature] tend to chalk things up as fictional if we haven't seen it or done it.
Zach,one of my best friends and hunting partner.Catches numbers that are very hard for many to believe[80-100 cat per year].Hunts right where alot of people hunt and say there just isn't any cat or they've been trapped out,etc,etc etc.You get my drift,there is a style of dog,a method of hunting,and just plain out experience,that catch more cat's in any given area.
good luck- Tim 541-912-6464

ok I don't catch 200 cats a year if I did my areas would be short on cats. I would have to say you picked a sorry area to hunt bobcats in and you'll have to think about your commitment level and I am not knocking you. it takes a lot of field time to make a good cat dog here. if you cant get them out three times a week its going to be a uphill struggle. here's my thinking good bobcat dogs are super high drive they also have to be tough. Exercise/handling/training are a necessity. The guide from africa has some perfect looking hounds and if looks could catch a cat they should be able to do it. back to subject I can't tell you what "breed" to use honestly. I have hunted A LOT of dogs and they don't all turn into good bobcat dogs. they may very well be great bear or lion dogs but not top cat dogs. you have to get a cold nosed dog whose BRAIN and DESIRE control how they use that nose. I love a big bawl mouth "BOO HOO " hound they really send chills up my spine! However I haven't had many that could be called cat dogs. I have hunted these dogs here in AZ. bluetick,bnt, english,walker,their X's, bloodhound X cat.,heeler X hound, english pointer, Native heinz 57's. the breeds that I haven't hunted have nothing to do with preference all to do with opportunity or lack of. As has been pointed out desire and brains trump most other traits. this is a damn long topic guys so bear with me! I've had individuals from most of the breeds that turned out well. but NO ONE STRAIN so far has produced cat dogs most of the time. My cat dogs are high drive thinkers have a good nose run between 45 and 60lbs they have the desire and ability to cold trail and start a track"this is the tricky part they must do this here in order for you to run very many cats you will not hit very many fresh tracks" once the track is warm enough to run they will shift gears and push that cat. trailing for trailing sake will not really work. this could easily turn into a book so if you have specific questions. ask them and I will try and give you the best information I have.