BigGameHoundsmen.com

Have begun to hunt with my hounds a little more as coyote calling is slowing down. Went out last week and did my best to break up a bobcat race and did a darn good job.
Was roading my blues when I saw jimmy get interested in something about 50 yards ahead. He opened and the other 3 dogs covered him really quick. It was a really hot track and trailed only 200 yards before I heard them jump. The wind was blowing about 15 mph for the South and they headed North. They were just about out of hearing so I decided to crank up and get closer to them. When I killed the engine and stepped out, I heard for blues running wide open at me. Old Texas was running so hard that he had abandonded his bawl mouth and was grunting as he strained to pull hair from that cat's butt. As luck would have it, the dogs boiled out around my truck looking for the cat that had evidently bounced back through them or to one side. It took a few minutes for Jimmy to pick him up but the cat used it to his advantage and tried to change zip codes. (They had had the cat circling in a big thicket before I screwed it up). Another ten minutes and a mile later, they jumped the cat again but it was in an area where there was a lot of chunk rock that is tough on a dog. Never got him caught.
Went out last Sun morning before church and caught two coons before striking and catching a mature female. Real lanky but not heavy. Went back to the same ranch Tues morning and caught another female. Little shorter, stockier model. Hate that I am catching all these females but the rancher wants them gone...he still raises sheep and pays me a bounty. I know these are slow cats cause I don't even own a Walker!

Good job, sounds like them blue dogs are working just fine for ya. Don't know how many times I've taken the sled in to get closer to the dogs only to shut it off and be rite on top of the dogs and the darn cat heads to another swamp.

we have had some around here that seem pretty slow !

mmm
Bobers killen sheep?
Grew up in sheep country with plenty of cats around no kills by a bob cat to date.
New to me.
Never have run a bob on a sled either kinda ruins the expierence doesn't it?
Just asking?
kinda hard to enjoy the expierence isn't it?
Good to hear your Blue
Don't start WALKIN backwards quite yet.

thomas wrote:mmm
Bobers killen sheep?
Grew up in sheep country with plenty of cats around no kills by a bob cat to date.
New to me.
Never have run a bob on a sled either kinda ruins the expierence doesn't it?
Just asking?
kinda hard to enjoy the expierence isn't it?
Good to hear your Blue
Don't start WALKIN backwards quite yet.

Well when the hounds jump the cat a mile in and start circling in a swamp and there is two feet of snow on the ground, yes I will take the snowmobile in on a trail if there is one available so I can get closer and listen to the race. Here in Northern Minnesota we have an estimated 3500 wolves so I like to keep as close to the hounds as possible. If wolves get into your hounds thats one EXPIERENCE you don't want to see.

I know I've lost two hounds this year to wolves.
The wolves are ruthless.
The pics are grizzley
I have choose not to post them on this forum.

Thomas what drainage were you in when you lost your hounds? there getting to think in this country and can not wait for those tentatives to become reality

PM sent (spanky)

Budd
I will start minding my own buisness

Never seen a slow moving bobcat before but that could be the terrain here in montana that has my walkers failing to keep up, who knows Seems to me they always have a good head start before they are jumped and love to circle at least once when they get going Our runs can start anywhere along a road or clear cut but most generally always work themselves up into cedar drainages.

Budd: we have started using our sleds more and more over the past several seasons. Jim is still the foot soldier on every chase but its up to me to get as close as possible once we hear them bayed or treed. Wolves have changed many houndsmens way of hunting over past years.

Its unfortunate we can't enjoy the story as it unfolds in the snow while walking in but I would not want to walk into a pack of fine hounds dead under a tree neither maybe once the season opens up on them and we can cut them back some things can change once again

I sure wish you would send some of those slow bobcats my way! every bobcat I run seems to have OVERDRIVE.

thomas wrote:PM sent (spanky)

Budd
I will start minding my own buisness

No harm done, I just think in the terrain and conditions where I hunt the method I'm using fits. (beside this fat boy cant cruise on snowshoes like he used to)
We got close to two foot of snow in the last day and a half and this morning there is a inch and half crust on it. Found a couple tracks this morning that were made before the crust so I'm taking the hounds out about 2:00pm. Most of the crust should be off in the swamps by then. Dogs will get exercise anyhow.

Budd you sure hit nail on the head about the wolves. I would hate to see Sadie ripped up. Like smokey lossing all those dog in Wi during bear season. The state says 3500, They must all be in the area we hunt...

Would be a shame to see Sadie get shredded by wolves, one of the best female cat dogs I have ever seen. How did Snow and your Upson bluetick pup do this year?
How many dogs did Smokey and Tracker loose to the wolves over in Wisconsin?

Snow and ace did a good job. I think ace is going to make the trip, he's got a pretty cold nose on him. I think somkey and those guys lost like 7 dogs total, not for sure.