OKLAHOMA CAT HUNT FOR 12.11>>>12.13

[Clyde Lawson]

After last Sat. night hunt and success, could not wait to get back in the area with rested hounds and try again on Mr. Bobcat!

Made camp on Tuesday and hunting buddy Ceb showed at 5:00 AM ready to go. Had dogs collared up let me say here--the Garmin Alpha-100 is the only way to go! Talked to tech support with problem of different collars dropping dogs on hunt? Well, operator error as usual, I had not updated the collars on line as I was supposed to have done. After update, and on this hunt--problem solved!

Back to hunt--we left dogs down and started roading from camp--went less then 200 yards & struck cat track with entire pack giving full voice and going over ridge to the North. Turned around to get to road in forest that would take us closer to race, and man were we having a race in over grown clear cut that had lots of green briars and trash that the cat was using to get away from the hounds. Fifty five minutes later, cat was caught in draw on ground.

Gathered hounds loaded and Ceb drove about two miles and we kicked out---went about 1/4 mile and struck again. This time we had about 1 hour and 20 minute race with hounds treeing in some tall pine groves. Hounds could not find track out of this area and we could not find the cat? This is same result that we have experienced where in shorter timber(post oak and mesquite) these same hounds tree and tree hard with the cat. But down here in these tall pines, we cannot find cat and hounds cannot find track away from area most of the time?

Anyway we loaded up again, and drove another couple miles prior to turning hounds out. Did not have to go far and Sue struck track, with all the other dogs throwing in. Did not take long, and cat was jumped with race and music filling the canyon. Making a roar that Ceb and I could not believe. Well this race ended in after about 45 minutes in a thicket that was so thick I don't believe we could have walked into the middle! And OOPS! It happened! We had two young hounds that took a track(which later turned out to be a coyote) out of area with my older dogs trailing along not saying nothing? In a little bit of time, we looked at each other and asked--where is the older dogs? Yep we heard Tracey back in thicket trying to run the cat, and the two young hounds 3/4 mile away pushing Mr. Coyote with ther rest of the hounds scattered all around and not back where they should have been with Tracey in the thicket! Shocked both hounds that ran the coyote, gathered what we could and returned to thicket. But Mr. Bob got smooth away this time!

We took break as it was about noon and Ceb told me a place that served great hamburgers and we headed for there and chowed down. Dogs needed rest after three cat races anyway.

Went back hunting about 4:00 PM and struck cat track right off. Race was on for next 50 minutes and circling twice before pulling a major trick that our hounds could not figure out? Really don't know what happened, but they could not find any cat track away from that one area. We called them, loaded and started back to camp as that was four cat races with catching one and treeing at one in one day.

Well, was not to be, we had not went a mile when a bob crossed the road in front of the truck! I jumped out, dropped tail gate and cat race was on! This one lasted for 1 hour and 25 minutes before we heard them treed, plus Garmin map showed all dogs as one and all treed. This lasted for about 20 minutes as we were trying to find roads that would let us get to the tree or at least closer. Problem is we found them but had to drive around river so we could cross over. Took about 35-40 minutes to get around to the tree, and by the time we got there dogs and started to us or where we had turned out! Had marked tree on Garmin and drove to there, couple of hounds came back but would locate specific tree. Shined trees but he would not look at us if he was there. So, called it night and started loading all the dogs to go to camp.

Hunt results---Started five(5) cats, saw three, caught one, & treed at three. Not a bad day hunting and we never saw another person all day in the woods!

When we got to camp we took care of the hounds, and were exhausted! But what a day and Cib and I both will think and remember our day for a long time.

Thanks for reading,

Clyde

[al baldwin]

Thanks good reading. Ovious you have a healthy cat population. What breed hounds are you hunting? Al

[Clyde Lawson]

Thanks good reading. Ovious you have a healthy cat population. What breed hounds are you hunting? Al

Al,

Thanks for comment. And yes was introduced to area that no other cat hunters hunt do to being so tough to get to your hounds when treed. However, with the new Garmin and Birds-Eye all trails and roads show where we can drive pretty close to where hounds are located. That is if I can get up to speed and learn more on how to use what is offered?

All of my hounds are Running Walker or Running Walker cross, and Trigg Hounds. BUT--not just Running Walkers, but hounds that have and are bred to run just cats for many generations. The out cross is on Bluetick breeding from a line of cat hounds that have been outstanding. My best and main dog is 3/8 Bluetick & 5/8 Running Walker that I raised. The siblings from that litter are all cat dogs and are owned/hunted in Texas, New Mexico, and British Columbia.

Offered some pups for sale with photo in hounds for sale, and that is example of what the dogs look like. They are treeing barn cats at 12 weeks and will raise at least two or all of the five if someone does not want to raise a pup.

I cannot say enough about ability and ease of training, plus lack of being "trashy" right from start. If kept with solid hounds, the young hounds do not offer to run off game. Two of the black pups (9 months old) that I showed in photo in other article were in race and catch for their first time last Saturday night. All this last week(7 total races) they stayed from start to finish with never offering to run anything off. And this area is loaded with coyote, deer, coon, bear, fox, and hogs. My oldest hound will be 4 years old in June, 2013. Majority are 1 to 1.5 years old and coming on good. They should make if I can keep pouring them on bobcats. So much of our State has been and still is in a major drought and tracking is terrible! This area I am hunting has had some moisture and like I said, pretty rough. But when in two days I can strike 7 run 7 cats, seeing 4 of 7, there has to be a number of cats!

Really excited about the Trigg and Trigg cross---the mother of the young pups is straight, will locate, and will put many tree dogs to shame when she trees. Great change over and just hammers that tree!

Thanks for asking,

Clyde

[NoCreek]

Great stories Clyde, I like to see people hunting Ok and having good success.

Matt R