BigGameHoundsmen.com

While reading on another post the question was raised as to year round seasons.
I was wondering how many Cat Hunters out there besides us run their hounds year round (where it is legal of course).

Our "Harvest or Kill" season opens Dec. 1st and closes in Feb. every year, but running season is open year round, so hence my question just how many actually train and run during the rest of the year ?.

I feel that being able to pursue and train in Wet, Dry, or Hot conditions makes for better working dogs come snowfall.....sure we don't hit as many tracks as we would in the snow but the ones we do get always seem to have an impact on how well our young dogs will progress come snowfall and season.

Just curious,

Randy.

If it where legal here I do, (oops) I mean we would
I can't say about everybody else, but my % of finished tracks go waaaay down during the summer, compared to running on snow.
I think it really helps the young dogs tracking ability's though.

just started,
but were running our dogs year round too, we dont want them sitting in the back just waiting for winter and its legal here too, to do so.

We have bird nesting season from April 1st-July 31st. As of Aug 1st we have a "training" month. Pursue season starts Sept 1st and the actual harvest season starts Dec 1-Feb28th.. Then coon season doesn't end until March 15th....... All I know if my dogs can catch cats, snow, dry and hot conditions They get a little detured by them damn fuzzy things... (should have never let them start those in the first place) when the snow is not on the ground but we still manage to put some bobtailed critters up...

We run all year and have pretty good sucsses, we can always go out and cut a track but we don't always go out and catch a lion.

I'm with you guy's I believe year round running makes for better working dogs and besides I like wearing a t-shirt cat hunting.

I know of guys that hunt or train all year maybe not two months. They say that if you are to have a true cat dog that the dog has to be out hunting for at least 8-10 months out of a year to keep 'em tuned and in shape.

Our season on the Island is open all but 2 and a half months. If you know your females and your area you can put some up in the dry months.

Some of our most memorable and exciting races have come during Running season ....we don't always see a Cat in a tree but we sure have fun trying to get it up there.

We just recently lost our old Male (to old age) and it didn't seem to make any difference to him what the weather conditions were....if there was a Cat moving and we could get him anywhere close he would give 110% trying to get it to climb......

Thanks for the input folks I was just curious as to how many thought and trained the same as us.

Houndogger,

How do you hunt the pack on dry ground for lion, here on the island? Rig? Freecast? or look for track in the dirt / mud?

I'd like to get my pup going this fall on lion, but without snow and a fresh track...........

Like you said, we have an extensive season here, may as well enjoy it.

We try hunting most of the year. In OK, you cannot kill but can run and tree bobcat all year.

However, in July & August, like right now it is to hot! On dogs and men. We try to get our dogs out of pens and road them each week, but like last nite, it was 89 degrees at midnite! So, my buddies & I are just trying to keep our dogs watered and as cool as we can.

And, this is normal for OK in summer time.

It appears that we may have another 10-14 days of this heat and then we can get back enjoying our dogs and running the wiley bobcat.

Spokerider,

Yup all of the above. Get out in the snow and find some tracks and learn where they like to live and cross. find your deer. Seems here you have to find 50 deer tracks to find a cat living in the area.

Hey, Randy & Tracie Hill

Down here in AZ and NM, depending on the area, you can run the big cats year around. Since getting my walker in Oct 06 Ive been training him and have begun running him on cougars and its a blast to be able to do it year around

Robb

viewtopic.php?t=661
(lion up last Sunday)

In Utah, a hounddogger can buy a harvest objective tag and hunt year round other than the season gets shut down for about a week in November. A person has to have that tag to continue hunting after the regular pursuit season closes and not all units remain open. If you kill and punch that tag out you're done until next season.

I always buy a harvest tag so I can exercise the hounds year round without getting crossways with the law. I've watched lots of tom lions hit the ground dead by clients and some by my own gun or bow, so these days I just like to take photos, video and leave them in the tree.

ike

know the feeling LIGHTNING RIDGE

Down here in Texas you can hunt lion bobcat and coyote year round day and night. There is no quotas you can kill as many as you want I believe Texas is the only state like this state wide. I predator call year round and run my dogs year round. Some of the hotter months can be good its easier to find kills and locate tracks. Its usually pretty dry so i cut lots of tracks near water on well known travel routes. Now this year has been a little different too much rain it has their normal travel patterns out of whack.