Anyone use hounds or curs for Bobcats?

Bopeye

Bopeye

New member
I was wondering if anyone used hounds or curs for Bobcats.
I know they are used for Mtn. Lions, bear, coon, but don't know about Bobcats. I have been seeing quite a few bobcats and think it would be fun to teach my curs to hunt them.

Will a bobcat stay treed or will they even tree?
Is it best during the day or night?

Any info. would be appreciated.
 
Bopeye..................There are alot of hound hunters around here. While they mostly target Lions, they do get a few Bobcats. I guess a Hound can't distinguish one cats scent from another. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grinning-smiley-006.gif
One fellow I know caught 3 Bobcats last year.
If you can find fresh scent you should be able to catch them with good dogs.
Good luck, and post some pix.

Take Care
Charlie
 
From talking to the houndmen around here they do take a number of bobcts every year. The followingformation may only be accurate for bobcats in the Souther Deserts. The bobcat is a much different animal from a Mountain Lion. The bob. will stand and fight more than a Mt. Lion will. I had one Hound mans say that if a Mt. Lion had 1/2 the attitude of a bobcat there wouldn't be a live Mt. Lion dog in the state of Arizona. Bobcats are quick and tough ... to a point ... a decent hound can kill one fairly quickly, but rarely easily. It is hard to justify killing a Bobcat with a dog, mostly because they have thin skin that tears easily. Most hound bobcat fights end up with a ruined bobcat hide.
 
In my opionion it takes a more determined dog when hunting bobcats. They leave less scent than a bear or lion and will try to outsmart rather than outrun the dogs. They usually will not travel near as far as a lion but like to backtrack and circle-this is where a the determination of the dog to work the track out comes in. They will usually tree or hole up when they are tied of running. A good bobcat dog is "worth his weight in gold". /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/bowingsmilie.gif
That said I have known both curs and hounds to make good bobcat dogs. As usuall the curs like the hotter tracks best.
 
Thanks folks. I got a friend that has treed a few bobcats with his curs at night while coon hunting. He said when the cat's see the lights getting closer that they will bail out of the tree and keep running.

My pastor's grandpa was instrumental in starting the Original Mtn. Cur Breeders Assoc. and he was telling me about one of the old curs his "paw-paw" owned that had killed a bobcat. He did include the fact that it nearly killed the dog though. Chewed most of one of his ears off and nearly disemboweled him.
Good stories.

It would be fantastic if my squirrel dogs would learn to tree bobcats as well. They already hate housecats, maybe it won't be too hard to make the switch.

I'll stick with the dogs that like a hot track......never have liked a lot of coldtrailing, but that's just the opinion of a beagler, I'm sure coonhunters feel differently.
Thanks again folks. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grinning-smiley-003.gif
 
some times they have to run the cold track to get the game jumped !!
if they cant smell it they cant run it on the bad tracking days!!

Vargy
 
What Bob Mac said is gospel.

Good Bobcat dogs are the toughest to come by. They have to have a good nose and learn the tricks of the bobs. Then they have to drive hard to get them jumped and treed.

When you see someone that consistently catches bobs you know he is a good hunter and even better houndsman. Dogs that can catch bobs make lions look easy.
 
Quote:
some times they have to run the cold track to get the game jumped !!
if they cant smell it they cant run it on the bad tracking days!!

Vargy




I agree with that, but I'm having some different ways of thinking.

I think I'm going to go to the areas that I know have a healthy bobcat population, call for about a half hour and then turn the dog's loose. My hope is that any bobcat that has lingered into the area will leave me a "hot" track. Maybe this will get my Original Mtn. curs started on bobs.
This is just a theory or hunch of mine. Maybe it will work and maybe it won't. We'll see.

/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/confused1.gif
 
Bobcats sure are fun to run with dogs, my dad had a Redbone that liked to play with them. The best season he ever had they killed 5 cats. well as i remember 3 were treed, and shot 2 on the ground. around here they will hole-up in the rocks when the dogs get close, mostly. every now and then one will screw-up and run through the open woods, and the dogs can smoke it then. we had a Bluetick for a pack-hound, just the 2 of them. like someone above, i'd like to have one now, i'd probably trade my best rifle even.
 
Redsnow
A couple good bob dogs are a lot of fun. I had a little brindle female that was sure good. Only hound I ever had that would find layed up bobs on a regular basis.
I caught a lot of bobs with her.

Bopeye, I can't get photobucket to work tonight. I'll give it a try tomorrow for a side veiw. RS
 
A few years ago 3 of us were bear hunting one day, my buddies ole Black & Tan "Sam" took off on a track. this was back before we had (track collars and radios), we thought he was after a bear. back in the old days, you'd pack your lunch, maybe build a fire and hope for the best. the 3 of us ran all over the side of the mountain, i know i got to see Sam 3 or 4 times, looking ridge-to-ridge for a big black spot. the old dog was fat, outta shape, but he ran from about noon till almost dark, when we finally ran him down. snow on the ground proved it to be a bobcat, if we'd known that we might have been able to crowd the situation, and get a shot. the cat just circled like a fox, and never did get out of hearing. we screwed-up. but it was a good chase. i like dog-music.
 
I know a few guys in minnesota who run cats. Can be lots of work just to find a track. Cats usually run in a figure 8 pattern.(from what I'm told) Sometimes they tree and sometimes they go on a brush pile and fight. One guy I know has lots of pictures of the small cats they don't shoot. He climbs the tree and gets close, but not to close. Good cat dog will command top $$$$ as in 2500-3000. Most good cat dog owners just will not sell that dog at any price.
 
I know what you mean about not selling. a friend of mine treed 2 or 3 bobcats with his coon dogs one season. he just passed-away, but he was hunting a Fiest??? some kind of mixed-up stuff? i remember, he told me he just flicked his light across the cat and thought it was a house-cat, caught his dogs, and glanced up again and spotted it's tail. he wasn't long about taking the shot. said he almost walked away. lol. My dad's old Redbone "little joe" cost $305.00, but that was a long time ago. we had a lot of fun with him. would love to have another.
 
Good picture Severe. I'll have to get me one of those as long as I'm not breaking any laws.....Tn has screwy game laws.

I know of a few squirrel dogs that have sold for $2000 up to $8500 and all they hunt is squirrel and coons.
A friend of mine here in town was offered $8500 for his Super Grand Champion Squirrel Dog and turned it down. The fella that made the offer couldn't believe it. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif
I'll be getting a male pup from this dog in two weeks.
Here's his website to see his top dog, Wheeler.
http://www.geocities.com/southernmountainkennels/curdog.html

If I can train my curs to run bobs that would be great...if not, oh well..........just call 'em in and blast 'em.

Thanks to each of you for the advice, pictures and the very entertaining stories. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grinning-smiley-003.gif
 


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