It has been a very busy Spring here in AR. Dad has had me take him out to Oklahoma for a Hunt with Hootie Shaw, and we have hosted guests from California, Wisconsin, Texas and Missouri.
Huntintony brought his rabbits foot with him, as I have related our Hunt with him in another post….however he took it home with him as since he left the Scenting conditions have been just terrible!
Due to the Winter just passed and the wet Spring the Pollen count has been way off the scale…not just here but all across the South and Southeast. We were hunting the other night and it looked like a Greeen Fog in the air as a light breeze was blowing and the Pollen was coming off the Pines and other vegetation in clouds!
We can not smell….how in the heck do we expect our Hounds to Smell?
Cat and Bear was here when the pollen was the worst we have ever seen. He got to see just how sorry our Hounds are as we were only able to trail around on two Cat and were not able to jump either. Dad then took Ron down to Glen’s the next night and Ron was able to see some Good Clay Hounds in action as they treed two…even with BAD Scenting conditions. The Races were ragged but the Hounds persevered and forced both of the Cat to Climb.
Mike Rooke (Southtxcathunter) came up for a Hunt and to pick up some Hounds to take home. He also brought a Hound for Mr. Reber from MO. (This is the old White bitch we bought last year in NC for a treedog, she can help start a Cat and trail, but with faster young dogs she get thrown out…she should help Mr. Reber make a pack with the Young Hounds he already has.)
The 1st night here it began to look like Mike had found Tony’s Rabbit’s Foot! We took the 10 Main Hounds to the Self Creek Club. We had rigged one too cold to move (the Cat had walked during the middle of the day and the UV from the Sun had burned away most of the Scent, due to State regulations we can not have Hounds in the woods till 1 hour after dark and must have them out of the woods by 1 hour before daylight)
After another hour of Rigging we hit a Hot Cat and the Race was on. This was one of those “Acid Rock” Concerts with every Hound barking twice when its foot hit the ground. It was too intense to last and after 20 minutes with only one very short loose….the Bobcat took option two off the “Fly – Climb – 0r Die” menu!
I started blowing the truck horn when the Garmin showed Choctaw and Cheyenne started back the way they had gone with the Cat….only they did not come on to the truck which is very unusual for these two Hounds. The Garmin showed them to be on the old logging road that we had struck the Cat on…then going away from us as if they were “Backtracking” the Cat who had treed. I told Dad this and he spit a goob of Red Man out and said “Cheyenne and Choc ain’t backtrackin no Cat”, “let’s pull back around there”. I loaded the couple of Hounds who had come to the blowing and we drove the ¾ miles back to where the Cheyenne and Choc were.
They were trailing but moving the track right along. Dad said to send the rest of the Hounds to them. I did and it was not long till this Cat was jumped and running…but He was a Cat we know well…the old Highway Cat who had been out romancing a late rutting female. (Apparently they were in the road together and the Female went one way… the Smart old Tom the other…but only after he was sure the Hounds were after the Lady)
The old Rascal had enough warning that he headed to the big creek and played water games with the Hound, buying himself time to work towards the Highway. We drove around to the Highway and listened as the Pack ducked and dodged the Cat right next to the road never letting him get enough lead to cross the road. Then we heard the Cat jump into a large hole of water in the Creek next to the road. This caused a short loose and then the Cat head back up the side of the Highway. I turned the truck around and drove back up the road in time to see the Highway full of Hounds about to pick the track up on the opposite side of were we had been running…old Smarty had done it…he had crossed and was headed to were we could not follow…but this time he had been in real jeopardy of losing the game that it appears he enjoys as much as the Hounds and us!
Mike was going to be with us for three nights, so night two we went back to the same Club as the night before. We had two very good races treeing the second Cat after and hour and 10 min race. The first Cat appeared to be headed to the Highway like the night before and our ulcers could not take anymore Highways so we caught the Hounds.
Night three we headed down to Glen’s, so Mike could see Glen’s version of the Clay Hounds in action. The night started off slow as the Scenting conditions were bad…Pollen in the air….and an East Wind. Glen struck early and the Hounds trailed the Cat for over an hour across several Blocks then lost the Cat in a fresh Clear-cut.
Glen Rybard, Dad and Mike Rooke
Several hours and strikes later we hit another that the Pack could trail. They moved it for an hour or so then it appeared to play out. At this time the last several nights had caught up with me and I took a nap…I was sleeping good when…darn the Pack had found the Cat while I was napping and had jumped him and were coming right towards the truck….no way I could sleep with all the noise that 15 Clay hounds can make 150 yards from the truck and probably that far behind a Bobcat!
For and hour and thirty minutes the ROAR was something you just had to be there to understand! Mike, Glen and Dad were leaning up against the truck just SOAKING the Sound of Good Hounds doing what they love. It sounded like this was going to be a two Part Concert then quiet…but only for a second…then Ole Dan (coming three year old son of Red Cloud) sat down and treed like a Cur dog. The Garmin showed this to be about 100 yards from the road, Glen grabbed the bag with the Paintball gun and through the briars we went. Then we got lucky…an old Logging road going right where we were headed.
Glen assembling the paintball gun.
We got to where the Hounds…several were now telling us the Cat was up…said the Cat was, but it was bad thick and which tree the Cat was in was hard to tell. Then Mike stepped just right and looked right up a Gum tree into the Cat eyes about 40 + feet up. Mike looked on with some trepidation as Glen assembled the paintball gun…he still was not sure that this would work. I was videoing as Mike lighted up the Cat and Glen popped him one time and out he came with the Hounds in Full Cry after him.
Another thirty minutes of fast a furious Hound dog Concert played then quiet….Wild Turkeys would fear this Cat no more!
View My Video
Video of Glen jumping the Cat out!
A great way for Mike to end his visit…only thing was when he left he took that Rabbit’s foot with him. Mr. Ralph Reber came down to make a hunt with us and pick up two Hounds that Dad sent him to help get his Pack going. We went to two Clubs and the Hounds just could not smell…I don’t’ blame them as I could not either and was coughing and sneezing my head off!
This wrapped up the Month of April for us. We had had 20 Races in two states with 4 Packs of Hounds and had caught two Bobcat and Treed 14 as well as catching the Hounds off of two more who were Highway bound.
I will try to get an update on the May Florida trip out a week or so after we get there. The Bad weather has us held up, but may be able to travel there tomorrow!
Good Running to All!
C. John Clay
Dads Dogboy
That copper head, I seen that night with mr. Clay, they could barely get me out of the truck that night, and couldn't pool enough money together, to get me in the woods))).I'm still thankful to mr.clay telling them guys, he was scared and needed to keep me at the truck with him