Deep Dry Snow....

[david]

To be truthful I'd be pleased as punch if my own children understood some sense of responsibility, never mind the dogs.
Of course, they have it tough I suppose, seeing as how their role model hasn't figured out that much yet either

Honestly, Norwester, I dont know of too many kids who had a daddy more devoted to them than yours have had since before they were even born. They might not show that sense of devotion and responsibility now... but they will when it counts. They are some of the luckiest kids I can think of.

As for what you were saying a great check dogs is worth thier weight in gold if you have them and are commited to walking from the point you find the track. later,Andy

Andy, I meant to mention that my experience with deep powder rings true with what you have said. We have some consistanly cold weather at times also. It may be the difference between consistant cold, and places that get an unusual dive in temperature. It's just a thought.

Norwester, for a guy that spontaneously dry heaves at the sound of the word "cur" sounds like you could use a little cur blood in those hard headed hounds.

Next best thing to some cur blood is a leash. They will still show you "bobcat" with a leash on. Then you can decide what you want to do.

Norwester: C........................C......................C........................(squirming on the floor with your hands on your ears yet?) c.............c..................CUR!

[NorWester]

Yeah, they're hard headed for sure but probably not so bad in the sense they'll take any track presented.
Then again a snowshoe hare's track is about the easiest track to check in the entire world, for man and beast, and certainly a whole lot easier to find than a cat track.

As for the "C" word...... I can always use better handling dogs, could really use some leggier dogs but it always comes at the expense of nose power.
I'd need convincing, so next time you swing north maybe we can hook up at Bud's place and I can see some of those "C's" in action.
Got a small pack of 'em that could run a hare there come January?

[Riverbottom]

Good posts David. I can add a couple pointers for upper midwest cat hunters.

If that track in the road is so fresh there is steam rising from it, keep the dogs in the box. Cat season isn't open yet or it just closed.

If it looks like it's three days old and the dog looks at you like he's thinking "YOU GOTTA BE SHITTIN ME!!!" then go ahead and start walking and don't forget to bring lunch.

A couple more serious observations, well, a little more serious anyway. Went cat hunting one time when it hadn't snowed for a long time. Sorted through all the tracks and put the dog down on what I though must be the newest track under some heavy tree cover. While I listened to him trail off out of hearing I drove down the road and stopped to look at an old, melted out track in the open where the sun had beat down on it the last few days. Sure enough, here came old Mack cold trailing the track I had put him on and the same old track I was looking at Mack wasn't what I would call a real cold nosed dog Lesson learned? Don't trust a dog to age the track for you, waaay too many variables where scent is concerned.

Another time, with three of us looking from the same truck, we found a good cat track. Stopped the truck, left the dogs in the box and started walking. We made a big long loop and hit the road again, BEHIND where we parked. Kept walking and a while later we hit the road again, even further back!! That cat crossed the road three times before we saw it. Lesson learned? When looking for tracks with your buddy, you always think they will catch the tracks you missed. They are thinking the same thing about you. Nobody is going to see anything but the most obvious tracks. Better to look for tracks by yourself or pretend you are. Better yet, get out of the truck and walk

[cat and bear]

You guys have shared some great experience and advice for the young guys, lots of wisdom. David covered a lot , for the young guys starting out. One thing I would like to add, when starting them young dogs, especially if you dont have a broke one for them to follow and learn from. Walk that track with them, when they loose it, help them find it, and a few times of that and they got the idea. And its fun to watch them learn. One suggestion I would add. Take the young dog, hunt it on the good days of tracking, decent snow and temps,and track. It will save you a lot of headaches, they will learn quicker, and nothing worse then forcing a run on bad snow, and the young dogs get flustrated of the bad scenting, and grab the first hot thing that jumps up. Kind of like dawg and kev at hawns, at closing time they grab the first thing that jumps up, or trys to I bet you understand it much better now

[cat and bear]

Riverbottom and Andy, man, you guys are just spoiled having that many tracks to choose from. Cant say I would do anything different then you guys are doing, if I was hunting the same ground. Here unless its a big boy I'm trying to kill, I will spend a little time, and try and cut it again, not much, turn one down, they cover a lot of ground while your idleing along in the truck trying to find where its fresher. and if I do cut it again, I turn another dog on it there, and wait for the first dog to come on it, and catch him. Because of our limited number of bobcat, five years just to get a kill tag, I will let them work the worst track, for a few reasons, probably the only one I found that day, I would have to return home and go to work We just dont have the luxury of good tracks all the time, and I've been blessed with two top jump dogs back to back, which I have came behind other guys and they couldnt get the beast jumped, I walk far enough in for them to smell the track, and they will cast out and find it, just plain love to watch dogs work in tough conditions, its a real test of what you have.

Riverbottom,you said it about tracking, dont count on other guys, nor be scared to follow another truck track that has been through that morning, I have found more then one track behind them. I even missed one myself, one time

[david]

Better to look for tracks by yourself

That thought always makes me laugh a little.

I have done most of my hunting alone. There are a lot of reasons, but the most pressing is that I want to work young dogs more than I want to catch bobcats, and when I am with someone, the expectation is that I will put down my best dogs. I dont want to put down my best dogs because my future best dog needs to know that she is doing this thing with help from no one. Every great dog I have been a part of had to have a period of solo hunting and then being the leader of lesser dogs. But that is another topic, and I did not even intend to write that........

What makes me laugh is that I noticed that when I am hunting alone, I absolutely NEVER miss a bobcat track. Only, once in awhile I have to return up a dead end road that I just covered. Low and behold, the cat crossed since the time I checked it a few minutes ago. Somehow, that cat made his track full of snow that fell two days ago, melted it out a little, and he held all his scent because the dogs cant smell it.

If you are worried about missing tracks: always hunt alone, and never return to an area you already covered. You will NEVER miss a track