how long can a bob race be?

[007pennpal]

Ok so I have this long skinny female bobcat that leaves tracks on the roads. She's a real athlete. Have yet to put her in a tree. I currently don't have the dog speed power to push her up. I was wondering how long of a race on a bobcat have others had. Give me hours and length of run not distance traveled cause lots of circles don't have to go very far. Thanks guys.
Sean

[dwalton]

IT depends on the area and how hard it is hunted. When Washington was open a lot of areas the cat would run 3 or4 hours catching a lot on the ground. Most cat I run tree in 20 minutes or less. I have caught 2 0n the ground this year that were caught in less than 400 yards after the jump. It depends on the number of dogs and what they are, cat dogs run on only cat, bred to catch cats or dogs that run every thing. A big difference in specialized cat packs. Dewey

[cobalt]

I think depending on the dogs and the cat and the country, anywhere from 5 minutes to several hours and have a tree, but I usually get pretty skeptical a couple hours after the jump. My longest with a tree was 8.5 hrs. on a coast cat and 8 hrs. on a desert cat. The coast cat was probably a 10 mile race. The desert cat was at least 20 miles or more. I walked in on the track many times to make sure of what I was running and it was a running cat every time and the dogs were of the fastest I've ever owned. Both cats were females. Cats have excellent lungs if they choose to use them.
If I were you, I would leave that female alone and go look for a tom. They are usually easier. Come back for her later after your dogs have caught a few.

[foxcat]

my first question would be how do you know its a skinny female?

My next is what are your dogs doing when running it? is the cat jumped and runnin? are your dogs just trailin it up and never gettin it jumped? if they are runnin it, whats the time between looses, or is it one loose and there done? cant really give a shot at answering this q u have till i know these things, i mean i could guess all day but that dont matter

[curtj]

Over the years Ive found theres a few cats that wont tree. It takes a fast dog that sticks to the track to catch them on the ground. These cats have usually been ran alot and know how to screw the dogs, so they can stay ahead of them. They are good pup trainers and can normally be found in the same spots. My advice is not to get discouraged if they can't catch it. Its probably still there because nobody else can catch it either. Sometimes during the day they will have a full belly from feeding and will be easier to catch. good luck.

[007pennpal]

I can't help myself from turning loose on that cat. Keep thinking we'll get her this time. Track size and stride are why I'm calling her a skinny female. I had her run 25 miles in circles and figure eights. She just won't tree and they haven't caught her on the ground yet. My older dog loops the corners and picks up loses. I had to call my dogs off because I'd been hunting with GPS on all day and into the night when we put to her track in six hours of snow. The GPS batteries didn't have enough time left for me to let my dogs keep going the dirrection the chase was headed was into an area of locked gates. I walked out and checked the track as many times as I could (the first seven miles). It was a running cat. The garmin showed same pattern race after that. There was one big lose that I walked out and checked and they had restarted on the cat. Was about 8 hours total from time I found the track until I had dogs back. I was not running radio collars. Ten year old dog looked pretty hung over in morning. Pup looked ready to go again sore feet and all. Was mostly a two dog race, other pups not mature enough to stay with race.
Sean

[foxcat]

dang the dogs trailed it for 8 hours? at least they didnt quit. they good on bear?

[007pennpal]

Its too early for me to say that they are good on bear. All but one of my dogs are puppies. Yes, they can tree them. I have Cameron Blueticks and walker/crosses. My only cold nosed/start dog, Daisy, is ten months old. She worked out that track when the older medium nosed walker dog just came back and looked at me. We been working hard on bobcats.
Sean

[foxcat]

how many pups are you hunting at the same time?

[Charlie83541]

I don't know???? You don't want to hear about how many miles a race is, yet you know one of YOUR races was 25 miles. Then you walked out 7 miles to check the "loose"?
All but one of your dogs are puppies, but "Yes they can tree a Bear"???

My B S meter's starting to spike here.

You must really be in good shape and have lots of time on your hands to walk seven miles just to check sign...

[Darvin Ecklund]

Keep running her and train your young dogs! When the day comes and she trees I would suggested u pet your dogs, leash them up, take a picture and leave her to run again. For she has helped train a few of your dogs now and in the future! This is a good trainer and will always be a good trainer until she is killed, then no more training. If you are ever to kill her then drive day after day to find a track, you will think twice next time. Remember you will always have a good cat race as long as she is still around!! Just a thought!!!!!!!!

[007pennpal]

Darvin,
Good point. I'll try and shoot her with a camera. Thanks.

Foxcat,
It depends. Usually only one, but I did cut in a couple young pups onto this jumped cat to see what they'd do.

Charlie,
I'm just getting information on here. Not looking to argue like some. Not real fond of being called a BSer either. I was wondering how long a race could be because I never expected them to go 25 miles on a bobcat. The cat ran about 25 miles in circles and figure eights. The race itself only moved about four miles. When I walked out and checked them it was seven miles into the race but it was near the road where I could just drive up. I didn't walk out seven miles. I checked the track a couple times but after seven miles it never crossed a road except behind locked gates. It is possible they trashed at some point after the seven mile mark, but I don't think so because of the pattern on the garmin. My ten year old female walker/cross will start and run a bear off the ground. Locates and sit down type tree dog. She is not a bay dog. My Cameron pup ten months old will strike and start a track, cold nosed, game crazy, trails good but needs learning experiences, needs work locating has not yet locked down on the bark, but don't leave the tree. They have treed bear. My spelling is not perfect. I'm hoping I can still be accepted in the ranks of houndsmen someday, not the spelling bee. Maybe you could send your BS meter back to be recalibrated. I'm not selling anything. Not really trying to brag, the cat beat me. The two dogs that stayed with this cat are not track smoking triggs, but they didn't quit. Its a case of houndsman failure cause I could have charged my collars with my car charger. That's one thing I see from the after action review.
Sean

[foxcat]

they probably would hae trailed it until they starved to death. that shows they have the want, but they just might not be cat dogs. cats are tricky. it would have been interesting to see the cat on a garmin to see how many circles it was out ahead of the dogs. did you start them on coon? at least there runnin it. run enough and youll get one to tree. i would say run just one pup at a time unless you want just an average pack of dogs. good luck...by the way we cant use garmin so im not sure about the 25 mile thing but it doesnt sound too out of reason....unlike LT "stories" lol

[Nolte]

I was wondering how long of a race on a bobcat have others had. Give me hours and length of run not distance traveled cause lots of circles don't have to go very far.

I've got one cat that I've been after for 3 F'in years that keeps giving me the slip. The worst part is I've had plenty of opportunities and he's schooled me.

On an actual jumped chase, it seems like a guy connects within the first couple hours. You can get them after that but my hopes start fading the longer the chase goes on. And my hopes usually aren't that high anyway.

[George Streepy]

I agree Nolte. 25 miles is a long way. I have trailed bigger toms 9 or 10 miles but those were highly educated ones that seem to start jogging as soon as they hear a dog bark. But a jumped race should be over way before a few miles. If they moved it the equivalent to 25 miles I would find it hard to believe they were jumped. I don't think I have seen a cat that would be able to stay jumped that long or dogs that could stay tight that long either. They may have had it jumped at one point but in order for a race to continue that long they had to have fallen behind and were not close enough to put any pressure on. 25 miles over 8 hours is a few miles an hour, thats trailing pace.

I have had races that went several hours after being jumped, and most of them ended on the ground. But when you start talking 25 miles I would say your not catching it no matter how stubborn your dogs are. Probably to far behind it.

I am not sure where you are hunting but that seems to be the problem with some of those big lion bred dogs from further east. They can trail all day long but can't seem to muster up the speed to get the tougher bobs to tree. Good luck and happy hunting.