Can someone explain this?

[RezDogRendezvous]

Backtrack. Seems like My mutts figure once they get going one way they won't quit until they're out a track.

[reed]

A couple of things that come to mind for me, and let me clarify first I don't know the dog these are just ideas, but the whole story about being on a bear and then leaving is very viable. Just because he has done it before with other dogs doesn't mean he is confidant enough to do it himself.

The first thing that came to mind for me is: Are there bobcat in the area? If the trees were thick and there was a bober there, it may have been in the tree. Or even jumping tree to tree, thus confusing the dog. The thick foilage would also make it hard for you to see the cat too. There have been times were you had to just lay there and look at every branch until you see the cat because it was not moving as well.

The back track is also very viable from the sounds of it.

[kordog]

sounds to me like they hit something red hot most likely a bear and went backwards.

this is my thought as well the flipped over rocks says bear the fact that the race ended back where it started says it was backwards to begin with . scenting may have just been really poor in the conditions mentioned.but your guess is as good as ours you nknow your dogs better.

[Onza]

BHP,

sounds like you are like me and look for elk in the trees too I never can find em. good to hear your having good time with Ozzy again. From your story I would seriously guess you were running the wrong stuff. IF a bear climbed the Ozman would be at the bottom of the tree. Sounds like he could use a little help. Great name you gave one of the dogs!

Trash races can be wierd...i had one, dumped on lion track in snow...a red dog and ticked dog took off opposite direction of the track ran elk clear off the mountain; famous houndsmen once told me..."I dont explain it, I just report it" keep running something! good luck.

[Big Horn Posse]

Onza, Yep, you would know better than anyone what Ozzy is capable of. I initially thought it was an elk race, but wondered when I got into him why he wasn't doing the "oh s**t I got caught doing something bad I'm sorry" thing with me. Then again when they started it in the meadow I didn't know what they were doing so I encouraged them to take it. I don't like shocking dogs unless I know for sure what they are on. When Bella came back I should have known it was elk, but then again she had never been on bear so I was hoping for the best. One thing about Oz and I'm sure you know, if there is a track wether he starts it or some other dogs does he will not be outdone. He is so competitive he has to be the first dog to get to it. Like he's saying, "let me show you how it's done." Good thing when it is something you want him to run, but bad thing when it's not. Puma, has a similar personality. Just a real go getter. The two of them together can be dynamite or disaster depending on what they are doing. Unfortunatly for me I only have one shock collar for the four of them and deciding who gets it any given day is something I just have to guess at. Onza listens the best out of all of them except if he has found dead or poop to eat then he can get a little hard headed. Anyway, it is good to have Ozzy back even if he messes up sometimes. He is a dog and I don't know they can't be perfect. I always say he is the love of my life.

[Bearkiller]

I love that you know the dog well enough to state unequivocally that he won't run coyotes but mentioned all of the other trash on the mountain as possibilities. Coyotes, especially females in heat can make dogs do strange things. I know for a fact that my dogs are pretty broke off of coyotes and foxes because if they weren't I'd never catch coons because there are way more of those critters where I hunt than coons. But then every once in a while they'll strike a coyote and act like they're smokin bear. I personally think your dogs went backwards but I don't know the dogs. If they were my dogs I'd have taken them back and tried getting them going the other way.

[dhostetler]

My guess it was a bear backtrack race or he quit on a bayup.

I don't agree with the failure to locate especially if he is a good locator. I have numerous times seen my dogs wind tree a far as 50 yards from a cougar tree an unable to locate the right tree but I have never seen it happen on a bear tree. If you have ever seen how a bear climbs versus a cougar it explains everything.

Though I am by no means a bear hunting expert having caught not nearly as many as cats.

[chris1v]

I have a question for you. Do you have fishers there? We have alot of fishers here in Ontario. They Will run a far distance and fast. They are the same as bear some will tree and some will not, they just want to run. A fisher will run up fallen tree`s or jump from tree to tree. If the dog does not do a good check around the tree`s to see if it came out, they will tree on nothing, not knowing it came out 50 yards over. They are like a coon also and will tree in a den tree, So when you look up, there is nothing there. If you do have fishers there, that`s were i would put my money. Your dog has run bear before so i don`t see it just quitting or taking the track backwards ,(that far) .Just my 2 cents.