Bobcat Houndsmen's Dictionary and Glossary

[Dads dogboy]

Folks let's put down the common terms that we use to describe our Hounds and Hunting methods in the different areas we all Hunt.

Examples would be the terms TIGHT MOUTHED, OPEN MOUTHED, TRACK STRADDLER, RIG DOG, BOXING, ETC.

Please list he common terms you use and define their meaning to you and in the area you hunt.

Again their are no right or wrong answers just differences. Knowing what Dewey or Twist or Second Nature mean when South Texan or Perk read them will help us to hear and read the SAME Language!

Maybe we can get Buddyw to make a Sticky of this so someone can easily refer to it as needed!

Thanks, I will list some of the terms for our region later this evening, have to start packing to head back to AR as it is tooooooo dry here in Florida.

[South Texan]

CJC,
This is one that I was enlighted on here while back.
"Check Dog"
Here in the south Mike Leonard described him well. A solid broke dog that will go check when an unbroke dog strikes a track. If it is trash (unwanted game) your solid broke dog (check dog) will come back to you letting you know he doesn't want any part of it and you better get it stopped.

Now I think some of you refer to a good "check dog" as a dog that is good about finding the cat after a lose (check) has been made.

"Lose" here in the south is when you have been running a cat and he squats, hides, or ducks back down his back trail, etc. and the dogs don't know where he is at the moment (and you're holding your breath hoping somebody will find him). Every dog suppose to shut up and not say a word until a dog roots him out of his hiding spot or finds the cat's track leaving out of there. When a dog finds the cat or track he should open up giving mouth and the other dogs should cover him up.

I believe what we call a "lose" here, is what other people call a "check" in other places. Is that correct CJC?

I don't hear many people on here ever mentioning "jump dog". Now this is mainly referring to people that run a pack of dogs, not just one or two. But...a good "jump dog" is a dog that works out in front of your trailing dogs. He could be anywhere from 50 to 300 yards ahead, crisscrossing back and forth trying to cut the track ahead of the trailing dogs. Now this dog is not giving mouth, he's working silent, until he cuts (crosses) a red hot track or has his nose in the cats rear-end. Then he opens up giving mouth and he better be able to stay on track until help arrives. But believe me...the trailing dogs KNOW this "jump dog" and when they hear him cut loose up ahead, they're trying to get to him as fast as they can because they know he's CLOSE to the cat. He jumps (puts the cat to running) ahead of the trailing dogs.

Just a little terminology of the south. Let's hear some of ya'lls. Robbie

[slowandeasy]

quote: south texan: I believe what we call a "lose" here, is what other people call a "check" in other places. Is that correct


robbie, i believe c.j. may be driving back to AR. but yes basicly two words same meaning. check is mostly used with beagle guys and i believe with the running dog people. but for the most part mike couldn't have discribed it any better for all us hound guys. here is one for ya. you're not running any of those (shoe shine hounds) down in South Texas are ya? take care, Willy


shoe shine dog: stays so close it keeps your boots shined (cant even boot their ass and make um go)

[mark]

Heres one.......... Boy that cat can really "Dangle"

[Warner5]

Carry, I believe you may have created a monster with this post. I better prepare myself, It's gonna get fun. John.

Willy's, shoe shine dog is called a leg licker at my house. They dont last long if their trying to lick my leg while missing the race.

[dwalton]

Tight mouth, open mouth, and barking off track are the ones that I think have the most different meanings depending on who you are talking to. To me tight mouth is a dog that does not open much, open mouth is a dog that barks a lot but should be opening only when they have the track and moving it. Barking off track is a dog that opens going to dogs , opens behind dog or running down a road on a lose or at any other time when it does not have the track. Dogs that come back and open at the same spot are in there somewhere probably culls. A good dog can be broke from coming back and opening on the same spot. Dewey

[South Texan]

Mr. Dewey,
In total agreement with you on your descriptions of tight mouth, open mouth, and barking off track dogs.

The dog that barks off track is just barking to hear himself bark, sure not because he's smelling the game, down here we will call this a "loose mouth" dog. I sure don't like'em.

Willy,
Seen a few of them "Shoe Shine Dogs" but they didn't last to long. I'll do my own shoe shining and I don't need any help. Ha Ha

Mark,
You say "Here's one....Boy that cat can really Dangle" meaning.........?

[mark]

Sorry bout that,i was on my fone and hit the submit to soon and then went out of service. The term "dangle" means a hard running cat,one that is above average in speed,brains,wind,and other things that make them a challenge and a blast to run.

[slowandeasy]

dewy, what ya call open off track, i tend to call babbleing, loose mouth, running their mouth or (CULL) others are silent or semi silent (self explanitory) and acceptable.

[amos]

Here is one I like and July's typically have more of it than Walkers.
(Forward Cast) Now tell me what does that mean to you or do you use that term?

[slowandeasy]

amos, do you mean ability to lead the chase? (track speed)

[call-me-ish]

I'm really enjoying this post. Over forty years of hunting hounds and spent a lot of silent moments trying to figure out exactly what some houndsman was meaning by a term. My experience runs from Oklahoma to the Rio Grande and then jumps to the lower Sierra Mountains over to the Central Coast region of California. If I'm listening to you tell about a hound, this is what I will be thinking:

Silent .................no trail mouth given to audibly follow, but will bay or tree.
Tight mouth.........gives very little mouth, but enough to audibly follow.
Open mouth..........gives plenty of mouth, but not excessive.
Loose mouth.........mouth does not reflect track conditions or progression
Mouthy................excessive barking; may not even have track conditions
Babbling...............mouths when released; going to other hounds;
or when behind.
Me too Dog...........A dog that seems to perform as good as the lead dog, but
when hunted alone or with inexperience, doesn/t have the
goods.

[slowandeasy]

ish, you said it in a more perfect way. i guess there just isn't an ounce of perfect in me take care!

[Big N' Blue]

Ish, you done good, that would be my interpretation also.

[Dads dogboy]

Ish,

You speak our language!

I will add some other terms tomorrow....have been up for 36 hours and not very literate right now....heck I seldom am!