why so many

[al baldwin]

When hunters are breeding dogs with a high IQ, why do they need so many hounds in a pack to catch bobcat? Al

[davidg1!]

For me I like to hear more than 2 or 3 hounds in the race, even though the more hounds in the race the less chance you have of catchin the cat. Just my opinon Davidg

[slowandeasy]

Al,

Good question!!!!


I will try and give a very simple and digestible answer. I believe it is because most do not have any kind of breed standard. Whether in their head or on paper through a registry. In other words. Here is one that everyone should have etched in stone in their head.

1) The hound should trail game as fast as its nose will allow its feet to run. With the intent to catch, bay, or tree, and locate game.

There are many others that pertain to conformation, color and so on. But this is the one that we always lived by. You see, this is not rocket science. And bobcats are not magical animals!!

If everyone would etch in stone at their kennel that stated above standard for their hounds. There would be no discussion about what kind, or how many it took to get the job done. This should apply whether we run anything from mice to elephants. For those that do not believe this to be true. Just keep marching to you own drum. I am not here to change you or force you to believe the above. Just keep putting together your magical pile of potlickers and be HAPPY.

And just incase there is a whole bunch of hog wash as to this not being true. Let's see how many disagree that there is supper stars in all breeds, and grade dogs. I think a person has to be dedicated to making good hounds. Instead of blaming individual breeds, and putting up with a lack of talent from different hounds within a pack.

To accomplish this the main thing a hound has to have is BRAINS. That has been already discussed many times. Just my thoughts.

Take care, Willie

[twist]

Al, in the area I hunt one seasoned hound is all you need to catch cats but I do hunt up to 4 hounds at times if a person doesn't hunt anymore than one its pretty tough to get other dogs any experiance. But I am with you if it takes more than a couple dogs to catch I believe something wrong, Jmo. Andy

[come-hunt]

It appears to me that when you have one dog on one cat, then the odds are 100 to 1 against the dog finding the scent. With four dogs down, your odds are still the same but four times more likely to happen. When the scent is found then the competitive nature takes over and the fastest dog wins if he doesn't over run. That being the case then experience wins but more than one dog down increases the likely hood of catching and a lot shorter race.

[dwalton]

Al it does not take that many to catch a bobcat. Willy When it comes to bobcat hunting I don't think a bobcat breed has been made yet. A lot of different breeds can catch a bobcat but in my opinion that does not make a bobcat dog. A bobcat dog should be able to cold trail a bob up get it jumped and tree it, 50% of the ones it strikes from the rig, 80% of the ones it trails out on and 99% of the ones it jumps. I have seen dogs that could do this. Every dog should be able to tree it's own bobcat by two years old. With a pack one I always have dogs to hunt, I can split them up to give some a rest, lay one up it if is in season, cut foot, with pups.... A pack will have dogs in it that are experts in cold trailing, locating, getting through bluffs moving a cold track fast. Dogs learn to pick up these traits from being hunted with dogs that are good at it. If I raise a litter of pups I keep enough to see the traits of that litter. They all don't come out the same no matter how well bred they are. I need to sell a dog to help with income also. If I have 15 dogs I hunt most of them in training season even though I could catch more bobcat with three or four of the old dogs. I am always training pups looking for that perfect bobcat dog or cross. I keep 2 to 6 young dogs out there on the track with the old dogs most of the time. Al there is very little barking off track or behind others dogs even with that many young out there. That is not tolerated, they will not make the type of dog I am looking for. No no one needs to hunt that many dogs to catch a bobcat, but I chose to for reason most of the hunters are not interested or willing to do. That's why their are different breeds and style of hunting. Each to their own but realize there are people out there that maybe walk to a different drummer. Good hunting Dewey

[Dads dogboy]

Mr. Al,

The number of Hounds a Hunter uses is usually predicated on his PURPOSE in Hound Hunting!

With us and most of the Houndsmen in the Southeast getting to hear another Concert of the "Cat Hound Opry", with all the components of the Orchestra and Choir to be in place for listening enjoyment.

Now as has been stated many times before, Dad feels that having a team of 6 to 8 Hounds that know each other will catch you most of the Bobcats jumped here in the SE. Throw in a couple of Interns and a couple of Pups and you have about what we use.

Folks further East tend to like a little more noise in their Concerts so they use more Hounds!

For other Hunters using that "Well Oiled Machine" that is a Pack of Cat Hounds raised and trained together, it might be that their Purpose was Catching the Cat as Expeditiously as possible then move on to the next one.

Now I don't know much about this "Higher IQ" thing. I would think that those "Wonder Dogs" you all have in the NW who can "Catch Their Own Bobcat" have the higher IQ. Mr. Al I know your health precludes it and Ole Skinner is gone, but I sure wish just one of the other owners would take us up on our offer of putting them up for a week, then paying for their gas coming and going if they can "Catch Their Own" Bobcat here 3 times in a week of Hunting!

Then we might put this discussion to bed! Folks might feel different when they leave.

[al baldwin]

Thanks for the reply CJohn, was not directing that question to the Clay hounds. Just something I have thought about asking when we houndsmen talk about breeding for brains. If my health allowed & I had a competitive edge I once had, would not chose Skinner as the hound of choice to pit against your toughest cats, (sure that is the ones you would test that hound on ). Thinking back it would have been a tough choice, but, believe would have cast the chub hound. Or maybe I would have a better chance with a hound called packy ( Tom Barnett breeding & a uncle to chub. At ant rate I can see no reason why either one would not have stood a good chance of being up to the challenge. They both hunted very independent and lead a high percentage of their races. Also opened less than skinner on track. I used high IQ instead of brains, just to short cut typing. Dewey are you saying you have seen a hound that caught 99% of the cats it jumped. 99 out of a hundred? Well nothing personal, but is a super hound. Good hunting Al

[Tim Pittman]

Al, I've seen the pack that caught 96.0526316% of the cats jumped last season 73 out of 76.Lives about 50 miles to the west of Dewey and myself,all in the daytime, and the guy is all business not bs.

[roscosrokons]

I thought the best pack for bobcats was a single pack. I use to have way more success on bobcats when I just ran one dog. But thats pretty tough to do unless you hunt by yourself and only own one dog. Ha!

[mefishme1234]

guys up here in maine run one maybe 2 dogs..