Physical Challenges to Cat Hunting

[Ker_man]

Folks just curious and don't remember seeing this talked about on here as a main subject, but..........what are the main physical challenges or hardships or dangers to bobcat hunting in your local area that you encounter.(To dogs and hunters)
For example deep snow, storms, rock cliffs, snakes/gators, grizzlies, large swamps, Crazies ?

[1bludawg]

Roads,cliffs and liberals are a few.The latter will take the collars off your dogs and turn them loose .

[LarryBeggs]

I have had dogs chase many cats in holes. One dog was in one four days before I was able to dig him out. He was fine. I thought I was retrieving my tracking collar. Storm rolled in just as cat went in hole. All my females were in season and my pups didn't make race. He was only one with a tracking collar. My signal vanished. couple days later when storm died down could faintly here beep on box but didn't move needle. Started walking and found box pointing straight into ground near creek bank. I had packed in shovel. Me and my son started digging but it was snowing and we didn't wear rain gear. We hit hard ground that we were having trouble breaking through. We were soaked and about to freeze. I figured he had drowned as I couldn't here him and I couldn't find the entry hole. Which I assumed was a beaver hole in the creek bank . The creek had rose so high I couldn't find it. Couple days later I was laying in bed and the sun was shining. Thought maybe the creek had dropped and could find entry hole. Grabbed both my boys and a couple of picks and went back. Found the entry hole. Hollered his name and he barked back. Dug maybe six inches further than we had two days before and his head came out of hole. Have had many other close calls in holes. One friend lost a young dog that fell in a sink hole in a creek bank. We found her to late.
I have also had close calls in fast moving water. Had a dog try to cross the same pole a cat did across a fast moving creek. I saw him go in and get washed under a log jam. I thought he was dead. Had to drive to a bridge and run into where the log jam was . I couldn't find him. Was about to give up when my boy called me on the radio and said he was back at the truck.
Had a good friend get out of the passenger side of the pickup one night. He was putting his raincoat on and disappeared. I went running over there and his raincoat was laying in the road. He was hanging on to a tree root over a river. The edge of the road had slid off into the river and he didn't see it when he stepped out. Was able to through his raincoat down to him and pull him up.
That`s is just a few close calls. But I better leave something else for someone to talk about. This is on the Oregon coast. Take care ,Larry

[Old dog]

don't even have too think about it,,,,,,,,,,,,,its the wolves the libs turned loose

[super white hunter]

Folks just curious and don't remember seeing this talked about on here as a main subject, but..........what are the main physical challenges or hardships or dangers to bobcat hunting in your local area that you encounter.(To dogs and hunters)
For example deep snow, storms, rock cliffs, snakes/gators, grizzlies, large swamps, Crazies ?

I think you summed it up with your last sentence

[Dads dogboy]

Folks,

Every thing mentioned above Dad has experienced and none are any fun and can give the Cat that break it needs to escape. Some are definitely dangerous to the Hounds....for us Highways and Snakes cause the most problems.

Fences are one thing that has not been mentioned. Hounds who have never seen a Fence either Barb wire or Net wire can have problems negotiating them....this gives the Cat that edge he needs to "Trot Out from under" the Hounds.

But Folks the hardest and worse thing that a Cat Hunter anywhere will face is "Father Time"! Old age is one obstacle that there just ain't no cure for or way around!

Good Thread....glad you thought of it!

[Ker_man]

One thing I did not think of is bad ice. Anywhere it gets cold enough to freeze there will be the temptation to cross bad ice. The varmints will run on the ice early in the season and endanger the dogs that will break through. This will endanger the hunter that will want to save the dog. No dog is worth your life. Also, who else but a houndsman would have to cross a stream....with a hound treed on the other side.

[Gary Roberson]

Rattlesnakes and all the dang netwire fencing in this old sheep country. Now most of South Texas and some of my country is cut up by deer proof fencing which is nearly impossible to cross. I guess that is not a bad thing as the deer proof fencing is usually a perimeter fence. My older dogs don't loose much time on a netwire fence if it is in good repair as they will hit the top wire and keep on going. Problem is they leave all the youngster piled up on the fence, raising a ruckus as they try to get back in the race.
The worst fence is for my dogs is the 48" bullwire with a single barb about 6-8" over that...perfect to hang a dog.
Adios,
Gary

[Nolte]

I agree with Ker-man. In WI, I'd say it's wolves and bad ice. You could also throw in log trucks in the mix. Some of the roads don't get plowed so it puts everyone on the same ones. I am also not a fan of sleds on the trails. Cats love to run them and you can't hear a thing when they are running wide open. Another thing that can really damper a hunt are pissed off landowners. It usually works out that the guy with the least amount of acreage is the one wound up. Even if the dogs aren't on his turf.

[kehrer10]

Heart attack from being fat and out of shape!!!!!!!!

[Ker_man]

Dang.....typed for 15 mins and lost it .
I have a fence story and a train story about dogs......but I was thinking a lot about hard going, rocks and rough ground. As mentioned by the Clays father time is going to get the better of us all but houndsmen have to follow them dogs. I'm a flatlander and think of you guys climbing around the the mountains or hills. The dogs can call us in too deep and the energy gives out.
Anyone in the New England states will know what I'm talking about, but up north here the snow will pile up over thick growing young conifers three or four feet high and when you break through on snowshoes, your can be be in to your arm pits, then try walking on those shoes.In the few years I did this I've seen the dogs running the cat under the snowed over firs.
As those trees get taller you are trying to push threw them on those loved and hated snowshoes
getting that wonderful snow down your neck, all the time getting wetter in the cold.

[Rod Vinson]

Cars and being without a start dog!! We bump into snakes, deep water, holes, trees, keeping dogs away from deer chases that are close by are all challenges but keeping that number 1 start dog and number 1 locator are real challenges as well as good health!! Thank God for the good health, I will try to raise another good un'!!

[South Texan]

My greatest "physical" challenge cat hunting is trying to outrun the bees when they get after me & the dogs. Not very long winded anymore!
Robbie

[Ker_man]

Wow guys bees and snakes! I guess I'll buck the snow

[sheimer]

The biggest physical challenge I run into here chasing cats is turning lion dogs out on a bobcat track. They can turn it into an all day project, which can easily turn into a several day project. Not trying to say my dogs are junk, just saying they aren't accustomed to having the jump being the hard part of the race. Our lions just run straight out and climb, bobcats pull the tricks and wait and catch their breath and are off again. My dogs aren't accustomed to applying enough pressure so the race just goes on and on and on. I've had issues with roads, half frozen rivers, frozen waterfalls, cliffs and really deep snow when harassing the little cats.

Scott