Great Hunt last night in NE Oklahoma

[Clyde Lawson]

It's HOT in Oklahoma and real tough to find a time to get our hounds out, if nothing more then exercise.
My hunting Buddy and I decided to wait until after dark, and attempt to not over stress our hounds, taking plenty of water. Plus planning our road route to take any any water source that was available.

It sure has gotten dry quick it seems here, after rain that we have received. We are in need of some good soaking rains that is not likely to happen at this time of year in our area.

However, we were both happy to get our hounds out and hunting a bobcat! Roading our hounds, we used UTV on rough ranch roads/trails from 9:00 PM until about 1:00 AM, without a bark from any of pack. And, we had 7 young hounds from 10 months old to 2 year olds that have not had that much exposure. We both have worked with their handle and exposing them to deer, coyote, coon, etc. that we don't want them to run. Worked last night!!

Just after 1:00 AM, older dogs started "flagging" over track in front of us. Young dogs showed interest, and then all started opening. They took track about 200 yards to the North, just off of old road, and then seemed to have disappeared. KB and I both agreed with the light wind and as dry as it was, they likely could not ever run track if it was hot? We were wrong!!

First thing noticed was my Sue dog running by the UTV in opposite direction with all of the older dogs right behind her. They went to where they had struck track and commenced to look there, finally figuring out that they had went wrong way in their excitement. In just a few minutes, they jumped the cat and the race was on!

We ran the cat for 50 minutes, never getting more then 200-400 yards from us, according to Garmin.

Treed the cat in small oak tree and all the dogs got to tree, smell, and see him. Cat came out , jumping off a 15-16 ft. bluff and going back into a rough canyon. Race was on with all dogs adding to the music.

This country is rough canyons, filled with timber and brush for those that have not enjoyed our NE Oklahoma terrain, and a bobcats favorite country. The hounds never made more then a 3-5 minute loose in 2 hours plus of running. Race ended up in some bluffs that with our copperhead and rattlesnake numbers being the way they are, neither KB or myself chose to climb around in looking where the dogs were attempting to tree/bay. Being about 5:00 AM, with both of us tired, and dogs hot, we called it a hunt. Loaded up and went home.

But in closing, we both will remember our 2012 4th of July cat hunt in the Osage Hills.

[Ryan]

Good story Clyde, sounds like a great night. What are you running in OK, running dogs?

[Clyde Lawson]

Walker Running dogs, and Running Walker/Bluetick cross dogs.

I have 5 trained and older dogs that are from 1/2 Running Walker to 3/8 Running Walker with the remainder percentage being Bluetick(Vaughn/Eucheman bred).

Two young Running Walker females that are 10 month old and act like old dogs. They stayed 3 hours plus in the race and at the tree and at the hole in the end! I really am pleased with their intelligence, stamina, have been so easy to train. That was their 6th. cat race & first actual tree where they could see and smell the cat up a tree.

[VARMIT HUNTER]

Great story Clyde

[Slatecrick kid]

Do you all ever hunt in the kaw wildlife area?

[Pagosa]

Sounds like you guys had a great hunt. Yes the snakes scare me too. Where are you in NE OK? I grew up in Delaware County and lived in Cheokee County for 3 years. It is some rough county down. We mainly hunted coons in Mayes and Delaware Counties, but that was in the 80's and 90's.

[Gary Roberson]

Clyde
Great story! Sounds like you have the youngsters going your way. I, too am a huge fan of the running walker/bluetick cross dogs for bobcats, especially if a guy is careful to breed to the smaller, tight-hided blue with cold noses. I don't think that a guy looses any speed or stamina and gains nose and treeing abilitiy.
Adios,
Gary

[Clyde Lawson]

Sounds like you guys had a great hunt. Yes the snakes scare me too. Where are you in NE OK? I grew up in Delaware County and lived in Cheokee County for 3 years. It is some rough county down. We mainly hunted coons in Mayes and Delaware Counties, but that was in the 80's and 90's.

I live between Tulsa & Bartlesville, just North of Hwy 20/Hwy 75 junction.

But hunt Osage, Cherokee, and just got home from Lefore West of McCurtain, OK..

Tree one last night with about 1.5 hour trailing, jumping, finding lost track, and finally treeing. BUT, just started to tree, when loud fireworks were set off about 1-2 mile from us---well my dogs beat me back to the UTV. When we got there, should have taken a photo, cause we had five dogs inside with 2-3 more wanting to get in!!

Really dry and hot here, & got one of my older dogs snake bitten high on the front leg.

Have a good one.

Clyde

[Gary Roberson]

Good luck with the snake bite. Did the dog have the rattlesnake vaccine? I have had two bitten already this year and both survived. Was it a rattler or other poisonous variety?
Adios,
Gary

[Leedavison]

Hi....Not sure if you could be the person ...but I just turned a Walker Male pup (1yr) into Bartlesville SPCA he is very seet (not fixed)....looks like he had some kind of stitches on his hind quarters...perhaps a run in with barbed wire..something like that. He was found in Osage county between Bartlesville and Pawhuska...three weeks ago..almost dead and skinny as a rail. The young dog was cared for for three weeks and has his weight almost back..but the woman who found him in her shed has heart problems....she had someone post on craigslist for found dog..but noone replied....wondered if you know anyone missing a Walker.... I turned it into today so 5 days for search.... I hope someone knows who it belongs to ...or wants a young male... check out the SPCA Bartlesville

[Clyde Lawson]

Hi....Not sure if you could be the person ...but I just turned a Walker Male pup (1yr) into Bartlesville SPCA he is very seet (not fixed)....looks like he had some kind of stitches on his hind quarters...perhaps a run in with barbed wire..something like that. He was found in Osage county between Bartlesville and Pawhuska...three weeks ago..almost dead and skinny as a rail. The young dog was cared for for three weeks and has his weight almost back..but the woman who found him in her shed has heart problems....she had someone post on craigslist for found dog..but noone replied....wondered if you know anyone missing a Walker.... I turned it into today so 5 days for search.... I hope someone knows who it belongs to ...or wants a young male... check out the SPCA Bartlesville

Have not heard of anyone that has lost a walker? That is almost "a thing of the past" with most everyone running the Garmin tracking collars. Unless the dog escaped from someones dog pen or someone just "dumped" a unwanted animal for another person to deal with? Sadly that still happens!

[alton ham]

Hey clyde this is alton ham i to am a fan of blu tick/walker cross i live around the mcalester area and would like to get in to running some bobcat if you have any started or finished dogs you might be interested in selling let me no. sounds like you had a long hard hunt sounds like fun