Striking Cat or $&*T...

[merlo_105]

Ok I got a question and want to know what you guys think. So I got a 9 or 10 month old running cross. She has been on only Bobcat and hasnt left a race on a deer or any trash. Well saturday night she semi instagated a deer race but she didnt go. My year and a half pup went and ran a deer watched the deer cross the road. Now the year and ahalf dog wont start a deer from the road. Last night I boxed the two young dogs around the Running cross struck a track So I turned the year and a half old dog out and she got the track going and wasnt nervous about it. I didnt turn the pup in incase it was crap, So the track moved like a Cat and watching the map it looked like a cat running for dear life dog was pushing the Unknown animal hard the track went down the mountain made aloop headed back up the mountain made another loop. So the race looked more like a cat now the pup struck in a heavy cat crossing area. I was listening and watching the gps and figured that thing is gonna tree any second about then the dog shuts up and pittles around then leaves and heads out. So I picked the dog up and she seem'd pretty happy. So started to think more and more that was a cat. Didnt throw out a check dog just wanted the young dog to run it by its self. While leaving I watch two deer cross the road so I pass up the deer and put the Pup who struck on the box drove her right threw where the deer crossed and not a peep so I drive up the road alittle ways turn around and drive her back threw it and still nothing. So it started to look more and more like she struck a cat. Anyways any opinion on young dogs striking Cat or reasons for not striking fresh deer if she would have struck other deer. Have let her run her own tracks she has struck and never seen anything cross and didnt have a check dog at the time so dont know if deer or not... Anyways Thanks

[twist]

Doent seem like that hound training is as easy as thought earlier. Hope you get them young hounds steering straight. Andy

[merlo_105]

Im going about two young dogs alittle different then I did before. The Pup mentioned who struck the track has Struck a few cats and hasnt played with deer. I have pretty good trust in the 1 1/2 yr. old, Just wanted opinions from everyone just wondering what they would have thought If they were in them shoes.

[al baldwin]

Merlo, any time I was hunting with 1&1/2 year old and a ten month old, without an old dogs help, I would be suspicious of everything. Good luck and enjoy Al

[catdog360]

Never underestimate the brain power of a hound and them knowing when they are being set up. And like Al said, I'm always suspicious if it doesn't tree.

Mic

[Nolte]

I'm suspicious of all of them until they've got dirt on top of them.

Only believe what you can verify. Critter in the tree, visual on the run or to a lesser amount a track. I've had many yote/fox races turn out to be a bear. Or races I was about 95% confident were a deer turn out to be a cat. The best judge is an old broke (or as broke as you can get) dog. If you pitch them in and they come out, well then you're most likely chasing something you shouldn't be. Note thought that this is only if the broke dog hooks up right with the young dog. I've seen splits where you think the pup is screwing off and it had one and so did the old dog. Or the youngster had it right while the old dog was still figuring it out.

[kickemall]

I'm suspicious of all of them until they've got dirt on top of them.

Amen to that.

[al baldwin]

Guys we had short coyote race sunday, with a pack owned by my hunting friend and one he gave to me. A 1&1/2 dog was leading the race. Had never heard him bark like that, our mistake thought he was a five year old name TJ. Now these dogs have been coyote proof so long we were a little shocked. However the race was fast and furious with no looses & we got suspicious and had shocker in hand, looked down the road & seen TJ heading to us on the run. Dogs are gone over ridge out of ear shot, quickly down the road, dogs in good hearing & electricity came on # six. Partner said time for you to set some steel. We never pass up an opportunity to dump them on a hot coyote & give them a reminder as they are trying to get in the truck. My guess coyote are at least 15 to 1 more than bobs. Just goes to show you guys correct in being suspicious. I do tend to stay relaxed once I trust the dogs. These dogs do run fox, but, to our knowledge have never ran a fox or seen sign in that area. Al

[Liz ODell]

If you are going to have a shit race this is the time of the year it's most likely to happen, deer are still rutty or just getting that way, coyotes are starting to come in heat, piss and roll around on everything and the actual onset of winter sometimes changes animals patterns and sometimes you look longer for something to run and meanwhile thos edogs are getting hot and bored.
Hard to say cause I wasn't there but yeah dogs know when they are being set up, also most smart dogs dont just run deer, they run A deer, why they pick that one out of the crowd, well the dog and maybe the deer are the only ones that know.
I really don't have many shit races but I do run multiple species with my dogs and 90% of the time turn loose on blind strikes where I have not seen evidence of what it is, but still I find myself bristled with suspicion at least a few times a year, ranting, raving, cussing, finger on the button...but yet there is that lingering doubt that keeps my finger from deploying electricity and just about the time I can't take anymore....treed.
It is a hard decision to be made and there has been times when I'm still not sure and have called dogs off a track and just loaded them and said not a word either way to them just because I was not sure 100% either way but they did come to me like I asked so that's where it ends. There will never be a simple solution, I do spend time looking for the track of what they are running when I'm unsure, if you have GPS that should at least make that simpler.

[al baldwin]

Yes guys hunting friend did use garmin to assist in finding coyote track and hound tracks to confirm that was a for sure coyote race. A good reason to hunt in the day. Merlo, remember most crossins are used by both cat and coyote, & for me always been much easier to read races better in the day hours. Al

[Tim Pittman]

Lot of good advice, but heres something on a different note. If it didn't tree, and was still running--why wasn't the dog ???? Not saying the others aren't right, just gotta ask yourself, if it smelled good enough to do all that and then ends----??? Deer don't tree, coyotes don't tree, was there a hole or bayup?? If that pup is from my cross, if she takes after her dad, she'll box and run anything at that age. Had him at 10 months old start lots of tracks in front of and behind good cathounds, and even catch his own cat. Turn around and run down and flank a deer coming home from a tree. There are no straight young dogs especially at them ages. JMO

[merlo_105]

I agree lots of good advice, Tim yes its that pup and we have talked so you know how she is doing. Just wanted to see what eveyone would think about letting a 10 month old strike most your tracks... Would people put enough trust in a pup to dump the box or let out a few other young ones. The pup who struck the Cat has been on enough to know what she is suppose to be doing. Not saying she wont trash but only had one race where I didnt throw a check dog in with her and never seen what crossed the road so that day who knows. The pup I let take the track is just about 2 yrs old, thought she was 1 and a half. That dog has been on 6o plus cat so she knows whats she needs to do. Only had two trash races out of her the first week I hunted her and the other day. Both were tracks she didnt start just got drugged into it by the smell. Anyways yeah this be the season for some sweet sounding crap races.