The Ultimate Bobcat Dog, PART ONE...

[Dan McDonough]

10-4, Yeti was raised sharing a fence line with terriers and has been around pups and all sorts of other dogs. The one thing I hadn't gotten to was running him with the leopards and other hounds. I like to do that when their young so that you can hark them into a race when it gets close to the road and they will slam right through the hounds and grab the coyote. There aren't many chances for the stags to just run one down in the open here because there isn't much open here. They still do a bang up job in the woods if you hunt them right. I'm still waiting for one of them to run s stick through itself though. That's one of my fears with them driving so hard in the bush. Oddly enough it hasn't happened yet.

What kind of ingredients do you have in those dogs. They look like a JRT/running walker cross.

[Dan Edwards]

They are definitely not that. HAHA! They are just lil pups is all. I cant spill the secret on thl but I will tell ya here. They are just half running hound with 1/4 sighthound, 1/8th Airedale and 1/8th bulldog in them. They are granddaughters to my Stitch dog and out of his son that I call Junior.

[Dan McDonough]

You know there's something about dogs that dog things that other dogs do not that is just fascinating and those dogs sitting up there were they "shouldn't be". I keep thinking about them all evening wondering what there going to do on all kinds of game...cool stuff!

[Dan Edwards]

I hear ya for sure. I had a lil black terrier that a buddy of mine got for me that was an amazing dog but the one thing that made me really like him was this. When we coyote hunt my dogs just ride loose in the back of the truck. Well this lil shit would literally jump up and stand on the bed rail and walk back and forth on it without falling off nor getting knocked off by the big dogs lookin out. Like you said, dogs doing things that others don't do.

[mark]

Dan, one of your projects has escaped. Looks like you may have the cold nose dialed in though. Just funnin with ya, good luck.

[slowandeasy]

That's Blues dog he is taking a whiff of. It would take me a while to run the hair off that sucker!!



Take care, Willie

[Dan McDonough]

That dog has half a brain. I hope he's as cold nosed as he appears, he's going to need it to find the other half.

[dpetty]

An interesting thing about collies as of late. I see where several are being used by a kennel for cell phone detection dogs in prisons. Now typically criminals smuggle the cell phone in the only opening you have large enough for one to go. Anything that can scent detect a cell phone buried in there or after must have a good nose to detect after where it was or is when they detect it. In other words they should make you good dogs for cats.

Von Liche kennels scroll down for a Border Collie named Max: http://www.vohneliche.com/joomla/index. ... 7&Itemid=9

[Dan Edwards]

I know you are just jokin around but these dogs can all smell bout the same give or take to be honest. I know that my greyhounds even can smell any coyote track that my running dogs can and yes they will even take a track. I've seen a few of them take a track for a mile and a half before especially when they are young. One differentiates them is their desire to keep fooling with it. That's where they fall short.

[Dan McDonough]

I had Tommy and Vicki (was calling her Foxy but Vicki is sticking) out Mon. and they jumped a cat. Pretty exciting to see how jacked up they are for cat sent. It's definitely their favorite scent so far and that's going to be a big help. The leash law is on here and I'm not supposed to take the dogs out off lead for until bear training season so I'll be absent for a while. You know what I'll be doing.

For any of the other guys out there that have dogs out there out of this cross or a similar cross, I have a tip for you. Make a good thin slip lead and take these dogs for walks in by a bunch of houses. If you can get in by lake houses all the better. It's a really good way to get the young ones going like mad for any critter you'll slip it to. You can work out all of the breaking off things you don't want them running when they are adults. The amount of action you can get them on is off of the charts. If someone whines about it just let them know that the clip came off of your lead and you are trying to get them back (true).

[Dan McDonough]

Making a good slip lead. Here is what has worked the best for me so far. Purchase the cheapest puppy lead you can get. They are usually nylon, about 5/16" wide and very thin. Un-sew the end that holds the clip on and burn the end of it. Save the slip for hanging water buckets or whatever you want. The end you were supposed to hold when the clip was still on there should have a loop to put your wrist through, that stays as is. Now, feed the loose end through the collar ring and put it back in hour hand against the base of the loop (that is around your wrist) and hold both together. When you want to "slip" your dog into a critter, just let go. The loop will stay around your wrist and the lead will slide through the ring on your dogs collar easily and off it goes. The slip lead will gain you precious seconds when a critter is spotted and up your catch rate dramatically.

Remember to bring your cheap slip lead with you when you get suckered into going into the suburbs to visit family and you have nothing to do after church and before lunch. The suburban neighborhoods are filthy with game and you can go for a walk and have one heck of a time. When you slip your dog just stand there with a stupic look on your face like, "How in the hell did that clip come off, I just bought this lead!"

I realize this is being naughty some, but it's worth it!

[Dan McDonough]

They are working bobcats on their own well now. I've been going down South of the cutoff for the leashed dog restriction which is about 20 miles South of my house. There are some great areas that don't get a lot of pressure because it's also in the bobcat no-kill zone of the state. This is working out well because I go down there to fish for the dogs spring food source. If I just take a couple of dogs in the car (42 m.p.g.) I can run in the morning and fish in the afternoon and kill two birds with one stone. If I bring butter and salt, I can eat while I'm fishing. The fish run only lasts for a couple of weeks and it is a fun time as long as it's not raining. On the bright side, there aren't very many people fishing when it's raining and I don't have to cast around other people's lines. I'm usually the only one there fishing for shad besides the little kids though. Two good sized shad per day takes care of the dogs very well and they get four if I'm running them a lot. The dogs look better on whole fish than any other food source I use. It sure is a fun time of the year.

The dog fox are out working hard to feed their vixen and her pups. I'm hoping to get some more fox races in soon. I haven't been seeing much fox sign where I've been running lately but I've got several areas in mind after the fish stop running.

[Dan Edwards]

Man that sounds like fun.

[Dan McDonough]

The walleyes are running like mad but the shad/shiners are not running hard yet. Back to the woods. There is a pine plantation that needs a couple of lurchers skipping through it.

[Dirty Jim]

Do you just feed them the whole fish Dan? Also check your pm.