Hunting outside your area?

[mike martell]

This is an interesting thread!

When in doubt, it is human nature to challenge...I read a statement one time and it went like this...You don't know what you don't know....Not to many years ago, I wrote the book on that subject. It is not that hard to schedule a vacation or few days off to check this out in person and if you are serious about improving or debunking what you believe to be myth, you will do so with no excuses...Straight bobcat hunters are just that and break there dogs off lions and consider them trash out West....Possibly the only way to truly understand the composition of the hounds and the men behind them is to drive out and hunt...... The cool thing about this board is the connectivity with houndsmen from all around the World and can be used for gaining knowledge and friendships made! The bobcat hunters gathering is the best example in recent history and only because of this board has that come full circle. I find by doing so and seeing with my own eyes it has changed my perspective on judging what can and can't be done with hounds. Instead of saying it can't be done, stick to your expectations and you will discover it can be done any place in the world!

Take Care Guys!

Mike

[twist]

Mike, what i have experienced and witnessed is from see with my own eyes i have hunted other states. I have seen dogs look outstanding in other areas and go somewhere else and have to aclaimate before they new what they wete doing. I have takin my dogs to othet states of different climates and yes they work but not like they do here with time yes i believe they would get the hang of things. I promise you that just because a dog catches cats in one area it will not be that way in all other areas until it is exposed to the conditions of the area. I am opened minded i am trying new dogs all the time to see if something is better than what i have. But in theend they are all just dogs none walk on water. Andy

[Big N' Blue]

I am going to interject a little common sense to this thread. There are times and trailing conditions that no dog will look worth a shit in any terrain! That being said there are times and conditions that mediocre dogs will look good in certain conditions. A real bobcat pack will look good in most conditions. I have had the privilege to hunt with many packs in many different states and sometimes it is Steak! And sometime it is Potatoes! When you have steak and potatoes at the same time, enjoy it while it last!

[stacey robeson]

I dont know any of you fellas but I have logged in western oregon for 12 years and have seen 4 bobcats with no dogs just on the way to work. I personally believe we have a huge population of bobcats, but I have also hunted around in wyoming with a buddy and put over 800 miles on his rig in three days only to cut 2 tracks in what I would have called perfect cat country. They were bigger bobs than ive ever seen but oregon is probly hard to beat for population. And not to put down anyone but its hard to beat a guy at his trade. Again I dont know any of you just thought id throw this out there.

[Big N' Blue]

I dont know any of you fellas but I have logged in western oregon for 12 years and have seen 4 bobcats with no dogs just on the way to work. I personally believe we have a huge population of bobcats, but I have also hunted around in wyoming with a buddy and put over 800 miles on his rig in three days only to cut 2 tracks in what I would have called perfect cat country. They were bigger bobs than ive ever seen but oregon is probly hard to beat for population. And not to put down anyone but its hard to beat a guy at his trade. Again I dont know any of you just thought id throw this out there.

When i had coon dogs and was hunting in the Trinity river bottoms of east Texas. I had been hunting in the south pasture and treeing 4-6 coons a night 5-6 nights a week. I bought a house down there to get my kids in a decent school district and met 3 coon hunters that had been hunting the north pasture and they informed me that I had moved to the wrong place to coon hunt as distemper had wiped out most of the coon. After hunting with me for a few weeks, they said the coon have sure moved back in here! Wonder what happened? They finally met real coon dogs!! The same goes for cat dogs!

[twist]

David your statement is true about dog looking good one day and maybe not the next but i have seen good bobcat dogs from one are come to another and not even know the track existed when dogs from that area leave on the track with snow a flying. I am not talking any other critters as i dont run them so dont know what dogs from other area will do on them. I know my dogs would look silly going to other climate area compared to dogs that are aclaimated there. The reason i say this is i have done it not one to say somthing unless seen it first hand many times. I sure welcome anyone that has any doubt to brig your dogs up during season and lets have a fun time hunting i promise to show anyone a few cats and have memories of a life time. I have hunted different climates and i can promise this my dogs sure werent the same there as they are here jmo. Andy

[dhostetler]

Mike, I have an open invitation from 2 Oregon guys to come out there to hunt and one of these times I will. They text me quite a few pictures, so I know they are pretty successful. I have a business with 22 employees so my work conflicts quite a bit with my hunting. I enjoy Bobcat hunting but it is not a high enough priority for me to break my dogs off other game. I tree or bay between 50 to 100 lions, bears, bobcats, & big foot bobcats a year, if I would run only bobcats I would be very hard pressed to walk into 20 trees a year. I have no problem to take a week off every once in a while to hunt bear in Idaho, so I know I could find the time to go to Oregon.

I also believe the definition of catching something varies quite a bit. I have treed bobcats that it took me a long time to find in the tree and our trees aren't near as big as coastal Oregon trees, I have on occasion not found them. I just have a hard time seeing how you can catch 90 bobcats and occasionally not be able to find them in a tree. I count only game as caught that I could shoot. If my dogs run something into a hole and I can't see it I don't count it as caught. If my dogs bay or walk a bear, I consider it a catch only if it presents a .44 shot.

[al baldwin]

Al : I have had better dogs than these but not as many good dogs at one time. I miss cats just not many during hunting season. I know of a good cat hunter that is close to 90 treed or caught cat in a row this year. It is do to several things mostly a good well trained pack that moves a track fast and no dogs that take away from treeing bobcats and has something to add. No dog is perfect I don't mind a dog as long as it does not take away from the pack catching cats. Know what adds to a pack and what takes away is one of the keys to bobcat hunting that is hard to spot. Bobcat are not hard to catch with the right dogs and the right hunter. Do you think maybe I keep the best and have a little better knowledge and time to train and condition them to peak at the beginning of bobcat season. It is a little different when you do it as your job. Dewey

Thanks Dewey, hunting as your job would make a difference. Need to say I believe the pups you produce would give anyone a good chance of finding a hound that would catch bobcat, when buying a pup. And from what I hear your prices are reasonable for well bred pups. I have not heard anyone say there young dog from your line is not a good track dog. Thanks Al