Weekend Cat Hunts

[al baldwin]

For a lot of years I belonged to the local hound clubs, starting in the mid sixties the club was called Southwestern Houndsmen Association, after that one expired the Club was called Coquille Valley Houndsmen. Both clubs held weekend hunts starting Friday PM & end Sunday PM. Most of the local hunters paid 5 to ten dollars to enter, rules were simple a fresh caught critter had to be weighted on a club certified scale and the largest was the winner. There was also a yearly contest, hunter winning the most hunts in a years time was awarded with a nice plaque. Also plaque for the hunter who weighted in the largest critter for the year. Club membership was not required to enter these weekend club hunts, but membership was required to compete in yearly awards. As you might think, these hunts were very competitive at times, some hunted night & day others day only. I believe most realized these hunts did not prove who had the best cat dog, but it did prove those that constantly weighted in a cat at least owned dogs that caught cat. There were weekends when not one single cat was caught, weekends when several were caught, competitive as these were the best part was once a month club members met and enjoyed reliving the hunts.
Any one who caught two cats in one day or one weekend considered that a good hunt. That is not to say someone could not catch four or five cats a day, just can/t recall anyone ever saying they caught that many.
I was as competitive as any in those days & hunted hard to win, often walking the rough rocky areas hoping to find a big tom that My dogs could tree in those areas. Sometimes it worked other times not so good. Recall catching 27 & 26 pound toms one weekend, but lost the hunt because another hunter caught a 28 lb. tom. Also recall winning a hunt with a very hard running small female that was the only cat caught by those who entered that hunt.
How many cats can one catch in a day here in Oregon? You will need to ask someone besides me. Thanks Al

[dhostetler]

Well I might be competive afterall. A guy I know hunted with Art Ragsdall one time and I forget the numbers but it was some ungodly amount like 17 in 5 days or something like that. A lot of guys posted about doubling up dogs. The one dog competition is a good to compete dog against dog but I think the most successful hunters hunt with more than one dog that compliment each other. My best cat dog is a loose Bruce walker/bluetick but if I run my Plott with her they are a lot more deadly. My Plott will run a colder track looser, on the jump they are close to the same however my walker/bluetick is a better locator. I have some pups coming up that I think will be deadly on bobcats but I am afraid I might end up running Roosevelts into the Pacific with them.

[al baldwin]

[quote="dhostetler"]Well I might be competive afterall. A guy I know hunted with Art Ragsdall one time and I forget the numbers but it was some ungodly amount like 17 in 5 days or something like that.
That is very possible & I don/t doubt it, but if you do that consistent here in Coos County you will have hunters very interested in the dogs you are hunting. I was told a hunter couple hundred miles north caught eight one weekend last winter. Here a three cat day is hard to come by and a real treat. There are some locked areas that have the best population, so if you get to hunt those things could be better. Good luck & hope you get to hunt in the competition. Al

[dhostetler]

Al don't quote me on the 17 in 5 days, my memory is very vague about the amount it might have been 11 in in 5 days????

[1bludawg]

Remember guys ,Jc is using 2 judges.You won't have to worry about anyone using a creative form of math to get their count up.While the hunt can't be absolutely equal because of hunting different weekends under somewhat different conditions it will still be a good hunt.Word about the hunt is getting around and more guys are thinking about entering.

[Unreal_tk]

Al,

The OUSDA still does a yearly weight hunt. One cat per month, total weight wins. Just weigh your cat on a certified scale with a witness. Only 3 people entered the western side of the state. Y'all should enter in it.

[Varminator]

Unreal, Western cats are smaller than Eastern cats!! If Y'all spot the boys from the west a few pounds, some might enter!!

Over here a 30 lb. cat is 2-3 in a life time if your lucky, and over there they catch one every year!!

[al baldwin]

I use to enter the state weigh hunt for years, best I ever did was a second. In those days when I treed a big cat I would leave it and return to hunt for it when a hunt was on. For several years seems was able to find one nice size cat here, about 30 lb. range, then seem was lucky to find a 20 lb. cat. The last year I decided to not join the state hunt anymore, but the same weekend there was a club hunt so I entered. I had hunted Saturday and most of Sunday & had not caught anything. On my way home about 3 pm , the old sister hound struck out of the box, ten minutes later had a 31 lb. cat treed. Won the club hunt & discovered that would have won the state hunt that year. I did 99% of my hunting in the day only. The last weigh hunt I entered, needed a win in the club hunts, had a hard race on a running female & put it in a covert, took the cat & won the club hunt. However I realized, a poor decision, any other time would have left that female to run again. Made a decision no more weigh hunts.
Commend JC for have a no kill hunt. Tried to get the state association to think along those lines with no success. Al

[Unreal_tk]

The contest is separated western compared to western, eastern to eastern Brad.

[Varminator]

Unreal, the last time I entered the State Bobcat Hunt was 1986. The hunt was state wide and the East side won as usual.

Al, that year (1986) I took 2nd in the State Bobcat Hunt with a #28 lb. Tom, that I had seen the week before chasing a yearling deer across the road while I was working up Palaski Cr. ( No Mark I didn't cold track a week old track up). Glen Sears was with me on that Hunt. We caught another cat that my dog climbed the tree and jumped out when the cat did and layed him up awhile.
When I first moved here, our Hound Club was called "South West Oregon Houndsman Association" I was a member in 1971, but can't recall the year it became Coquille Valley? It must have been in the early 70's I think?? I remember meeting at Harold Middleton's house and at Bandon somewhere, but not sure where? I think Jim Davis was the reason it lasted as long as it did! That sure brings back memories of old Dogs and Hunters.

[al baldwin]

Brad can/t recall year Coquille Valley started, Wendell & Bonnie Smith was the ones who started it. Know it was still active in 94. Those were good times, too bad some one don/t jump start it. In 87 I took second in state bobcat with a 26 & 1/2 lb. Surprised that even placed. Eastern has some big toms.
Brad do you recall the year you & tom Barnett were in the state bear hunt & i went with you guys, got that 358 lb. bear that would have won the state hunt, but a weigh master lost your weight slip. I believe that was in 73 and the CVHA was going then. I recall we floated that bear down Shasta Coasta creek and loaded on the rig intact. What a bunch of hard work, that seemed like fun then. That was the only bayed bear I ever seen stand up on it/s hind feet, made for an easy close range shot. That brush was so thick had it not stood up, may not of got a shot at that time. Course you Tom & George did a lot of the heavy work. Believe that was the only time I ever saw a cougar & bear caught in the same day. Good memories. Few hunters will ever realize what a good bayup bear hunter Tom Barnett was in those days. Al

[Varminator]

Al, Yes that was 1973 when the weigh master, young George Horner failed to turn in our weight slip "And" his own weight slip!! We had 1st. place State Bear and he had 2nd place State Bobcat. I didn't enter any hunts for several years after that.

I did get lucky and win it later with Wendall Smith in 1982 took 2nd in 1986 with Willis Sutton and Russel McCall , then won it with them in 1988. I entered it one year and treed 5 Bears and didn't place.
i DO MISS THAT HUNT!!!

[Varminator]

Al, Have you talked to Wendell since he moved to Nevada? I got a Cougar Tag for Nevada and plan on going this winter. I'm sure he has checked the country out!!

[al baldwin]

Had no idea Wendell moved to Nevada, that is a shocker. When did he move? Al

[Varminator]

Al, His son-in-laws family sold the Dairy near Arago and bought a cattle ranch close to Ely, Nevada.
I talked to Wendall just before they left. The way he explained the ranch, it sounds like a dream! It was a couple months ago when we spoke.
With a big creek that runs all year and 2 spring with water all year. Deer, Elk, and Antelope that are ranch residents. I know that a Big Cougar should swing through and counting on Wendall to keep an eye out for me..

I bet he wishes that he was in better shape and had any one of those dogs you sold him!!