Hello Folkes!
Just said Goodbye to a true gentleman and good Bobcat Hunter who was down for some hunting.
Hipshooter, who you all have read post from on here is a Class Act. He knows Hounds and while his tastes differ from ours, that is why the Good Lord made Chocolate and Vanilla; Blondes, Redheads and Brunetts; Plotts, Julys, Walkers, & Curs!
Dad took Hipshooter down for a night with Glen and his Pack Friday night, they had all the luck as last night we went with Hipshooters 4 Hounds and 4 of Dads. We had one of those nights where we should have stayed home and watched the Boobtube. It was just too pretty a night! You could have heard a hound a mile away, problem was Hounds could not smell.
We struck 7 or so different Cat from the Rig and trailed two a ways then nothing. The others, we never got a bark on the ground. Would have been easy to blame it on sorry Hounds but we know ours and Hipshooter's Andy can trail anywhere there is enough scent. NO SCENT...NO BARK!
We hunted from 7:30 last night to after 3 this morning before throwing in the towel!
So long for now, and just so you know, if Hipshooter writes it, it is from a REAL DEAL, not a Wanttobe!
C. John Clay
Dads Dogboy
Bobcat Hunters
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Dads dogboy
- Babble Mouth
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- Location: Central Arkansas
Re: Bobcat Hunters
Boy Mr. Clay, I enjoy reading your stories and you have a way with words, but sometimes you might want to re-read (out loud) what you write. When you said "Just said good-bye to a true gentleman..." it sounded like you were paying your last respects!
Keep 'em coming though, I sure enjoy 'em.
Tom.
Keep 'em coming though, I sure enjoy 'em.
Tom.
Remember: alcohol won't solve your problems....but neither does milk.
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Hipshooter
- Bawl Mouth
- Posts: 288
- Joined: Sun Aug 05, 2007 5:46 pm
- Location: Kansas
A man is not very smart that can,t find his wife 2 jobs.
And any wife should be able to support her man and a pack of hounds.
Never shock your dog off bad game
untill he knows what good game is. - Location: Kansas
Re: Bobcat Hunters
When u travel 500 mile to hunt cats with the best cat hunter in the USA & don,t get a bark all nighti is like getting the last respects. I know it was not the dogs fault, just bad night for scenting.
John, I got home safe & sound.
Top that off my dogs didn,t even trash. Scenting conditions were so bad they could not even trash.
Thanks for the great southern hospitality.
I have been dreaming if I only had one rig dog, I have andy to see if he is lieing & get the cat going, I do believe I would be in bussines.
That rigging is the only way to go.
Thanks again for a great time
John, I got home safe & sound.
Top that off my dogs didn,t even trash. Scenting conditions were so bad they could not even trash.
Thanks for the great southern hospitality.
I have been dreaming if I only had one rig dog, I have andy to see if he is lieing & get the cat going, I do believe I would be in bussines.
That rigging is the only way to go.
Thanks again for a great time
Re: Bobcat Hunters
Mr Clay,
Are you able to start as many cats rigging as you would roading? Do you think you miss the colder tracks? I use to have a dog that would rig a cat out of the coupe. Didn't train him to, he was just a good start dog and could bout smell where a cat was born
I have a couple that I think might be able to do it with a little work. I just never hunted that way. Sounds like it might be the ticket. Wish ya'll would have had better luck. That's why it's called huntin and not catching. 
Derek
Are you able to start as many cats rigging as you would roading? Do you think you miss the colder tracks? I use to have a dog that would rig a cat out of the coupe. Didn't train him to, he was just a good start dog and could bout smell where a cat was born
I have a couple that I think might be able to do it with a little work. I just never hunted that way. Sounds like it might be the ticket. Wish ya'll would have had better luck. That's why it's called huntin and not catching. Derek
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Hipshooter
- Bawl Mouth
- Posts: 288
- Joined: Sun Aug 05, 2007 5:46 pm
- Location: Kansas
A man is not very smart that can,t find his wife 2 jobs.
And any wife should be able to support her man and a pack of hounds.
Never shock your dog off bad game
untill he knows what good game is. - Location: Kansas
Re: Bobcat Hunters
John,
I don,t know if I derserve all thoes kind words,
but one thing I forgot is what a fine cook your momie is.
The food was worth the trip alone.
John is the expert on rigging I am sure he will fill us in.
There are only a very few hunters that rig cats in the central USA
I can count them on one hand & have one finger left.
Don,t ask what a rigg dog is worth
You don,t want to know.
Money can,t buy one.
I don,t know if I derserve all thoes kind words,
but one thing I forgot is what a fine cook your momie is.
The food was worth the trip alone.
John is the expert on rigging I am sure he will fill us in.
There are only a very few hunters that rig cats in the central USA
I can count them on one hand & have one finger left.
Don,t ask what a rigg dog is worth
You don,t want to know.
Money can,t buy one.
Re: Bobcat Hunters
Boy, I'm trying to study for a test for work and all I can think about now is throwing a couple dogs on the rig box and doing some training. Hunting is more fun when your striving for something better. I may never be able to do it but it will be fun trying.
Derek
Derek
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Dads dogboy
- Babble Mouth
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- Location: Arkansas
- Location: Central Arkansas
Re: Bobcat Hunters
DerekE,
You will strike more Cat from the Top than you will road hunting!
You will only move 1/4 to 1/3 off the road as they will strike lots more cold tracks from the Top.
Why?
Good Question! Our answer is that the Scent rises and hangs on the vegitation and is held by temperature inversions in the Air.
You will strike lots of "Cat Marks" where an ole Tom has stopped and excreted his Marking Scent from his Anal Glands. He may have done this yesterday or the day before, this Scent seems to last longer. In the sand in Florida you will generally find a "Cat Scrape" or "Kick" just like the Lion Hunters out west find. This is where your Hounds might switch on the ground if you are road hunting, but there is not enough scent to bark yet there is plenty of Scent in the Air and holding on the vegitation either side of the road.
On Saturday night with Hipshooter we struck the same Cat several different times further down a road or where he had and come out of a Block as he was feeding. We probably struck 6 or 7 different Cat but had 11 strikes in total. Road hunting you would have most likely struck two of these and been just as frustrated as we were in not being able to trail them! However your Hounds would have been footsore and road foundered after the 1st 45 miles, we taveled a little over 45 miles Saturday night and sometimes in Florida we will make 120 miles in a 15 hour Cathunting session!
Derek, if you are going to try to Rig, put down a piece of carpet or astroturf for them to stand on, and start hauling the Hounds that you think will rig. You have to let them learn how to stand up and feel comfortable before they will try to Hunt from the Top!
As to which Hounds will Rig, there is no telling who will work. Dad tries the Hound he thinks has the best nose and the quickest mouth. We have found that 90% of the Good Strike Road Hunting Hounds make good Rig dogs. However he has two that are great on the ground but just are not comforable up on Top! We have two that do not like to trot down the road but are maybe the two best young Rig Dogs Dad has!
Hope this helps! Ask any questions that come to mind and I will get Dad to give his opinion!
C. John Clay
Dads Dogboy
You will strike more Cat from the Top than you will road hunting!
You will only move 1/4 to 1/3 off the road as they will strike lots more cold tracks from the Top.
Why?
Good Question! Our answer is that the Scent rises and hangs on the vegitation and is held by temperature inversions in the Air.
You will strike lots of "Cat Marks" where an ole Tom has stopped and excreted his Marking Scent from his Anal Glands. He may have done this yesterday or the day before, this Scent seems to last longer. In the sand in Florida you will generally find a "Cat Scrape" or "Kick" just like the Lion Hunters out west find. This is where your Hounds might switch on the ground if you are road hunting, but there is not enough scent to bark yet there is plenty of Scent in the Air and holding on the vegitation either side of the road.
On Saturday night with Hipshooter we struck the same Cat several different times further down a road or where he had and come out of a Block as he was feeding. We probably struck 6 or 7 different Cat but had 11 strikes in total. Road hunting you would have most likely struck two of these and been just as frustrated as we were in not being able to trail them! However your Hounds would have been footsore and road foundered after the 1st 45 miles, we taveled a little over 45 miles Saturday night and sometimes in Florida we will make 120 miles in a 15 hour Cathunting session!
Derek, if you are going to try to Rig, put down a piece of carpet or astroturf for them to stand on, and start hauling the Hounds that you think will rig. You have to let them learn how to stand up and feel comfortable before they will try to Hunt from the Top!
As to which Hounds will Rig, there is no telling who will work. Dad tries the Hound he thinks has the best nose and the quickest mouth. We have found that 90% of the Good Strike Road Hunting Hounds make good Rig dogs. However he has two that are great on the ground but just are not comforable up on Top! We have two that do not like to trot down the road but are maybe the two best young Rig Dogs Dad has!
Hope this helps! Ask any questions that come to mind and I will get Dad to give his opinion!
C. John Clay
Dads Dogboy
Re: Bobcat Hunters
Hadn't thought about the quick mouth part but that makes sense. What do you think about putting a house cat in a trap off the road a bit to get them started rigging or to see which ones take to it better?
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Hipshooter
- Bawl Mouth
- Posts: 288
- Joined: Sun Aug 05, 2007 5:46 pm
- Location: Kansas
A man is not very smart that can,t find his wife 2 jobs.
And any wife should be able to support her man and a pack of hounds.
Never shock your dog off bad game
untill he knows what good game is. - Location: Kansas
Re: Bobcat Hunters
Derek,
I am going to try the house cat trick.
I ask mr Clay about this & he said it might work. Once u get one dog rigging, it is a lot eisier to get more started.
On the house cat water him down 1st & then squirt him with real bobcat scent that u can buy. I think this might work, but would be a lot of work & u know there is a lot of varmits they can rigg, so breaking them off rigging off game is a challenge. I had a bear dog that would rigg deer, but put him down to run the deer, he would not.
My take is u will get a lot of false starts rigging. They will blow up on the box & put them down & won,t get a bark, That cat scent hangs in the air a lot better than on the ground.
I may never get a cat rigging dog, but that is my focus now before I die.
I am going to try the house cat trick.
I ask mr Clay about this & he said it might work. Once u get one dog rigging, it is a lot eisier to get more started.
On the house cat water him down 1st & then squirt him with real bobcat scent that u can buy. I think this might work, but would be a lot of work & u know there is a lot of varmits they can rigg, so breaking them off rigging off game is a challenge. I had a bear dog that would rigg deer, but put him down to run the deer, he would not.
My take is u will get a lot of false starts rigging. They will blow up on the box & put them down & won,t get a bark, That cat scent hangs in the air a lot better than on the ground.
I may never get a cat rigging dog, but that is my focus now before I die.
Re: Bobcat Hunters
I think I'm going to work on this pretty heavy myself. We'll stay in touch and see if either of us is having any luck.
Derek
Derek
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Huntintony
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- Location: California
- Location: Western States
- Contact:
Re: Bobcat Hunters
Derek and Hipshooter,
I have been working on this since the first time I saw it happen. Had a guy down from Oregon that had dogs that would strike bobs off the truck and I have been hooked ever since. I put a stuffed animal soaked in bobcat sent right by the road, I mean damn near on the road and drove the dogs by it slow. I watched them closely and i could tell they were smelling it. They were looking at it trying to figure out what was up. Then I drove back by really slow and when I saw they were excited, I got out and got them going. Now I can put the stuffed animal about 35yrds off the road and they will hit most of the time as soon as they smell it. But let me tell you I have almost wore out tires in the process. Good luck and let me know how it goes for you.
Also, we have yet to strike a track off the truck but we'll keep trying..
Tony
I have been working on this since the first time I saw it happen. Had a guy down from Oregon that had dogs that would strike bobs off the truck and I have been hooked ever since. I put a stuffed animal soaked in bobcat sent right by the road, I mean damn near on the road and drove the dogs by it slow. I watched them closely and i could tell they were smelling it. They were looking at it trying to figure out what was up. Then I drove back by really slow and when I saw they were excited, I got out and got them going. Now I can put the stuffed animal about 35yrds off the road and they will hit most of the time as soon as they smell it. But let me tell you I have almost wore out tires in the process. Good luck and let me know how it goes for you.
Also, we have yet to strike a track off the truck but we'll keep trying..
Tony
Tony Steelman
Steelmanstrophyhuntingranch.com
Steelmanstrophyhuntingranch.com
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Dads dogboy
- Babble Mouth
- Posts: 1352
- Joined: Sat Mar 21, 2009 2:53 am
- Location: Arkansas
- Location: Central Arkansas
Re: Bobcat Hunters
Derek,
In Texas you should be able to use a live Bobcat, most states you can't but I am pretty sure in TX you can. Dad says that he feels this will be the best way to get Hounds to start rigging. Be sure to water the Cat down good to make him smell stronger!
Dad gave some more of his thoughts on the Rigging question post!
CJC
In Texas you should be able to use a live Bobcat, most states you can't but I am pretty sure in TX you can. Dad says that he feels this will be the best way to get Hounds to start rigging. Be sure to water the Cat down good to make him smell stronger!
Dad gave some more of his thoughts on the Rigging question post!
CJC