Sorry not to have given an update sooner, but Dad has had me running the roads. We have been to GA, MS and South Texas hunting in the last three weeks. That is not counting the last week of non stop hunting in Florida.
We finished the Florida Hunt with 65 Cat caught or treed in 43 days of hunting in January and February. (6 of these were treed in Arkansas before we headed to Florida.) We were able to retrieve and weigh 19 Cat; 13 Tom’s avg. 27 # and Races that were an avg. of 45 minutes in length with the longest being the 35 ½ #er’s 2 hour and 5 minute Race. 6 Sows avg. 20 #’s and their Races lasted an avg. of 1hour and 15 minutes with the longest being 2:35.
We made it back to Arkansas in time to make one last February hunt. We went down to Glens with 12 of Dads hounds and 3 of the one year old Pups.
As we entered the Club where we were going to Hunt and were about to stop and put out the first set of Hounds to empty out, the Dog Box literally blew up. A Cat had exposed himself right at the intersection. We stopped and I turned one side out, most of the Hounds went to the front of the truck and barked where the Cat had come out into the road. Ole Rip went to the back of the truck and found where the Cat had gone up the road to the South.
It took a little time for all the Hounds to catch up with Rip, Cherokee and Brandy. When all the Hounds arrived the “Opry” kicked off in High Style! Cimarron, one of the Pups went to the front and screamed her intention to pull the Cat’s tail. Chick and Rivers were quick to bellow out that the Cat’s life expectancy was much shorter than mere minutes before. The Race was as intense as any that we have had this year.
It was too intense to last! So after 27 minutes, the Cat took option two of the Fly, Climb, or Die options. After all the Roar, the silence was deafening, then there was literally a voice in the Wilderness. Ole Sambo started treeing and I marked it on the Garmin. We drove to within 30 yards of the Tree, then Mr. Bud, Mike Paul, and I walked in. I told them that we were within 15 feet of the tree when Mike said here the Cat is.
The Cat was about 40 feet up a Pine…a handsome big Tom. Mr. Bud said that he would go get a Saw and dropped the tree so we could run the Cat some more. I asked to show them how the Paintball Gun worked…needless to say doubters were in the majority, but they agreed to try it. I hollered to Glen, who was at the Truck with Dad to bring the bag with the Paintball gun. He arrived and we assembled the gun and took aim. The Cat was too high up for a punch pole so our options were limited to the Saw or the Paintball gun. I put the first shot to far forward the second was a Bullseye, right on the Cats butt…and out he came. The doubters were now believers in the Paintball gun.
The Cat ran another 10 min then up a tree he went. Ole Rip decided that the Treeing thing was alright and sat down and treed like one of Mike Paul’s Mt. Curs. Sambo was quick to join in, we found the Cat and Mr. Bud popped him out. This Race lasted 15 minutes before up again in a taller tree. This time was Glens turn with the Paintball gun….no grown man had more fun than Glen was having. These Running Walker Dogs were treeing like competition Coon Hounds.
Glen took aim and went to popping the Cat around its shoulders. The Cat went to swatting the Paintballs that were missing him. It was just too funny. We debated leaving the Cat but Mike had some one who wanted to mount it so out he came. This race lasted five minutes or so then we were able to take the Cat to the truck for the scales. They said a heavy 28#.
View My Video
Big Cat up Pine Tree.
View My Video
Video of Glen sending Paintballs at the Cat.
Picture of Dad, Mike Paul, and Mr. Bud Rybard with the 28# Tom.
Dad and I went to the Gathering of South Texas Bobcat Hunters the end of last week.
We hunted Friday night with 16 of the Best Cat Hunters in Texas and 18 of the best of the best Cat Hounds. Saturday night we went to Woodsboro, TX and hunted with Sotxcathunter and his friend Mr. Weaver. We had a hell of a Race which I will tell about in the next story.
Good Running to All!
C. John Clay
Dads Dogboy
