animals controlling their scent?

[Nolte]

I don't know much but here is my take. I think atmospheric conditions play a much greater role than a particular animal does. In some instances, it just seems darn near impossible to trail anything. The next time the dogs fly down one. I think in rare instances animals do something that just seems to wash their scent for awhile and sometimes it's only to a few of the dogs while another can trail fine.

The second part of this discussion are the scenting around roads. Roads are a blessing and a curse depending on the situation. For whatever reason, dogs just can't seem to smell as good ON the road. It might be build up of old grime from vehicle travel or it might be the composition of the road itself, I don't really know. Then there are two distinct variations to how a critter (and dogs) approach a road. Some critters will run down the road and others go straight across. Likewise some dogs will burn straight down the road/trail as soon as they hit it and others will automatically bog across. They won't even entertain the thought that an animal may have walked down the road instead of across it. In either case it messes up the dogs and that extra few seconds (or many minutes) may make the difference in the outcome of the race. One thing I heard a long time ago has always popped up though "Good dogs make up for bad conditions".

If you got dog that can cold trail a tough track DOWN a black top road, you've got a damn good dog. No doubt about it.

[driftwood blue]

I don't know much but here is my take. I think atmospheric conditions play a much greater role than a particular animal does. In some instances, it just seems darn near impossible to trail anything. The next time the dogs fly down one. I think in rare instances animals do something that just seems to wash their scent for awhile and sometimes it's only to a few of the dogs while another can trail fine.

The second part of this discussion are the scenting around roads. Roads are a blessing and a curse depending on the situation. For whatever reason, dogs just can't seem to smell as good ON the road. It might be build up of old grime from vehicle travel or it might be the composition of the road itself, I don't really know. Then there are two distinct variations to how a critter (and dogs) approach a road. Some critters will run down the road and others go straight across. Likewise some dogs will burn straight down the road/trail as soon as they hit it and others will automatically bog across. They won't even entertain the thought that an animal may have walked down the road instead of across it. In either case it messes up the dogs and that extra few seconds (or many minutes) may make the difference in the outcome of the race. One thing I heard a long time ago has always popped up though "Good dogs make up for bad conditions".

If you got dog that can cold trail a tough track DOWN a black top road, you've got a damn good dog. No doubt about it.

That is sure a great thought... one of the reasons so many hounds get ironed out on the blacktop.--they get on there and just cannot move on and along comes the mighty Ford...
that fits right in with one thing I seen many times in the 60'S. a good houndsman and I hunted on a place on Clear Creek in S.C. Kansas.. ever once in a while the ol coon would head up one of 2 small branches that crossed an oilfield road--END of Race.

My thoughts are that oil products will cover the scent.

[Badge215]

I don't know much but here is my take. I think atmospheric conditions play a much greater role than a particular animal does. In some instances, it just seems darn near impossible to trail anything. The next time the dogs fly down one. I think in rare instances animals do something that just seems to wash their scent for awhile and sometimes it's only to a few of the dogs while another can trail fine.

The second part of this discussion are the scenting around roads. Roads are a blessing and a curse depending on the situation. For whatever reason, dogs just can't seem to smell as good ON the road. It might be build up of old grime from vehicle travel or it might be the composition of the road itself, I don't really know. Then there are two distinct variations to how a critter (and dogs) approach a road. Some critters will run down the road and others go straight across. Likewise some dogs will burn straight down the road/trail as soon as they hit it and others will automatically bog across. They won't even entertain the thought that an animal may have walked down the road instead of across it. In either case it messes up the dogs and that extra few seconds (or many minutes) may make the difference in the outcome of the race. One thing I heard a long time ago has always popped up though "Good dogs make up for bad conditions".

If you got dog that can cold trail a tough track DOWN a black top road, you've got a damn good dog. No doubt about it.

That is sure a great thought... one of the reasons so many hounds get ironed out on the blacktop.--they get on there and just cannot move on and along comes the mighty Ford...
that fits right in with one thing I seen many times in the 60'S. a good houndsman and I hunted on a place on Clear Creek in S.C. Kansas.. ever once in a while the ol coon would head up one of 2 small branches that crossed an oilfield road--END of Race.

My thoughts are that oil products will cover the scent.

The Lees talked about the scent being turned off in one of their books back in the 1960,. Over the years I have had it happen as well as some the best hunters and hounds in Canada. We as well as all other animals change our scent when our thoughts change. We all have felt the chill run up our back when something scares us, well your scent changed at that time. Become aggressive and show it, your scent will change. I once had the hounds stop moving a trail from a run to a slow walk, but continued for over a mile, then walked as if the cat had vanished. They walked around a thick bush area about fifty feet across. I hollard and fired a shot from a 357 and all hell brocke
loose. The shot change the cat from being aggresive to fright. And it ran and treed wthin 200 feet. Think about it, when it happend to you.

[Redtickwalker]

I am really enjoying all the diffrent takes on it! I have heard before to check the smoke coming out of houses chimmney before. if the smoke is coming out and then down the dogs have to keep there noses right in the track to get the scent thus making them slower at the chase. if smoke was coming out and going up the scent wout do the same and dogs could drift the scent and smoke the Kitty. so I am wondering if it would be more of the geothermals and temps? one time i cut a smoking fresh bobcat track and my hounds wanted nothing to do with it! nothing at all! i spent a long time trying to make them go! so i went on up the road to see if i could cut it again i didnt so about an hour later i made my way back and i was going to walk the track out with my best dog and see what happens and when he hit the ground he struck and took off like a bullet on the track!!!!! so I dumped the box? same cat track and one hour later and they took off like a bullet?