BigGameHoundsmen.com

Yes cats leave toe nail tracks in the snow more times than one thinks. Have walked a lot of miles fallowing these buggers for alot of years. Just caught a big tom the other day that looked so close to a big yote that it was unbelievable. Andy

Have you seen the video of eagles killing wolves in Mongolia? It is hard to believe but the eagles make short work of the wolves.They sure make good wolves out of them quick. Dewey

Warner5, I 100% agree with you that there is alot of older generation cat hunters that are the real deal, We wouldn't be where we are today without them. I think there is alot of younger generations coming up in the cat hunting world that are going to be really good cat men becuase of guys like you and others that share your knowledge to the rest of us on this website right here. I hope I didn't offend you in any way.

Folks,

I have been down with the "Springtime" Crud so have not been on here for a few days, this is a darn good thread.

I sure like the story of the Owl catching a Bobcat! We have seen where a couple of Yotes got one but never an Owl or Eagle (in Florida and AR we have lots of Bald Eagles in the Winter....guess they are Fish eaters)

Now Bobcat Tracks, in Florida the sand has been compared to "Year Round Snow" by David. We can generally find a Track of every Cat Struck. We try to determine Sow or Tom early on. Then if the Heat gets turned up and the Catch is close we will blow the Truck horn and stop the Hounds if the Cat is a Sow.

We recognize the Tracks as Mr Dewey has described, the shape and size of the toe will help in determining wether it is a Young Tom or Sow.

This is not 100% accurate....nothing is in Bobcat Hunting....but pretty accurate. Finding the Cat's Track and trying to GUESS what Sex it is, is always a fun part of the Total Bobcat Hunting experience!

Good to see you on here again C John Clay: Looking for the cats tracks at a strike is one of the most important things that one can to to help and improve there dogs. I like to go with people and watch them and there dogs work it says a lot to me about a cat hunter if he is looking for the tracks on a strike. It also says a lot about a guy if he does not look. Rule number one for me is the dogs hunt with me not I with them. I tell all the young guys that hunt with me when you understand this you will start to become a good hound man. Dewey

Truely great thread! You got me coming to the watering hole. Drinking deep.

So why look for tracks on a strike Dewey? Don't trust the dogs?

I have never owned a broke dog in my life. No I don't trust the dogs to go the right way, to be on what I want to run or to make a mistake once in a while. As much knowledge that can get from a start, the less mistakes they or I make. It is up to me to teach them what I want isn't it. Dewey

I think the more you know from the start the less you'll be second guessing yourself or the dogs when there's a loss or hickup in the run later on. It's tough enough to find a bear track on our hard roads much less a cat track (though I don't run cats on dirt) but it sure is nice to know for a fact which direction a critter went.

Catdogs wrote: "So why look for tracks on a strike Dewey? Don't trust the dogs?"

Trust but Verify!

I bet that there was a bit of Humor in your Post, just as Mr. Dewey Posting that he has never seen a BROKE Hound is probably said a little Tongue in Cheek.

There are lots of reasons to look for the Tracks, as listed in the previous Posts.

I know that lots of Folks really think that We and Mr. Dewey pull their legs when we relate how We and Our Hounds Hunt. That our results and Hounds abilities are exagerated, thats OK. We do not Hunt for the approval of others only for our Hounds and Ourselves, However we are willing to share to try and help others.

Yet we are thousands of miles apart, and Hunt our Hounds similarly with results that others can not relate to.

South Texan and several in his Small Circle of REAL Houndsmen have the same kind of Hounds thet "HUNT with THEM" and do things that other good Hunters in South Texas can only DREAM of!

Little things like always looking for the Varmits Track, telling what your Hounds are doing by truly LISTENING to them, not putting up with Back Tracking under any circmustances, trying to be with the Hounds at the Tree or Catch no matter how Bad the conditions. All of these things and many more subtle things rather than LUCK is what puts Ole Short
Tail on the Tailgate or up a Tree.

A very successful Man once told me that the "HARDER" he worked the "LUCKIER" he got!

Well said C. John Clay. I very seldom run any trash with any of my dogs. And I have seen people buy a really good broke dog and have it running everything in a few months. It is not up to the dog it is up to the hunter as far as to what you are running. Second rule of cat hunting. Dewey

Very well put Dewey, this is where alot of hunters go wrong a houndsmen should be there to help aid the dogs (in any way possible) to make the chase and catch as sucsessful as you can. Yes a person does have to trust the hounds at certain points. I hunt snow and you can bet your bottom dollar when I find a track I make sure the dogs get pointed in the right direction from the get go. Andy