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JC notice I never said what percent I/ve caught. Have never kept any records. Will say as I have often sure been humbled a bunch. When had decent dogs had a few good runs, but sure as I got cocky got knocked down. Those cats you are running are there because they have learned how to survive. Don/t let thier escape bother you look at them as trainers and good seed. Heck we sure need some seed. You could probly catch some of those, with perfect snow coniditions. Have a friend in central oregon, strait shooter, tells me those perfect snows make his catch rate go way up. And he is hunting dogs, close bred to the dogs I/ve owned. I for one know you had two good teacher, your dad & Lloyd. Sure you know cats. I talked to a real nice hunter in Oklahomia recently, he is hunting running dogs. Ask him if he caught all his races? He said Mr. Baldwin you make me smile, no one catches all they run. Years ago I got lucky got in on a timber land that had locked gates & security patrols. That sure was the best season I ever had, those cats had not been doged & it showed. Hang in there. Thanks Al Baldwin

J c. I put 30% just like you did.I hunted the coast almost exclusively all my life.I tried to be as honest with myself as I could be.There were years my % was alot higher and years it was alot lower.Beings the qualifer on the track was catchable tracks maybe I was to honest with myself.When I was a kid dad had pretty good cat dogs. Then we went thru a stretch we had dogs that were pretty good at both. Then we had a stretch we had pretty much straight bear dogs.Then I went thru a strech where I worked to much and probably shouldnt have even had hounds no more than I hunted them.Like you I have never just went out and bought a cat dog . Always raised them from pups or young dogs and did the best I could with them.It takes a long time to make a pack of cat dogs from scratch. i quit my job that I worked to much about 6.5 years ago I and am just now starting to catch cats some what consistantly again. I still have a ways to go and still probably dont hunt as much as I should. Its all relevent to how much we hunt, how many times we have had to start over again and how much money we have to put into it, even for people that have hunted all our lives like we have.Good luck with your dogs. I am sure they are a lot better than you let on . Take care Larry

I've also marked 30%. But for me to count a cat as caught, I have to see it. I have enjoyed a much higher catch % than that before. But was unable to maintain that pack, bad luck and life alway's seemed to get in the way.

Now about that cat we put on the rock. There were probably 1/2 dozen places that cat would have liked to take them dogs first, but it knew better because the dogs were really putting the heat on him, any little slip up and he would have been caught. When a cat drives straight for the worst place on the mountain with out trying a few tricks first. It tells me what the cat thinks of the dogs chasing him. Talk later, John.