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Have you ever hunted the desert Twist?

Nope. If a dog can catch bobcats in desert conditions he can sure catch a lion in the same conditions but just because a dog that can catch lions in those condition doesn't meen it can do so on bobcat. That goes for any region a lot of difference in a lion dog and a bobcat dog. There are always exceptions in every case though. Andy

I've never hunted Montana snow either matter of fact my experiance is pretty limited to just this area .. and I'm sure that a dog that could catch bobcats here in the desert would easily catch lion here also... what I wonder is if a dog from Montana that can catch Bobcats in the snow could catch even a lion down here?

I've hunt grey fox and bobcat here all year long for years. Summers here give new meaning to dry ground where I run , the road have about a 2 to 4 inch powered dust covering. And roading the dogs is like following a dust cloud. So when I started hunting the high desert in Nevada I thought no problem . Long story short dry ground lion hunting with these same dogs in the desert has really put them to the test. I have a whole new respect for guy running cat on that ground with no snow.

Back to the original post , If it a bobcat dog you want why not hold out and find a stared bobcat dog? and know that you are getting what you want.....

twist wrote:Ops forgot our montana snow is easy trackin lol. Andy

No worries.....everyone forgets once and a while. Good luck with your hounds and hunting!

I would like to see how you dry ground guy's dogs stack against our so called snow dogs in our conditions over the last 6 weeks. I have caught lions in a large variety of conditions. I hunt whenever I have spare time regardless of the conditions, except when the snow is of the condition that it destroys dogs feet. I figure I hunt in a larger variety of conditions then in true dry ground/desert conditions. I have found running tracks on dry frozen ground or hard crust is a lot easier than running a track made on wet frozen ground that thaws after the track is made. My theory is when the frost is still in the ground and only the top several inches freeze and thaw you lose the scent very quickly. True we sometimes have great conditions but we have a lot more weeks of terrible conditions in snow country. Over the last 6 weeks in most of western Montana if you treed a lion it was from roading or striking. There are only so many miles that you can road a dog before he wears out on drive able roads. Most of our lower country is melted off, while the roads going up the drainages have to much snow to drive, so you can't rig those roads. You can sled those roads but most of the time it is close to noon before the crust softens enough to leave a cat track.

dhostetler I agree I would like to see as to the original question yes it will run bobcat never seen one that didn't but catching is another story it can be done with enough time and experience but it becomes a question of time and money if you have the time but cant afford the big chunk of change at one time that dog will do but you will still spend just as much money per cat caught if not more than if you just save and buy a bobcat dog

Look around and buy a good bobcat dog lions are easy compared to bobcats depends on where you are going to hunt REAL GOOD BOBCAT DOGS are hard to come by

Here is a little something I have observed over the years. I have hunted in all conditions described from deep Montana snow to powder dirt rock and sand right oin the Mexican border, and I can tell you every area has it's own challenges that puts hounds and hunters to the test.

Now then I have seen several dogs that were pretty good at treeing bobcats in the desert and I can even show them treed in giant suguaro cactus. But these same dogs were not all that good at trailing up and treeing and older lion track in the same desert. Why?

Nearly all bobcats caught in the desert are caught on tracks that are less than an 1 hour old and a lot of them are very fresh and these whiz bang dog figure them out and nail them on the air quick. Conversely most lion track but not all are older and lion scent is heavier and last long to here you need the diligent, patient ground pounder who will hang in there and work it out to the bitter end. This old dog probably didn't look too good on those hot bobcat tracks but he will make you smile on the wiley panther

Now then real bobcat dogs for western bobcat trailing are scarce as hen's teeth.These are the ones that can move a hard track fast , warm it up , jump it and then put their brain in gear and figure out that slippery bobber and get him up. One of the best I ever saw would shortly before the catch shut up and stop and put his eyes to work because he knew that cat was slipping around him. I have seen some dogs trail by a cat setting there not 4 feet from them and never see it.

twist wrote:Nope. If a dog can catch bobcats in desert conditions he can sure catch a lion in the same conditions but just because a dog that can catch lions in those condition doesn't meen it can do so on bobcat. That goes for any region a lot of difference in a lion dog and a bobcat dog. There are always exceptions in every case though. Andy

That don't make any sense at all. So if my dogs can catch a coyote then they can catch a lion? Hell boys I got lion dogs. Come and get 'em!

It is way easier to tree a bobcat than a lion in Texas. In the desert between El-Paso and Big Ben and around Marfa Texas for whatever reason it's tough hunting for Lions and there is a bunch of them. The other thing about the desert is that is very rough on the hounds when they are getting stuck by thorns and other painful plants. Most hounds, especially coon bred hounds will shut down after a day or two on horseback. In fact it surprised me the first time that I saw hounds just give up. I have a friend of mine hound, in my kennel now that has been limping for a week after I hunted him just for a day or two.
The good thing about a desert is you can learn a lot about how Lions track their prey and there general movement because sign is very easy to read.

I keep hearing otherwise, from some of the best bobcat hunters, but they have not been able to show me on Lions, ever. If a pack of hounds booger bark a 18 pound bobcat on the ground you might as well forget treeing lions on a ongoing basis in Texas.

I agree with those qualities those described by Mike below.

Mike ->These are the ones that can move a hard track fast , warm it up , jump it and then put their brain in gear and figure out that slippery bobber and get him up. One of the best I ever saw would shortly before the catch shut up and stop and put his eyes to work because he knew that cat was slipping around him.

JTG wrote:If a pack of hounds booger bark a 18 pound bobcat on the ground you might as well forget treeing lions on a ongoing basis in Texas.

JTG,

Great post all the way around. This is the only part that kinda stumped me. Can you explain what you mean by that? Thanks

Dan Edwards wrote:

twist wrote:Nope. If a dog can catch bobcats in desert conditions he can sure catch a lion in the same conditions but just because a dog that can catch lions in those condition doesn't meen it can do so on bobcat. That goes for any region a lot of difference in a lion dog and a bobcat dog. There are always exceptions in every case though. Andy

That don't make any sense at all. So if my dogs can catch a coyote then they can catch a lion? Hell boys I got lion dogs. Come and get 'em!

Have you ever hunted cats? It don't matter what conditions are or where, an hour old lion track is easier to catch than an hour old bobcat track.

Hi Dan.

Sure, There is not many tree's in that area, so if the hounds are not pouring on the pressure on the lion, he will just fast walk, kind of like bears do in the Northwest. The will also climb a small tree and rest, jump and fast walk again. What I have found by going through a bunch of hounds is if they will booger bark a bobcat, they will not pounce on a Lion enough, for the lion to stay right there. When I went with other bobcat hunters and some lion hunters, I noticed the same thing and most had some kind of reason why the lion got away.

Also and not related to your question, is there are many more bobcats compared to Lions in Texas, so with the hounds I have they will go for the bobcat or the fist cat they run into, while the lion hot foots it out of the area. That is the main problem I run into. When I go, I want to get a good look at a lion treed.

I know this does not apply to many areas of the country, were bobcats are tuff. I am thinking because they have a high price on their head, so there is less of them. That is just a guess because, it's hard to get to visit my friends in other area's of the US these days.

dhostetler wrote:

Dan Edwards wrote:

twist wrote:Nope. If a dog can catch bobcats in desert conditions he can sure catch a lion in the same conditions but just because a dog that can catch lions in those condition doesn't meen it can do so on bobcat. That goes for any region a lot of difference in a lion dog and a bobcat dog. There are always exceptions in every case though. Andy

That don't make any sense at all. So if my dogs can catch a coyote then they can catch a lion? Hell boys I got lion dogs. Come and get 'em!

Have you ever hunted cats? It don't matter what conditions are or where, an hour old lion track is easier to catch than an hour old bobcat track.

No I have never hunted cats.