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I do not believe a cat can shut off their scent.
I have seen coon do the same thing.
See them in the road ahead of u, u turn out the dogs I they
do not act like a varmit was there.
I don,t know why this is , but it happens all the time.
It might be weather related.
I have had a little luck by backing up a little & wait a few min,
then just turn out only your best two start dogs.

NorWester wrote:Liontracker wrote,

I never believed a cat could shut down it's scent much, but after that episode I am a believer.

Hmmmmmm...... anyone care to comment?

Couldn't leave it alone could ya. No comment .

Years ago, Full Cry ran some articles involving Dale Lee and Claude Miller, asking each of them questions and getting their comments. The question of shutting off scent was brought up and both of them believed it was possible to some extent, though neither one had any idea how it was done. Both thought they had experienced it at some point. They oughta know. My two cents. Jimmyd

I think scent can change. I think it can be overwelming to the hounds at times, making determining direction difficult. I also think that a change in terrain causes problems, ie; a cat coming out of the woods and crossing a gravel road.
I'm certainly not a big believer that they shut their scent down.

i just figure for whatever reason my dog couldn't handle it. don't know why.

All right I could not keep my mouth SHUT, or my fingers STILL!

Norwester we too are not on the "Scent Holding" bandwagon. I wish the Lee's were around to get their explanation on what they ment by a Cat holding their scent.(ie. my explanation to Mr. Leanord about breaking down a Bobcat). All of us Hunters coin phrases which we understand quite clearly, but are ambigous to others at best! We agree with you that the terrain and a transition between two mini-eco systems as well as immediate local climatic conditions play an important role in the Hounds ability to gain and control scent of whatever kind of Game you are pursueing!

For example We are having Hell here in Fl. right know striking and trailing a Bobcat. I have stated other places that this time of the year Bocats do not have to travel far for a meal. What we have is the woods drying out after having been very wet. Every tree, bush and blade of grass is sucking the moisture in the ground. Our opinion is that what ever scent is left by Game is going right with the moisture.(Deer Runners training Hounds are having trouble holding a Deer).

As too the mini local situation you all have been in the woods and have expierenced the way suddenly you will feel a temp change in a small area, and possibly feel more moisture in one area than others. I am not talking about areas miles apart but maybe yards apart. This has to effect the olfactory properties and abilities of the Hound.

Climatic conditions play a very critical role in a successful Bobcat hunt. As stated previously if the Humidity or the Barometer are not with you, Jumping or Holding a Running Bobcat is tough, much less striking one. We have seen a Cat in the road pulled up to where he had been, seen the Cat in some Briars beside the road and not have the Rig Dogs bark, heck put them and others down and cast where the Cat had been sitting and not have a Hound know a Bobcat had ever been there.

Earlier in this Post Mr. Pittman stated that a Cat seen in the road is hard to start. No truer words have been said. Dads theory is that when a Cat is seen he changes the way he moves. A Bobcat leaves the least scent of almost any Game animal anyway so when he quits moving normaly and say bounds, as we all have seen them do, when frightened they land very lightly on their feet then spring again, and again before returning to their normal slinking style of gait or trotting. Dad refers to this as the Bobcat "breaking their stride". As others have stated this makes them D##% hard to start. We have found though just as others have said if you will cast the Hounds out usually fifty to a hundred yard out you will start the Cat.

Earlier in this thread some one talked about Hounds trailing a Bobcat by sighting their tracks. Sure wish We had that option! Heck with our rocky roads in all the Country we hunt except FL, and with a Bobcat track at best being the size of a Quarter,and most the size of a Nickle, we would not think it likely for us. For you Snow hunters Possible!

All of the above are excusses that we use all the time for our "Sorry Hounds"

Good Running to All!

C. John Clay
Dads Dogboy

That's a good post Dad's dogboy, I agree with pretty much all you've written and can't find much to argue about with your logic.

A Bobcat leaves the least scent of almost any Game animal anyway so when he quits moving normaly and say bounds, as we all have seen them do, when frightened they land very lightly on their feet then spring again, and again before returning to their normal slinking style of gait or trotting.

I believe also that scent can change when an animal is frightened or startled. There is some scientific evidence to support this theory as well, that with the adrenaline dump and hormonal change that occurs the animal actually smells different for a moment or two, which may confuse the hounds for a brief period.

P.S. I disagree that a bobcat leaves the least amount of scent of any game animal, but I suppose I'm somewhat biased in that opinion

I have had a couple experiences with the scent just ending. One time a trailed a bobcat into a good size bluff. I had 5 or so dogs and had been trailing the cat for 30-45 minutes. I was sitting on the bluff watching the dogs below me. The dogs were trailing through the rocks. I notice movement out od the corner of my eye looked over saw the bobber walking right at me about 20 yards away. I sat motionless until the cat got about 10 yards from me and then he saw me. The cat froze for a few seconds then turned a bounded off. While this was going on the dogs figuered out the track and were trailing up a shoot towards the top of the bluff where I was sitting. The dogs were about a minute behind the bobber but they trailed him right to where the cat saw me and froze. The trail ended right there, the dogs trailed to that spot then nothing. I let them work it out for about 15 minutes and they would just keep trailing back to that spot. I gathered them up and walked them where the cat ran off towards and they were never able to start the track again. I had this same kinda senario happen with a lion.

I dont know what happens and I dont really believe a cat can hide its scent but something happens when they get scared. I dont know what but something happens.

The other explanation is my dogs suck which might be true LOL

pete richardson wrote:

"your track dog will develop a cocain like addiction to bobcat scent"

Then my daughters read: "your dog will learn to find his cocain in little holes that he can see in the snow if he checks enough of them".

Then I was begining to predict that mine would say: "your track dog would rather go around getting cocain hits than to catch a bobcat three hundred yards away or less". But then I opened it and it said "please shut your mouth, you cant afford to loose any more freinds".

david


i wish i would have understood what your talking about 30 years ago--

Pete, I wish I would have too. My dog history would look a whole lot different.

NorWester,

Agreed that the adrenaline rush and hormone dump could definitly cause an animals scent signature to change!

What Game animal leaves less Scent than a Bobcat?

C. John Clay
Dads Dogboy

A snowshoe hare in northwestern Ontario

Of course it should be pointed out I have absolutely no experience hunting bobcats
I'm simply basing my statement on how well my dogs have run trash on days they couldn't run a hare worth a damn

Here's another question for you guys..........
How often have you guys had an occasion where the conditions you run in are such that your strongest hound(s), nose power wise sound like they are barking on a cold track when you know that the cat has been jumped and is up and moving in front of them? Perhaps during such races you hear very little if anything at all from the dog(s) you depend on as your "closers".

That is very common in bobcat hunting. Perhaps there are a few with such good dogs that they have never experienced it, but I doubt it.

briarpatch

John,
Answer to your question.
Jackrabbit maybe.

NorWester, & Briarpatch,

The Term we use & use is "Scenting Conditions"!!!!!!!!!

The already discussed Barometer, Relative Humidity, Wind Direction (as an indicator of High or Low Pressure).

When you know your Hounds and one night or day you have trouble trailing, jumping, or holding a Bobcat. When you have a one Hound race (the Hound over the Track being the only one barking).

You suddenly do not have sorry Hounds!

They are doing the best they can with the Conditions surronding them!


Have to go as my Battery is going Dead!

Good Running to All!

C. John Clay
Dads dogboy