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Jeremy in the late 60's to early 70's the same questions you are aking right now were being discussed,and because of inquisitive,opened minded,determined people as yourself,almost everyone here,and over east[when conditions allow]rig for cats now.

Believe it or not, some people are trying to help you. You haven't answered any of my questions and I can't help but wonder why. Most have given up on trying to help you. I guess I need to get it through my head that you just don't want help and you and your dogs are as good as you'll ever be. So be it. Maybe I will show up there someday and give you the opportunity to laugh me out of town. Until then, good luck.

Tim you are certainly correct Jeremy does have an open mind and for what you said about in the west and east is certainly true we just dont have the moisture nor the under growth here to hold scent for very long. As you know I am hunting a dog that you are familiar with that did a fair job in your area and n no way can run dry ground here!. cobalt I dont no why you have a chip on your shoulder toward me just because I dont agree with you! I asked you nicely to maybe come for a hunt some time and in no way would I ever laugh you out of town you are a hound hunter and that is great even if we do disagree. You might just have fun and can then see with your own eyes what I am talking about. Thanaks for the great post Jeremy. Andy

Andy

I want to apologize to you and Jeremy for jumping in on the post with Cobalt the other day. I have no hard feelings toward you whatsoever. There are some people that are giving you some good information on here. You probably wont ever get anyone to come and show you how to rig a bobcat for alot of reasons that im not going to cover. I will ask you to go back and remember how bad you wanted to catch that first cat all by yourself. You probably wanted it so bad you could taste it and it probably didnt happen over night. I truly belive if you would use that determination on trying to rig bobcats that you would end up with amazing results. ITS NOT GOING TO HAPPEN OVER NIGHT. We all have less than favorable conditions and those are the times to try new things just to get out and be hunting if nothing else. I know for a fact that bobcats can be rigged and caught in areas of oregon with 11 inches of anual rainfall. im no good on this computer so here is my number 541-979-3734 would love to talk with you

Andy,I'm not going to engage in you and Brett's convo.I'll semd you a pm.But Your area is no different [harder/difficult]than alot of desert in East Oregon or that east California,I personally have been to and thru all 3.I know fellas from here and there who do it[strike and catch]and there are folks who live right there that think it cannot be done,some even after seeing it think it's a fluke or luck,but after high percentages of success I can't ignore that it happens.It's kinda like the guys[good cathunters]in Texas who've allways roaded to strike,some now are starting to find dogs who'll strike and start'em off the rig and away they go.This in no means reflects in what I think of you as a cathunter,or think you don't have adequate dogs for hunting the style you've hunted,I respect your experience and knowledge of dogs and hunting and as a fair person who takes opposition well.Jeff Allen probably could share with you what he saw in the desert of California in 09 when Dewey and I met with him down there.Some of his well known good cold trailers[and they are]acted as if a couple of those tracks were not even there,why'll other dogs were opening and trailing on the same track.Just a personal experience,again nothing against Jeff or his dogs,they are proven.BUT have not been conditioned or pushed to trail Bobcat and ONLY Bobcat in those conditions.Jeremy all of this is relevant to your thread,so I thought I'd share.Andy I'll send you a pm later on some of your other questions/remarks--take,talk at ya later.

Well, I am far from a cat hunter. Heck I wouldn't even be considered a cat harasser but I give it a whirl from time to time here. I could make a few calls and make a list of the every cat that was caught in our entire county. And you could cut that total in about 3, for the dogs that were on those cats. The latest count I have from 2009, there were 8 in our county, 19 in the one to the north, and 9 to the east. A quick check with a calculator tells me that is 36 cats in a tri-county area.

Our season runs mid-Oct to the end of Feb. If you want to really piss people off and lose hunting ground, start huning in Oct when the bow guys are out in full force. If you want to get a trespassing ticket or get thumped, go in rifle season. You can probably slip by in muzzleloader season which is usually the 1st week of Dec. But then you are good to go, and it's usually cold and if you're lucky there's snow. You hunt when you can and give em heck. When season closes you can still run them all the way up until May 1 when leash law goes into effect. That ban is lifted July 1 when the you can start chasing bears. I like running bears, so that takes me pretty much back up to when cat opens. My point in writing all this meaningless garble is simply to point out that riggin cats ain't the most productive here. It can probably be done. Heck I've even done it by accident. But it sure ain't the most productive here if you want to bag a cat. Especially a big cat. My dogs don't even want to come out of the houses some days when it's cold enough that the snow squeaks. If you aren't sure what that means you don't hunt cold weather.

I'll leave all that driving around to you other guys with gas at $4 gallon. I'll just go check my known cat crossings and see if thomas has crossed since the day before. If he hasn't I'll just go home and watch football then see if he comes back the next day. If I ever make it out in better cat country, I'd sure like to see some dogs doing it from the rig.

twist,Something just isn't sitting right with me. If I lived in an area where nobody was rigging cats and I wanted to do it, then... I'd ask for help like this post's original question. I think it may be, maybe not, an attitude issue. For example, asking not challenging. It could be, could not be too, a combination of difficult area to rig cats combined with inexperienced cat rig type hunter, possibly not the right type of dogs (it doesn't matter if the same dogs work in other areas), add to it a lack of people to teach you how. If you're the guy needing help, be receptive. That's just my opinion reading here, I don't know everything but have the intent to help. If you don't listen to me, that's ok, just a lost chance. Oh yeah, I don't know very much so factor that in to how you react to this. I am willing to learn. Look at it this way, if nobody in your area is doing it, then you can be the first if you accomplish it. Free your mind of "can't" because "can't means won't."

Mark no harm done. Tim the cat you were talking of in your last post that was rigged was it trailed and jumped? I have all the respect in the world for you guys that get it done in your areas. But until you have been here and done it its just a theory am I correct?I have never said cant be done just not consistant enough to make it worth my time and when I say consistant, (to me that is a strike that is trailed and jumped). So to me if a dogs strikes and can not move the track and get the cat up and running whats the benifet of rigging in any area? Yes I have tried for the better part of my first 20 yrs of cat hunting to try and make a rig dogs have tried many different hounds, just the way a few of you are saying. Maybe its just me as a trainer! But in all the bobcat hunters here do you think they have tried it also with no luck as no one ever chims in from this parts of Montana and says hey I am doing it come on over and watch. Yes a few have claimed to do it but when put on the spot never show. I am still waiting for the gentleman up the road from me that is rigging to please get ahold of me! Nolte, very well put. are guys consistantly rigging cat in your area during your season? Sorry if I have offended anyone happy hunting to all. See ya Monday Jeremy. Andy

20 years is a long time. I think you should give up.

twist wrote: Nolte, very well put. are guys consistantly rigging cat in your area during your season?

Andy,
I don't even know anyone who is trying. Most guys are hunting snow or if it's bad, driving to where there is snow. A few might freecast and walk in swamps where the cats like to hang out.

This is my take on rigging in general. In what ever area you hunt, you are going to specify or enhance to the max the best method you have available to hunt. So if you can pretty much only rig, well then you're going to develop darn good rig dogs. If you can hunt off baits, rig and check sand, you'll use them all and pick the one that gets you a track started. I know with certainty that rigging is by far the least productive method to find a trophy bear in our fall kill season. It might be because we don't develop rig dogs to the max OR because rigging in many spots doesn't allow you to determine the size of the critter your'e after. In WI that is going to be a peanut size bear or sow cubs 80% of the time. I'll put 2 to 1 $ down for any blind bear strike here and if it's under 200, sow/cubs, or no jump/visual I'll win the bet. For this reason I know guys who won't even put down on rigs or try, they will just find tracks and make them cold trail because when fall comes that is what works best. Just different ways to go about it.

007pennpal wrote:20 years is a long time. I think you should give up.

To your smart answer, I have given up. I see you say you are from this state and many other! Maybe you can show me how its done as I am sure you have been in hounds for some time now

Nolte, maybe know one is trying because it may not work there enough to make it worth the cat hunters time or maybe its the dogs or handlers. Andy

wow! kennel blindness will really limit ones ability to reach ones fullest potential. this is something to ponder on.

slowandeasy wrote:wow! kennel blindness will really limit ones ability to reach ones fullest potential. this is something to ponder on.

Call it blindness also I dont need to worry about rigging I catch my share with snow. Bring a dog up my offer still stands to anyone pretty hard to beat an all payed trip! Still waiting on the fella up the road from me to call Andy

slowandeasy wrote:wow! kennel blindness will really limit ones ability to reach ones fullest potential.

I've always been told I never reached my full potential. No need to start now. I think amost anybody has better dogs than what I've got tied up.

Guys have been shipping dogs into this country for years. Some work, some don't. More that don't. But most guys who are catching stuff still got a few old mixed up local biscuit eaters tied out back. No need to pull all the wheels of a vehicle that's still moving. Just saying.