need bobcat dog.

[wablkandtan]

went to oregon and ran into a few bobcat tracks this weekend. my young dog would trail them but my older dogs dont want anything to do with them. i have only hunted these dogs on coons in wa state. im ready to make the move and hunt oregon for bobs. looking for a well started dog or pup trainer. just had baby and funds are tight but there still there if need be. someone please help me out. thanks

[B-N-Trees]

What you really need is to get in the woods and give your dogs every opportunity you can provide them. It is true some dogs are more talented than some, (but they are also very expensive) even an average dog can hunt cats if they are handled well and given enough opportunity. I've used my cattle herding Australian Shepard to tree a few. He's been along enough times and is familure with running cats up things. Be it house cat, bob cat or lion. Bobs are challenging and you won't catch everyone but it is usually not too tough to find a track. In the mean time start with what you have and see what happens. I'm sure these experienced, friendly folks on this site will be happy to help you along the way.

[Clarka57]

I am extremely far from a real cat hunter, but from my experience, if you are hunting in the snow, lead one of the coon dogs down the tracks. The dog should know why you are doing this, in a hurry. Encourage them and they should take it. Every dog of mine has, so i bet you have luck.

[wablkandtan]

I lead one down and they opened a little but the snow was sparse and i couldnt follow the track for over a mile. what should i be looking for in a track. say it snows friday night and i cant go until sunday morning. how do you determine if it is a fresh track? found one that looked real good today and nothing. lots of scent the cat was chasing a snowshoe hair and caught it. they some what lined it out and then it went to a bare hillside and they lost it.

[B-N-Trees]

While training your dogs I would pass on anything that was not smoking hot. Of the cats I think the bobcat scent is the most volatile (they stink the least, coons are rank and even a hot nose dog can take a cold coon track, but good training for bobs). And bobcats are tricky too. They go from good ground to rock piles and trees and run back across there own track. If you think you have a good track but are not sure, walk your dogs along it and let them check it out. This is good for them especially if they will investigate it occasionally. If you can take it far enough maybe you will warm it up and the dogs will let you know when its time to let go. Like I said give them every opportunity. You won't catch them all. Not even the hot ones but you and your dogs will get better each time and then one day it will happen. Be patient and keep at it.

A note on tracks, snow is weird just pay attention to your own prints and notice what they look like under different conditions and time. Use that to compare. But also note when it stopped snowing or when the wind quite drifting the snow and you will have a time reference from then until when you came through. Under good condition and temperature and not too much snow most cat tracks are going to be real clean and clear with no distortion just like they were made from a cookie cutter. The more tracks you see the better you and your dogs will get.

[walkersrule]

first of all im not an expert!
B-N-TREES said snow is tricky! that is a fact. i have seen tracks that look like they were made within the hour, then as soon as you get to the trees they are as froze in as can be. after a fresh snow is the time to train dogs. the tracks are fresh and not snowed in or frozen. a cat doesnt put off much cent to begin with so if you really want to get on top of it and train your dogs quickly, you might check the weather to see when the snow storms are going to break. then, go hunting. if you go right after the storm breaks, you know how old the tracks are and can have a better chance. just my .02
jimmy