BigGameHoundsmen.com

Wanting to start my pup on bobcats. I was wondering when the best time is to hunt them. Just a guess I would say night. Also is there a big diffenence in scent between lion and bob cats.
PRW

dont know about your regs but we cant run them at nite. Best time is right after a fresh snow. later, Andy

Not legal here(Arizona) at night and if I waited for snow we would only get out a few times a year. Best time of day here is early morning, they are usualy still moving and if you do catch your not rushed because night is falling.

Another good way to judge is look for prey activity. Ie rabits and other small critters they will be feeding in the early morning and then again in the eveing hours and bobcats will be active right along with them.

Bobcats are active at all times of the day but they do tend to be more active during the early morning hours and late afternoon/eve hours. On colder days they may be active farther into the day while in hot summer months they are usualy layed up in the shade mid day.

Thanks for the help. I have started my pup on lion scent will she be able to pick up a bob cat or is there to big of a differnce in scent.

didnt you hunt some cat dogs from mt. last year?

Slycat if you are asking me then no. I just got into hounds got my pup 5 month ago. I am so new at it I guess you could say I am still wet (not just behind the ears).

If you want them to run bobcat, don't start running them on lion.

Cobalt why do you say that. Not trying to question you, I am just ignorant about hounds and want to learn.

I don't think questioning people should offend. This site is all about opinion and the only way to cure ignorance is to ask questions and learn for yourself. There is more than one way to skin a cat and every dog on this planet is different. Your question was when to hunt bobcat and is there a difference in the smell of a cat vs. lion. My opinion is, as for pups, go out in good conditions, ie; a skiff of snow up to a few inches and hunt while those conditions exist, trying to find a warm to hot track that you can help the dogs if need be. Do this with only one dog and do it til you are successful and the dogs start looking for cat.
As for scent, I am a believer that a dog not only smells the difference between lions and bobs, but they can also tell the difference between individual animals of the same species. This may be controvercial, but I say it is easier to catch lions with bobcat dogs than to catch bobcat with lion dogs because trailing a lion to the jump is the hard part of that race, and the hard part of a bobcat race is when the cat is jumped(pop ups are not uncommon). If you've ever seen a bobcat being run by dogs, they aren't usually running and screaming like there's a fire. Bobcats are as much a prey species as a predator, so their more inclined to get away than get caught, esp. females.

I have a young dog and more of an opertunity to hunt bobs at the moment. So from what you are saying is to start her on bobs and then she will be ready for lions next fall (in the perfect world). Thanks for the help
PRW

Powder River Walker

I noticed you're from Wyoming, what part? If you know anyone that has finished hounds that will let you hunt with them, turn you're pup in with the older and more experenced dogs. You will have to be careful you're pup dosen't get blown out of the race. I don't claim to be a expert and you will recieve great advise from houndsmen on here that have more experence than I.

Best of Luck

Scratch
Riverton, Wy

Scratch,
I am from Kaycee, I was just in Riverton about a month ago for the mid winter fire school. your bars there suck .

I have thought about turning her loose with other dogs but to me it will be real hard to find some one with the same style,expectaions,and hounds that fit me and how I will like to train my hound. I wouldn't mind going with some one and running their hounds to see their style. But for me it doesn't matter weather it is a rope horse, border collie, or hounds I think everyone has to train them to fit them selves. And if I turn her loose with other dogs then she would end up being no more then a shadow to those dogs.
Thanks for the advise I like to hear what people say and then be able to sift through it and take what works for me and run.
PRW

PRW

Another thing you can do, and it may have already been mentioned, is find a fresh track and keep you're dog leashed and walk down the track and help you're pup.

I don't know about Bobcats in you're area, but you're in some of the best lion country around.

Best of Luck

Scratch

Srcatch,

I think the state of wyoming is one of the best for cats. Where do you go? I used to live in Riverton when I was realy little. I have family in Riverton,Lander, and Jeffery City. I would like to see how you run your dogs some time. I like the idea of putting her on a fresh track with a leash. I just need to go find a track.
PRW

PRW

If you lived in Jeffery City did you happen to know the Coats, they had the Motel on the east side of town.
I have hunted all over the state and as far south as New Mexico, and honestly I can think of four or five state that are better lion hunting than Wyoming. I went lion hunting here a month ago or so up near Dubois and run into more wolves than I care to, and now there up in the Bighorns. Do you just have the one hound so far?

I hunt coons hard and heavy in the spring and summer to help keep the edge on my dogs so they just don't lay around and get fat.

Scratch