Best Bobcat Men

[david]

I only got a second or two, but I enjoyed the thread on the best bobcat breed of dogs. I would like to see some comments on the best bobcat breed of men (women too if there are some). I would like to see if there is any thing in common among men who have distinguished themselves as great bobcat hunters through the years. Not exclusive to, but in particular, those who hunted/hunt the streight bobcat dogs.

I know the dogs are important, but I kinda think the man is more important than the dog in many ways. One of the great bobcat men I was privileged to spend a couple days with was Dewey Walton. He caught a LOT of cats, but watching him for a couple days had me convinced that he didnt need a real good dog to do it with. He was a master hunter, master trapper, master woodsmen that opened my eyes to some things I did'nt even know existed.

In those huge trees out west, He is the one who taught me to look for the claw marks on the bark of the tree befor spening hours studying one of those huge trees where "you could hide a football team" (jcathunter quote). There were several things like this that he showed me that saved me a lot of time and frustration from that day on. He didn't really need a master locator in his pack, because he himself was a master locator. Not saying he didn't have one, but if he didnt he still would have harvested those cats. His woodsmenship was uncanny. I have never read a book on any legendary mountain man that made me think those guys had anything over Dewey. He moved through the woods like a ghost, and his dogs were never able to get very far from him.

I got a few more men that have inspired me. How 'bout you?

[Mike Leonard]

Excellent subject!

It has been my pleasure to meet and correspond over the years with several top bobcat hunters.

I guess my real mentor in hounds was a man from Montana by the name of Leo riley. Leo was not widely known and was a bit of a hermit, and hard to get to know. Once he finally took me in I spent man enjoyable years in the hills and woods with him. He was an expert woodsman, trapper and sort of reminded me of an old mountain man in a modern world. First time I saw him I was taken back. Old felt hat, buckskin jacket, traps over on shoulder a rifle in his hands and three hounds following him at heel. His strange blue eyes seem to look right thru you, and he had a hawkish nose and seemed to be always looking off into the ditance. He could tell you if the game was moving, when it would move, when it wouldn't pay to hit the woods, he just felt it. My first real bobcat exper3eince with him was a three day hunt on Cabin Creek and we took 13 cats with the dogs. He never trapped cat, only coyote, fox, and beaver. He said cats was to be hunted with dogs cuz they were stupid when it came to traps.

Second cat man that I corresponded with for a long time was Wallace Griggs who made a big mark in the woods of the northeast. He was a true encyclopedia on bobcat lore and hunting techniques.

Most of them seem to be at home in the woods, and really have a feel for the critters more than a lot of other hunters. I liken the good cat hunters and top trappers very close. They are usually true students of nature.


I have met several others who were also very good on cat but most have been combination hunters . Lion, bobcat, bear, coon and such. The real cat hunters I spoke of above were pretty much bobcat minded and that was all.

[Jason Waterhouse]

Second cat man that I corresponded with for a long time was Wallace Griggs who made a big mark in the woods of the northeast. He was a true encyclopedia on bobcat lore and hunting techniques.






Mike I have heard of wallace dont no much about him but heard he was a heck of a bobcat man.Do you no anymore about him you can share.I beleive he was from vermont.[/quote]

[Redplott]

I know quite a few good bobcat hunters that strictly hunt bobcats but I think my older brother(deceased). James Smith was probably one of the best cat hunters. I ever knew. He knew just about when they were going to move or when they would stay laid up and he could just about call the area. They would tree in and he could really read the track, whether it was in snow, mud, dry ground, ECT him and my nephew would routinely catch 14 to 25. Every season this year, my nephew caught 31 from the first of December to the end of January. So I think he must've learned a little hunting from my brother. Dave Thompson, Art Ragsdale, Al Latrell, Bobby Brown, Jim Simpson Bob Cox, are just a few of the great cat hunters that I have had the privilege to hunt with and learn from.

[sdred]

I just put my first post ever on the best cat dog subject and at the end talked about how I've came to learn that you need to be a good cat houndsmen as well. But also I have hunted coyotes and bobcat's by calling them in so i would have to add by trail and error that knowing how and when these cat's move is very important so is SNOW!!!!!!! Because where we hunt is big and rough so knowing if we should go on creek bottoms badland rims the pines or ciders, where there is too much yote traffic enough rabbits turkeys or birds to keep these cat's in an area or if the tracks you see are just a cat passing threw helps you decied whether you should turn out on a track or not. Unless your really into excerizing, by the way I'm getting into way to good of shape. I'm glad I'm learning but I think it would have been a whole lot easier if I knew one of these good cat men.

[ryan goodwin]

one of the best bobcat men that i ever had the privilege to be around would, 1 be Elmer Blankinship,and another would be Ted Ore these two men from two diff places had some of the best cat dogs around in my opinion so coo-does for them two old timers.

[Travis Stirek]

Ted will probably beat your young ass for calling him an old timer LOL

[ryan goodwin]

ya probably lol

[brucecairns]

Having been at this for over 50 years, Ive seen my share of good bob cat hunters. My first bc dog came from Wallace Griggs, He certenly was a good cat hunter, but there were many more in VT that could be called the same. Duaine Smith, Arland Buttler, and many others. There were many cats killed in VT. and bountied in NH for the $20. Many of the BC hunters in Maine were guides. I had the opertunity to hunt with some of these at the World Cat hunts in Toro NS Canada. Phill Copp, Soney Wade, Nelson Cole from Maine and Leroy Fotorus from Montana were just a few that I rember. These were 4 day hunts and run the same as a coon hunt. We would find a track then cast the dogs to get the first strike. After the bounty was removed in NH most of the hunters I knew woulden't shoot one on the ground, we tried to save them for the clients. There were so few left that we backed the F&G in stopping the killing but letting us still run them.(big mistake!!!!) for thay soon took that away from us.

[cecil j.]

I only got a second or two, but I enjoyed the thread on the best bobcat breed of dogs. I would like to see some comments on the best bobcat breed of men (women too if there are some). I would like to see if there is any thing in common among men who have distinguished themselves as great bobcat hunters through the years. Not exclusive to, but in particular, those who hunted/hunt the streight bobcat dogs.

I know the dogs are important, but I kinda think the man is more important than the dog in many ways. One of the great bobcat men I was privileged to spend a couple days with was Dewey Walton. He caught a LOT of cats, but watching him for a couple days had me convinced that he didnt need a real good dog to do it with. He was a master hunter, master trapper, master woodsmen that opened my eyes to some things I did'nt even know existed.

In those huge trees out west, He is the one who taught me to look for the claw marks on the bark of the tree befor spening hours studying one of those huge trees where "you could hide a football team" (jcathunter quote). There were several things like this that he showed me that saved me a lot of time and frustration from that day on. He didn't really need a master locator in his pack, because he himself was a master locator. Not saying he didn't have one, but if he didnt he still would have harvested those cats. His woodsmenship was uncanny. I have never read a book on any legendary mountain man that made me think those guys had anything over Dewey. He moved through the woods like a ghost, and his dogs were never able to get very far from him.

I got a few more men that have inspired me. How 'bout you?

wished i`d of knownan hunted with dewy mysel by your note of him write a full leighth tribute on him bubba/i`ll bet u could do a bang-up job too !

the best hunter cat hunters i know`d of was tommt barns jr. of ore but i knowed him through my hunten buddy ralf aston of ca. i guest tommy still hunts but havent located his new area address. boone shockly of ca is my 2ed choice/hese not but allmost a standing deadfall, by golly he still hunts with ol less ross i hear ~ see ya jack

[Mike Leonard]

You know I was thinking about Wally Griggs today and several other catmen a lot like him. I was thinking boy I am sure glad I got to visit with these guys , and when I would come home from a hunt where I really flubbed the dub, and the cat got away I was able to drop them a line or pick up the phone and explain what happened. Usually in a most humble manner they would give me their expert take on the matter, explaining it had happened to them dozens of times. I listened and tried to retain as I went on following the hounds.
This evening I had a call from a man I started in hounds some years ago, and gave him a few young dogs out of my old cat dogs. He was excited as he called.He is nearly as old as I but he calls me Mr. Leonard and that makes me fel so old, so I chastize him.

Mike, Mike, I just got to tell you about that Blue sob I got from you! OK slow down catch your breath.
Well I went out on a hunt under bad mud conditions today with one of the local cat guys. Ok Ok So what happend. We cut the track of this female crossing a mud field , and his dogs were let out first, and after ten minutes they could do nothing. Ok, Ok so what then? Well I told him put them up and we would see what this blue dog ( half walker half blue) you gave me could do. So I am getting excited. So what happend. He just circled, took that track and one and a half miles later we are standing under the tree looking at her.He said I just told this guy old Mike Leobard got us here and by golly we ain't gonna kill this cat,. He said ok it's you call.
Well I told him maybe I had a bit to do with getting him there at the start but it was his shoe leather, and his gumption to get up and go that made it happen. I told him thanks for the story, and hung up. I thought about Wallace Griggs, and felt a little old, but I also felt mighty thankful for all Wally and Leo's help.

Never be too big to go to a truely inspired person young or old, and help where you have been helped.

[R Severe]

Good stuff there Mr Mike, Thanks.

[Buddyw]

Mike that's a good story.. It kinda reminded me of someone I would have called this year on one of my hunts..

I kinda miss a guy named Rod Klawitter, He was the first to tell you he wasn't a Bobcat Hunter, just a Bear hunter that caught a few cats...Anyways I used to call and talk and tell my stories and triumps trying to "figure out" what happend. He only got to hear all of the almosts, all the trash races and mess-ups before he passed away... He was pretty much my first real mentor to what this game was really about.

Any ways this year me and a friend were hunting for bobcats, ended up at a Tree with two pups that we were beginning to think was Slick.. Looked and looked for the cat.. We'll This old guy Rod showed me how to wrap out a bear, so after disparation.. I decided to give it a try on this cat and wrap the tree some. As everyone was packing back up to hike out.. I guess that cat decided he didn't like the vibration or something and wanted to climb up higher...

I don't want to sound Cheezy.. But both me and my Friend were Sure that Rod was sitting up there somewhere holding a Cigarette and a Warm Beer watching and laughing at us for the hour or two that we were searching for the cat.. That was one of them times I would have really enjoyed a phone call with this guy to tell him the story.. Probably would have sucked more if I didn't somehow feel that he was somewhere at the tree and helping us out that day..

He wasn't a Bobcat hunter but he was a Hell of a dog man, and that carried me allong ways to get ready to try and zero in on cats, Now I've been lucky enough to get to hunt with a good Cat hunter some this year and keep studying the way.. It sure is a rocky ass road.... And I'm too cheap to buy a finished dog..

[Spanky]

I'm sorry I can not contribute to this thread because I can not say I have ever been around any die in the wool bobcat houndsman but I want to thank those that participated to this point in this excellent thread. This is what the forum should be all about

[Buddyw]

Spanky.. You met one last year.. that Paul is a" die in the wool Bobcat Hunter " guy.. I don't think his dogs would hardly run a lion.. And if you talked to him, he was probably pretty humbled and you'd never know how good he was.. Of coarse he wouldn't let anyone call him good and wouldn't hardly call any bobcat he caught anything more than an accident.. but if those were accidents.. He had alott of accidents.. .