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How many of you have gone from running whatever cat tracks you find to strictly bobcats? I may get laughed off the board for saying this, and I definitely don't have it all figured out, but I'm actually getting bored with lions. They're fun to train pups on and make for a nice easy race and no doubt treeing in a nice low tree or open ponderosa heps them learn to locate, but I'm seriously thinking about switching to straight cats. A couple questions: how many of you MT hunters are strictly running bobbers? Is there enough of a bobcat population in Western MT to make a good solid cat dog? What am I going to need to make the transition i.e.: if my current dogs are having no problem catching lions, will they be able to make the switch and if I try to make the switch, how long should I give them to adjust to different game before I cut weight and start over? P.S. they're actually out of good bobcat lines, but like I said, they've mainly been on lions, will the transition be too difficult for them because they've spent most of their lives catching lions? What are your opinions? You won't hurt my feelings, just looking for some insight from guys that are actually doing what I want to do. Thanks, Darin

Darin, I am one that has switched over to bobcat but will run a lion a couple times a year I started swithing over about 20 yrs ago. The only way to see if your dogs will make the grade is to try them out for a season on cats if they are catching enough to make you happy that is all that counts. I am one that likes to catch a high percentage of what I turn out on so if they arent making alot of progress or showing alot of promise at an early age around 1yr old they dont stay here and I move on to another prospect, this is the way I do it not saying its the right way. What ever direction you decide to go as long as it involves hounds you wont go wrong. later, Andy

Andy,

I'm under no delusions of grandeur, I'm sure I'll get my butt handed to me more often than not when I start out...but then, honestly, I really just like to hear the dogs work. I probably would have made a good foxhunter, as there's nothing better to me than just listening to the music, going to the tree is when the work starts . However, eventually I would like to start catching cats, maybe start putting some gas in my tank instead of just burning it up looking for lion tracks. How was your first year when you started switching over to cats...did you start with a finished cat dog or did you try to make some cat dogs out of your lion dogs? How was your success rate? Thanks.

I was treeing a few when I was lion hunting and this got my blood boiling for bobcats. The dogs I had then made the transaction for the most part and I was catching enough to keep me interested and am still hunting that strain of dog as I type and will always as they have seemed to do me just fine. Andy

Sure wish I was getting bored chasin lions, but we can't find any of em!

Jeremy, I knew you'd pipe in on this. I keep telling you to pack up and come on over...we'll chase your fill of 'em. Seems like I find a lot more lion tracks than cat tracks and they're hard to pass up, but even when we do find cat tracks, I have a hard time convincing the people I've been running with to turn out, probably cause they're wiser than I am, but I just wanta give the dogs a shot at it and see if they can close the deal. Andy, what would you say is the most important trait or traits for a good cat dog to possess here in MT, I think in OR they might say locating, what about here?

In my area one that picks its head up and kicks in the after burners when the cat is up and jumped and has the ability to pull up and locate and tree. I know alot will say a good persistant dog catchs alot and that to a point is true but in the area I hunt I have found that if you have hounds that run a jumped cat like they want to eat it your catch rate goes up. I have hunted in other areas in Mt and seems the cats just tree a little easier. This is just my opinion but a hound has to have a pretty complete package not just one good trait to catch cats consistantly. I dont believe in the pack theory I want each of my hounds to be able to put their own cat up again this is just the way I believe not saying it the right way. Andy

i'll second andy. i only run a couple lion a year, and then only larger ones. cat dogs have to haul it when jumped. locate can be frustrating at times in the tall pines, i have had a couple jump trees like a squirrel and we never got to see them, i have even climbed trees. it helps if the dog backs up and watchs until you get there.

try your dogs, you have nothing to loose, only gain with a smarter dog when they start catching. if they dont work out, a solid broke lion dog will help pay for that started or finished cat dog.

cats are way more fun than lions.

mack

I have had good luck with cold nosed bear breed dogs on bobcat. I live in Northern WY, we hunt cedar breaks, sage hills, and mountains. I started them on lions and bobcats, catching the lions definately came easier. I would give your dogs a try, they just might suprise you. I agree with everyone that cats are more fun than lions.

Could care less about the dumb lions , I have chased bobs like a silly dope fiend for so long now it don't matter, in my world it takes far better dog power to tree cats then it ever will to tree lions,but that's OK I'm running leopard curs so what do I kno

Thanks for the input guys...yeah, I think my biggest setback to making really good cat-dogs over here is finding cats to run. I probably find 5 lion tracks to every 1 cat track. Maybe I'm just not looking in the right spot. I've heard guys say look in the creek bottoms, but around here if we find one in a creek bottom, they seem to run straight up the nastiest rockiest ledges they can find. Any advice on where to look for good cat habitat? I've found some areas that are full of rabbits, but I've only found 1 cat track there in 2 years. Do you guys spend time walking canyons out to find tracks or do you find enough on the roads to keep you going?

If I were you over there, I would run the creek bottoms out by your place. Fish crk, petty crk, those areas a little lower hold the smaller game that keep the bobs around. But I would listen too hard to me we can't even find a lion to run let alone a bob.

That's what I thought too Jeremy...been doing a lot of running in those areas, and I'm just not finding very many cats. Areas that I'm sure are gonna have a good population just don't seem to, unless, like I said, I'm just not looking in the right places. Any input would be greatly appreciated. thanks

in my experience here, if the road is close it IS trapped hard. if you can walk a mile to a drainage that has those bottoms and rocks you will have a little better success. also dont overlook a steep nasty hill side with thick brush, skirt it with the dogs and try to send them into it, caught one today in this crap, soaked to the bone.

have fun, pack a lunch, and wear good boots.

oh yeah, and if driving down the road and you see a lion track, just keep going.

funstuff wrote:have fun, pack a lunch, and wear good boots.

probably gonna wear some boots out the last part of the season, appreciate everyone's input. gonna see if I can put some of this into practice...hopefully I'll have some pics to come soon.