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I have a question for the guys who rig in the snow. With a good rig dog, how many more cats are you running than without a rig dog? Are you finding more tracks where the cat didn't actually cross the road and you didn't see the track? Just trying to see how many more tracks you're able to run in the snow with a good strike dog.
Thanks Jeremy

I don't rig in the snow cause it puts the dogs in the extreme cold on the box. They can still have heads out, but they don't even strike all the runable tracks that I see. The snow covers up lots of old scent and holds in the new. Just my experiences. Others may do it other ways.

You sure arent going to catch any more with them on the rig with snow here. They will be ice cubes. What the heck you been smoking or drinking lol How is that new pup working for ya? Andy

I do not rig in the snow because it is to cold for the dogs. I rig with blankets in dry cold weather.I have holds in my box for air and for the young dogs to learn to strike. I catch several cats every year that either I missed the track in the snow or it did not cross the road by the dogs striking out of the rig.Cold snow condition are hard for the dogs to rig. 28 and above the dogs can rig find. You can cover more ground without rigging though. It can be done but is not practicable, you can cover more ground by not worrying about the dog up there. Just my experience. Dewey

Just heard about all the guys in Montana who had strike dogs, just wanted to know how many more tracks they were able to run without seeing the track

In Montana or any other place rig dogs are best without snow and warmer conditions. I have never hunted Montana but have other places and did OK without snow. It would be hard to train a dog if you do not have a large cat population. I have rigged cats in dry cold desert type country often but have not tried to train a rig dog there. I know you can not rig a cat there if you do not try. Take a look at how much we limit ourselves in life because we know it can't be done. Dewey

Jeremy, you might get a few Montana cat hunters in this area that will tell you they are doing this but you will never get one to show you first hand. lol Andy

Twist-Nobody cares enough to to spend their time and gas to expand YOUR experience with true all around bobcat dogs. What's in it for them?? Why don't you offer a thousand $ to the first person who goes up there and rigs a cat and catches it in conditions you don't think are possible? Maybe someone will take a thousand to come up and give you an education. It doesn't sound like you can rig a bobcat at any time of the year, let alone in the winter? Am I wrong? You did say you hunt year round. I've read it many times in your posts. Sorry to be an ass, but these not so subtle challenges that you've got the best there is (because nothing can do better) and you know everything and there is only one way to hunt in your country just rubs me the wrong way, especially since you advertise having the top end of cat dogs available (or something like that). Heck, I've rigged and caught cats in sub 20 degree weather on dry and skiff type conditions in super arid country (no trees, just dead cheat grass, not even any sage brush) with dogs that hunt a variety of game which makes them not as good as they should be if they were straight cat dogs (and I don't consider lions as cats). Not all my dogs have ever done it, just a very few. Just like dogs that rig em in 90 degrees in the mtns. Been there done that, got the tee shirt and the coffee mug. Seeing is believing, that's for sure and like you with this issue of real bobcat dogs, I need to actually see a hound flat beat the crap out of a 120 lb. bear. Just a hard one for me to wrap my head around so I understand your dilemma. Maybe if you just asked someone nicely instead of mockingly to help bring you out of the dark ages. Heck, just think if you could tell people that your dogs can rig in any conditions for bobcat because you did it a couple times, how much more money you could get for a pup? Twist, I sure hope you are promoting dogs that are genetically superior cat stock from genetically superior cat stock and not just breeding blood. It does get confusing by your postings. You sure talk like a producer of straight cat blooded stock because that is what you focus on in your own dogs ("nothing better than a cat in a tree"), but yet I see you say things like "yea, bring that bitch up here, my old stud dog hasn't had any in quite awhile" without consideration that your poor old stud dog doesn't need to be breeding every crappy bitch that drives in the driveway for money's sake, and you own and hunt other dogs that you must have in your possession because you can't do without them in the woods. Are they apart of your breeding program (plotts, grade dogs)? Why don't you hunt exclusively the dogs you promote? Not my concern, just my curiousity. Again, sorry for the onslaught, but you put so much temptation out there for me to question, tonight was just the wrong time for me to hear your goadings, once again. I'm sure you will let me know how wrong I have judged you with sound rationale. I don't think you're a bad person or dishonest. I don't know you from Adam. I just read what you write.

To the original question of rigging in snow. Whereas you obviously don't need to rig in good snow conditions and it is often too cold to do so, snow offers a confirmation of species and is a great training aide to help teach dogs to rig. For instance, if you cross a smoking hot track, instead of just dumping on it, drive down the road a half mile, then turn around and try to encourage the dogs to strike it as you re-approach the track. You will notice immediately the dogs who get a whiff will start winding and winding and maybe whining and even though they don't bark it is an indicator that they can smell it. Seeing that they smell the track should help you realize that the dog or dogs can be trained to strike cats in many inclement conditions. Drive through it again and sick em on it to get them to bark. If they do, praise them, and then start them on the track or walk it out a ways by yourself to get them real fired up. It takes many, many times of this to really get a dog striking, but once they understand that is what you want them to do, they are more likely to do it and when the snow is gone and the temps or conditions are good and you've done you work to promote the possibilities (putting them on enough cats and breaking the adequately), you might just find yourself with hot coffee on your lap because that dog in the back of your pickup blew up while you were dozing to tell you, "Hey boss, I tot I smelt a puddy tat" .
Snow is a good teaching tool in many ways, not just a hunting tool. Good luck to you.

cobalt, seems you have a problem with me. If you are so sure it can be done here consistant bring your dogs Ill pay for your gas and lodging if you strike and catch bobcat consistant in this area on dry ground. I told Jeremy you wont get any MONTANA hunters to take you up on the offer all talk and no show. Are you in Montana? You are welcome to come prove me wrong! Andy

Cobalt

You just said everything I have wanted to say to Andy for some time now. Not much for putting my thoughts into words. Just one thing I learned from my grandad ...... "I CAN'T" never did anything.

Cobalt and mark, I have said I hunt year around you name it I hunt it here in Montana does that meen just bobcat heck no. Better reread my post I said my Butch dog hasnt had any, he is not my stud dog. Seems the pups I have produced 1 or 2 litters at the most a year,are making the grade with the hunters as havent seen any out of my females for sale once they are sold they are there to stay and yes some have made strike dogs but not in Montana I wonder why? I can sure put you in touch with the guys who have them and they will back my statements. Never claimed to have the best dogs you have never heard me say this nor has anyone else on this site. Seems the dogs I am hunting can sure put a cat in the tree more times than not with SNOW, but I guess they all can do that You say I should go get one of my dog to rig a COUPLE cats and then tell everyone that my dogs are rig dogs here, to me that is fasle advertisement. Yes I have tried for many years to rig here all types of dogs and dogs that have been rig dogs else where and yes they can do it from time to time but dont like driving hundreds of miles and spend a crap load of money on gas if I cant catch cat consistantly then that not for me sorry. I said I want to see someone that claims they rig in this area and catches CONSISTANTLY from rigging. If the guys that say they can do it here why wont they back thier stories. I say I can catch bobcats consistantly with snow I will sure let any body ride along and watch. How many Montana hunters have you seen offer to show anyone it can be done NONE maybe there is a reason for that! So my thoughts are if I cant do it consistantly then its not my style. Also dont know where you heard I am hunting any other type of hound rather than my Nance dogs I have said I have tried all different colors over the past 30 yrs but have always kept the Nance strain. The guy I was talking to when I made the coment about my Butch dog not getting any to bring his female down was a joke between me and him (Todd Davis) why dont you give him a pm and ask him about my crappy old stud dog also ask him why he is hunting 2 dogs out of him, must be because he doesnt like to catch consistantly here in Montana in the snow. I will tell him to expect a pm from you. Please get your stories straight before slamming someone. Sounds like you have the real thing if your dogs are striking in them conditions cant remember did you say they are doing it consistantly? jmo Andy

Maybe some day, twist. I guess my problem is that I feel if you are hunting country that you can catch cats in at all with dogs, they are catchable using other methods like rigging. There are places near me (and many other places) where there are good cat populations, but I don't care who you are, you aren't going to tree any or catch any unless it's a fluke whether you have rig dogs or not. The dogs need wings if they're gonna do well at all. For those of you who've been to Leslie gulch or Succor Ck., you know what I'm talking about. Do you run in timber? Or Junipers? Or what? Put a pic up so that I can see what you're dealing with. I'm guessing it's timber from your pics on your ad. I'm not going to say good dogs will catch most cats in any type of country if the cats are real tough, but I do think that you can't catch cats without starting cats. And I will say that rigging in high winds is next to impossible and low temps are diffinitly a variable. I also don't think a guy is going to spend a weekend with you and prove you wrong on this point. It might take a month or maybe more. That's a lot of gas and a lot of lodging. I personally don't have the dog that I could confidently show you do what I am proposing right now so I am probably guilty of misleading into thinking I do, but I stand firm on my beliefs and past experience of seeing and having possessed dogs of several different heritages that can do what I think they can do in your type of country. I just don't think it's as tough as you proclaim it to be, although I do think it is not easy country either.

Haven't heard much about rigging cats in my area. Most of the cat hunting is on snowmobiles so the dogs are low to the ground and should strike if you can't see a track. Should work on striking cats more, one for running cats during bear season, and two for fall lion season. I'd be happy to tree a shortail, lion or bear, regardless of the season.

If I guy was determined, he could make some sort of heated rig rail. Maybe use the tubing of a rail as HVAC and put plexy glass on the sides? Its not worth it for me but I hunt different country.

Not doubting anyone about rigging in this area and catching on dry ground but I am saying (CONSISTANTLY) like said you doubt no one is going to come and do this over a weekend as it may take a month or so, well right there you said it. If it takes a month to rig and catch a bobcat here with dry conditions I dont call that consistant and man that would be a hefty gas bill! I hunt timber, juniper, rocks. No undergrowth on the ground what so ever and the yellowstone valley is noted nation wide for its winds so to catch consistant rigging on dry ground well maybe some can do it consistantly I just havent seen it and I have hunted with quit a few houndsmen from this area that catch consistant on snow but they sure cant do it any other way CONSISTANTLY. Again I want to clear up where the stories ever came from me hunting anything but my own strain at this time yes I have tried other strains and breed over the past but have always hunted my nance strain for the past 30 yrs, I am hunting ONE dog in my kennels that I did not raise and he is a walker, finley river, white cloud and a shot of nance and yes he is registered he was catching consistantly out west on their dry ground, alot different than these conditions from central Montana to Eastern Mt.. Wonder why no one in the Dakotas are claiming to rig and catch consistantly? jmo Andy

I like Andys answers to all these rigging and cat hunt questions. It keeps all the new comers and some of the old timers sitting at home when there are poor condtions.
Jeremy I personally catch more cats now that I have a good rig dog than before I had one. Every year is differant some years I catch more rigging and some years I catch more roading. I do not rig or road when there is good snow only in the poor conditions, You ask how many more? I would have to say about 3%