BigGameHoundsmen.com

Steve and I drove down to Refugio to meet up with friend, Joe Braman and shoot a little footage for CARNIVORE. Joe told Steve and I to bring some rubber boots as it had rained 3.5 inches and more in some parts of the ranch. We had to stop in Kerrville to make the purchase as I am a dry ground hunter and have never owned a pair of rubber boots.
The closer we got to Refugio, the wetter it got and by the time we got to the ranch on Wednesday evening, water was standing most everywhere.
We caught three cats but my favorite race was the last one. We were driving back to an area near a creek where we had seen a cat a couple hours earlier when we saw two cats (no doubt mating) in the road in front of us. We dumped the dogs and the race was on. The cat was running in an area where there were no trees, tall grass and broomweeds with a few scattered bushes,the area appeared to be an old field.
The race carried the hounds near a highway and thank God, he turned back heading toward a large mott of live oak trees where I was sure he would tree. To my suprise, he looped under the thicket but returned to the area where the grass and weeds were thicker. After 40 minutes, the old tom, somewhat winded took his last stand in a mott of oak brush that was so thick that I could wade on top of most of it.
I broke running to the Polaris in an attempt to retrieve the .22 Mag rifle but did not get back in time to render relief to both cat and dogs.
Steve and I had a great time and even had the opportunity to call up a couple of coyotes that Joe and I managed to kill. Sure would like to haul some of that water back to Menard County...might even enjoy having to wear my new boots for a while.
Adios,
Gary

Gary,

It sounds like you all had a Great Time!

Joe has some nice Hounds and little Memo handles them well.

Mike Rooke had the same rain and caught two the next night after 40 min races. He has had more rain and has caught or treed several since. Wet weather can sure make for good Hounds.

We are dry here in Florida, just some little showers, no major Rain which they sure need. Cats have not started rutting here and are a little hard to find, but we stay after them and have caught, treed, holed or log piled 37 this trip. Caught 4 Tuesday night...that's a first for me....and only had 3 Cat Hounds with 10 pups from 7 months to two years.

We can not wait to see the Carnivore Shows with Joe's Hounds!

Gary, it sounds like alot of fun..sure would love to go where cats are that plentiful!!... I sent you a pm a couple weeks ago, let me know if you got it?? We have gotten a real problem with them coyotes in my country and I need some good advice how to start working on them, equipment and callers and sounds??? you can pm me or email me or even call me ...Thanks in advance for such professional advice!!

Rod Vinson
252-560-1058
email. connerfields4u@yahoo.com

I have been running lately, shooting for the TV show. I will try to get to my PM's in a couple of weeks as I want to take advantage of the last bit of cool weather down here.
Adios,
Gary

I did some work for Dan Braman a while back. Last year at SCI in Vegas he showed me some footage of some south Texas bobcat hunts. Man that looks like fun. Running large packs in the dirt reminds me of the stories I read about Old Traveler. This book writted by B.S Jones tells the story of a pack of cat dogs he raised and hunted in the fifties ans sixties in Florida. It sure made for some great reading when I was younger. I would love to see some hunts captured on film.

Phil
Hang loose for we have some great footage for you. Joe caught two Sat. evening and three Sunday evening. Hunted a little with Dan Sat. nite after we shared time at the campfire and then hunted a bobcat we had seen four hours earlier near a creek. We had nearly 25 dogs on the ground at one time.

Ok thanks Gary...If you run out of hunting ground, you can bring that coyote hunting crowd up here in North Carolina and I will hook them up to be able to hunt 30 days and 30 nights as long as they will help rid us of these coyotes, we even have a law so you can nite hunt em now...We just need someone that "knows how" to hunt them. Plus i will cary them on a few cat races with running hounds on their lunch breaks!!!!lol Just help me with info when you get caught up cause these things are multiplying by the minute!!!

I left Refugio Saturday morning and Joe hunted that evening and caught two cats. He took a break Sunday morning and got after them again Sunday evening when he caught three more. He really knows how to hurt a fellow.
Adios,
Gary

Joe is killing me. He caught two more cats on Monday and two more last night. He sure knows how to hurt a fellow, he calls me and lets me listen to his dogs on his cell phone. Now that is cruel!
Adios,
Gary

Gary,

The highest density of Bobcat on the Planet......Wet Weather......Good Hounds = Lots of running and Caught Cats!

Congrats to Joe and Dan!

They just need your Blue bitches to make it perfect!

He caught another cat before I could clear the Menard City limit sign leaving town yesterday evening. I took a 6 month old pup and nearly two year old Lacy for a circle and treed two coons in dry conditions with zero ground cover. I sure hope we get an end to this drought this year.
It is wet in Joe's country. First time I ever hunted in rubber boots in my life.
Adios,
Gary

Joe sent me a photo of another cat he caught yesterday evening. The dogs and cats are going to get a little break as he is leaving the country for a few days.
Adios,
Gary