BigGameHoundsmen.com

...and the ticks are out. Dogs were struggling today to keep it going and towards the end the darn hare was running on the road more then off so I gave him a lite slap with a stick, didn't work. Camera battery went dead so I pulled the hounds.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q9uG3Hx ... e=youtu.be

Nice video bud.

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I'm enjoying these videos of yours Bud. Keep them coming!

Bud, thank you for sharing the videos! They sure bring up some questions in my mind.

You sure could learn a lot about your dogs and scent conditions when you can see and hear so much of the race and the game itself repeatedly. I bet you have a whole new body of observation gained since you made the switch from bobcat to hare. I see differences in the way the dogs handle tracks in the different videos, and it makes me wonder about weather related factors like temp. humidity, time of day, time since last precip, or storm, time until the next one, air movement & direction, etc. I never ever kept track of that stuff myself because it did not really matter to me. If I had time to hunt, my behavior was completely predictable despite the weather. But I never had the chance to see the game so often and observe the dogs a high percentage of the time. I know some hunters pay close attention to these environmental factors and up thier percentages by them.

Maybe that is what the garmin is doing to folks these days. I think seeing every trail and "watching" the dogs at every turn would be some serious schooling.

The most dramatic and easy to observe change is in their reaction to the roads. Some times, they hit a road and it is like they hit a river. They seem perplexed and confused Even though the hare goes straight across the road. Then other times they follow him across a road with little or no trouble. Sure makes me want to know why? What about that situation caused such a dramatic change in the apparent behavior of the dogs? What kept them from plowing straight across the road? Is it because that type of behavior would get rabbit dogs in trouble at every turn? What was happening with the scent in the different scenarios?

What is it about the beagle that has made him the foundation or important ingredient of some very effective bobcat dogs, particularly in South Texas, Mexico, but other by-chance places as well?

Would be fun to get to know them by name and by voice Bud. Maybe you could narate a little more on who is who and stuff like that. Would also be fun to see other parts of the hunt, like how do you handle them around the box and how do you get a track going when there is no snow? Free cast? I my self would like to meet each dog know their name and age and expectation and if related to Gracie or where they came from. (you can tell I don't get out much.) Do you ever hunt one or two dogs at a time?

fascintating on many levels. Fun too! . Thanks again Bud

(ps I think you should go out with some bear hunters and show them your stick whacking method )

david wrote:Bud, thank you for sharing the videos! They sure bring up some questions in my mind.

You sure could learn a lot about your dogs and scent conditions when you can see and hear so much of the race and the game itself repeatedly. I bet you have a whole new body of observation gained since you made the switch from bobcat to hare. I see differences in the way the dogs handle tracks in the different videos, and it makes me wonder about weather related factors like temp. humidity, time of day, time since last precip, or storm, time until the next one, air movement & direction, etc.: )

You ask a lot of questions David..LOL. Yes the weather plays a huge part in how the running will be for the day...my goal however is to some day have dogs that it wont matter what the condition's are...we WILL run!!! Humidity, and Barometer are the one's I watch the closest.
What I have observed and learnt from running beagles would make a big difference in how I would evaluate cat hounds if I were to get back into them.
And what you are seeing when the dogs may carry the track straight across the road in one clip but not on the other is caused a lot by the hare, they may run one hare that will run the road every time he comes to one but the next hare will cross each time, some dogs learn to hesitate and check before crossing (wish they all would).
I'll see if I cant do a little better next time out and explain the steps and dogs as I go along.
Also half my pack is related to Gracie in one way or another, most being half brother/sisters.


Also I always free cast the beagles....

You got me wanting beagles now...that wasn't nice, I have to many dogs to begin with.

Seriously Bud, I've never ever been to the woods with beagles and I've always wanted to see them go. I've been so tied up in cats, it's a nice diversion to watch your videos.

I'm with David on the narration. Watching them is way better than watching football and it would be fun to know each dog. If you posted a video a week and got the nack of good narrating, I'll bet you a million bucks that you would have quite a following on YouTube. Their such busy little buggers...it just makes me want to see more.

Bud, in your reply to David you said humidity and barometer are the ones you watch the most. What are you looking for on the barometer and why? Thanks
Robbie

Robbie, im not trying to answer for Bud but i will try to explain what i have seen in the last year. A friend of mine got me to paying attention to B.P. This is strictly cat hunting so i cant say on hares. When the pressure is below 30.30 the dogs seem to be able to pick their heads up better and loses seem fewer,dogs can handle a road running cat a lot better also. Those cats that like to slip around out in front of the dogs aren't able to do it as effectively. I notice the races are more intense sounding and the dogs tree harder. I dont wait for the pressure to be right to go hunting but if i could hunt anytime i wanted it might play a factor. Kestrel makes a small guage that has B.P.,humidity,wind speed,temp, and some other things for around 200 dollars. It has been real interesting paying attention to it. Really want to hear Budds findings on the pressure.

Thanks Mark! A few years ago I got to watching the BP, but we were in the middle of a drought and I couldn't ever come up with a consistent pattern. I was using the astro 220 reading of the BP. I now have the alpha system, I haven't looked but I'm sure it has the BP reading on it also. Do you know if the BP reading on the garmin system is accurate or not? Thanks!
Robbie

A buddy and me each got two rabbit beagles several years ago and started running them. We got a couple of old retired cat hunters that hadn't owned a hound in years to go with us one time. Now they each own a whole pack each, they probably have 15 between the two of them. Mine are tri colored but most of theirs are blueticked and all of them are only about 12 inches tall but they run to catch as hard as they can and some of these cottontails here are tough they can run for an hour or two in the right thicket. My buddy says we saved those two old men's lives, they were just sitting around in their recliners most of the time and now they are going hunting three times a week and messing with their dogs every day. Every time I run in to one of them in town or somewhere they've got to stop and tell me about their last hunt.

Good for you scrubrunner, that was a good thing you did to help those men. That was nice to hear. I'm getting one for sure now.

Mark, that's the number's we are looking for, below 30.30. But I have seen all my thoughts on temps, humidity, and B.P. go rite out the windows as well .

Bud,
Did you ever hear that when a fox is facing North while catching mice under the snow it's average catch rate is around 75% and is much mower if facing another direction? I believe someone did their masters thesis on it and it was mentioned on one of the discovery channel shows...one more factor for you to throw in the mix.

Anything below 29.8 here is about ideal and the more humidity the better. Ran this morning and we did pretty fair off the first jump, hare stretched out about 1100 yards before turning back the way he came....by end of the first hour the humidity started dropping off and it showed. The run slowed considerably with the pack working hard to keep him moving.

Air pressure about 30.2 , relative humidity was 56 % and air temp was 60 to start. Finished at about 33 % with the air pressure the same and air temp just over 70.
Conditions turning against us and dogs getting tired