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I have a 6 year old running walker coyote hound. She is breed for coyotes. I use her for cold trailing and she does a pretty good job. I have never tried her on bobcat but would like too. What is the best way in starting her on Bobcat? Also will treeing be a issue?

Thanks

Musky, I have seen many old photos of Minnesota coyote hunters with their pure bred running dogs. They often show a mess of coyotes and a couple bobcats. I have talked to some of the men in those old pictures, and when they came across a bobcat track coyote hunting they put their dogs on the cats and caught some. Your dog might be too old to get her to switch, some times it is awfully hard to get an old broke dog to run trash. (unless they are with a new owner they want to test out!?!?). But you sure could put her on a leash and walk her on the track just like we do with pups, to let her know it really is OK.

I would not even worry about the tree in your region. Some of the cats may tree, and you may loose those, but a large percentage will not tree and your dogs will meet up with them on the ground.

I'd say find a bobcat track and put her on it. My dads first cousin was the biggest cat hunter around here. He told me the best cat dog he ever had was a fox dog till she was over 2 yrs. old had never ran a cat. She got on one by herself the first time he took her and caught it, loaded her took her to where his other dogs were running and turned her to them, she took the front end and caught that one in 15 min. So you never know. Treeing may be a problem but you won't know that either unless you try. I think 6yrs. is pretty old to be switching game JMO but you never know. He also said after 2 months of running cats that she never ran another fox

Would never work in this area as way to many yotes. Never get a cat up and running as dog would be on a yote. Andy

A dog hunted on yotes for that long may be a little too loose of a track dog to do a good job on a cat track, but if given enough opportunities, she may tighten up and learn to screw them down. I'd give it a try. Just like yote hunting (with snow), find a track and drop her, or as others say, walk the track with her to encourage to take it.

i run my dogs on alot of different game. if i were you i would try your dog on every cat track you find and if she takes it she takes it, walk the track like the others have said and let her know that its ok to run it. i dont run into many problems with my dogs switching game when i put them down on a cat track. its like they know that when i put down on a cat track thats what i want them to run.

I've seen chiller's dogs go. He knows what he's talking about.