opinion on running and trailing

[Old dog]

we have heard many times that nobody catches every cat they run and this has started many a pissing match. over the years I have been able to hunt with many houndsmen and found that many claim to be running a track when they are actually trailing a track.i think the difference in terms has caused some difference of opinion here. I haven't owned a finished dog for a while but when ever I have had one I did expect it to catch 99% of the cats it jumps "runs" but we all know a trail job don't always turn into a jump and me included. and I am sure this post will cause yet another pissing match but what is you're opinion?

[Jeff Eberle]

I expect to catch every time, Way before a track is even started let alone jumped. I also don't shy away from any area's bluff's, rivers, rock beds, sunny side of the mountain, down falls, Burned area's. And I don't care who you are all of these places will cut into your 99%. I like the challenge , And do believe them dogs get a little smarter every time they get beat. But back to your question we have all hunted with someone at sometime that either don't know their dogs or it is just wishful thinking on what they are doing. And the stories sound pretty good over the CB radio , Till you come around a corner and have to call them on the radio and tell them where they can pick up their dogs standing in the road

[al baldwin]

I expect to catch every time, Way before a track is even started let alone jumped. I also don't shy away from any area's bluff's, rivers, rock beds, sunny side of the mountain, down falls, Burned area's. And I don't care who you are all of these places will cut into your 99%. I like the challenge , And do believe them dogs get a little smarter every time they get beat. But back to your question we have all hunted with someone at sometime that either don't know their dogs or it is just wishful thinking on what they are doing. And the stories sound pretty good over the CB radio , Till you come around a corner and have to call them on the radio and tell them where they can pick up their dogs standing in the road

Jeff, never met you , hope the lord allows me the health to do so, some day. Spoken like an honest cat hunter who has been there and done that. Al

[1bludawg]

I have to agree with you Al . Jeff sounds like a stand up guy whose followed more than a few dogs in his time.Would also like to meet him if the chance ever arises .

[merlo_105]

Old dog, I think you just already said what all needed to be said. Maybe some people cant tell the difference between a tight jump or a loose jump or just standard trailing. If I get a good jump I expect to catch it 99% of the time. Now depends on day or night and where im at, if I have a loose jump or a drawn out trail job my catch % is slowly going to drop. And that's due to a lot of factors bad area to run in getting to close to the highway so on so forth. I have noticed in the area I run that my good jump percentage is way higher during the day rather then at night. Some other area's I seem to do better at night. Anyways my opinion is there are always factors but in most cases people hear real good barking and expect them to be jumped when they are not

[Varminator]

Think the "SUBJECT" may be the answer! Some dogs make a cold track out of a warm track by telling the World, "I smell a cat" and may track it out of there and slowly wear the cat out after 2-3 hrs here on the coast. When some dogs will leave not saying anything or very little and jump and catch the same cat in short order. But "most dogs used" by many cat hunters are somewhere in between these two examples. IMHO

Jeff, I wouldn't have any place to hunt, if I were to avoid the obstacles you spoke of!
Where in OR do you live??

[Jeff Eberle]

Al I'd think you and 1bludawg would value your time better then that. I'm sure I would be the one taking note .

Varminator, I'm way south of you guys in Calif. But don't hold that against me

[Varminator]

I see that now Jeff!
Do you know Bill Fry? I knew him when he worked on the east side in OR. He and his brother Darrell introduced The Coyote Decoy Dogs to all the Gov.Hunters in the Northwest. I went out with Bill and he called in 5 coyotes(2 Doubles and 1 single) for me and I missed them all!!! I was using his gun and it must have been off!
What breed or line of cur do you use, and have you tried them on Fox now that you lost cat hunting down there ??

[Jeff Eberle]

I see that now Jeff!
Do you know Bill Fry? I knew him when he worked on the east side in OR. He and his brother Darrell introduced The Coyote Decoy Dogs to all the Gov.Hunters in the Northwest. I went out with Bill and he called in 5 coyotes(2 Doubles and 1 single) for me and I missed them all!!! I was using his gun and it must have been off!
What breed or line of cur do you use, and have you tried them on Fox now that you lost cat hunting down there ??

I know of the Fry's. Mine are not full curs, For the most part they are based off of Wick's Camo Jug and Loose Bruce. I was run fox back when it wasn't cool, Hard to beat a good fox race. Now I spending most my time in Nevada chasing Long tails.

[Varminator]

If things work out as planned I'll be down there this winter doing the same.
Good Luck to you now, and in the future!!

[southern fox]

my take on this , I never think about catching anything till its caught, I have seen so much, with getting away it aint funny , I never count my chickens before they hatch, trailing to me is a must, but I believe a hound can open to much on a track making the game get up and move before the dog gets close, then if the cats wise and had pressure before a lot of times he will be long gone before the hounds get to where he was ! here where I hunt all the easy ones are gone done been caught so whats left is master escape artists, a 15 second break in running will put you to cold trailing when he starts twisting and turning and stinking up the area, I believe a dog that trails with little mouth would put them to running quick , I hunt running walkers that will suck sand up there noses in the road, and will give a little to much mouth on the trail , but when they go to running its as different as night and day they double and triple on giving tongue, I run grey fox and cat with the same dogs, with the fox I don't mind all the tongue, but with the cat I would love to have less tongue so they can sneak up on him , but with all that mouth its impossible, so I will just be satisfied with what I have, a person needs to listen to his hounds while running and trailing cause the mouth will change alot

[al baldwin]

I take nothing away from those tight mouth hounds, have owned some, realize they did at times shorten cat races. If you enjoy hunting those by all means do so, however, most of the tight cold trailers sooner or later got sold, I just respected a hound who gave good mouth on a cold scent but moved the track & eventually caught enough cats to made hunting enjoyable. I was there to hear the dogs work, but not stand in the same spot & bark. Over time I found some of those dog wise cat were just as difficult to catch with a tight mouthed hound as with a open trailer that moved the track. When a track was struck I was hoping for a good trail job, difficult race ending with a treed cat or one that was forced to take a hole. My first good hound never made a cat hound, she did tree numerous bobcat, most times after sitting on a high point for an hour or so, would hear a short hot jump race followed by a class tree job. I called her a tom specialist she would silent trail a big tom for miles and do a bang up tree job. Made an outstanding bear dog, that got the respect of the best bear hunters in this area, after seeing her on a mean bay up bear. There was no quit to her, no thanks to me. Have to that credit to those who bred hounds named Okla.Spot, Motley/s Missouri Rose, Merchants/s Bawlie & Wagoners/s Little Fanny. Those four hounds were her grandparents. Her parents hounds called Shepards Oregon Deacon & Shepards Oregon Sugar. Just my experience & a little history. PS the Bell died here. Also kept another tight female until she .passed. Al