BigGameHoundsmen.com

Been under the weather, did go out with Tom H. on 12-5 -i4 his dogs did a nice job & treed a nice female within a hundred yards of the road, after they had ran into a very steep & deep hole. Earlier that morning the dogs ran one that stuck it to them in a tough area with a lot of down material.
On 12-13-14 found Tom & I meeting a little before 7 AM & putting 7 dogs on the road, after about 10 minutes roading, Blue Log, split from the other dogs down a side road and soon opened. Other dogs soon joined him and all cranked around on an old scent opening, here and there. After working one direction for a couple hundred they turn around came back to the original spot and started going in the opposite direction. This was a very poor track & Blue has been known to start a coon & I believe made Tom A little on edge.
, he hates to run coon. The dogs worked for quite a distance before going out of hearing & the track had not got much better. We drove around in the direction we heard them leaving. And down a spur came Log, Hawk JR, Gunner, BO . right behind them. Tom decided to scoop them up as Bo should not be behind those younger dogs. Just as he had those four loaded, TJ opened about 50 yards across the road and near the river, in the exact direction those four were headed & immediately was jumped. Tom dumped those 4 and they were quick to join Tj & now maggie was also in the jump. Good race along the river for about 5 minutes & after a lose garmin said they had crossed the river & were now trailing up river. Track sounding better, we headed to another road to get closer to the dogs. We arrived a couple mile later just in time to see bo come racing across that road, Hawk Jr was a little ways behind Bo. We discovered the dogs had crossed in a very rough part of the river , other dogs were having a hard time swimming across. Blue Log & my year old were the last to find a place to swim across. By this time, Bo & Hawk jr. had a large lead, we loaded and headed for another road the garmin said they had crossed. When we arrived at that spot Bo & JR. had crossed a high ridge & were nearing another road system. We hurried and were able to get with in 75 yards of those two, tom dumped the box, just as bo made a lose. In the packs excitement they hit the track an opened on the wrong end for a short ways drawing Bo to them. Try as tom did heading the dogs in the right direction, the track disappeared on the next road. I know I sure made Tom some what happier, after we drove back to the spot those two dogs came off a cut bank, I was able to find the dog track, after both study we found fresh cat tracks & the dogs were right on those cat tracks. The time was now about 10 thirty am. but the dogs were tired, TJ had pulled a pad, so we headed for home. Thinking we can always run that one again. Tom made the comment these cats run harder than most I run in other places, I said it/s because i have ran them years with coon dogs. Al

sounds like you had a good time al. there is a tom up river across the bridge from the park that is a good swimmer also.

Al, good to hear Log is still with you. You might need to buy him a boat though.

Sounds like a lot of fun.

Log is real pleasure to have around, Tom & I both love his voice, seems to have a good nose & moves the track most of the time, hopeful he will swim quicker next time. Tom & I have been trying to figure out why Don gave him to me. ( thanks U R E) I told Tom maybe that river was the reason. I have had a set back health wise & Tom is keeping my two dogs, they will get hunted more that way. Most times L og has done well. Tom/s Bo dog moves a track very well scatters barks & just squeaks when he is running. Nice loud tree bark& at a hole he has not gone in, just sits and barks. My type hole dog. Course he is not perfect, does like riding the box & tight on a cold one, but most times jumps the critter ahead of the rest. Every one needs a friend like Tom H. Thanks skip & Larry. Al

Sounds like you had another great hunt.

When our hounds get to putting the pressure on one & next to a body of water, many times our race ends at water edge. Walked into a flooded creek/pond area in the spring and hounds were hung up not really baying or treeing but would not leave that spot. As I was wading into area, the cat swam by me at about 20 yards! Hounds never figured out where he went?
Enjoyed hearing about the hunt.

That is sure good of Tom to help you out Al .Good friends are in short supply . Regarding the title to your story about cats swimming i've found that not only will they swim to escape the hounds they'll also do it just to get to the other side .While that's not unusual what i have found amazing is that both ole stubtail and the long tails will swim in below freezing temperatures .You have to admire an animal that is that tough !

About 2 seasons ago I snuck down into a well respected houndsmans ground. I just intended to pass thru on my way to bigger country. But its hard to pass on one you see run across the road. Especially when your training 1-2 year old dogs. Long story short. That cat took us across the river twice in heavy water 300 yards below rusty butte bridge. At one point the cat took refuge on a good sized rock out in the middle. My dogs had to figure the current to get on that same rock. I was really liking what I was seeing from Bess, Sam and Sunny though. And started to fear the cat was getting caught. But she had played this game before with better dogs. What and enjoyable race to get to see, in such a unique spot. We ended up putting the cat in a hollowed cedar stump. I couldn't see the cat but she didn't like the idea of me looking.

I went home and feed my dogs. Then figured I would go tell dad about my wild day on the river. Dad enjoyed the story. Then took a few minutes to collect his thoughts. Dad looked at me and said. What did you expect from one of Albert Baldwins cats. I have chuckled about that race and my dads responce ever since. John.