part five......Tale of Two Packs
Posted: Tue May 26, 2009 3:36 pm
Part Five....
I left you all with the Post about striking out Thursday and Friday nights.
We roaded and rigged a little over 250 miles in the two nights and only had three Cold strikes early in the night. These Cat must have walked in the Afternoon. Saturday Dad said we should go earlier and try to strike before the Afternoon Cats track dissolved! We could not go too early as the Temp was in the high 80s and the Humidity about the same. With little h2o in the woods Hounds will Heat stroke quickly when run hard!
We roaded and emptied out the hounds between 7:30 and 8:00 PM then started rigging. Just after 8:30 a big Tom Cat ran across the road about 200 yds in front of the truck. We pulled up and not a bark? I put the rig Hounds down and they went across the drainage ditch for about 50yds when Cherokee found him and the Race was on.
As has been discussed by other Cat Hunters here on the Site a Cat seen crossing a road is tought to strike, they just don't leave any scent until they resume their normal gait.
We only had our 3 coming three yr olds, 2 two yr olds, 2 one year olds and Penny a solid four yr old. Penny was along to make sure we did not suddenly have a pack of "Sissorring" Hounds.
The Pack took this Cat up through a Plantation and across a road then checked at a SMZ full of h2o. Brandy, a 1yr old rooted him out of the SMZ and the Race was back on. For 15 min they did not let up! The Tom tried to cross the main North South road through the Club once but turned back. Then he came out and hit the deep sandy road. This was the first substantial check of the Race.
We do not generally hunt on Saturday night as the Deer Runners are out in force, but with a week to go before we head home Dad insisted that we try it. You guessed it when our Hounds checked, here came a pack of Deer Dogs Barking every breath. We blew the truck horn and loaded ours before a wreck could occur. Thus ended a Good race.
We moved out of the Deer runners way and started back to rigging an hour or so later we were hunting up a Cannal road when large white Eyes appeared in the road ahead of us. Not two Bobcats in the road in one night? But shornuff when we got there the Dogbox exploded. Put em down and dropped the tailgait and for 20 min. the "Oprey" played! This was one of the regulars, a small Sow cat that is good for 30 min. or so then up she goes. There was an SMZ that She likes to run in, and that is where She went. She pulled some kind of good stunt and Dad and I thought she was up. The check seemed to last forever but was only a couple of min. Sandy our other 1yr old found where the Kitty had left the SMZ going out a fresh burn and headed to a main road. The Race sounded good till they reached said road then another check, and wouldn't you know it. Another Deer Race coming, this time with two trucks and a four wheeler racing to cut them off. Nothing to do but blow the horn and loaded em up and try to find another! This is easier Said than done!
But the Cathunting Gods were smiling upon us this night! Just after midnight on the North end of the Canal Road (this canal runs for 10 miles north & south through these two clubs) We rigged a Smoking Hot track.
Now I know no other Cat Hunters have ever had Hounds back track a Cat? But ours did this one. He must have been so hot they could not tell which way he went. Up the road they went, reached an intersection, turned left and went till where the Cat had come into the road. Here they figured it out, they had the wrong end. Back they went, but now instead of a hot track to run they had their work cut out to trail Him up! Chotaw and Rivers found where the Cat had left the road and with Cherokee an Chickasaw they cominced to trail Him back up.
This took about thirty min. then jumped. We had put the younger Hounds in as the track improved. When jumped the Cat headed home to country he knew. We saw him cross the road twice the first time he was three min. ahead of the Pack. He went two miles as the Crow flies, but Bobcats do not go in straight lines. The second time we saw
him cross He was less than a min. ahead of the Pack.
He reached his destination and settled down to run another 30 min. before as Mr. Jim Moore says "He has to Fly, Climb, or DIE". This big Tom chose the wrong option!
Well that was Saturday night. Typical Cat Hunting. To Quote ABC's Wide World of Sports "The Thrill of Victory and the Agony of Defeat" all in one night!
Good Running to All!
C. John Clay
Dads Dogboy
PS Mr.Edwards I am glad you enjoy "Real" Stories!
I left you all with the Post about striking out Thursday and Friday nights.
We roaded and rigged a little over 250 miles in the two nights and only had three Cold strikes early in the night. These Cat must have walked in the Afternoon. Saturday Dad said we should go earlier and try to strike before the Afternoon Cats track dissolved! We could not go too early as the Temp was in the high 80s and the Humidity about the same. With little h2o in the woods Hounds will Heat stroke quickly when run hard!
We roaded and emptied out the hounds between 7:30 and 8:00 PM then started rigging. Just after 8:30 a big Tom Cat ran across the road about 200 yds in front of the truck. We pulled up and not a bark? I put the rig Hounds down and they went across the drainage ditch for about 50yds when Cherokee found him and the Race was on.
As has been discussed by other Cat Hunters here on the Site a Cat seen crossing a road is tought to strike, they just don't leave any scent until they resume their normal gait.
We only had our 3 coming three yr olds, 2 two yr olds, 2 one year olds and Penny a solid four yr old. Penny was along to make sure we did not suddenly have a pack of "Sissorring" Hounds.
The Pack took this Cat up through a Plantation and across a road then checked at a SMZ full of h2o. Brandy, a 1yr old rooted him out of the SMZ and the Race was back on. For 15 min they did not let up! The Tom tried to cross the main North South road through the Club once but turned back. Then he came out and hit the deep sandy road. This was the first substantial check of the Race.
We do not generally hunt on Saturday night as the Deer Runners are out in force, but with a week to go before we head home Dad insisted that we try it. You guessed it when our Hounds checked, here came a pack of Deer Dogs Barking every breath. We blew the truck horn and loaded ours before a wreck could occur. Thus ended a Good race.
We moved out of the Deer runners way and started back to rigging an hour or so later we were hunting up a Cannal road when large white Eyes appeared in the road ahead of us. Not two Bobcats in the road in one night? But shornuff when we got there the Dogbox exploded. Put em down and dropped the tailgait and for 20 min. the "Oprey" played! This was one of the regulars, a small Sow cat that is good for 30 min. or so then up she goes. There was an SMZ that She likes to run in, and that is where She went. She pulled some kind of good stunt and Dad and I thought she was up. The check seemed to last forever but was only a couple of min. Sandy our other 1yr old found where the Kitty had left the SMZ going out a fresh burn and headed to a main road. The Race sounded good till they reached said road then another check, and wouldn't you know it. Another Deer Race coming, this time with two trucks and a four wheeler racing to cut them off. Nothing to do but blow the horn and loaded em up and try to find another! This is easier Said than done!
But the Cathunting Gods were smiling upon us this night! Just after midnight on the North end of the Canal Road (this canal runs for 10 miles north & south through these two clubs) We rigged a Smoking Hot track.
Now I know no other Cat Hunters have ever had Hounds back track a Cat? But ours did this one. He must have been so hot they could not tell which way he went. Up the road they went, reached an intersection, turned left and went till where the Cat had come into the road. Here they figured it out, they had the wrong end. Back they went, but now instead of a hot track to run they had their work cut out to trail Him up! Chotaw and Rivers found where the Cat had left the road and with Cherokee an Chickasaw they cominced to trail Him back up.
This took about thirty min. then jumped. We had put the younger Hounds in as the track improved. When jumped the Cat headed home to country he knew. We saw him cross the road twice the first time he was three min. ahead of the Pack. He went two miles as the Crow flies, but Bobcats do not go in straight lines. The second time we saw
him cross He was less than a min. ahead of the Pack.
He reached his destination and settled down to run another 30 min. before as Mr. Jim Moore says "He has to Fly, Climb, or DIE". This big Tom chose the wrong option!
Well that was Saturday night. Typical Cat Hunting. To Quote ABC's Wide World of Sports "The Thrill of Victory and the Agony of Defeat" all in one night!
Good Running to All!
C. John Clay
Dads Dogboy
PS Mr.Edwards I am glad you enjoy "Real" Stories!