Colorado lions and little cats

[Gehrke145]

Normally this time of year I'm just out calling Coyotes and Bobcats but this year will be different.  After years of trying to get into the hound game I finally made some friends that helped me along.  I ended up getting two walker hounds, one that was started (been run on cats both with snow and dry ground) and a pup.  Been out a few times and I'm learning as I go!  

Its a blast and something I will do for the rest of my life, or until I can't crawl up the mountains.  At first I wasn't going to do a post on this but figured it would be eye opening to most on how hard it is to get a 'finished' lion/bobcat dog.  I want to be perfectly  clear that the older dog was trained by my new friends.  My goal is to get that pup running cats by himself, not an easy task when bobcats our involved.

I will start things off with this mornings hunt, the first day of my 10 day vacation.  The hunt starts out close to my house, which is an area of Colorado that has few roads that access cat country.  This means all of my hunting will be done on foot .  

Hit the trail head before light and started hiking, after about a mile in the old dog (Lucy) hits a bobby track.  She screams it for 3/4 of a mile until we hit a south facing hillside.  No snow, mud that is like walking on grease, cactus and sliding shale. Bobby one that race, I did hike a total of 6 miles in the snow.  I plan on covering more ground tomorrow, just got hung up on trying to find the out track to Bobby.  

On a side note, covering 6 miles in the snow never seamed like anything when I'm out after yotes.  Add in a pup walker that thinks everything is a lion and it gets entertaining real fast lol.  Also I found out real fast that he is a master at tying knots with leases and oak brush......

I didn't snap any pics today but I did see a good number of elk and deer.  I'll take some pics tomorrow of the country and the dogs.

[moththerlode]

Man that sounds like a hoot !!!

[Caughtandhobble]

That's cool... What kind of tracking system do you use?

[FerretWYO]

I went out today and cut a big track from a couple days ago. Next snow my walkers are hopefully gonna give him a run.

[Gehrke145]

running astro gps and quick track system

[Homebru]

If you need a grunt to help haul equipment and feed the dogs, I'd love to chase some cats for fun.  Maybe I can draw a tag one of these days.
homebru

[Big Ed]

Sounds like a blast!!

[Gehrke145]

no drawing necessary, they are over the counter.

[straight_arrow]

Just last week I had a lion dismantle a 3d deer target in my yard.  Interesting to see his tracks in the snow, approached from behind and must have been very disappointed to bite into foam?  Have never seen him, just tracks from time to time.

[Shane H]

I'm glad your doing this post, I only needed to hound hunt once after years of being uninterested, to figure out I loved it. I was planning on getting some hounds myself when my kids got a little older but California ended those plans. A true hunting method, and pretty demanding to boot.

[stykbow67]

Hey Adam,Looking forward to seeing some success/scenery pics!

Btw, did that info I sent ya ever show up?

Steve

[Homebru]

I'm used to thinking "draw" in Utah.  I haven't bought a CO tag 'cause I don't know anybody with dogs.
homebru

[Phrogdrvr]

Must be hard to hold the dogs back once they catch the scent.  You must be in marathon shape.

Tom

[D.Ellis]

Sounds like a good time. I just got these two a week ago. My first hounds.........they are a lot of work but I am excited to get them hunting..........can't wait for next cat season.
Darcy    
 

[Gehrke145]

Styk, yes everything showed up. I sent you a reply but for what ever reason some of my messages aren't going through?

Went out today and ran another bobby, but like yesterday lost him on the south facing dry slope.  Going to hold off tomorrow because we are suppose to get some snow. Also the dogs feet are a little rough with the crusty snow and need a break.  The rest of the week I think I'm going to look for lions before running bobs.  There just seems to be a bobcat in every canyon and I'm itching to see a big old tom.  

Here are some pics from today.
   This is my pup (Chase, named because like all pups, runs anything!) running back after the old ground lost the bob in the dry hillside.   D.Ellis good luck with 2 pups, man are they a hand full!!!!!!!
Some pics of the country,
   
   
   

[FAV 52]

Great post gehrke145 ; hounds are a reflection of the man that owns them ; if you put in the hard work of caring for and hunting them they will give you years of joy and hunting fun . I have had hounds for 45 years for hunting coon ; coyotes and as of late squirrels . Good picture of the bedded deer also . D.Ellis my advice for what it's worth to you is either get a broke dog to hunt your pups with or hunt with someone that has one til your pups start running and treeing . Good luck to you both and the shot you'll have to make after the tree job it will be a test of your traditional skills .

[Goshawkin]

Good luck with those pups!
I miss my hounds. I coonhunted for years with blueticks.I got my first bluetick when I was in high school. I was helping a farmer out during the summer.I asked him if I could get paid early one week because I was going to Pennsylvania to pick up the pup the next day.He asked about the pup and how much I was paying for it.He went to the house and came back with my pay and the money for the pup.He said he'd pay for it as long as I ran the dog in his sweet corn.I thought that was really great of him and still do to this day.
I had to get out of coondogs because so many houses got built around here.Switched over to little bluetick beagles for bunny hunting.

[D.Ellis]

Originally posted by FAV 52:
Great post gehrke145 ; hounds are a reflection of the man that owns them ; if you put in the hard work of caring for and hunting them they will give you years of joy and hunting fun . I have had hounds for 45 years for hunting coon ; coyotes and as of late squirrels . Good picture of the bedded deer also . D.Ellis my advice for what it's worth to you is either get a broke dog to hunt your pups with or hunt with someone that has one til your pups start running and treeing . Good luck to you both and the shot you'll have to make after the tree job it will be a test of your traditional skills .

Thanks, that's good advice.
Darcy  

[Roughcountry]

Good luck with your dogs. It's a very rewarding jorney with it's fare share of set backs. I've been following the hounds for 28 years now and hope to continue for a bunch more. Still love the sound of trailing hounds in the deep canyons as they unravel the scent of a hunting lion.

Good looking pups Darcy.

[Gehrke145]

Well yesterdays hunt starts off like every hunt down here, with a lot of hiking through snow.  The only thing different is we got a little new snow, about an inch.       As we hit my elk canyon my older dog opens up on a track.  I run over and see this     now what can a guy do?  Well I can tell you the lions will just have to wait for another day lol.  My older dog screams the track and shortly is over 600 yards away opening up like no tomorrow.  When the cat started doing turns in some canyons my pup fell out of the race.  Me helping the pup out on the track a bit      Look down on the GPS and its not picking up Lucy. This is why most guys that use gps run the other collars as well, Way longer range and battery life.  Before digging my quick track receiver out I figured we hike on top of a big point for a look and better line of sight.  Plus I would be on the point that lead to the main ridge and would be able to cover ground faster.  At this time my girlfriend is getting a little sick of the race I'm taker her on, at this point we did about 4 to 5 miles in rough country.  Anyways we hit the top of the ridge, and the GPS picks Lucy up 800 yards south, when we close to 400 I hear the greatest sound in the world, Tree'd!