Bobcat hunting with hounds

[YanceyGreenhorn]

It was only a matter of time before I got curious enough to ask about this lol. Didn’t see anything in the regs saying you couldn’t hunt them with hounds, so I figured I’d ask if any of y’all have done it? I’ve watched and read some stuff online about guys doing it in various parts of the country . Just never talked to anyone who did it here in NC

 

[JoeSam1975]

Yes. There are some big time cat hunters just down the road from me.
There also were some that would hunt the Northern Dismal years back after deer season went out.

 

[RJ1]

It was only a matter of time before I got curious enough to ask about this lol. Didn’t see anything in the regs saying you couldn’t hunt them with hounds, so I figured I’d ask if any of y’all have done it? I’ve watched and read some stuff online about guys doing it in various parts of the country . Just never talked to anyone who did it here in NC

I hunted everything that you can hunt with a hound that will tree, a good cat chase is almost as good as a fox chase.

 

[YanceyGreenhorn]

Yes. There are some big time cat hunters just down the road from me.
There also were some that would hunt the Northern Dismal years back after deer season went out.

Very cool thanks for sharing

 

[YanceyGreenhorn]

I hunted everything that you can hunt with a hound that will tree, a good cat chase is almost as good as a fox chase.

Had a feeling you’d reply! I’ve been obsessively reading about western lion hunters and then got to wondering about chasing cats .

 

[timber]

Use to hunt bobcats with dogs. Used basically same dogs we fox hunted with. The object was to catch the cat on the ground but they didn’t always follow the plan and would pop up a tree

 

[nccatfisher]

Had a feeling you’d reply! I’ve been obsessively reading about western lion hunters and then got to wondering about chasing cats .

They don't have near the air you would think. You pressure them they are going to go up a tree or in the most gosh awful trash or rock pile around. They like to run circles in thick crap unless you can really pressure them.

 

[wildcat3]

Biggest majority of folks today don't have dogs that are straight enough to be sure enough fox and cat dogs. I can think of a few that I'd be willing to bet had the real deal but they are very few. Our deer dogs get off on a coyote here and there but I'd never call them coyote hounds. Back to the cats, id love to go with some real cat hounds. I've never done it but it sounds like a ball from what I've heard.

 

[josh]

I know a group of guys here in WV that does it but definitely don’t hear of many...

 

[timber]

Ours switched over to cats fairly well from running fox in the bean and cotton fields to cats. Have had a few fox dogs that just didn’t like to run a cat. We had some trail dogs that didn’t really fox hunt because they were to slow to pull up. We had several that we road hunted in front of the truck. If they struck most time you could count on it being a cat. Usually a lot more trailing with cats than running. Striking a track want so hard but knowing if you were on the right end of the track was hard part. We usually started about 7 in the am. Some cats will walk about all night. If you start a track closer to where he started walk rather than where he stopped to lay up makes a lot of wasted time with a cold tract. A lot of times if was to bad would just load the dogs a look for another track

 

[nccatfisher]

Biggest majority of folks today don't have dogs that are straight enough to be sure enough fox and cat dogs. I can think of a few that I'd be willing to bet had the real deal but they are very few. Our deer dogs get off on a coyote here and there but I'd never call them coyote hounds. Back to the cats, id love to go with some real cat hounds. I've never done it but it sounds like a ball from what I've heard.

I had one dog that loved them, we treed several when I was hunting in SC in a place that was full of them. The bad thing is I intentionally break my dogs off house cats when they are young and that usually makes them shy away from all feline species.

 

[wildcat3]

I had one dog that loved them, we treed several when I was hunting in SC in a place that was full of them. The bad thing is I intentionally break my dogs off house cats when they are young and that usually makes them shy away from all feline species.

I had a dog run and catch six cats one morning, not bobcats either. I figured I was in for the cussing of a lifetime and bill upon bills headed my way. The man called me, told me he had my dog and it had already killed six of his daughters cats. I immediately started apologizing and headed over to his house. The next words out of his mouth were: " dont worry about it buddy, I hate the damm things you did me a favor." Not many times you'll run into that.

 

[dc bigdaddy]

Some of the best races we had rabbit hunting were house cats.

 

[darkthirty]

Back in my rabbit hunting days, we ran a few. Dogs that were solid broke off a deer, cats were there cryptonite. We never really minded. 90% of the time, a bobcat would run almost identical to a rabbit. Maybe just a tad bigger circle. But if they really started putting the heat to one, it’d either tree or straighten out a bit.

 

[Treetall]

Plenty of guys still cat hunt here around home and further east in the winter time. Using same dogs they fox hunt in the crops in summer . Sure ain’t as many around but they are in pockets. Best race there is for about 30 min

 

[Justin]

....

 

[DRS]

Had some hounds that liked cats. We have caught a few over the years and treed a few more. My hounds are not "broke" I just love to hear them run. There are still a few houndsmen around that have broke fox and cat dogs. Ran into some last year at the N. Dismal. One of our young hounds got mixed in with them. They had gotten at least one that morning.

 

[YanceyGreenhorn]

Really appreciate the replies and info from everyone . Sounds like a lot of fun.

....

well now ya got me curious

 

[DRS]

Ran into a cat hunter Friday 11/20, at the Northern Dismal. We cast at the edge of a clear cut. The hounds fired up and were making a wonderful racket. Enough so a young cat couldn't stand it. My kennel partner nearly ran over it as it darted out of there. Our hounds made a round or too and then to another block, they were not on the cat. About 45 minutes later, we were going back to the same block. We knew there were some more deer in there. Dang, there is someone there with dogs out. I went down there to see if they were hunting or just catching hounds. He said he was cat hunting and they had hit a track there. I then told him we had spooked one out right there earlier. Just out of curiosity, I ask how did he or the hounds find the track. He said he trotted them down the road to hit a track. I can honestly say they were true, 'cause that was where the cat crossed.