Idaho bobcat hunt!

[WAcoyotehunter]

We have been having a tough winter for snow, but this weekend we got ~1/2” and headed to ID to look for a big lion that has been giving us the slip.  We used the snowmobiles to check roads/trails for his tracks in the new snow but could not find anything fresh.  Rather than give up, we decided to let the dogs work and freecasted (turned the dogs loose without knowing where any tracks were…basically taking them for a hike and hoping for the best) and walked out a big basin hoping to cut a track.  Whisper has been giving me fits running old tracks that have no hope.  When she struck I figured that was what was going on.  Anyway, we let her take the track back up the mountain that we had just came down…and she ended up losing the track about ¾ of the way up.  Tana was there with her and they spent quite a bit of time searching, but ended up back near us.  We decided to hike back up the hill and see what was going on.  On the way up we found the fresh bobcat tracks and Whisper started back on the track.  She must have jumped the cat because he only went a few hundred yards and the dogs went to tree.  We rushed up the hill (with all four pups in tow!) and got above the area the hounds were treeing.  They had quieted down and left the tree to come see what all the commotion was about- the pups were getting pretty anxious and making a lot of noise…  We could not see the cat anywhere and the snow was so poor that tracking was very tough.  I dropped back down the hillside and circled to make sure the cat was still in there.  Once I found his tracks I could make more sense of the situation.  He had slipped into a big boulder pile and was probably laid up in there when the dogs jumped him.  He only went ~10 yards but climbed ~60’ up a HUGE white pine.  He was high enough and the tree was thick enough that he was invisible.  Whisper kept treeing on that tree and after a LONG search I managed to see his elbows sticking over either side of a branch!  Lucky break. 
When we shot him out the adult dogs grabbed him and the pups we not far behind.  The cat had just enough life in him to bite my littlest pup on the lip and clamp on like a snapping turtle!  Poor Nosey was squalling and carrying on for a while until she could get free.  She wasn’t hurt, but decided she was going to “re-kill” that cat for the next ten minutes!!  

All in all it was a good hunt for the hounds and a good experience for the pups- they’re almost 6 months old and this was their first tree.  I still have some work to do with the hounds on their treeing-

[jackmaster]

dude that is awesome, makes me really miss hound huntn, dont even know why i open those threads 

[WAcoyotehunter]

you're welcome to tag along-

[HUNT]

Congrats on the bobby!  Gotta love hunting with hounds....

[Huntboy]

Congrats, nice looking pack.

[Arteman]

That's awesome, way to stick with it.  That's good your pup got right back in there after taking a beating, I've seen them go the other way and want no more part of it. 

[MuleySniper]

Cool that looks like a blast!!
MS

[Machias]

Wohooooooo  Awesome Bart,  Nice kitty and I love the way those pups are fired up!!

P.S.  See any wolf sign where you were at?

[jackmaster]

you're welcome to tag along-

tell me what i gotta do dude, i would love to tag along, pay gas money or whatever, hell i will get a wolf tag to if i gotta incase we came by one.... do you keep your dogs close incase of wolves, what is the blonde dog in your pack there, is it somekind of cur

[WAcoyotehunter]

Good eye- the yellow dog is a blackmouth cur.  You can come over and hunt along with me- beware we end up walking and hunting pretty hard.  I have a sled, if you have one too it would be great- if not, we can piggy-back around on one.

[WAcoyotehunter]

I haven't seen a wolf track yet.  I always make a loop around the area to check for wolf sign.  So far I've been lucky and not found any.  The Diamond Pack has been hanging out in WA and the other 'home packs' seem to be staying up north.

[jackmaster]

yeah i dont have a sled, definatly dont mind walkn, do you only hunt in the snow so you can find tracks, or do you ever hunt dry land and hood them or road them

[WAcoyotehunter]

I like to find a track on a road, but if the snow sucks or if we don't find a crossing we will jsut freecast and hike.  It's a challenging way to do it, but can be pretty rewarding (like yesterday  )

You're welcome to come along Jackmaster- I'm hunting Friday and Monday this weekend but the snow report looks lousy.  If you want to come along on a higher percentage hunt wait for fresh snow, if you want to see the dogs work and get some serious exercise some on over despite poor snow conditions.  I'll be out whenever I can snow or not. 

After Feb 16th it's pursuit only and most guys will hang it up.  I'll be running every weekend from Feb 17th to March 31st.

[HUNTINCOUPLE]

Thats an aswesome hunt!

[JJB11B]

  great write up

[jackmaster]

where about are you at, trust me i dont mind walkn, and i wouldnt care if it was only pursuit, i absolutly loved just listening to the hounds bring a cat around the mountain in the middle of the night ass deep in snow, ya know what i am gonna talk to the wife and i will pm you if thats ok.... damn my adrenaline is already pumpn, i can here the dogs blown up already... thanks for the invite. hopefully i can return the favor

[WAcoyotehunter]

No sweat- shoot me a PM and we can get it figured out.  I'm over in Newport (Pend Oreille County).

It's a whole lot of fun and I don't mind taking guys out that are enthusiastic and willing to chase hounds around with the understanding that they may not get to see a cat in a tree, but they are sure to get to watch and listen to some dogs that LOVE their job! 

[Machias]

Bart have you considered going elsewhere?  They are getting good snow south of Wallace and south of Superior, MT.....lot more wolves, but great snow right now.  Too far?

[WAcoyotehunter]

I'm headed down to unit 21 (or 21A...?) in March to run.  I haven't really thought about going too far away.  I suppose we could.  Do you know much country down there?

[carpsniperg2]

Good looking cat

[Machias]

I'm headed down to unit 21 (or 21A...?) in March to run.  I haven't really thought about going too far away.  I suppose we could.  Do you know much country down there?

A few years ago I ran cats down in the country south of Superior, MT.  We would go down I-90 to Superior and then park just east and south of the town, take the sleds up and over Hoodoo Pass and down into the 250 roadway.  We hunted Moose Butte and the country north of Kelly creek.  Wolves were just getting established and we never cut a single wolf track.  The wolves were down with the elk on Kelly Creek and the Clearwater River and we stayed up with the moose and only saw cat tracks.  Probably would NOT have that same experience today.  I thought about taking the dogs over, leaving them in the box at the truck and just taking the sled in and see what it was like.  See if it's nothing but wolves or if the same situation exist...if nothing else might be able to put a tag on a wolf.  They almost always have great snow in that country.  Might be worth a weekend trip.  One thing, if we sled in there, we have to take stuff to stay over an extended period of time, It's probably 50 to 60 mile sled ride, one way.  You don't want to break down or get turned around back in there without some survival gear.

[WAcoyotehunter]

Sounds like a good time.  I have a pull behind for the sled we could pile on a couple dogs, fuel and gear and give it a try.  Does that kill season go through March?  I'm coaching wrestling this winter and weekends until mid Feb are pretty tough for me.

[Machias]

I'm already set up with a pull behind sled, so I take gear with me every time anyways.  I'll have to check.  One thing for sure we won't be freecasting down there and we/I won't be turning loose on cold tracks unless it's in an area I can stay close to the dogs.  It would certainly be a different kind of combat hunting.  I'll check and see when the take season is done down there.  One thing you won't run into other houndsmen very often!!

[Machias]

Wow, actually the take season is Aug 30 to Jun 30!!!

[Arteman]

Wow, actually the take season is Aug 30 to Jun 30!!!

Must be nice, only one month off!

[summit creek]

thats awesome dogs rock!!!!!!!!!!!

[KopperBuck]

That's awesome. Great looking pups