Post by: MLHSN on July 01, 2018, 10:04:52 PM
I think if he had seen it he might have chased. How does that normally work out? I know dogs are used to tree cats, but I also know cats pick off a lot of dogs at the edge of town. What's the deciding difference? Why do cats run during hound hunts but attack at other times? Do most of you keep your dogs closer? Only my third interaction with a cat and my first with a dog. Wondering If I need to take additional precautions/training in cougar/bear country with my dog.
Post by: Timberstalker on July 01, 2018, 10:09:13 PM
The only risk I’d see is you getting a ticket for dog training out of season.
My approach has always been to pack a gun for the cats or bears. But your suggested training may be worth while.
Curious to see other’s responses.
Post by: Humptulips on July 01, 2018, 10:36:40 PM
That being said I used to have only one hound and he never was attacked. I'm sure though he was not as brave as if he had other hounds with him.
Also I think most of the pets taken by cougar are small breeds. Pointer ought to be big enough to intimidate almost all cougars IMO.
Post by: Skyvalhunter on July 02, 2018, 05:25:06 AM
Post by: idaho guy on July 02, 2018, 07:48:45 AM
Mostly when you're hound hunting you have more then one dog. Even two dogs are going to seem too much to handle for the average cougar.
That being said I used to have only one hound and he never was attacked. I'm sure though he was not as brave as if he had other hounds with him.
Also I think most of the pets taken by cougar are small breeds. Pointer ought to be big enough to intimidate almost all cougars IMO.
Agreed I have treed lots of lions with one hound I usually always start track with 2 hounds. Most lions will run but a small percentage will fight and they will wreck your dog. I have had hound buddies get dogs killed by Cougar’s. It has never happened to me but have ran into some fighters in the rocks. Depends on the dog to wether he just jumps in and starts grabbing fur or not too. I don’t think your dog is at great risk but depends on the cat and your dogs mentality I do wonder if Washington cats wouldn’t be more aggressive and bold since they haven’t been ran by dogs for years. Idaho cats are pretty conditioned I think to run just at a dog bark.
Post by: kselkhunter on July 02, 2018, 08:27:36 AM
But that is just my dogs. So, I can't advise what would happen with your dog if it noticed the lion. The odd part is my GSP WILL chase a deer or elk if he sees it, as much as a pisses me off that he does it, but after a handful of lion and bear encounters he's never once left his point position.....not sure if he's preparing to defend me from the lion or why he freezes in his point position. Maybe lions smell like pheasant.
I get bear, mountain lion, bobcat, and coyote on my property regularly. Always have a can of bear spray near the door and look out the door before I open it (had a bear standing 6 feet from the door one day), and a gun nearby as well. Have never had to use either weapon though. In the spring and summer, the bear spray is usually in my hand or on my body when I let the dogs out in the morning and evening.
Post by: KFhunter on July 02, 2018, 09:35:55 AM
I know of a cat that killed 4 hounds, an outfitter in canada had a client and it killed all the dogs he turned loose, he made some phone calls and other outfitter/s put out a whole pile of dogs on it and they got the cat but it holed up and fought. It was a big tom with a puncture hole in its skull from an even larger tom.
There's just no guessing what a Cougar will do. They typically run from hounds because the dogs are making so much racket and aggressive it shocks the cat into fleeing, a quiet dog and it might not flee, they have a chance to study the situation.
Post by: Jim/WA on July 02, 2018, 10:04:15 AM
Post by: MLHSN on July 03, 2018, 10:33:52 PM
Post by: jagermiester on July 04, 2018, 08:37:34 PM
Post by: KFhunter on July 04, 2018, 09:06:32 PM
That emaciated cat in North Bend acted in a way that was not normal when he attacked 2 grown men on bikes. You should really think about some protection if you are seeing cats on your walks. My :twocents:
That was pretty well debunked on HW
Post by: jagermiester on July 04, 2018, 10:05:22 PM
That emaciated cat in North Bend acted in a way that was not normal when he attacked 2 grown men on bikes. You should really think about some protection if you are seeing cats on your walks. My :twocents:
That was pretty well debunked on HW
What was debunked?
Post by: MLHSN on July 04, 2018, 10:20:24 PM
That emaciated cat in North Bend acted in a way that was not normal when he attacked 2 grown men on bikes. You should really think about some protection if you are seeing cats on your walks. My :twocents:
I often do carry. The problem is, if my dog chases, they might be out of site. I can't shoot what I can't see.
Post by: runamuk on July 04, 2018, 11:12:36 PM
That the cat acted out of the ordinary. Its a good sales pitch but not really accurate.That emaciated cat in North Bend acted in a way that was not normal when he attacked 2 grown men on bikes. You should really think about some protection if you are seeing cats on your walks. My :twocents:
That was pretty well debunked on HW
What was debunked?
Post by: catdog on July 04, 2018, 11:46:21 PM
Post by: jagermiester on July 05, 2018, 08:19:50 AM
Post by: Special T on July 05, 2018, 11:37:08 AM
Mostly when you're hound hunting you have more then one dog. Even two dogs are going to seem too much to handle for the average cougar.I've seen night time survailance footage of a cougar killing a lab and the jumping the fence with it.
That being said I used to have only one hound and he never was attacked. I'm sure though he was not as brave as if he had other hounds with him.
Also I think most of the pets taken by cougar are small breeds. Pointer ought to be big enough to intimidate almost all cougars IMO.
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Post by: wildweeds on July 24, 2018, 05:37:10 PM
Post by: AspenBud on August 10, 2018, 08:40:35 AM
Also strap a bell (I use a Sunkhaze) or a beeper to make the dog's presence known. Also helps to keep track of the dog.
If you are hunting grouse with the dog the bell/beeper won't make a difference to the birds unless the bell stops.
Most hunting dogs killed in the woods are hounds, largely because of their range. Bird dogs dying due to a bear or cougar or wolf or coyote are far less common largely thanks to their proximity to the hunter. I know of some bird dogs that have been attacked in the woods, but in the last ten years it has been by black bears and a few involved coyotes and most all involved a bigger running/fast moving dog stumbling into the animals at the wrong place at the wrong time and not because they were actively hunted by them.
Post by: bearpaw on August 10, 2018, 09:35:02 AM
Aspenbud mentions bells, I agree with that 100%, we have bells on every hound we own, I'm a firm believer the unnatural sound of those bells dinging make it safer for a dog to be in the woods. I think the bells ward away most wild predators, although I know a few hound hunters who have lost dogs with bells to large packs of wolves, but I think that was due to the wolves having heard the bells on numerous previous occasions and finally decided they were going to get rid of the canine competition, bells or no bells.
We've had a few close calls with wolves coming close to the dogs and hunters and howling and barking at us and then flanking us coming out of the woods. That happened again this spring in idaho.
Getting back to dogs/cougars, I would put a bell or beeper on your dog and I think he'll be 300% safer, unless you meet up with a hungry cat that just has to eat, but I think most cats and other predators will be afraid of the dog/bell/human combination.
Post by: bearpaw on August 10, 2018, 10:07:34 AM
When a cat or other predator look at something (prey, a dog, livestock, or even a human) it quickly makes a decision, either this is potential food, this is potential danger, or this requires more observation, and then it begins reacting according to it's impression. The more factors to encourage the predator to be fearful the better.