# Bobcat Hunting w/ Hounds



## srconnell22 (Aug 27, 2007)

While I no longer have hounds of my own, I am fortunate enough to have a friend locally that has some very good dogs for bear and bobcat. When my work schedule allows it, I usually burn up a little extra time some mornings, this time of year, being a “me too’er” to him during cat season. This usually means checking for tracks after I drop the kids off at school, and having a “go bag” for hunting stuff, where in a few minutes, I can Clark Kent my way from banker to hunter in my truck.

Hunting bobcat with hounds can be a very tough, physically demanding hunt. For some reason, I’ve always enjoyed it, whether I’m just checking for tracks in my work loafers or trudging through swamps amidst the cold, silent winter. I would consider a bobcat the toughest animal to harvest in Michigan with hounds, by far. Anyone that can catch a cat with hounds, as has been shown on this forum many times before, can certainly hold their head high with pride. It’s no easy task.

The same goes for the hunter. Wrapping a tag around a bobcat, for most, is a once in a lifetime moment. For the life of me, I don’t understand why they are not considered a big game animal in Michigan, or measured by CBM for record keeping. The amount of work and effort that goes into harvesting one, whether calling, trapping or with hounds, certainly places them in an elite tier for Michigan sportsmen.

I have always wanted to have a nice, big, Michigan Bobcat for a full body mount for my basement. I’ve been fortunate enough to be a part of a lot of successful bobcat hunts, but usually as a guide or mostly, as a “me too’er” with my friend, Jake Ormsbee, and his plott hounds, never as the shooter. I was never in a hurry to fill my tag. Whether it be kids, other group members, paid hunters or whomever else, I’ve been able to watch as many notched their tags with pride and excitement.

That all changed this year, when Jake had a day in early January where he didn’t have a shooter with him.

We started off checking for tracks crossing roads the entire morning, coming up with nothing after a few hours of checking. Another houndsman told Jake about what looked like a decent cat track crossing in a familiar place, so he went over to check it out. He figured we could at least get a training day in for young dogs if the cat wasn’t big enough to hunt. I circled the large block to see if I could find the track coming out of the section it was in. It wasn’t long when my phone rang. It was Jake, saying the track was a no-doubt shooter, and he had put Hope and Rock down to begin cold trailing.

I finished checking around the block and it wasn’t very long when the dogs had the cat jumped in some thick rabbit pines. It did a few small circles and left there down the river to put some distance between itself and the dogs, once it realized it wasn’t going to lose them easily.

The cat continued south down the river, eventually making a big circle off the ice and getting right back on the frozen creek to come back north, where I was waiting. Unfortunately for him, the dogs were closing in fast, as they had figured out his game by this point. They ended up catching up to him very close to the road, and I was able to end the race, finally wrapping my tag around a big, beautiful Michigan Tom.

























Jake, Hope, Rock and I


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## srconnell22 (Aug 27, 2007)

Jake has since gone on to guide a father and son, tagging them both out on the same day. I don’t know about you, but this would be a dream hunt come true for any father, I’m sure.










He also ran another big Tom that was a resident of a local deer ranch, notching another tag along the way.










Witnessing these hounds when they are locked in and pushing these cats hard is something everyone should experience once in their life. The amount of time, money and effort it takes to make these dogs what they are is something incredible that usually goes unnoticed. It’s done on days where there is often no hunter; just a man, his dogs, a two day old track and a long walk in the swamp.










It ends up looking something like this as you stand on top of a blowdown, in the middle of nowhere, as your young dogs spin a big cat down to very tight circles, praying they’ll catch it.










It’s hard to focus on work when you get text messages with those pictures throughout the day, I can tell you that for sure. Those are from one of Jake’s training days without a hunter. While the dogs didn’t catch that one, he did find a worthy adversary, ready for the next hunter with a cat tag. 

Being at work is not nearly as much fun as snooping around, finding a big Tom like this, making that phone call, then watching those dogs go to work. When they first open on the cold trail, it will send chills down your spine.










If you get a chance to do it, make time during the winter to go on a bobcat hunt with hounds. It will be an experience you’ll never forget.


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## sparky18181 (Apr 17, 2012)

Awesome cat and great story. Way to go. Did you weigh that cat?


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## DEDGOOSE (Jan 19, 2007)

Wow that's a big cat... Always was your next favorite to elk... Coolest animal to watch


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## shotgun12 (Jul 19, 2005)

looks like you had a good day. well done.


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## Sprytle (Jan 8, 2005)

Sweet! Congrats!


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## Scout 2 (Dec 31, 2004)

Ilove hearing dg running ion a cold winter day. Great job on the cats. We had one here in the yard a couple of weeks ago and wife got all excited


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## BaldwinHunter (Oct 4, 2016)

Do they ever stop like a bear and tree or do you shoot them running like a rabbit?


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## bark river (Jan 7, 2012)

That's awesome and a great story, congratulations! I went several years back with some guys in the U.P. that I don't believe guide anymore. Unfortunately I did get one but it was a lot of fun trailing the dogs and running around trying to cut them off when they were about to cross a road or trail. It is a very physical hunt way more demanding than we expected, I'd love to do it again.


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## jeffm (Sep 20, 2008)

srconnell22 said:


> While I no longer have hounds of my own, I am fortunate enough to have a friend locally that has some very good dogs for bear and bobcat. When my work schedule allows it, I usually burn up a little extra time some mornings, this time of year, being a “me too’er” to him during cat season. This usually means checking for tracks after I drop the kids off at school, and having a “go bag” for hunting stuff, where in a few minutes, I can Clark Kent from banker to hunter in my truck.
> 
> Hunting bobcat with hounds can be a very tough, physically demanding hunt. For some reason, I’ve always enjoyed it, whether I’m just checking for tracks in my work loafers or trudging through swamps amidst the cold, silent winter. I would consider a bobcat the toughest animal to harvest in Michigan with hounds, by far. Anyone that can catch a cat with hounds, as has been shown on this forum many times before, can certainly hold their head high with pride. It’s no easy task.
> 
> ...


Badazz plotts! Thanks for sharing and great cats to.


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## srconnell22 (Aug 27, 2007)

sparky18181 said:


> Did you weigh that cat?


I used two different scales which had it between 29 and 30.5 pounds. It was a tall, long framed cat, not a ton of belly on him.



DEDGOOSE said:


> Wow that's a big cat... Always was your next favorite to elk... Coolest animal to watch


That’s a fact, they’ve always intrigued me. Lucky to have the opportunity to still chase them once in awhile. It’s something everyone needs to experience at least once. 



BaldwinHunter said:


> Do they ever stop like a bear and tree or do you shoot them running like a rabbit?


Most, if not all, big game houndsmen want their dogs to stop the game they are pursuing. Whether they are chasing bear, bobcat, coyote, etc… The goal is for the dogs to either catch it on the ground (bay it up), or tree it in the case of bear or cat.

I would say it’s up to the guide as to whether they will allow someone to shotgun a cat (shooting it crossing a trail or moving out ahead of the dogs), as that becomes a safety issue to make sure the dogs are far enough behind it, knowing what’s beyond the target, etc..

It would certainly be a great question to ask the houndsman as to what they will and will not allow, as dog safety is ultimately their #1 priority.


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## brushbuster (Nov 9, 2009)

Wow! Nice one congrats. I use to love to hunt them with calls. Probably the hardest animal I ever had to hunt.


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## pgpn123 (May 9, 2016)

I shot a pretty long female in Texas in August years ago on a guided nighttime predator hunt where they called. Nowhere near the size of these. Great story and pics.


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## deepwoods (Nov 18, 2002)

That is fantastic. Thanks for sharing that and congrats!


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## srconnell22 (Aug 27, 2007)

My unsolicited advice for the day… figure out a way to be independently wealthy, so you don’t have to be at work while your friends are out bobcat hunting.

This morning, after dropping my kids off at school, I grabbed a coffee and started snooping around. I found a good looking track crossing a road, heading North. It was definitely last nights track, but unfortunately going into private property.










I checked around that block to see if it came out. On the North end of the block, I had the track coming out, still going North, where I could get a better look at it. It looked like a great cat, even better, it was now heading into state land! 











I looped all the way up to the north end of the block it was heading into, and checked that road to see if it blew through that block. I doubted it, because it was such a big block, but I had to check before making the call. I didn’t have it coming out, so I knew the cat was still in the state land block. It was game on! I made the phone call, letting Jake know what I had. After a bit, Jake and Chad eventually decided to come run it.

After a little over a 3 mile cold trail by Hope & Rock, the cat was jumped. It took about 45 minutes from jumped to caught and a 41 pound monster was on the tailgate!


























Meanwhile, I’m at work, so if you need a mortgage, give me a call! 👎🏻🙄


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## SMITTY1233 (Dec 8, 2003)

Jake and Hope know their stuff! Hunted with them a few times last winter. Really liked that Hope dog!


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## srconnell22 (Aug 27, 2007)

Jake and the crew finished out the season with another great cat. I wasn’t around for this one, but I’m glad to see a great friend and hunting partner fill his tag. 

This 34# tom was caught by Hope, Tank, Rock and Chad’s Nala dog.










If you’re interested in a bobcat hunt for next year, I’d be glad to pass along contact info and hopefully be able to find you a track, at least, when the time comes.


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## jeffm (Sep 20, 2008)

srconnell22 said:


> Jake and the crew finished out the season with another great cat. I wasn’t around for this one, but I’m glad to see a great friend and hunting partner fill his tag.
> 
> This 34# tom was caught by Hope, Tank, Rock and Chad’s Nala dog.
> 
> ...


Nice one!!


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## srconnell22 (Aug 27, 2007)

Jake, Chad, and the crew were able to get out on the January 1 opener to stretch their (and the dog’s) legs.

They ended up catching a 32 pound tom on less than ideal conditions, mostly bare ground, late in the afternoon. Brad was able to notch the tag on his first cat, and the dogs got a nice training race in to start off the season.

Running conditions have been poor due to the massive snow melt we have experienced recently. With new snow coming tonight and tomorrow, I’m sure more updates will be coming in soon.


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## SMITTY1233 (Dec 8, 2003)

Completely bare to the east.... Sucks but hoping some snow falls soon. Thats a great cat!


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