NV bear opens next week!
- Thread starter JasonGNV
- Start date
How are you taining the dogs to hit not only the bears but the cougars and not other "game"? Command from the start of a good fresh track?
tdub24
Veteran member
sjsmallfield
Veteran member
That is awesome Jason. That is one hell of a start for the year. I can't wait to read the mountain lion thread when you get it going. Congrats again on your season thus far!
Thanks guys. I've basically done scent training, lay a trail out with an old hide or rag and walk it out with them. I would say my dogs are bent but not broke on trash (deer is the biggest problem). I do a lot of hiking with my dogs and watch what they do, when they start opening or trailing deer they get a little electric stimulation at first. My 3 older dogs now only get a tone on the collar and they know what that means. My year old pup is still a little young for an collar so he vets verbal discipline. When you turn dogs loose and they have an older track its a long shot if they'll stay on it, a lot of times they can pick up a hotter deer track or worse jump deer and they just have that instinct to chase. I've only ever used cat scent (lion) for training and my dogs just seem to love bears too. Makes it fun to be able to pursue different types of game through the year.
I will do a lion thread if I can get to catching them this season, they are a lot tougher than bear and winter is a busy work load for me. I vet out as much as possible so I'll keep you posted for sure.
I will do a lion thread if I can get to catching them this season, they are a lot tougher than bear and winter is a busy work load for me. I vet out as much as possible so I'll keep you posted for sure.
The bear fun starts again next weekend, confirmed the 3rd tag today. Had a friend of a friend see 4 lions Tuesday, went out today and hunted our a$$' off with no luck. Tons of deer, saw a 180" class buck and even told a fellow with a tag about him. He doubted us and said be still had 3 weeks left. Anybody with a 196 tag? Tons of deer!
That mount rose tag has some giant mule deer. I bet some of the largest mule deer in the state are in 194,196.
Back at it, went out and ran the area and cut 1 fresh track. Bear movement is way down and a lot of hunters in the mountains. Turned dogs out on the track and they took it hot, blew up in the thick pinions again. Ended up doing a 4 mile hike through a thick drainage area, lots of older sign but nothing fresh. Being this late in the season the bears don't seem to be traveling as much and sticking closer to their dens. Hope we can get one more bearnforbthe season and go 3 for 3, the guy with the tag spent most of the season trying to spot n stalk. I give him credit, he hunts hard and just won't quit.
NVBird'n'Big
Veteran member
Good work Jason, I love hearing about these hunts. You sure are a dedicated houndsmen. It doesn't get much better than this for you I bet. Can't wait until the snow hits the ground and we have some cat stories. Like I've said before, keep up the amazing stories and Eastmans should put you on the payroll.
Turned out on a BIG bear track first thing this morning, dogs took it like the bear was right in front of them. This was about 6:40ish just when the light was enough to start seeing tracks good, the race went miles, 12 miles to be exact. Dogs kept catching him on the ground and then the race would go another few miles and pause. Finally had him bayed up and stuck (or so it seemed) when we finally got as close as possible. Got about a 1/2 in to them and the race was on, again. Dogs went up and over the ridge, by the time we got to them they were run into the ground and still looking for a bear. Couldn't start it up again and had a couple dogs still out. This was the longest race I've had a bigger bear take my dogs on, one dog got caught on the nose in one of the bay ups but other than tired, worn out dogs they were all good. Picked up the other dogs and made plan for another try in the middle of the week. Fun is an understatement!
There is a big black bear on the So West side of Pevine. You get up this way much with the pups?
I've seen him once and saw his tracks two weeks ago. Might be worth a look. Let me know if you want me to show you.
We hunted hard all weekend, Saturday only cut 2 tracks all day. First was a sow and cub so we moved to another range. Cut a BIG track in the snow but it was to late to turn dogs out. Went back today hoping he had denned up and we could cold trail him home. Went about 3 miles and found his bed from the previous day, tracks were definitely fresher but dogs still had a hard time taking it hot. We ended up trailing him to the Cali. line and had to pull out. This snow and cold temps has the bear movement way down. Really hope we can get this tag filled and call it a good bear season. Found a huge lion track yesterday coming out but couldn't turn dogs out cause I have committed myself to filling this bear tag first. Can't wait to run some cats!
Really hoped to be hunting the long holiday weekend but no go for the tag holder, so sat-sun it is. Have some buddies from the first hunt coming out to lend a hand in finding tracks. Buddy that took the big bear just got back from a desert sheep hunt, took a nice ram and now wants to get back to helping bear hunt, pretty cool. Have a nasty hike planned through some rocky pinion covered outcroppings, I know they're starting to den up so if we have no luck cutting tracks then boot leather is getting used up. We will find them!
Holy crap! The bear movement is waaaayyy down. Did cut 3 sets of tracks, dogs took one for a short distance until it went into a burnt off south slope. Everything was 2-3 days old, really wished we were out over the holidays. Ended up doing a 3 +- mile hike hoping to catch a bear denned/denning up. Did a little scientific research and we will be really lucky to catch a good bear this late in the season. Had another tag holder call me Friday hoping to run this weekend, its funny how spot n stalk hunters think having dogs is a slam bang 100% deal. I'm busting my hump trying to get 1 decent track to run and fill a tag, my hunter now is realizing that its a ton of work even with dogs. Gonna give it 100% tomorrow before this next storm comes through, have a feeling if we can't catch one now we be screwed! Either way this has been a damn fun bear season! Helllll yaaaa!