dogman68 Report post Posted March 10, 2006 The fun, pleasure, reward and feeling of accomplishment only comes from watching a good bunch of hounds work their hearts out on a tough track----even come up empty. Until you have spent years training (or trying to train) hounds, it's hard to fully appreciate lion hunting. Again, thanks to you guys that post pics of your lions etc. I enjoy hearing the stories and seeing the pictures. I try to learn what I can from other people's experiences. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Ernesto C Report post Posted March 11, 2006 dogman68 I understand what you are saying,maybe in a different way but I know what you mean.I personally never had killed a lion but I'm working on it. We also like storys and pictures and I'm sure you can light our candles with your knwoledge and experiences and please do so. Thank you and God bless. Ernesto C Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
billrquimby Report post Posted March 11, 2006 Dogman68: I have been fortunate to have hunted all types of game all over the world and can say the purest form of hunting is with dogs. Bird dogs, retrievers or hound dogs -- it doesn't matter. I enjoy watching them work. In the early 1970s I spent 57 days over a two-year period hunting mountain lions with three different houndsmen. The first two were experienced 'coon hunters but only wannabe lion hunters. We rode all over kingdom come in some of southern Arizona's roughest places, and we got into a lot of trouble, mostly because we didn't know the trails or when to stop following cold tracks. We chased a lot of deer and got into some coati fights. We even chased a few lions. I learned a lot about lions and what they ate and how they lived ... and how not to hunt them ... during those 57 days. I finally shot one on Oracle Ridge in the Catlinas on my third day of hunting with Ollie Barney, who knew more about lion hunting than anyone in Arizona at the time. Although some people on this site hold lions in contempt I feel they are one of our state's two top game animals. I just haven't figured whether to rank them before or after our whitetails. BillQ Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Red Rabbit Report post Posted March 11, 2006 Dogman, I can relate to the pleasures of being behind your own dog. I have a German Wire Hair Pointer that I really like to see work and find quail She's only three, so the best years are yet to come. I think she gets more excited hunting than I do. She's got that unbridled passion, like I'm sure your dogs also have. I bet you're glad to see this snow in hopes of cutting a track or two. Doug~RR Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
COUESAZ Report post Posted March 11, 2006 lion hunters in Arizona do not care if there is snow or not on the ground. That is why you will find the best lion and bear hounds around are right here in Arizona. they can run a dry track with no trouble. Lion hunters here will run right through the heat of the summer. Part of the reason you should trust a good set of lion dogs is for the fact they will not chase deer and other game. A guy contacted my brother and i and wantred to know if we would like to run his hounds for lions. I told him i needed to know the history of the pack first. He then told me they are the best coon hounds in New mexico. I told him no thanks we like to chase lions not rabits and any other critter that runs the desert floor. He got a little ticked off at me about that. The fact of the matter is when you are in as bad of shape as most of the hunters seem to be today (including my self) you want to make dang sure the thing you are chasing is a lion. Other than that the next bad thing is to find out your dogs went backwards on a set of tracks. Hey I know how you tell if a lion is male or female. Have you seen the EL Cato video done by the mclendons. That guy cliombs the tree with the lion and pokes them with a stick to see. It is a good video though. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Kilimanjaro Report post Posted March 12, 2006 I case you guys didn't already figure out from all the Mearns pics with my mutts, I love hunting behind dogs as well. Bird hunting, lion hunting, they're all great and made even better by watching a great dog do what he has been bred to do. i love it Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
dogman68 Report post Posted March 16, 2006 It's all about the dogs, regardless of what you hunt. The tougher the conditions, the more rewarding it is. Anyone can learn to hunt lions. It's learning about the dogs that is the tough part. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Buckhorn Report post Posted March 16, 2006 It's all about the dogs, regardless of what you hunt. The tougher the conditions, the more rewarding it is. Anyone can learn to hunt lions. It's learning about the dogs that is the tough part. <{POST_SNAPBACK}> dogman68 I agree 100%. It's a little off the mark and I have never seen hounds run a lion but I grew-up around a bunch of cow dogs and it's just amazing to watch them work. Buckhorn Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
