Quick Answer
To determine if a mountain lion is treed by your hounds, listen for the distinctive "yipping" or "chattering" sound that hounds make when they've located their quarry, and look for visual signs such as hounds barking, jumping, or standing stock-still. You should also observe the behavior of the hounds, as they tend to work closer to the treed animal when it becomes more active. Check the tree for signs of the mountain lion, like scratched bark or claw marks.
Identifying the Barking Pattern
Mountain lion hounds are trained to locate and tree the animal, but they need your guidance to determine when they’ve succeeded. Pay attention to the type of barking or yipping your hounds are making. When they’re on the scent of a mountain lion, they typically start with a higher-pitched bark that gradually becomes more rapid and intense. If you hear this pattern and the hounds are closing in, it’s likely they’ve found a treed mountain lion.
Reading the Hounds’ Body Language
Hounds are skilled at reading body language, but you should be too. When hounds are working a scent, their behavior can be telling. If they start to jump, stand stock-still, or bark more frequently, it could indicate that they’ve found a treed mountain lion. On the other hand, if they’re too close and quiet, it might be a sign that the mountain lion is ready to make a move.
Spotting Visual Signs
To confirm that your hounds have treed a mountain lion, look for visual signs in the tree. A treed mountain lion will often scratch the bark or leave claw marks as it tries to escape. Check for any visible scratches or marks on the tree, and pay attention to the hounds’ behavior. If they’re working closer to the tree and the mountain lion becomes more active, it’s likely that it’s been treed.
Find more answers
Browse the full Q&A library by topic, or jump back to the topic this question belongs to.