What dogs do you use?
- Thread starter Husqvarna
- Start date
Great uncle ( this has been 45 years ago now! ) hunted deer with small beagles. This was in northern Alabama. He said the smaller dogs did not get away from the hunters as easely and that it was more of a "push" than a chase.
Here in NE Fl. where it is FLAT, the guys who dog hunt will use bigger dogs, will even change dogs during a "race" as they call it.
I'm not into it myself but it's not as easy as folks might think.....got to love the dogs or it would not be worth doing.
Here in NE Fl. where it is FLAT, the guys who dog hunt will use bigger dogs, will even change dogs during a "race" as they call it.
I'm not into it myself but it's not as easy as folks might think.....got to love the dogs or it would not be worth doing.
My father has an Irish Wolf hound (mix). It was the only dog I have seen not get all skittish when hunting elk. We tend to hunt in an area where there are a lot of wolves (less elk now) and for some reason that freaks out dogs. I have seen dogs go after bear but as soon as they catch wind of a wolf they start acting skittish.
We have not actually hunting elk with him but he does go with us to camp and keep the lady folk company while we are out. He does very well with birds!
We have not actually hunting elk with him but he does go with us to camp and keep the lady folk company while we are out. He does very well with birds!
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I run mostly Walkers on deer but the group I hunt with have a mixed bag of beagles, bluetics and various cross breed variations of all those. Beagles do have an advantage in that no deer will move a bit faster than he must to stay ahead of those hounds. With the shorter legged dogs one can usually walk into a race, normally that's not possible with the faster breeds & one must be either on horseback or utilize a vehicle........even then it is truly the most difficult way to hunt deer I have ever experienced.....you might jump a good buck, know it, and when the dogs leave a patch of timber they're running does and yearlings. I've had instances where a buck suddenly stopped, let the hounds run by and then got up and ran back on his tracks....that last maneuver will fool all but the most experienced of dogs.
Why's it been made illegal......started with a retreat from the market hunting days during the early 20th century as game numbers were down dramatically, then the practice just became stigmatized thru a lot of misunderstanding and the tradition died in most northern states. Too, it takes a LOT of land to dog hunt deer and the trespass issue is a very real consideration..
And yeah, the standard joke (not really!) is that as a dog hunter you spend 15 minutes hunting deer and the rest of the day (and night) hunting your dogs!
Why's it been made illegal......started with a retreat from the market hunting days during the early 20th century as game numbers were down dramatically, then the practice just became stigmatized thru a lot of misunderstanding and the tradition died in most northern states. Too, it takes a LOT of land to dog hunt deer and the trespass issue is a very real consideration..
And yeah, the standard joke (not really!) is that as a dog hunter you spend 15 minutes hunting deer and the rest of the day (and night) hunting your dogs!
+1 dogrunner
This has been the reason that has been given for not hunting deer in Ohio in past DNR meetings when the subject has come up. Deer just don't circle like rabbits and there's just not that many single 'several hundred' acre ranches in the state like out West for instance. Trespassing would surely be an issue.
It IS legal to track a wounded deer/turkey in the State of Ohio with a 'leashed' dog but again, trespassing laws apply.
For catch dogs I prefer pits watered down with a touch or more of proven American Bulldog blood as it makes a calmer easier to train and handle...
For currs... I don't care but have no need for a real long ranging dog... Plotts are not high on my list of "must have" currs... Black Mouth type currs seems to fit me well most of the time...
Brent
For currs... I don't care but have no need for a real long ranging dog... Plotts are not high on my list of "must have" currs... Black Mouth type currs seems to fit me well most of the time...
Brent
Well they DO circle, Shortwave. It's just that that circle is a couple of miles in diameter!...........When I said a LOT of land, I meant several thousand acres, not several hundred. One club I know locally has some 11000 acres and with a proper road setup can control a race fairly well, still they've had incidents with dogs on highways and I'm aware of at least one accident due to them. Probably 2000, depending on its layout, is a minimal amount to do it right.
Now, that said, that's doing it with fast dogs, using vehicles as cut off methods and maintaining control via tracking collars or GPS units for one's hounds. If one has close ranging dogs then the issue is quite different, frankly, having grown up in W.Va I see no reason that both styles could not be used there, particularly in the eastern part of that State. Still, the bias issue and a very real lack of understanding are probably insurmountable obstacles. It is amusing tho, that some of the most vocal critics hereabouts will declare themselves as being more "sportsman like" in that they use tree stands and feeders. When they're next to a dog hunt area they invariably set up their stands either right on the edge of that area or, if it's public land, directly in known run areas..........yeah, they're "still hunters"......ie: "still" hunting over someone else's dogs.....hardly ethical in my view.
I jokingly offer my old friends back there a 100.00 cash if they can kill a buck fairly in front of dogs here, 200.00 if it's a racked buck! A couple have made the trip down, got utterly frazzled and left with an entirely different outlook on the practice!
Now, that said, that's doing it with fast dogs, using vehicles as cut off methods and maintaining control via tracking collars or GPS units for one's hounds. If one has close ranging dogs then the issue is quite different, frankly, having grown up in W.Va I see no reason that both styles could not be used there, particularly in the eastern part of that State. Still, the bias issue and a very real lack of understanding are probably insurmountable obstacles. It is amusing tho, that some of the most vocal critics hereabouts will declare themselves as being more "sportsman like" in that they use tree stands and feeders. When they're next to a dog hunt area they invariably set up their stands either right on the edge of that area or, if it's public land, directly in known run areas..........yeah, they're "still hunters"......ie: "still" hunting over someone else's dogs.....hardly ethical in my view.
I jokingly offer my old friends back there a 100.00 cash if they can kill a buck fairly in front of dogs here, 200.00 if it's a racked buck! A couple have made the trip down, got utterly frazzled and left with an entirely different outlook on the practice!
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That's of course unless your well trained rabbit hunting beagle wakes up one day and decides he/she would like to start running deer. Seem it'll(deer) will then run into the next county.
...........When I said a LOT of land, I meant several thousand acres, not several hundred
Yes you're correct...I should have said 1000 acre farms/ranches instead of 100 acre.
Having been fortunate enough to have hunted down South, out West and of course Ohio and surrounding states, IMO, most very opinionated people in regards to hunting styles are that way cause they've never got out of their backyards to hunt.
fatwhiteboy
New member
Shortwave- They are bred to kill rodents. They also hate cats, squirrels and skateboards We live near a river bed and the possums just wander into the yard. If the boys are out, it is over in a hurry. My big worry is raccoons. The Westies are quick but no match for a big raccoon.
I use my Wasilla Takani husky. It's a breed of husky/wolf that was specifically bred in northern Alaska to hunt polar bear. He and my German Shepard take care of nosey bears no problem. As a matter of fact two nights ago I let my dogs out for a bathroom break without knowing there was a bear in my neighbors trash. Before I could say NO they were on top of that bear and had him treed. This is a fairly common occurrence. That along with rubber buckshot helps keep bears from coming around and in turn having to be put doen.
Have used both Springer and Brits for upland.
Best was my "ginger" and Springer from1980 to 1996,- heart congestion, then came "Cinnamon" good nose and was Mommy's dog, -stroke, followed by "Curly"
went deaf and loosing eyesight.
Recently acquire a new Springer, "TIZZY" [6-1/2 yr old] and she has the squirrels in a tizzy. Great tracker on walks and a good sight hunter, can't wait for September this year.
Best was my "ginger" and Springer from1980 to 1996,- heart congestion, then came "Cinnamon" good nose and was Mommy's dog, -stroke, followed by "Curly"
went deaf and loosing eyesight.
Recently acquire a new Springer, "TIZZY" [6-1/2 yr old] and she has the squirrels in a tizzy. Great tracker on walks and a good sight hunter, can't wait for September this year.
Bear River
New member
I hunt grouse and Sage Chickens, pheasents. I have had Gordon Setters for years. This is "Kell" . He is a huntin machine.
You RECENTLY acquired a new springer who is 6 1/2 yrs old and you're going to use her for hunting already? Being a trainer I'd have to ask if you know what kind of training she was given prior to your becoming her new owner. How was she hunted? What habits had she picked up with her previous owner? How effective was the training she was given (if any)? Has that training been maintained or has she been allowed to "unlearn" much of it? Are you going to put her through any hunt training before you hunt her this Sept?
The reason I ask is concern for the quality of your hunt. All too often I hear horror stories about people who buy adult dogs who are "great hunters" or "have great noses" and/or "have great hunting drive" only to find that the dogs are or were poorly trained and as a result their hunt was ruined. The dogs either bolted and flushed birds too far away to be in gun range, didn't listen in the field, failed to effectively track and flush game because they'd never been taught to do so, failed to retrieve so downed game was lost - take any one of the above, any combination thereof or ALL of them.
Personally I've had to retrain several adult dogs like this and while they never reach the full potential they might have had since the training took place so late in their life and there are habits that they learned that must be broken before they can learn what they need to know etc.
In any case its a good idea to really know the dog and decide if she needs to get trained/retrained before your hunt in Sept. If you get her into training now its not too late and by Sept. you might have yourself a really good hunter.
My Australian Terrier has killed dozens of moles, mice, ground squirrels and other critters. She's a 14 pound hunting machine. Most people think terriers are just cute house pets. But most can smell a mole 10 inch's below ground and will gleefully spend an hour digging to get their quarry.
oldmanFCSA
New member
Anatolian Sheperd dog - bred in Turkey originally for killing wolves.
Mine did that in Northern Wisconsin, only to have DNR shoot it because it killed a protected species that was feeding in my sheep pens.
Great guard dog - hated my guard llama - but did a great job!
Very protective of my children - do not try to go near them when dog was around.
Mine did that in Northern Wisconsin, only to have DNR shoot it because it killed a protected species that was feeding in my sheep pens.
Great guard dog - hated my guard llama - but did a great job!
Very protective of my children - do not try to go near them when dog was around.