EAST TEXAS HOG DOGGERS FORUM

Donnie and I made a hunt last night. We brought two of Adora's black pups for their first hunt. Smoke, Griz, and Rose for strike dogs and Curly and the Black pups to catch. We ran the pups down and roaded around the shinery for quite a spell with no luck. As it was getting dark dogs got piggy and Smoke winded some hogs way off and worked a long time getting things figured out. She came bayed about a mile south and off we went. She had a small set of bachelor boars that were baying and breaking. She got some help and I got close enough to send Curly and we caught a nice spotted boar. Smoke, Griz, and Rose rolled out and had another bay in short order. Another boar down. They rolled again and ended up in a really thick shinnery pasture and we got smoked in there.

Donnie and I were ready to quit and caught up the strike dogs and tried to get our bearings as a low cloud deck was rolling in. We were 2 miles or so south of the truck, we thought  ::). Donnie and I are pretty old school, so no garmen. We usually get around just fine navigating by the stars and the faint lights of town. But with the clouds rolling in we might have gotten just a little lost. We did finally find the truck and decided we might not "need" a Garmin to track our dogs but we darn sure might need one to find the truck  8).

Thanks,
Paul T

Black and Joe holding with Curly
(http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e103/pwt3/073-3-1.jpg)

(http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e103/pwt3/083-3.jpg)

Sounds like a good hunt Paul. I don't know how you do it without a Garmin though.

Awesome Paul congrats! 

Good hunt Paul, you seem to be runnin' more catch on the ground these days... any particular reason?

Nice hunt.  There's nothing more aggravating and worse feeling then getting turned around.

Noah, My straight Catahoula's bay and work a hog to catch it. I am not into broken bays and running hogs so my selection of catch dogs goes along the same lines, they are long range and fast. If a bay does break before the catch dogs get there I expect my catch dogs to stay in the race and shut that hog down asap. I want my catch dogs to be as fast or faster than my bay dogs and be able to run with them or be sent from long range.

I just don't see much need to lead a catch dog to a bay when I can run them on the ground or send them from the truck. That being said, the type of catch dogs I run are well suited for that job assignment and wear the best type of cut gear for that style of dog.

Thanks,
paul T

I've come to the realization that if a man chooses to use loosed, "running catch dogs" with his team... it's best to use a bunch of them... half dozen dogs caught on a hog a mile from the handler is better than one I guess... Argentinians seem to run the same way

Do you notice any negative effects of this style when you get in the real thick stuff?  Seems like it's harder to keep the dogs together as the terrain gets rougher

I run two separate packs of dogs. One is lose baying, cold nosed, long range, Plott x Catahoula dogs. I use them in the rough country where getting around can take some time. I never run a RCD on the ground with these dogs. I drive as close as I can get and walk two catch dogs close enough that I can get to them pretty quick, that may still be a couple hundred yards.

The other set is tight baying, catchy, medium range, hot nosed, Catahoula dogs. I use these dogs in more open country where I can drive around pretty good. When they get bayed up the hogs usually never breaks and if they do they are shut down with-in 100yds. These are the dogs that I will run with the Dogo, Dogo crosses, or the Stags. If I am holding the catch dogs on the truck I will send them at the first solid bay, out to about 800 yds.

This works well for me, not saying it will work for anyone else. You better have your catch dogs really legged up for this type of work. I road mine 2-3 days a week at speed for 2-3 miles.

Thanks,
Paul T

Nice job Paul, glad to see the young dogs doin good! They are about 9 mo old now huh?

Noah, I used to send my soco dog from a long ways out in the east texas brush with just curs on the ground with him. Ill do the same with the two pups I got now soon as they get some age and experience. It doesn't take long for them to start figuring out the best way to stay clear of the sharp end. That Curley dog of Paul is especially good at it also!

I get lost even with my Garmin haha.  That black pup looks like he has got some drive, can't wait to see him fill out.

Paul,
In your hog catching tournaments, Do you use your loose baying pack since the dogs cant put their mouth on the hog?
swish

p.s.
I traded princess and bacon for a garmin collar. They couldnt keep up with the plotts. They would bay good then they would both catch but they would turn back when we ran them with plotts. We did catch 2 small sows with them.

Jasson, Good trade on the Garmin.

I am not a tournament hunter, there are not any way out here where I live, but if I was hunting a live catch contest I would use my loser dogs just to mitigate hog damage.

It's gotta b hard with out a garmin

thanx paul,
I thought that was awesome how you described your 2 packs, By the way my buddy and I have promised each to do fair deals on our dogs.
Not very many here running hog dogs and Bacon and princess's value was that we learned patience to train a dog and start a dog and that was invaluable to us. We didnt even take the collar until the guy went a hunted and he could see what we described was true. Better to be known for doing someone right than to ruin your name for life.
swish

Sounds like those pups are kicking butt and taking names! Got to love it. Not sure if I could go old school... probably wouldnt ever find the truck again without the damn garmin.