EAST TEXAS HOG DOGGERS FORUM

I figured with all this good discussion we've been having... we might as well keep it rolling.

What do y'all expect out of your dogs? This is for seasoned dogs only... not young up and comers.

Examples... range, nose, bottom, etc...

What criteria do they have to meet to earn their keep on your yard?

Range is not a big issue for me, as long as they don't hang around my feet..
I like them to consistently make loops 100-300 yards looking for sign and get gone on a track...

Nose should be pretty hot and can take a decently fresh track in the cooler months..

Bottom is what I want... I want them to run the hog till he gets too tired or finds a spot to fight.. That's more during the cooler months also... During the summer I don't mind if they don't run quite as long... But still give him a good run..

Also like mine loose baying...

But it all depends how I feel like training them that day...

That about sums it up for me I like a little more range 600 to 800 yards

The range is the same not a big issue i have a few short range dogs and a med range male. The bottom is the main thing without that the dog is worth squat to me no matter how many it can find because as we said they run on me bad. I like just enough grit to get them to stop and fight and catch 125 and down. I expect my hounds to be able to take a 3-5 hr track and cur or cat 2 hr track

i want my dogs to make loops up to 1/4 mile , take a medium hot track and stay bayed till i get there . on cattle i want them to go to the front and lead , never bite anything that aint trying to get away . on hogs its o k if they catch one they can handle as long as it aint out of the bunch . i also want them to call of when I get ready .

heck i don't  know  hunt is a given they gotta have that . i breed for nose and a non suicidel amount of grit . but THE MOST IMPORTANT  ASPECT AFTER THAT IS HANDLE  . a trait wich i see little of these days . if i don't have a good handle on a dog he is useless to me . and that one attribute is a must have when working dogs on new small areas under the landowners scrutiny . there are so many [  hairy cairy ] dogs being turned loose these days , it pleases me to see and meet some-one that has takin the time to be sure they have a handle on their pack before they are dumped out to run amuck . like i said hunt is a given never had much trouble with that ,

For a dog to stay on my yard it has to be better than a yeller dog. :) i have a yard full that get to eat with me using that logic.....

I'm with half breed I have to have handle. Ill cull for that before just about anything other than aggression. I'm starting to switch up my pack a little so will see where I stand in a year from now on the rest.

I run two stock bred, close range, rough cur dogs. If there are hogs within 300 yards of where I am standing, I want them to be able to wind, find and stop them . Once I get to them, they need to attempt to hold(any hog) as well as get out on my command. If hog breaks and they get beat bad(more than 300 yards), i want them back. I mainly walk hunt these dogs. I expect either one of my two to attempt to accomplish what I have stated above by themselves. ;)

The number one one thing for me is finding. It takes a real smart, hard hunting, cold nosed dog to be a top find dog. Range is not important as long as they get gone and hunt. I like good trailers and dogs with lots of bottom. If a dog holds up to hard use and gets the job done in good style, he will have good feet and legs, good conformation, and be fast.

I like a ... Oh, medium nose i guess. I don't want my dogs running cold tracks because of the areas I have access to hunt just aren't that big.
 I don't want a dog that ranges out 700-1000 yards. Again, most of the places I have access to hunt....they would be off the property if they go that far and then run a track. I like a short to medium range dog... Out to around 409-500 yards max.
Bottom is ...well, what I've had in the past and what I'm striving for now, is a dog that will flat sit a hog down. I'm not talkin bout a super gritty dog. I had a couple dogs years ago that would put teeth on nuts every time the boar would turn. Then they would back off and bay. They wouldnt try and catch until the bulldog locked down. I never got on runners, they didn't get the chance to run. If they tried they got their a$$ chewed off. That's what I'm hoping to have again. The pups I'm huntin right now are really too young to judge but I've got some really young ones that I think are going to bring that trait to my line.

Handle is kind of a given to me.... I've never really had an issue with handle.

What are y'all calling handle?

Handle is a good amount of loose skin or a long enough tail to grab those skittish tellers of mine by so I can load em. Lol

I want them to find hogs and bay them as fast and near to where they started him as is possible given varying circumstances. Good nose good leg and overall good conformation in a dog whose smart enough use his genetic potential in a way that is pleasing to ME.
I've owned and known several dogs who had everything most normal hog hunters (not that I'm somehow abnormal) would love to see, who just didn't have their heads wired quite right and even though they got the job done and did it consistently, once you really started paying attention you'd find they were making it harder than it needed to be.

I would have never seen that however without being exposed to dogs who could do it and make it look elementary.

Basic dog obedience is what I consider handle. They come when called, they lead easy, they listen and obey basic commands... Out, come, etc.

handles is the ability to control your dogs in any situation . being able to call them off a track or to tell them to load up while away from the truck and have them waiting on you when you get there . when i'm thru hunting and i give the command to heal up and lets go they should quit hunting and follow me out . handle in laymans terms is complete control of your dogs .

Lol, some dogs, the skiddish ones can just be stand offish. I'm apt to be a little more lenient on the handle aspect with a skiddish dog, as long as they come when called or at least lay down a few feet away from me... I don't mind meeting a GOOD dog halfway, lol. If it ain't a GOOD dog it better damn sure come.

X2 except i like mine to try and catch anything with two there as opposed to just one..

I have only been at this for 4 or 5 months now but I am quickly learning what I like and don't like.  A good dog to me will take a track and finish it.  If a dog can't find its own hog consistently I don't want it.  As far as range I like a short to medium range dog until he's on a hot track.  As for bottom they better have a ton!  I understand dogs get beat occasionally but it better have the heart and drive to finish the task at all cost.  In regards to handle as long as a dog leads well, comes in when I call them and is intelligent enough to stop what its doing and recognize its wrong when I tell them I'm good.  I also want a fast dog that will put teeth on a runner and then sit back and bay.  This is why I'm starting to believe more in stock dogs for running hogs.  I understand dogs like this can be hard to come by and I don't yet have the luxury of culling this hard but am working in that direction.  Finding these type of dogs and keeping that line alive is my goal and something I will strive for.

I expect my lead dog to find a hog everytime and if there's not one around I expect him to be a magician and make one appear!lol!
Stay away from me and not quit till I say its time to go, shut one down and stick with it!

I want mine to hunt 300-600yds out making wide swinging circles, not straight lines.
I also want them to be just gritty enough to stop a hog but I do not want dogs that I am constantly having to doctor after every hunt. Bottom.......I use to be one to say that I didn't want a dog that wouldn't stay with a hog no matter the distance but now I  know better due to the fact that I no longer hunt large properties........if my dogs cant stop a hog in under a 2/3 to 3/4 a mile I want them to come back, I don't have the luxury to hunt large blocks of land anymore and I don't want a dog that is going to go for miles and miles on a hog.......may not make sense to some but its how I want my dogs and in most places it works for me.

 

Man I know I am kinda new at this still, but after cullin a few dogs I have an idea what I want.... To be honest it is simple to me. I just want a HOG DOG. No bull. Go as far as they need to, stick with em as long as it takes, be as gritty as needed to either keep a hog still or catch the smaller stuff, I dont care what color, the quickest thing ill dump a dog for is aggression. As long as they call off when I holler and get ahead when told and find hogs I'll feed em!!!

My lead dog range out as far as I lead them they must keep my feet warm during the winter they must not get out of sight and I love a bugger barker

DRIVE!!!! they have to have the drive to keep on keepin on. i dont care if its a loose baying dog or a rough dog he better not stop hunting until i go get him or call him in.

well...I am starting to see some good topics...the kind I like... like this one...

EXPECTATIONS...my expectations of the dogs I have right now are set quite a bit lower than my old line of dogs because I don't really have a choice at the moment...but I will talk in the present tense about my old pack/line of dogs that I hope to breed back up one day not too far off in the future...  ;)

I like having the confidence that my dogs can hunt with any top ranked hog dog and look as good...What I consider great dogs some folks wouldn't want because of the never quit kind of dogs I like...Jesse Paul hunts the type I like...

If I see fresh sign I guarantee the dogs will find the hog...if it is a big place and a hog is in it the dogs will probably find it...but part of making these dogs excel has to do with proper handling and guidance... like knowing the place and hunting where the hogs could be and hunting cross wind or into the wind...and giving the dogs every opportunity to line out the track by stopping the 4 wheeler and waiting for them to strike or come back...this teaches the dogs to work colder tracks...

I like the dogs to track a fair distance to bay or jump the hog and then run the hog as far as needed to stop and bring it to bay...Like Wilbanks said...In the summer the dogs might get out ran because of the heat...Winter time is a different story...I like quite a bit of grit which is a fault of mine but I like it...one dog of this type can stop many hogs and 3-5 can break a bay in the thick briars but caught hog in the open country...

I expect the dogs to go deep in a thick thick briar patch to locate and bay a hog...not to quit in these briars and look elsewhere unless I call the dogs out...

I like a medium to colder nose but a dog that prefers a hotter track...I encourage the dogs to take a colder track and work it out...

I like a dog that runs the track fast with his head up and looking and listening for the hog...I like a long range winding dog...and one that makes a quarter mile circle to the left and comes by and looping back to the right side...If I don't move the dogs will keep going to find a pig but as long as I keep moving they will keep hunting with me...

I don't like a dog that wants to keep reminding the other dogs that he is the boss (aggression), I don't like a dog that hunts way out there for himself and I don't care for a dog that doesn't pack up...

BUT I BELIEVE AN HONEST DOG MAN EVALUATES HIS EXPECTATIONS ON A REGULAR BASIS...if a certain dog is not hunted for a while and it quits because it is over heating then this is not the dogs fault...just one example of evaluating expectations...the dog is out of shape because it is not hunted enough or because it is over weight...


I like for a dog to open 2 or 3 times when it locates a good track to draw in the pack and then shut up until the hog is bayed...

i expect them to hunt and be happy. 100% health and happy means they will hunt good. range is no big deal and the weather is good smelling conditions are right it makes for a nice hunt. i make sure they are working the air back and forth as we drive along and show me there hunting thats about all i can ask for when we hood hunt , i love it when a young dog lays on his or her chest and puts the front feet on the bumper , i beleave it means their trying hard to wind a hog.

Independent.  Doesn't care if I am in the woods with them or not. 

A dog that truly hunts for themselves. 

Articulate on track and thorough... making continuous loops when losing track and dedicated enough to picking it back up with complete follow through no matter the timeframe.

As for baying...like both kinds.... loose and tight but under the same umbrella and intelligent enough to make the decision depending on the situation themselves. 


Uhhhh one other thing I am having trouble remembering ................O yea...and YELLER!  :-* :laugh:

wouldnt you be hunting the wrong breed then? I thought curs where more one owner dogs that hunted to please there master where a hound is the breed that hunts for themselves

Nope ....wouldn't be the wrong breed at all.  (For me)  Guess thats why i like a good cur dog.
You get a wide assortment to choose your personal tastes and the ability to build upon what you get.
I own a few hounds currently and plenty in past years.  I just break them out when I want to tree something, or hear a good rabbit race.   Lol :laugh:

We get handle on our dogs first. They come off hog on command. They get behind bike on command. They stop hunting on command. They come when called. Takes longer to get tht done on some but that's why we only hunt one young dog at a time with 4-5 older dogs. They seem to learn better by example. I know I will prolly get some feedback on the coming off hog on command, but we like that. We have hunted some crazy crap and could not get to them in rosé hedge. Have to b able to call them out. We mostly hunt open prairie now and rice fields. All four wheeler accessible. We like to enjoy the hunt and not really have to work so hard at it. I love to watch the dogs work. Nothing greater than seeing that moment a young dog turns on and figures it out. Not sure how far our dogs range out so I guess they go as far as they need too. LOL. We have been hunting for over 20 years and we are just not that mad at the hogs anymore. It's about the dogs now and how they work and progress. I have a Pitt now that I'm working with to have the handle our other dogs do. He runs on ground and does pretty good. Hits like a freight train. He's gettin there. Just a personal challenge for us I guess jut to c if we can do it. LOL.

X 3. I like mine just like rdjustham. mine have to get along with all dogs on the ground and in the box and have a good handle on them. I am not chasing dogs!

dang boys quitters is quitters and i wont feed a quitter . it's just as easy [ well maybe a little more work ] to have your dogs leave a hog on command and not on it's own . you don't want them staying with a runner get a handle on em and call em off , don't let them quit on their own . that does nothing for the breed . don't wanna hurt no feelings  [ well maybe i do  lol ] but keep breeding for bottom and train them to come in when called you'll be much better off in the long run . and so will the breed . just my perspective on the subject , ever wonder why these hogs have took to runnin ?  mainly cause they been run before and the dogs in pursuit quit em . hogs is smart as all get out and it don't take em long to figure something out . have fun out there and run em to death lol

Well where i live and hunt( Florida) we don't really have any wide open areas and we have thick palmettos and lots of swamps. with that comes water. Down here you will catch more hogs with dogs that are short range, Quiet and rough. ( Fact) Any dog that can't stop one in a decent amount of time will lose that hog anyway because i don't know many dogs that can track thru water.. I want my dog to have enough sence that when he can't pick that scent up after they get smoked to start looking for another hog and they usually will check back in and see where i am at because we walk hunt mostly due to the terrain...Different style. I think that comes from running rough dogs and they get use to you being their for help and walking.. I don't need 5,6 or more dogs on the ground. 2 to 4 max and that is usually because 1 is a young inexperienced dog. I have watched people try and run hounds and long range dogs down here and they catch hogs once in a while. They also spend all night and day chasing their dogs. dogs that are now back tracking old tracks they just ran but got smoked on because they lost them in a swamp to begin with. I don't call theses dogs giving up, Giving up is when a hog is whooping their aZZ and they come out. That is a quitter! With a short range gritty dog comes a nose that is not as cold. That is why they hunt the way they do. Maybe in Texas a long range dog that will take a 3 hr old track is great and needed, But i bet if you were to bring some of those long range cold nosed dogs down here they would not know how to handle the terrain as well hunting at night and you would get very frustrated fast. Seen it more than once.. My dogs won't quit a hog if they can see him and can smell him so i don't see that as giving up. Just like the campbells when they went to louisiana, those dogs and they were like fish out of water. " Not saying they have the best dogs but they work" The same might happen with a dog from Florida being hunted in Texas. Does that make it a bad dog? No. But i do think i could go anyplace and if their was a hog with in 300 or so yards from my dogs they could stand as good a chance stopping it as any.

Magnum, most of the property I hunt here in Southest Texas is just like you describe. Thick, wet, alligator infested swamp land... palmettos so thick to can't poke your finger in it. Everyone has this misconception that Texas is wide open prairie because of what they show on tv. When in reality, any type of terrain you can imagine is here.

Mike i think what he is sayin is this, Im probably wrong but ill give my .02.

We dont have much land left here in South Florida.  Mickey and the damn yankees have taken it all.  There are few who have the priveledge to hunt large tracks of land but in five counties i know of three over a few thousand acres.  If my dogs run a hog more than 300 yards without getting it stopped and stick with it, they are on a major roadway.  No two ways about it, or on a agolf course.  The sad truth of it is where I hunt if i had a long range dog id wouldnt last long.  Someone would shoot it, or it would get run over.  I think thats what Magnum is talkin about, when he referes to wide open.  Ive never been to texas but from what i read and see on here yall are not as majorly populated as we are.

Thats is exactly what i mean. Thanks rdjustham. I have a invite " Guest" right now on a 1600 acre piece and that is HUGE here. I am very lucky for that. Almost half is water.. And that has a boundry of 2 major hwys and surrounded with a city of 90+ thousand. Different world, Just like North Florida where Noah lives is totally different than the central and bottom half of florida. I realize not all of texas is wide open and flat, But i do believe most of the state is a lot different than Florida, except we have Bigger hogs. lol. JK.

Hell, you'd fit right at home at some of my city properties... they're just surrounded by a popualtion of 2 million plus. ;D

But, I know exactly what you mean about dealing with roads and such. That's why a lot of our races get cut short because we have to cut the dogs off and call them out.

Circle C had a helluva spot several years back. It was nestled inbetween the Johnson Space Center, Ellington Field with chemical plants and refineries all around... you talk about throwing a telemetry system for a loop. ;D

Well, if I can add my $.02, then here it goes...

I will say this first; I like to hunt a range of different dogs on the ground at one time.  I don’t want all of my dogs to leave the country looking for tracks. That's not saying too many dogs either, that's just saying different kinds of "hunt". In my pack, I have two lead dogs that will find their own hog, and then some of the puppies that we will not speak of in this thread. My lead dog Fred will hunt hard making loops from 150-500 with hardly any sign on the ground, and when he hits a track he will not stop unless I'm close enough and have/need to call him out/off. My three legged dog Diablo is a short range dog that will stick semi close to you but will take a track and hunt out anywhere from 100-300 yards depending on sign. He isn't the type of dog to just go and hunt way off from you by himself, but he does hunt and take a track. Some would call him a help dog, but yet he will and has found his own hogs. Both of these dogs will honor a bay if not on their own hogs, and both of these dogs will catch with the CD; also both of these dogs, even the one with 3 legs, will put down anywhere from 15-20 miles on a hunt if in sign and on hogs. Hell, I’ve seen Fred put down 13 miles with no sign at all just trying to hunt for tracks. I like some grit, but just like what was said, I want them to be smart enough to know when to let go and back off. If I had to make it really simple, I would say that I want the dog to find hogs, be able to take to a handle and still hunt good, no aggressiveness, and not give up on a track/hog until they are about to kill over (bottom). I’d have to say that Bottom is the most important to me around where we hunt because these runners can take hours to stop in this thick crap, and even then sometimes have to call the dogs off and out.

My question is, how long do you wait for the pups on your yard to show you the specific criteria before you label them a “cull” from your yard?

When it comes to the argument of " well, over here in my area, your dog better be _____ or you ain't catching these_______ hogs!!" I believe any one with that attitude to be full of ____  ;)

There's only a few people on here who know me in real life an know how much traveling I do for a living. I've hunted my dogs from west Texas to northern Alabama and over this coming winter and spring I've been invited to bring em to New York and Utah. They gets their butts handed to them just like everybody elses dogs do, but what I've found is good dogs are good dogs no matter where you take em. Mike, Lionandboarhunter, Cward, BigO and lots and lots of other actual dogmen could take theirs wherever they wanted to and still be measurably successful. I don't have any superdogs and I somehow still manage to catch a hog every now and again.

Hunt whatever floats your boat but always stay humble about it and don't get so caught up in thinking your way is the only way thats gonna work. My dogs cross roads, highways and even interstates every now and then, it's part of hunting.

Take care guys, no hard feelins

Well i am going to assume you are talking about me when i said their being a difference between how we can hunt in Florida where i live and texas. I would have been straight forward, but i got your point.. First off i have been hog hunting with dogs within 10 years of you being alive. I know a thing or 2 about dogs and hogs. I may not be as good putting it into words or as good with a computer but i am no rookie or punk nor am i full of number 2. I never said someone from texas with long range dogs could not catch hogs in Florida, i said they would have a hard time and probably get very frustrated and their dogs would be confused with the different terrain.  This is one thing i hate about forums, people have a way to stretch things out and twist words. I also never said my way was the only way. I will tell you that Open mouth dogs and quiet dogs don't mix. Bay dogs with 1 rough dog will get dogs hurt and makes more hogs break than not. People that have consistant packs of dogs catch more hogs than people who don't. Quiet cur dogs will only go to a open mouth dog a few times before he won't honor his bark and go to him again. Short range rough quiet dogs in Florida work better than open mouth long range bay dogs. And last, People Lie, dogs don't ! Sounds like you are out to convince me you are a World class hunter who knows it all by making this something it is not.. Maybe you are, but in my experience the people who brag the most usually are the ones that are full of Sh*t. Like the people who catch 300lb hogs every weekend . No hard feelings! ;)

I was being as generic and polite as possible dude. I didn't have you in my mind and in reality I didn't have anyone in particular in there. Sorry it seemed that way.

Far as my age and what class of hunter I am? Think whatever you wish to.  I've apologized for hurting your feelings and that's that.

I looked at that over and over and my post was the only one that said anything about what you commented on. With the _ and the wink i could only take that one way, disrespectful. I try and treat everyone like i want to be treated but i just don't handle disrespect well and as you can see, i will be direct and not generic and beat around the bush..  I just expect things to be kept mature and enjoy a good debate. People do not have to agree with everything to be friends or friendly. This all started because i was making a point that dogs are not always quitters when they are short range and the difference. Thats all. Apology accepted..Thank you.

No problem.

Agreed!  I guess the point i (and i think a couple other guys) was tryin to make is sometimes alot of bottom aint necessarily a good thing.  I think everyone can agree on that.

Magnum,

I will disagree. I have hunted central fl for the last 15 years. I take pride in putting a cur dog on a single big hog track that "cannot be caught...or runs to bad for a one cur dog" and running a big hog 2 hours and catching him at the end. 99% of the guys around have a dog that will run one 30 minutes then give up. The good hogs know that. You put a dog that will run one till he is caught and game over.

You can catch a lot of hogs with short range rough dogs. You can catch a lot of small hogs with those dogs and you will catch a lot of good ones. But I DESPISE getting outrun and beat. Water no water....palmetto patches to briar patches  a dog with no bottom is just that!


The best dogs I have been around in the same area are the same way.

 The veteran dogs have to be a little on the rangey side. Our property is pretty big. They have to have a hot nose. Hogs cross all over the property all of the time back and forth between the farm we hunt and neighboring leases so I want them to wind a hog thats pretty close by, not all the way over on the neighbors property. Some bottom is required but not endless bottom. We will go to our dogs when we have to but I like for them all to know how to backtrack. THey MUST be SILENT on track. This is important for them to stay on our yard. If I hear a bark, they had better be looking at the hog. PERIOD! I know that open dogs bay and catch hogs all of the time, but silent is our personal preference.

Here's what I look for in a hog dog.

It's not really one driving characteristic or another that the dog must have, to me there are many qualities that come together to equal a hog dog. Find ability (hunt) is imperative in our area. When you have one hog in a 1000 acre pine plantation, it takes a heck of a dog to leave you and go find him. Independence is key in my eyes. The best dogs I see do it for themselves and the love of the hunt.  When we drop the tailgate they hit the woods with a clear goal in mind. The dogs I'm talking about don't pay you any attention in the woods, they grind and work until its time to go home. 

Quit or bottom is something that will get you culled quicker than coming out yellow or with spots around our yards. We expect the dogs to never ever quit. They should stick with hog no matter what, we'll eventually make it to them. We never call our dogs off unless it's absolutely imperative to do so. We want them to strictly think about the hog and not us.  We generally hunt much larger places than most ppl so this is easier for us to hold as a standard. 

Handle is not important at all in our dogs. Some of them we can't hardly even catch after we turn them loose, maybe half know how to load up. In my opinion unless the dogs are worked daily handle can hamper a dogs overall drive as he is constantly looking to his owner for "direction"

Rough, loose doesn't really matter. I like both. Brains is a key, the dogs should progressively get better with more time in the woods. Not regress. Fast starters. No Time to wait 3 years for a dog to "turn on"

Range generally isn't an issue with the line we hunt, preferably longer ranged dogs if I can choose. When I mean range, is the dogs hunt their way out to a certain distance. Not just leave the country running. If they go a mile before they bay, it's bc there weren't any hogs the first 3/4 mile. I don't like super short range dogs. Hanging around the wheeler or constantly checking in gets a quick cull

Cold nose is a plus when we track hunt but not key. We have some warmer nosed hog dogs that are pretty solid.

I like the naturals, just take them to the woods and get out there way. Less chance of screwing them up do to human error

TShelly you took the words right out of my mouth...you think as I think... :)

Consistency ,  constant improvement with every breeding accepting no less than what the parents are culling the rest.

Don't want no mile long range dog don't need them were I hunt I try to keep my dogs ranged in the area of 750 to 1000 yd big loops ck in move up go again.

Don't care for dogs that wont ck in to much range for me and my places.

I look for dogs that consistently find pork not dogs that are find a hog two three times and go for two months not finding a hog in areas of hog sign.

I make my dogs hunt I dint ride them and I don't look for much sign .  I go to a piece of property that me and the dogs are going to hunt park drop my dogs out and they go they do the hunting not me.

I ride a four wheeler and hunt off of it my dogs are in tune with me and am in tune with my dogs both me and the dogs know when things are not right and somebody ain't ck-ed in its just staying in tune with your dogs knowing what a good dog is and expecting no less and accepting no less .

I dont worry about how other people hunt I hunt the way me and my dogs do.  I dont take my dogs with other folks that hunt differently than we do because you cannot expect the same out of your dogs if you change plans on them .

Just me and my dogs.

Might as well finish this while am at it.

Like a fast quick dog a slow dog is worthless.

I dogs that can wind and work a track both.  Some are better at one than the other.  I have seen wind dogs that can be a track dog to the hog and I have seen great track dogs that will beat a wind dog to the hog .  Long as they are good at what they dog.

I like a dog that will finish what he started but that is not always possiable with the land being so short these days so I can make a exception to that rule with my dogs lets be real whos got 25,000 acres to hunt these days.

Smart dogs a dumb dog is useless I dont care how good he can wind are track .

I like dogs that will put teeth on hogs when need be if he breaks his nuts are mine kinda dogs and do what it takes to try and get them stopped but again lets be real none of us get all the hogs we get on .  If a 300 lb boar wants to run he is gonna run dont give a damn what kind of dog you got on him.  I like my dogs to be in the middle with grit .  To much and the hog is gone to little and the hog is gone so lets meet in the middle. 

Wind , Stamaina is a must got to have it with out it your dog is useless all goes back to breeding if you do it right .

And the number one thing HEART with out the heart a dog can have all the above but is about as useless as tits on a boar hog !  The bigger the heart the better the dog and without it breeding is useless.

Am sure I can think of more but if I can get these things out of my dogs am a happy man !  No less than the parents are the dog is a cull in my yard also if you get ten pups and only five turn out as good as the parents and the rest are culls this is not a good liter to me .  You need atleast seven are eight to turn out to be as good are better than the parents then you are headed in the right direction if you breed less you will get less is all it boils down to.  Sorry for all the long stuff here but a big question with big anwsers .

Hogs believe it or not. But it will be mid spring after the melt.

I am glad to hear you have a dog that only catches big hogs. Have not seen any of those. I do know a lot of people with dogs that will run a track for 2 hours and usually are open mouth or semi open dogs or in good terrain. That is cool. To each his own. Just a colder nosed dog. That does not work well walking, hard to get to them and help them fast, Mr Garmin won't work well with dogs like that. more hogs break and are lost that way to me. Maybe i am wrong..You put a rough dog on a hog that will grab his rear end and spin him around and catch him they won't run either.. I hunt for the sport and the meat. But believe me i have caught more than my share of big tooth bad hogs, more than some, less than others..  But NOBODY catches only big hogs..  How do you know the track your putting your dog on is a hog that can't be caught? I have never seen a hog that could not be caught. I have seen hound hunters that have ran hogs that could not be stopped.. Maybe that is what you ment. I have hunted all over this state and many many State quota hunts, Ranches, orange groves and even behind the lakeland mall. We have probably crossed paths and did not know it and might know some of the same people. My name is Lee Henderson, use to live in polk City and now live in Bushnell since 2002. Use to drive a 90 Blue and silver F-350 diesel with a T & T dog box... From 96 to 2003 i hunted about 2 to 3 days a week and from 2003 to 2008 about 1 time per week.. no joke.. now if i go 1 time per month i am happy. Getting old and body is tore up..The dogs i have owned and hunted have had success in every type of situation.  NEVER said my dogs give up nor do i want them to as long as they can still smell the hog and see him, but when they can't, i expect them to check back in and start over, Not quit. My dogs do not sit at my feet when i am hunting, if they do, they are eating someone elses dog food, they range out with no sign 50 to 150 yards. Again, never stopping. The dogs i have now are young and not fully finished yet but still hunt hard and know what to do when they smell one and get on one.. Last hunt we were out 3 hours and they covered just shy of 7 miles, 6.8 and 6.7 to be exact 2 times out.. Love that garmin. First trip in 7 with no caught hog. We did run some. Not bad for short range dogs and the guys i hunt with have great dogs..  Mine,Not the best i have owned but are well on their way i hope, but i looked for exactly what i have and know what to expect. Starting over after 4 years of being operated on has not been easy, especially when i have hunted as long as i have and had great dogs that consistantly produced and did not trash and know how long it took to get them..Dogs i knew , Really knew because i had no tracking sysytem for many many years and when i did it was a Quick track.. now a lot of people miss out on really knowing their dogs and hunting because garmin has made it so much easier. Not complaining, but it is different. Dogs i have given away when i got hurt have been pictured in magazines with trophy class hogs they trailed, and caught alone.. I know what works for me and what a good dog is. I just don't want a dog that will run for hours and i have to chase that usually come up dry, but i do expect them to stay with a hog as long as they can see and smell him weather that be cross a road, river , go thru a culvert ect and stop it asap! I would invite you to hunt since you are close to me but it seems like we have different styles and my dogs would not make your grade.Too bad, my in laws are cajun and i am sure we like the same type food. I will say since January i have hunted with the same guys and we have gone 14 times to the same place and caught 10 hogs out of that number of trips, and always atleast ran some.. I do post pictures , not just the big ones. I think all from this year are posted and if i missed one i can post it.. From Nov to Jan i hunted with someone that had long range dogs that would take a track like you described, same property ( Open Mouth) and run it for 4 hours and we only caught 1, and that was the day i got a new started rough dog and he stopped it from what i was told, i was the last to get their but my son was their first, again always ran some.. Since then that dog is gone and i have all new ones. starting over is frustrating and fun but i am lucky to hunt with people that run the same style of dogs i do. I believe what i just listed shows me that where i hunt Silent short range dogs produce more caught hogs and i get home earlier in the morning. For the record, I hunt at night 95% of the time also. Only day hunts are on State quota hunts becasue you have too. I don't understand why people have a need to have the best way, Biggest dog, Best dog ect. Lets just all enjoy hunting and not be afraid to tell someone they have a great dog or admit they have a better dog or catch more hogs. be open to learning something because no one knows everything. More hunters should own a scale and calibrate it and learn what a hog really weighs so they don't post a picture with them and a hog that looks smaller or the same size and list it at 300 or even 400lbs..Sorry Cajun, a lot of this has nothing to do with you or your comment,( Bottom Half) just got to rambling . too much time on my hands and observe to much..   Happy Hunting. Lee

yeah there;s hogs all over  lol they've had hogs in pennsylvania since i was a little snot nosed kid reading field and stream .

Magnum,

I wont write near that much. ;D



I never said that. I said I like to put out on big tracks and catch the hog that made that track. Never said I only catch big hogs.

I was only disagreeing with the short range dog. No disrepect meant, I know a lot of guys hunt different than I do.


I know a lot of people don't have big places or dont want to chase dogs. At 3 am on some night I am ready to get rid of all them.


Hog hunting is not a competition to me.  I don't get a hard on posting with dead hogs. I hardly ever take pictures. I feed a pen full of pot lickers but they catch a few blind deaf hogs. My name is Lynel Poillion. I hunt 2-3 times a week probally less know that goat season is here. I hunt with only a few people. But I will go with anyone. Shoot me a pm and I will give you my cell.

It sounds like your taste of Wowen is better than your taste in dogs!! ;D ;D

.........


Just a joke!

Won't argue with that one. lol. I am lucky to be able and go after what i have been thru. I agree, Hunting is not a competion, it is a lifestyle and relaxation and time to spend with family and friends. Old and new.. We live catch, no pictures of dead hogs from me either. Anyway Nice to meet and debate with you lynel..We atleast agree on 3 things, like hunting hogs with dogs, Cajuns and John Wayne. He is my favorite actor. Cool profile pic. Where in central Florida are you? 

Lake county....Sorrento to be exact.

I somewhat agree with too much handling being bad. Our dogs are hunted 4-5 nights a week. We don't use too much handle at all. We just make sure we have control over our dogs.
Different strokes for different folks.

dang boys handle don't meen to coddle them  lol my dogs have a good handle on em and in 50 years i've never seen being able to control your dogs have any negative affects on the hunt issue . thats why us old farts use to blow them dang horns . it allowed us to call in our dogs from a great distance . now we can just tone em in with the e-collars no differant . haveing a handle on your dogs does not meen they will be up your butt all day just meens the dogs obey the master . calling a dog off a running hog is no differant than telling a cow dog to git out . and when ol gabriel blows his horn them dogs better head for the truck cause i have broken a couple of them [ horns ] on an old nuckleheaded dog or two  lol

           

                      and brandeek handle is an old dog term for control it applies to dogs and woman and i don't see enough of it used these days  lol

minimum amount of handling is all I care for in my dogs...

I have a friend i use to work with in sorrento, Brad kelley. Also JD on here lives your way. Curdog 87.

Me too!

When I first got into hog hunting I used to ask how long our hunt would be? The patented reply, "As long as the dogs want to!"

I think that statement alone has been one of the reasons I've gotten to hunt behind so many good dogs. I don't go hunting unless we can let the dogs finish whatever they start. Boogie won't even look at you in the woods if you call his name while he's working on something. He just starts running faster. Sure it's not for everyone to hunt this way but we love it. I'd much rather be going into the 10th hog of the day and everyone huddle up before we go into the bay ". F' the hog! Someone catch that damn Red dog so we can go home"

Me too!

When I first got into hog hunting I used to ask how long our hunt would be? The patented reply, "As long as the dogs want to!"

I think that statement alone has been one of the reasons I've gotten to hunt behind so many good dogs. I don't go hunting unless we can let the dogs finish whatever they start. Boogie won't even look at you in the woods if you call his name while he's working on something. He just starts running faster. Sure it's not for everyone to hunt this way but we love it. I'd much rather be going into the 10th hog of the day and everyone huddle up before we go into the bay ". F' the hog! Someone catch that damn Red dog so we can go home"


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Damn sounds like us but we say catch the brindle dog LOL

Damn sounds like us but we say catch the brindle dog LOL
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I like hear catch every one of those dogs, then help the bull dog