EAST TEXAS HOG DOGGERS FORUM

While hunting this weekend I was thinking about recent posts relating to the issue of "open dogs making hogs run more".  This is an issue that some believe firmly, one way or the other.  Lets say for sake of argument that an "open" dog barking on trail does make a hog run.  For this scenario, lets say a hog is laying 300 yds off a trail and he has left a 2 hour track that most dogs are capable of trailing.  This hog has been ran before by multiple dogs and he "knows the deal".  Some will think and argue that if a person puts an "open" dog on the ground and the dog opens at 100 yds, the hog will have a 200 yd head start.  In comparison, some will argue that a silent dog will trail 300 yds to the hog and the hog will not have a head start.  Thus, the hog has an advantage if the open dog barks on trail.

So, the question is, what else makes a hog run?

If the hunter used a 4 wheeler in the previous runs, would the sound of a 4 wheeler alert a hog and would this make a hog run?

Would the voice of the hunter or the sound of a dog box open/closing make a hog run?

How about the sound of a truck or a closing tailgate?

There are several different sounds that are not in a hogs natural environment that may signal danger.  If a dog opening signals danger, what about all the other sounds?

And to add to the topic, does the same hog run or move if he hears a squirrel dog treeing 400 yds away?  Does this hog run all deer season because the hog hears a deer dog race?

Furthermore, if the hog has been shot at by a shooter in a helicopter, does the hog run every time it hears a helicopter or airplane?

IMO a hog is a smart animal and has the capabity to think through a situation. If that hog in that very moment feels running is going to increase his chance of survival hes gonna do it. If he thinks holdin still is be better its gonna do that. I dont know about yahl but i look at it as when i go to the woods the hogs already know im there. Im no expert but thats my opinion

From what I have seen I dnt thnk any of that will make a hog run. I have dang near tripped over I dnt know how many when hunting. I believe they are alot like deer in that sense. Now if he hears a dog open I really dnt know what difference it would make because I prefer silent dogs. Ive had open dogs in the past and im not knocking them by any means so dnt bash me for it yall! I just prefer silence.

Russian Genetics.   

Beat me to it, i was about to say introduced genetics, but hell thats just my edumacated guess :) ;)

Jmo everything you talk about,ive seen make a hog get in another gear,when deer dogs are being run ,i think hogs move to less pressured place,ive seen them lay and ride right by them on a horse ,on wheeler they haul butt,now virgin hogs my hold and let you do all above,but in 2 r 3 hunts on them,i figure they get smart to.open are not if dog is slow in my cointry he dont bay hogs,he runs hog 2 diff things in my book,ive seen some open dogs that know matter how open they still bay hogs.

My horse trailer rattling make em run. Lol. I hunt both open and silent dogs, it don't matter to me. I think my curs quit them running hogs after a while and you don't really know the whole story. But them open dogs (hounds) stick with em and run the heck out if em. I've had hounds leave the road barking every breath and go 4-500 yds and bay in the bed. So I say it depends on a lot of different factors.

They are wild animals they will run cuz anything

I think sorry dogs make them run. For example if a person hunts the same spot every Saturday and runs hogs 400 yards and his dogs quit and come back that hog had learned next time he sees a dog if he runs a little peace the dogs are going to quit. And if it's bayed and a bunch of alligators come in there and let it go it's not going to stop anymore because it knows when it does they are going to be knawing on it's ass. You can go to a brand new place that's never been hunted and catch hogs pretty quick but after you run some of them they learn. I wish they all ran like deer if they didn't  run everybody would have a hog dog.

A hog runs because it wants to and it will stop when it wants to.
The only thing that makes them run is because it wants to survive. Just how many times have you seen an animal run in the wild for no reason. They are either being chased or doing the chasing. Either predator or prey they have to run to survive.

Whack!
Whack!!
Whack!!!

Dang.....not dead yet!  rolleyes

I think if their going to run their going to run. We have gone down a fourwheeler trail one way and come back down the same trail hr later and bayed a 350 boar laying in honeysuckles 10 yards of the trail... And the terrain has a lot to do with it in my opinion. I don't care if your dog is silent or wide oped their going to play hell keeping up with a hog in some of are pine thickets and green briar thickets.

  well when I was running the farmland heavy , just the sight of my truck put them in the wind   lol  it seemed that everybody else could drive by and stop and look , but the minute they saw that beat up old ford they was gone quick !! 

BTT- good replies.  Keep them coming.  I know there are more thoughts out there.

I reckon the better the hog dogs get the better the culling of the hogs...hence the cream rises to the top...it is called evolution...adapt or become extinct...

just like already mentioned...if a place hasn't been dogged one can go in and catch 10 or 20 hogs and dog it for a while and you will be lucky to catch a few each time after that and sometimes none...

it seems to me that the piglets that are born striped have more of the Russian influence and those tend to run at the drop of the hat...

Bet a lot of it has to do with much simpler variables. Probably overthinking it to an extent.  Is he full? Is he sleeping? Has he beeen chasing sows and breeding?  Has he been cut down from fighting?  I think a hog bayed in their bed and one that runs 6 miles can be the same hog. Just a matter of timing.

^^^^YEP

I know I've watch a lot of pigs from the top of cell phone towers but one time comes to mind when I was in south texas.  We were 500 feet up watching a rancher ride around on his 4 wheeler and the pigs would calmly walk about 200 yards ahead of him. Whenever he would turn they would double around the other way just to keep there distance. It was pretty crazy because they never really ran when they would cut across the right aways to get to the brush on the other side.  When the rancher finally made it to the other side of the property the pigs circled around and went back to the pond where it all started from.  So in my mind there's no doubt that pigs learn to categorize certain sounds with danger. Be it trucks tail gates or trailers everything makes a sound.

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I ran one 2 hours this morning big footed hog. Then turned loose again and ran Another One at least 5 miles. Didn't catch either one.

Good post.

It all depends on what sneakers they r wearing that day.

Well when I get to the woods they always seem to run, now i've been reading this post and pretty sure I've got it figured out! When I get to the woods it always seems nature calls for a movement< which I of coarse have to answer at the loss of a shirt sleeve usually. So Im pretty sure its the combination of my wife's cooking and my digestive track that makes a powerfull aroma of which the pigs must be running from!

Guys I really appreciate the answers.  I agree that there are a lot of things in the overall environment that will make a hog run, or at least get up and start walking.  We have all read this and read that about the open dogs making a hog run, and some will always beleive it.  Of course the others will say that a silent dog will get you closer to a hog before it runs.  We all agree that if a hog wants to run, he is gonna run.  It is fight or flight for a hog.  This thread identifies other things that can make a hog move.  I agree with most everything listed here and for the purpose of arguing, I dont think that an open dog will make a hog run more or less than anything else.  Knowing the dogs are running behind him may make him run farther!  All good discussion and I appreciate the info.

Dang!? That's all I've ever said! Lol.....Heck...I KNOW you can catch hogs with semi open/open dogs but I never could quite believe that the hogs don't get pushed at least a bit by open dogs.

*the ones that decide to run*  ;D

Well it can be best said by "fight or flight".  They will do one or the other.  Some more than others and dogs are just one of the varriables.  But nothing can always be said for sure.  I know if I was running and heard may pack of dogs chasing me, Id keep running or find a tree.

I think hogs somehow know when they are safe and when they need to haul a$$. For instance few wks ago we pulled up to place to hunt an low an behold I seen a few hogs an I'm prob 200 yds away an I keep drivin an try to be quiet while getting dogs collared an ready an I walk back to pipeline wher I see them and they done scattered. Dogs ran them for over an hr an never caught one. Another example I was riding around lookin for sigh one day an I'm drivin down the road an spot hogs in middle of road 75yd ahead of me and they could clearly see my truck. I sat ther an watched them for. 20min feed in the ditch. And of course I had no dog with me. So they know when they are in danger whether a dog is barking or not. Around here if they hear a tailgate drop there probably already on there way out

If I cut loose on hogs I see , it turns into a race.
     Barking or not a hog will know when it is being ran. Four wheelers , trucks , talking etc are all heard by the hog . I think that is where hunting range of a dog comes in.

Keep on posting it up!! I like reading the input!! What y'all think about 1/2 mountain cur 1/2 walker or English dog in y'all's opinion?

  with that cross if you are concerned about running open dogs it might not be the one for you . would make good coon and squirrel dogs tho   ;D

That's funny right there. I feel your pain.

Just my 2 cents for what it is worth.  I personally dont think any animal has the ability to think through any thing.  Animals act on pure instinct. 

I know out of all the "silent" dogs ive hunted with, i'd say that atleast 80% of them would yip after a hog breaks... So why does it even matter? And im talking more along the lines of loose baying dogs, not alligators or them " jammed up hog stoppers" ...

I know i can hear my dogs running through the woods before i can see them alot of times... So even if a hog was too stupid to use his other senses, im sure they can hear the dogs coming before they bark alot of times.. 
Unless your dogs are like Rambo, and sneaks down wind from tree to tree to get close enough before they know hes there...  :P

10-4 on that one...

I tend to agree with the above statement & I will tell you why. We went this past weekend & were going down a narrow slew in my boat.  Every dog in the boat blew up. I backed the boat up to where they first rigged at & turned two dogs loose. Caught hog, 15 ft. from the boat. Shortest hog race I ever had.
  We have put tracking collars on hogs & let our plott pups  trail them up.. The boar almost every time would wait until the dogs were right on top of them before breaking.
  Have hunted them out of airboats & been right on top of them before they broke, same with 4 wheelers.
  Now saying all that I also believe in the russian genetic theory that makes them run. haha

several times I have had broke bays and all the dogs leave out and I stand there listening to see which way the dogs will go...then I see a hog get up not far from where the dogs were baying and slowly slink away...

So then- its not the open dog that makes the hog run, it is the threat!  The hogs beleives fight or flight for life. 

i have seen this twice . been sitting on my horse while old dogs are out hunting and the pup thats kinda hanging close sticks his nose in a bush a few feet away that you wouldnt think could hide a possum . i take down my rope to do a little trash breaking and bam -out runs a hog and he goes and finds my dogs . lol

  my buddy said man thats a dang good find dog haha . had the same thing happen with cattle . what makes a hog or cow run is pressure , some will tolerate more than others  ;)