Its been a long time but, it turns out I still remember how to post!  Lol.

Made a hunt New Years.  Caught this boar.  Didn't catch the dogs fast enough and they rolled over and caught 2 more.  Finally put a lead on them and called it a night.







Had a decent run of redfish tournaments this year.  I only won one.  Now I'm ready for some hog dogging tournaments.

Josh, with two polls showing pro barr....does that change anything for your tourney ?

I'm afraid not Bryant.  The way I interpret the results is that the field is split in half.  Half the field wants barrs included in all stringers and half the field feels they need to be moderated to some extent.

I don't think the other poll captured my true feelings.  I think this poll might be a better gauge...

What I don't get is most contest rules say you can't turn in a hog that has been caught before. Well a Barr hog has been caught before , RIGHT???

That is correct.  The HDTT and several tournaments this year acknowledge this point.

Thanks Chance.  Neary all the hunters last year were guys that were on my team, or guys I talked into signing their name.  I only had 3 entries from guys completely unassociated from my contact.  If I get 4 entries this year I will be completely satisfied.  Roam wasn't built in a day.

  I don't care if the best hunters join or not.  If I can get a contestant field to hunt multiple contests, and finish their tournaments at the TDHA hunt, then I want to reward them for their tournament effort.  I don't care who they are.

One of the main statements that my trail stands for is TO PROVIDE ADDITIONAL WINNING OPPORTUNITIES FOR HUNTERS WHO HUNT MULTIPLE TOURNAMENTS.  I'm not looking at pleasing a large crowd, because its a small field of hunters who hunt multiple tournaments as it is.

All these guys who have thrown their 2 cent opinion on my trail and these guys neither hunt one or multiple multiple tournaments need to understand that my Trail is not designed to cater to them.  But if a hunter already had plans to hunt multiple tournaments this year, then here is a reward system for everything your going to put out this year. 

This is my Trail and while my name isn't in the hat, the other guys on my team will have theirs.  These are my rules.  We're going to hunt Caldwell, Lexington, Gator Country and the TDHA.  We also would hunt Cazadores if the weekends didn't conflict.  I don't know of any other team or single man with that kind of plans.  But if you do, lets talk, because we'd love to have you.

TEXASJ    Now your talking about yourself. You hated on turning in barrs. Fancy rigs and money don't find hogs. Jody calls you out and all you can talk about is your rig. So what, put all that money behind your dog's. Let's see if you have what it take.

That's what tournaments are for!  To get out there and compete!  :-)

Sounds to me like someone wants to win his own buckle so he can give himself a pat on his own back! Why cant people leave a good thing the f alone?

This type of crap is what has been messing our country up for years..... Tooooo many rules

I'm not entering my own Trail.  Consider this my gift to hog hunters. 

And I already know that "Haters are going to Hate" lol.

6). Hunting rig / Equipment

Hog dogging on the road requires proper transportation both in the field and on the highway.  Proper care for all your dogs is essential.  Proper handling of hogs is also a technicality.

7). Helpers

Extra set of hands is also an important resource when traveling on a team.

The one thing Jody didn't mention from our conversation was this...

"It takes a lot of resources to hunt multiple tournaments...."
And I discussed that lots of hunters have a difficult time composing all the resources to ACTUALLY compete on a multi-tournament level.  The resources we discussed were
1) dogs
2) land to hunt
3) hogs
4) money

And most importantly, what Jody and my conversation included (also emphasized) was
5) TIME!!!!

These are serious logistic issues that hunters all face.  If we all had Infiniti resources, we could all participate.  But by reviewing the requirements, we are able to lessen the burden and that fosters more involvement!  That's what my point of the conversation was.  And my inquiry into his personal situation was to learn more about him, find out what constraints keep him from entering, and work through those issues to see if there was a way in which he could possible participate in the Trail.  

That's the main thought process behind my decisions on format.  How can I create a larger contestant base???  You guys are still looking at one little detail and not the complexity of the overall obstacles.

Definately shouldn't be called " best of the best " .... " best of the rest " maybe...

If you can't beat em ban em!!!

Lol.  That's funny right there.

It would be a conflict on interest if I entered.  I believe the word is "coersion".

I entered last year but that was only because there were hardly any entries!

And this may be something that some of y'all are missing...

Even if a tournament allows barrs in the stringer, my HDTT can still participate at the event.  The East Fork tournament in Splendora is a shinning example.  Alan is pro-Barr and always will be.  If any of the hunters in my trail hunt that tournament, only the 3 non-Barr hogs will be weighed in for my trails purposes.  So there is no infringement of my trail on any of the tournaments.  My trail simply is there to record non-Barr weights outside of anything the tournament has planned.

That means, if Gator Country (or any other tournament) chooses to have barrs in the stringer, it would have zero impact on my trail.  My trail and each tournament are completely separate entities.

I have a hard time with people who just sit back and complain on the back end without showing any interest on the front end.

Well I have a hard time with people sending me a MSG asking me to call them so they can talk to me & decide if my opinion is worthy of their consideration!!     Then trying to tell me that they no I don't comp hunts because I  don't  have the resources to win!   Like you are special because you have your own pack of hog dogs, and a custom built hog dog trailer!   "wooho"   Am I suppose to be impressed?    That I lack the dogs, country to hunt, or that I don't have any hogs to catch because I have over hunted the few places I have.   This is what you told me on our phone conversation......
This is a poor way to represent your self or tdha or anyone........
If you are representing these events I will not be part of them...   I don't comp hunt by choice, I hunt for pleasure!     But I would like very much to show you my lack of resources, and see your custom built trailer, and your pack of dogs, and your abundant hunting land!   So bring your trailer, and dogs, and $$$ and we will see just who is lacking resources!   Then we can go to your places and you can pay me again at the end of the day!     You hunt your dogs, I'll hunt my soup hounds... Bring your pack not your buddies & I'll do the same...  I don't care If we hunt 1 dog or 6.    But you better bring your " A" game!
Then maybe you will think harder before you talk down to others!     When I talked to you I tried very hard to be politically correct, but the more I think about it the more upset it makes me.

I'm sorry your so upset Jody.  I appreciate how passionate you are about our sport.  If we could just channel your motivation and intensity toward anti-dog hunters we would all be in a world of good.  ;-)

My trail and the associated tournaments are not meant to divide us as dog hunters.  What's that old saying "change doesn't come easy".   Quit a few people have expressed their disapproval of my rule format.  But no matter how you lay out any kind of rules, your going to have the "Jody's" out there that passionately object.

Jody, I'll be at the Lexington tournament next year, and all my dogs and gear will be there too.  We can meet and shake hands. And you can see just how harmless I am.  Try and not let this ruin your day bud.

Josh, if "YOU" would not have approached all these contest organizers to fit "YOUR" HDTT format... none of this would have ever been an issue.

Obviously Mike.  So what's the real issue?  Because there are lots of other tournaments that allow barrs in the stringer.  You can enter in them all you want.  My trail (and some of the tournaments) has a special set of parameters that doesn't allow barrs in the stringer.  You don't have to participate if you object.  But your welcome to. :-)

You guys are looking at this all wrong.  There were very few barrs (2 at most) brought in last year at the contest.  The Gator Country board is a democratic process and votes were taken on all decisions.  Mike, I was not even a voting member of that board.  The rules have already been published are not going to change.

There is no secret conspiracy going on.  There was an open invitation to all hunters to be a part of the planning process for this particular tournament.  And if someone was willing to DONATE their time, they could have been a part of it.

 Instead of people helping on the front end, what I see happening is people complaining on the back end.  There are lots and lots of opportunity for ANYONE to become engaged with their local tournament and help out.  Or, become a BOD for the TDHA.  They're always looking for a few good men.

I have a hard time with people who just sit back and complain on the back end without showing any interest on the front end.

I know them pretty well.  I spoke with the president of the board of directors for their tournament today as a matter of fact. 

..... No barrs in the stringer.

But you can enter a barr side pot! :-)

Anytime anyone has ever asked me, I have said that barrs have a place in tournaments.  But in a class of their own.  Not in the stringer, but in a side pot or a jack pot or possible in their own stringer.

I hope that happens for all our sake.

Can I call you to get a straight answer about my question Texas J?

Joey

Absolutely.

The average hunter will not have a place like this set up, but there are folks that do have these places set up to only hunt for Comps, show dogs for sell at, and guide the occassional trophy hunt.  Know one is going to get upset if you have one or two Barrs in a stringer of  10, but if you have 4 or 5 in a stringer of 10 then it is obvious that you are hunting a place that you have cultivated for big hogs and that is more of working livestock and not hog hunting. ( I know there is no difference technically, but you have to understand that once you start working a herd like you would cattle then that herd has been altered from its natural state and therefore in my opinion not a true wild hog anymore).

Joey

Exactly!  And Chance is a shinning example of this when (and I may not quote you exactly) that there was a phone call and you let a team come in and catch 3 big barrs in one pasture.  These guys wouldn't have a problem in the world passing a lie detector test.

The fuss as I see it is that some folks may bar every boar for a year or two and turn them loose in a remote area that only the really have access to and there is plenty of country for them to hunt.  Then when tournament time comes they use this place as a "Honey Hole" and therefore have a herd of hogs that have nothing on their mind but to eat and get big.  They dont compete for territory, breeding, or range as far unless otherwise pressed as a boar hog would.  therefore giving that team an equivalent of a stocked pond instead of an open public lake to hunt fo the torunament.

EXACTLY!!!!!!!

Thank you!!!!!

This is not how it is this is not what we are trying  to do. I weighed in one Barr after tdha competition this last year he weighed255 caught on a piece of property that does not work hogs. This hog ran over a mile and cut the hell out of my dog. It was all worth it to weigh him in. You guys have no clue we are not out to cheat you think we are its not what our plan is. If we catch a Barr we want him to count cause we know what we are doing. Ya'll  are pointing out what a cheater will do and doubting our integrity . Texasj  if the polygraph is useless than the hell with the whole thing. Im telling you  guys I could cheat legal with out barrs on fee ranged hogs the man loves hogs and feeds 1500 pounds of corn a week. That would be cheating. We are not out to cheat we are competitive people and by being competitive we strive for the best dogs. We are not asking to count barrs to cheat we are asking because we know if we get on one the work that goes into it. Two years ago bumpers competition bayed a Barr a broke the catchdogs leg hog weighed260. Stop knocking my integrity we show up ready for the polygraph and ready to compete. The rule is stupid in my eyes and I will fight to keep it off the tournament.

I respect that a lot.