Message #208025

[hogaholicswife]

I am not an expert at anything but I can tell you that although the cane is planted in rows it doesnt make it any easier and the stuff we hunt is a few thousands acres of back to back blocks only separated by a ditch/road or butts up to some nasty retention pond that will wear a dog out in a few hours.  I grew up in Okeechobee hunting cow pastures lined with palmetto heads and nasty ponds and there isnt a hunt goes by that still doesnt amaze me at how rediculous this stuff is!    

When it is standing straight and never had a puff of wind blown through it, it is still some nasty stuff but the older it gets the longer the leaves get and the more tangled it becomes....and it will cut you if you while running through it (I always wear my jacket...only to later regret it).

I will agree that a smaller dog has a much easier time running through the tunnels that the hogs have made but the bigger dogs get it done they just have to have a little more stick to them because they cant manuver like the smaller dogs.  I know from watching some of our young dogs and from what I have learned from my husband over the years is that most dogs not brought up in it will have a harder time adjusting to hunting it and some will flat out not even bother.  As far as a catch dog, we try to get as close to them as possible but even then it may still take him a few to get there because he has to pick his way throught it.

Most of those that hunt around us either hunt the open fields or the short cane, once it gets about 5 ft tall or if the wind has blown it around a little they are done with it until it is time to harvest....we hunt it regardless of the shape its in and I can recall climbing through it or having to run down the ditch bank because a) I cant manuever through it like the guys and b) I am a little boogered of what I may be walking on top of or up on.  

The frost this year made it really bad, I have some pics some where that I will try to find and post.

This probably didnt help much but good luck with your trip!