Excellent subject matter brother...
As always, it would vary by how and where a person hunts... whether your bay dogs help catch or don't... etc... BUT AS FOR ME
.....
I prefer not to send my CD in from distance, UNLESS I know my cur dog is already caught, in which case I'll usually send in the anchor as soon as they can hear it... If they are baying... I will get as close as possible, so as I can get in and help my dogs once they commit... as you stated, most bad damage happens when they been caught on a bad one too long... which I aim to prevent by how I hunt...
I like to see where they are bayed at before I cut a CD into them... we got some bad spots that you just don't want to send a catch dog into(let alone go in after them) to cut one in blind.... blown over trees make for some bad, water/mud filled caves that are no fun to go into after a bad one.... wild cattle is another reason I always like to see what I am turning into... you never know...
As I have developed my style with the dogs/terrain I have to work with, I have learned to appreciate a big catch dog... 98% of the time I don't even need a catch dog... my dogs are plenty rough when they see me... however, for that 2% when I get lucky enough to bay one up that might could do some serious damage... sure makes me feel alot better runnin' into a catch knowing I got a dog that can control a big hog from shaking dogs loose... not to mention the decrease in injury to my cur dogs since I began using this type of CD... the sheer mass of the dog cuts down of the "flailing/thrashing" aspect of bay dogs gettin' cut after the catch... worth it's weight in GOLD to me
As for catch dog etiquette... I have a lot to say on the subject... when hunting with others... it is always a touchy subject with me.... a good catch dog is a valuable asset, and many do not appreciate the amount of work that goes into making a good one... my catch dogs know how to work with my dogs.... they know each other well and help protect each other and me.
I see other hunters ask me to send my catch dog to theirs occasionally.... which I have no problem with if I know your dogs and know they will keep the hog bayed and help my CD when he gets there... What I don't like is when people ask me to send my catch dog "to stop" a hog for their bay dogs.... my CD's are NOT meant to stop a hog, the bay dogs should take care of that.
If I know you have a bay dog/catch dog team of your own that I know functions the same as mine, of course I have no problem using my catch dog if needed.... common courtesy. Otherwise... no thanks, I'm not risking getting my CD hurt to make up for your chitty bay dogs.
... have pissed a few people off over the years sticking to this idea.... oh well.
