Message #489944

[Bo Pugh]

It is a lot more to having a pack of dogs than loading them up and going hunting. I know with me it consumes most of my time when I'm not at work one dog wouldn't be to much to deal with but it's hard to have a good pack with one dog. I know I'm constantly spending money on something dog related whether it be dog food or gas to go hunting or repairs to the kennels are medicine wormer etc. tracking system send off for repairs it's always something. I usually keep around 16 dogs and it takes a while to feed and wash out all them pens and maintain everything. Not to mention I have a ranger and two four wheelers I have to keep running so I can go hunting because it's no way I'm going to walk hunt over here .I look at it like this I have these dogs and am not going to let them sit in the pen if it's a day I can hunt so I have to take them hunting, but it's what I lay in the bed thinking about at night and it's what I love to do. I don't go on vacations or out of town because I have dogs I have to tend to every day. Last year I bought two dogs for 4500$, a month later I had a 1400$ vet bill and a month later I had a 500$ four wheeler bill for maintaince. My wife knew that's how I was before she married me we didn't even go on a honeymoon because I didn't want to ask someone to tend to my dogs. We use to take different people hunting and a week later they would be looking for dogs going to jump in and be a hog hunter now I won't hardly invite anyone hunting just for the fact they are usually going to buy a bunch of dogs and get rid of them all in the same year. I would recomend to anyone that wanted to "become a hog hunter" to hunt with someone a couple years and make sure that's what they wanted to do and not be in a hurry to own a pack of dogs. And one thing. If you ever do get a pack of dogs you can't just get tired of them or hunting and quit I know I can't I'm to far in money invested and way to much time and got a pack I couldn't put a price on not because their good by any means but they wouldn't be worth near as what I have invested in them if that makes any sense to anyone. I recently bred two dogs and got 6 pups and plan on keeping all of them so it looks like more money is soon to be spent but it is the only thing I like to do so before you go buy dogs and such make sure your going to be in it for the long haul