Discussion - Good Hunt - Your Version

[Shotgun66]

Figured I would try to give the board a bump and generate some conversation.
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What is your idea of a Good Hunt?

My version of a good hunt would consist of 1 or 2 bay dogs with 1 catch dog. Bay dogs would hunt out 300 to 500 yards. Wind or take a track between .5 & 1 mile.  Bay a sounder & keep ‘em wadded up long enough for me & the catch dog to get there. Arrive, watch the bay dogs work for a few minutes. Send the catch dog, get hooked, tie the hog, & pull dog(s) off. Pet the catch dog. Appreciate the hog. Turn it loose. Check the Garmin & head to the next bay the dogs have rolled out on. Repeat if possible.  No injuries. Load em up, head home, pet em up & feed em up.
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Obviously all hunts don’t go as planned. My favorite part of hog dogging is watching the bay dogs locate & bay em up & watching that “dance”. I could honestly care less to ever leg another one. I prefer Sportsman type hunts more than eradication hunts but do both.
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What say  you? What’s your idea of a good hunt? Look forward to reading your responses. PSA - not looking for any drama on this thread. If you can’t be respectful and appreciate different perspectives, don’t post on this thread. Thanks


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[NLAhunter]

I like 2 good find dogs and fine with 3 if I got young one to go with the 2 I like to pull up kick dogs loose and shoot the breeze and eat sausage till they get found and bayed and I like to see  bay a good group watch that if it's sows with shoats or pigs just depending on situations I might call em off them and go on somewhere else or make em break and see if they can't get good hog out there bayed by it's self or catch into and then roll over and get bayed again until I am tired of tieing em then catch em and head in I most definitely like working hogs I know in some situations you got kill em all I have not went and hunted some places they wouldn't let me haul em out of but I know everybody situation is different I ain't got no where to hunt where hogs are over populated I don't feel like we manage em just like big buck hunters manage there deer nothing better than going and baying a big Barr with your mark in his ear

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[t-dog]

I don’t know if there’s a magic number dog wise for me to make it a good or bad hunt. I most definitely do this because I love to watch the magic dogs seem to be able to do. Everything from finding hogs when it’s crazy hot and insanely dry to extremely cold and wet or maybe even ice or snow on the ground. I don’t know if it fascinates me more to watch them grub a cold trail out or watch them run a hot track so hard and fast that it’s like they aren’t even working a track because somebody told them which bush the hog was under. I get the same joy watching the magic of a good old dog as I do seeing the light come on for a promising young dog. I love to watch the art of a dog or dogs that have the sense to size hogs up and know when to back up and how much to stretching one out that isn’t a threat to hurting them. I love to see the tenacity that they pursue a runner with and the effort they put into being able to get ahold of the back end and hang on until it squats. I love to walk up to a bay and see a respectable size hog literally sitting to protect their back side. I love to see dogs outsmart hogs and cheat the hogs so to speak.  I love to know and see that a dog is going to stay at a bay until we catch the hog or I tell them it’s good enough, let’s go to the house. I love a catch dog that can think on their feet and the athletic ability to adapt. That’s amazing to me how quick they can do it. I love watching a dog that knows what the handler wants and knows that if the bay breaks what’s expected of them, go on with the bay dogs or give chase for 150ish yards and come back if it isn’t stopped. 

We had a hunt recently that was by most people’s standards not good, even my nephew said “well that pretty much sucked”. I didn’t think so though. My dogs are soft and out of shape. They are doing good to get hunted once every two weeks. A young dog trashed on a skunk first thing. We got there and knew by the actions of the other dogs something wasn’t right and it wasn’t. Corrected him and loaded up and cast another spot. Immediately they left and about 6-700 yards later were bayed. Hogs broke and in a 150-200 yards they had about a 50-60 pound hog/gazelle cross stretched. That doesn’t sound too impressive until you factor in the terrain they went through to smoke this rascal. He tapped two ridiculous briar thickets and was about to dive into another when they put the whoa on him. These thickets might have 15 yards of clear ground between them. The other factor is that the dogs have been laid up on the couch eating bon bons more than they’ve been hunting. The dogs relayed before the hog took its last breath. In short order we had a split bay about 175 yards apart. The hog the old gyp and a pup were baying broke. The old gyp took it about .5 and we toned her back. The pup decided to go to the other bay. When the old gyp got back we headed to the other dogs. They were caught but just before we got there with the catch dogs it drug them off. The briar thicket they were in is one that you can’t even crawl through. It’s just curtains of briars and vines. I could totally see how bay dogs could get drug off. It’s in a creek bottom that hasn’t been tended to in several years so the places that aren’t thicket or woods is grown up in 6-10’ weeds. As you are driving over the weeds you have to cover your nose with your shirt because of all the dust and pollen being knocked off and it just makes your eyes burn. They tried to leave and bay again but we were ringing wet ourselves and I toned them back in. I didn’t see a reason to stroke them out. That wasn’t a dream hunt for sure but it was a good hunt in my eyes. The dogs did some really good things for what they had to deal with, being out of shape, extremely thick cover for running hogs to use, crazy scenting conditions, etc. They didn’t quit at any point, I told them to. I thought it was impressive and I was proud of them. Maybe nobody else would be but I feed them and I was lol. This to me was a good hunt because I felt like my dogs did what I expect of them or what I’ve bred them to do.

I’m glad you started this conversation. I thought maybe everyone had retired, especially when nobody tried to keep WOW not to fall under that young ladies spell to get hitched!

[Shotgun66]

I like 2 good find dogs and fine with 3 if I got young one to go with the 2 I like to pull up kick dogs loose and shoot the breeze and eat sausage till they get found and bayed and I like to see  bay a good group watch that if it's sows with shoats or pigs just depending on situations I might call em off them and go on somewhere else or make em break and see if they can't get good hog out there bayed by it's self or catch into and then roll over and get bayed again until I am tired of tieing em then catch em and head in I most definitely like working hogs I know in some situations you got kill em all I have not went and hunted some places they wouldn't let me haul em out of but I know everybody situation is different I ain't got no where to hunt where hogs are over populated I don't feel like we manage em just like big buck hunters manage there deer nothing better than going and baying a big Barr with your mark in his ear

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Good Stuff NLA. I Barr a few each year but rarely catch em back. Never done any ear marking.
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I like to have enough handle to call my dogs off a bay & gradually break em off catching out on shoats.
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The places I hunt have enough hogs to keep it interesting but definitely not over populated. Probably why I have better luck with less dogs.


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[Shotgun66]

I don’t know if there’s a magic number dog wise for me to make it a good or bad hunt. I most definitely do this because I love to watch the magic dogs seem to be able to do. Everything from finding hogs when it’s crazy hot and insanely dry to extremely cold and wet or maybe even ice or snow on the ground. I don’t know if it fascinates me more to watch them grub a cold trail out or watch them run a hot track so hard and fast that it’s like they aren’t even working a track because somebody told them which bush the hog was under. I get the same joy watching the magic of a good old dog as I do seeing the light come on for a promising young dog. I love to watch the art of a dog or dogs that have the sense to size hogs up and know when to back up and how much to stretching one out that isn’t a threat to hurting them. I love to see the tenacity that they pursue a runner with and the effort they put into being able to get ahold of the back end and hang on until it squats. I love to walk up to a bay and see a respectable size hog literally sitting to protect their back side. I love to see dogs outsmart hogs and cheat the hogs so to speak.  I love to know and see that a dog is going to stay at a bay until we catch the hog or I tell them it’s good enough, let’s go to the house. I love a catch dog that can think on their feet and the athletic ability to adapt. That’s amazing to me how quick they can do it. I love watching a dog that knows what the handler wants and knows that if the bay breaks what’s expected of them, go on with the bay dogs or give chase for 150ish yards and come back if it isn’t stopped. 

We had a hunt recently that was by most people’s standards not good, even my nephew said “well that pretty much sucked”. I didn’t think so though. My dogs are soft and out of shape. They are doing good to get hunted once every two weeks. A young dog trashed on a skunk first thing. We got there and knew by the actions of the other dogs something wasn’t right and it wasn’t. Corrected him and loaded up and cast another spot. Immediately they left and about 6-700 yards later were bayed. Hogs broke and in a 150-200 yards they had about a 50-60 pound hog/gazelle cross stretched. That doesn’t sound too impressive until you factor in the terrain they went through to smoke this rascal. He tapped two ridiculous briar thickets and was about to dive into another when they put the whoa on him. These thickets might have 15 yards of clear ground between them. The other factor is that the dogs have been laid up on the couch eating bon bons more than they’ve been hunting. The dogs relayed before the hog took its last breath. In short order we had a split bay about 175 yards apart. The hog the old gyp and a pup were baying broke. The old gyp took it about .5 and we toned her back. The pup decided to go to the other bay. When the old gyp got back we headed to the other dogs. They were caught but just before we got there with the catch dogs it drug them off. The briar thicket they were in is one that you can’t even crawl through. It’s just curtains of briars and vines. I could totally see how bay dogs could get drug off. It’s in a creek bottom that hasn’t been tended to in several years so the places that aren’t thicket or woods is grown up in 6-10’ weeds. As you are driving over the weeds you have to cover your nose with your shirt because of all the dust and pollen being knocked off and it just makes your eyes burn. They tried to leave and bay again but we were ringing wet ourselves and I toned them back in. I didn’t see a reason to stroke them out. That wasn’t a dream hunt for sure but it was a good hunt in my eyes. The dogs did some really good things for what they had to deal with, being out of shape, extremely thick cover for running hogs to use, crazy scenting conditions, etc. They didn’t quit at any point, I told them to. I thought it was impressive and I was proud of them. Maybe nobody else would be but I feed them and I was lol. This to me was a good hunt because I felt like my dogs did what I expect of them or what I’ve bred them to do.

I’m glad you started this conversation. I thought maybe everyone had retired, especially when nobody tried to keep WOW not to fall under that young ladies spell to get hitched!

I definitely subscribe to a bad day of hunting being better than a good day working! I’m that weirdo who finds joy in a dry run. Just enjoy being in the woods.
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I prefer hogs that challenge the dogs as well. Hogs that jump around a couple times before they’ll take a bay. I find hunts where the dogs do good work and only catch a hog or 2 more fun than catching 7 or 8 uneducated hogs.
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I don’t get riled up about young dogs trashing a little. I’ve learned to appreciate the process & like a young dog that can take some correction and don’t shut down for the rest of the hunt.
I’m schooling three 8 month old pups now. I’m enjoying watching them learn & their enthusiasm. They are doing the wrong thing the right way right now. I had to let a skunk “ bite them” the other day.

After messing with those pups learning to handle , I loaded my old dog up and took him out solo a few weeks back. Been seeing solo boar sign on a place and those pups aren’t ready for that. Dropped him on a fresh wallow. He took the track .75 and bayed the boar in a nasty creek bottom. I tried to ease in and get a shot on him but it was too thick & it was gettin hot fast. Rather than risking a busted bay or him catching out, I toned him out, loaded up and went home. We will get him another time. Had a blast doing this. Appreciate the user friendly, broke, good handling old dog more as I get older!


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[NLAhunter]

I feel like most places we got to hunt it takes young dog with a lot of what to and desire to make kinda dog I want to feed to cast and go get found and run him till he gets bayed when hogs are scattered and few and far between

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[NLAhunter]

I raised 3 dogs last year to start this year not out of my dogs but out of good dogs and I am down to one of them and ain't 100% sure if he going make it either he was doing some things I liked at first of summer so I decided to keep him try hunt him some before deer season see if he matured some just to see and only reason I did that is because neither one of the 2 gyps I bred took or he would have been history to

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[Shotgun66]

I raised 3 dogs last year to start this year not out of my dogs but out of good dogs and I am down to one of them and ain't 100% sure if he going make it either he was doing some things I liked at first of summer so I decided to keep him try hunt him some before deer season see if he matured some just to see and only reason I did that is because neither one of the 2 gyps I bred took or he would have been history to

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Yes sir…..SPEAKING TRUTH! Breed for motor & apply the brakes.
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Hope the 1 prospect you have left makes it. These pups are my first breedings of my own. Bred my male dog to two different females with similar traits & styles. Got 10 pups from 2 litters. Weaned em all & kept 4 for myself. 2 from each litter. I’m down to 3 and I’m trying to find something wrong with them. They are making it difficult…..which is good. Received good feedback on 3 of the 5 I sent out. County Road & Parvovirus took the other 2. Still very young & unproven. Time will tell.
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I’ve had the same bad luck with my catch dogs on breedings not taking. It has really set me back on getting the quality catch dogs I’m looking for.


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[t-dog]

NLA, were you expecting the young dogs to be similar in style to your dogs or were you trying to incorporate something extra into your pack?


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[NLAhunter]

Well the plot I really didn't know what to expect her to make but the 2 cur dogs should have been real similar to mine the male I still have would be kin to my dogs on his moma side several generations ago but they should have been real similar to mine

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[t-dog]

I see. Your old dogs seem too have good motors and be pretty well rounded. One or two outcrosses could mess that up for sure. Good luck with this last one.


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[Arkansashunter96]

My idea of the perfect hunt is roading them in some cool weather. they finally kick out about a hundred yards and one opens alittle and they start scratching till it’s jumped. This time it’s not a deer. It try’s to shake us but it can’t and getting to watch my young ones take the track over and run it true. It bays 500 off the road  with easy walking. It’s a decent boar that makes a bay in a little opening. Cut the cd loose at 75 run behind him. The bay doesn’t brake and the cd hits the ear the first time. I leg it and have a piece of mule tape long enough to tie him right. I also have enough leashes to tie back the dogs. No casualties and I cut the hog and the dogs relay.


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[Cajun]

  A good hunt for me is when my bay busters actually bay one with it breaking and having a 3 hour race. lol  What really makes a good hunt for me is finding a good track and listening to the dogs cold trail it to the bay. What makes it better is if it does break they do air him out after several hours. Sure not for everybody but I do enjoy a race.

[t-dog]

Arkansas, sounds like lots of different experiences being righted in your perfect hunt lol.

Cajun, I think I could’ve almost written that for you. It’s funny how many different ways there are to do this and what perfection is to each individual. It’s only wrong if the person footing the bill isn’t happy. JMO


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[Arkansashunter96]

Those easy ones are nice every once in a while but I sometimes like to see them grind for one. And listen to a hound hum every now and then letting me know he’s still on it. And trust me I’ve had over a handful of experiences with good boars this year and never did touch them. Mainly broken bays when the cd brakes the brush. Hopefully those young dogs are learning a thing or two still even when they get away.


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[NLAhunter]

They trying to put us all out of business

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[Shotgun66]

Good stuff guys. Ark96 - cool weather has been in short supply lately. It sure makes hunting alot funner when you don’t have to worry about the dogs gettin hot.

Cajun - I also appreciate listening to a hound work out a cold track & get one located. I got started in dogs as a Coonhunter back in the 80’s. A nice bawl mouth on track with a long quivering locate that changes over to a steady chop when trees/bayed is fine music! Races are exciting & fun listening too. Unfortunately, it’s getting more populated and our places here in North Texas are getting smaller all the time. A real deal cast dog with true bottom will get you in a bind around here. BTW- I’m sure the Louisiana hogs were glad y’all went up north and focused on bears for a while!

[Shotgun66]

They trying to put us all out of business

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I hope you guys are able to beat this. We came very close to having the Warfrin based poison legalized here in Tx a couple years ago. Fortunately it was proven that non target wildlife & livestock could not be prevented from ingesting it.

In my experience, everybody has a hog problem until you offer to solve it for them!


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[Cajun]

They trying to put us all out of business

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I hope you guys are able to beat this. We came very close to having the Warfrin based poison legalized here in Tx a couple years ago. Fortunately it was proven that non target wildlife & livestock could not be prevented from ingesting it.

In my experience, everybody has a hog problem until you offer to solve it for them!

Our Agriculture commissioner Mike Strain was totally against Warfrin. Hope they shoot this down too.


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[Cajun]

Good stuff guys. Ark96 - cool weather has been in short supply lately. It sure makes hunting alot funner when you don’t have to worry about the dogs gettin hot.

Cajun - I also appreciate listening to a hound work out a cold track & get one located. I got started in dogs as a Coonhunter back in the 80’s. A nice bawl mouth on track with a long quivering locate that changes over to a steady chop when trees/bayed is fine music! Races are exciting & fun listening too. Unfortunately, it’s getting more populated and our places here in North Texas are getting smaller all the time. A real deal cast dog with true bottom will get you in a bind around here. BTW- I’m sure the Louisiana hogs were glad y’all went up north and focused on bears for a while!

Shotgun, Not only the heat like you guys are having but we are in a major drought around here with burn ban in place. Ther is just no water on the ground. Our branches have dried up and you will kill a hound quick or any dog with bottom. I like hunting in the summer as long as there is water on the ground. We have had very little rain and it is a dust bowl riding the atv around here. We are supposed to get some rain today but it has been hit or miss. Too bad too cause the dogs are really fit now.