Hunting range of Blue lacys

[HogzgoneWild]

  its nice to see that there are still some folks on here that notice humor, c'mon bud. I was the same way at first about the lacy's, because I was used to the other breeds that show there stuff earlier on, and Hank was like that until early this year, and all of a sudden he became more than just a help dog and stopped relying on my other dogs. But he is a little unfreindly to new people unless he's hunting, then he don't care!

[Bryant]

The original post was about Lacy dogs and their hunting range.  If your saying you have one that will leave out, I too would accept the invite.  I'm not doubting you, and not saying such a thing doesn't exist.  Honestly I have seen more than enough that weren't impressive and if you do have one it probably won't change my opinion of the breed in general.

I'm not saying the breed is bad, won't find a hog, or has little bottom.  I'm only responding to the specific question of range.

The fact that he bites is already good for one strike in my book.  

(And just to show that I'm not biased, here's one that I hunted for nearly fourteen years until he passed away this past year.  NO telling how many hogs I shot over this dog, but one things for sure....he never once wore a tracking collar!)

[HogzgoneWild]

Yeah this thread got a lil off topic, I'm by no means sayin mine are long range, he does wear a collar because he will leave with one but usually loops no more than @ 500yds to find one. I'd say he fits the average short-medium range. Just sayin that he will hunt, both of mine will.

[LionandBoarHunter]

i have hunted with a good many lacy's and hav seen some good ones but never a great one.the male lacys i have been around are always fightn are humpin something.

[TexasHogDogs]

I'm still trying to figure this gyp out I got dont guess I ever will put my finger on it.

I dont know excatly what is bred into a lacy dog I have heard Red Wolf and some greyhound have no ideal what else .  I been around them a lot and they are a differnt dog from the other kinds of curs like BMC , Cats, Mt Curs just way differnt I myself dont really call them a cur because they act so differnt to me in a lot of ways .  That gyp of mine is a funny gyp she gets out and hunts hard a pretty good ways then the next day she will hunt shorter then the next day longer than the first there is no pattern to the way she hunts .  She sticks good and bays well .  Its a weird thing then one day she will decide to go long long range as she did the first time it happened .  I have give up on trying to figure her out and just hunt her she finds hogs and thats all that counts to me.  They are not a dog for the first time hog hunter unless you got plenty of patiences. They do like the man says like to fight and hump that aint no lie LMAO!  They make good hog dogs you just have to have a taste for them it damn sure took me a while but I ended up with a good one.

[cantexduck]

TexasHogDogs,
  Got a question. If the dogs were out hunting how did you know it was 12 of them? Also I dont think bottom has anything to do with range.

[Bryant]

Most dogs will hunt differently depending on how fresh the sign is...could be why some days she hangs around and others she gets our further.

When I'm refering to HUNTING range (not bottom), I'm saying for instance if you took a dog and dropped it in the middle of downtown Dallas where you knew there was zero hog scent, how far would that dog go to find a track.

[TrueBlueLacys]

I haven't hunted behind a lot of dogs, but without a doubt the best and most consistent hog dog I've ever seen work is a male Lacy. I think Monteria is calling him long range, but based on the way a lot of you guys describe range vs. bottom, I'm not completely sure. It's funny to watch him work. Almost every other Lacy I've seen is constantly busy, constantly moving. But he works slower, independently, and if he's on the ground it's pretty much guaranteed he will outstrike the rest of the dogs. And he will definitely range out to get one, he has endless bottom, but I don't know if he is ranging out to find one per se. What I do know is that you couldn't buy that dog for any amount of money.

I think you should expect a good Lacy hog dog to get on a pig, stay on it and shut it down fast. But a long range Lacy hog dog? In my opinion, very rare, I've never heard of a purebred that will range out like the hounds y'all describe. It could happen occasionally, but I would not buy a Lacy and expect it to be a hither yonder dog.

[Monteria]

Just look at the #s that I posted, less than 10% of all the Lacy Dogs we have owned would consistently hunt out between 1/2 and 3/4mile (~600 to 900 yards).

If you are looking for a long range dog, the odds are WAY against finding a 1 mile Lacy dog. In fact, I would bet a large sum of money that no one on this board can show me a Lacy Dog that consistently HUNTS a mile deep!

Incidentally, one or two dogs who will hunt 1/2 to 3/4 mile, the rest of the pack being shorter, is perfect for me. There fore, a good pack of Lacy Dogs fit my needs well.

That being said, and remaining perfectly honest about my preferred breed, even if you only want a half mile dog, most Lacy Dogs will not make the grade. Sure, some will but you will have to be patient to find it. It has taken us 5 years and over 40 dogs (obviously culling heavy) to get to where we are now and I am not quite satisfied yet.

Steve

[TexasHogDogs]

The hogs were on the run hogs everwere and we were by a wagon trail road that they came across the best we could count was atleast 12 big  big hogs m it wasnt long and the dogs were right on top of them and chit hit the fan .  We had pulled around to the side of were the dogs were hunting we could hear them before we ever seen them sounded like a herd of cattle.

If my dog goes two miles and stays on a hog all nite long till 1 pm the next day you can call it what you want range, stay what ever because it takes a hell of a dog to do it I can tell you that and I would rather  take a shorter 300 to 500 yard range looping hunting dog that had that kind of stay power rather   than one that you drop the tailgate he hits the ground and runs a straight line and people calling it long range they aint hunting they are running a straight line and damn near got to run into a hog if they are not looping dogs.   I know what range means that day she was only out about 200 yards  and After that pictular day she gets out and hunts for tracks sign hogs what ever you want to call it  inbetween 600 and 700 yards .  Once that happened she was a changed dog from what she was not the same dog at all .

Monteria
If you are looking for a long range dog, the odds are WAY against finding a 1 mile Lacy dog. In fact, I would bet a large sum of money that no one on this board can show me a Lacy Dog that consistently HUNTS a mile deep!

I agree
I have yet to see one do it consistently.  Like I said the one gyp has gone out a long range a couple of times now  but  not consistently people can call it stay call it range what ever   good nuff for me.  Hell we heard the gyp barking way way way off in the distance a faint barking and we all blew it off because none of us had ever seen it before from a lacy had it been one of the other dogs missing we would have went to check it out at the time the Lacy gyp was only getting out a couple hundred yards at the most and never by herself .

I sure dont need dogs that go out a mile every time and we catch as many of hogs as most do maybe more.  When you start talking a mile two miles threw the woods you are talking about a long long way lot of folks aint got that kind of land to hunt and besides that I have seen more people that say they have long range dogs that when they want to hunt they have to take two days off one for hunting and another hunting there dog and never get a hog whos doing more hunting the person are the dog.  Not saying every dog is like this but man I sure have seen a lot of people with them kind.

[coach]

If you are looking for a long range dog, the odds are WAY against finding a 1 mile Lacy dog. In fact, I would bet a large sum of money that no one on this board can show me a Lacy Dog that consistently HUNTS a mile deep!

I really think for the most part this could be spoken for almost 90% of the cur dogs anyone here owns. Breeding dogs that hunt a mile deep consistantly would be wonderful sign me up for couple. Most here probably have dogs with more bottom than range I am just taking a shot in the dark not at anyone imparticular.

[Bump]

This thread has me thinking....TDHA should do a "Battle of the Breeds" hog dog contest. Coonhunters do it every year and has success.

Think it would be a competitive and fun bragging rights.

[bghogdogtx]

So it sounds like everyone agree's that the Lacy Breed is not a long range dog but has alot of bottom. Once again its just an opinion thing.  The way i look at it there are so many diffrent Style, Terrian, population, Etc.- a lot of different factors in Hog Hunting with dogs. Some people like to get out and walk with there dogs. (How i Like to Hunt), Some people Road hunt, Some people like to just turn dogs out a stand there and wait. I did alot of research on the Lacy breed before i bought mine. (you can ask truebluelacy, i asked her tons of Questions) and yes they are not a long range breed by nomens. But the reason i Bought one is because the breed (making sure it came from Hunting Stock and not someone just trying to make money off the color of the breed) fits my hunting style. i love to get out and walk around the woods behind my dogs and watch them work. But i do have one hound in my back to have alittle colder nose in the back, but even she does not range out long range, Now dont get me wrong i dont want them to stay in sight all the time; but i would much rather hunt hogs then dogs.  I have a buddy that i hunt with alot that has all long range dogs. If any of you have ever hunted with Jhonnie Lucas from Rusk you know what im talking about . anyway's they will get out and hunt.  But it seems like we always spend more time trying to keep up with them or look for them than we do hunting. But i will give them credit. 99% of the time there will be a hog at the end of the run.  But getting about to the orginal Question  No they are not a long range breed.

[Rachael Connally]

Lacy dogs do have a shorter range than most other hog dogs.  It is how they were bred and how theire instincts force them to work.  I can say I have had maybe two Lacys who would hunt long range and be gone for at least half an hour on a hunt.  Most of my other dogs will stick around about 300-500 yards from the truck and make short loops in all directions.  Now, they may not range out too far looking for a track, but when they've found a good one, I know they're follow it and bay for the rest of the dang week if I let them.  It all depends on what type of dog you like, how big your property is, and how much money you have to waste on tracking collars.  I've grown up with catahoulas, black mouths, and treeing walkers.  All of those dogs will definately hunt farther out than most Lacys.  My dad had hound who would run miles and miles hunting for him.  Now that's all fine a dandy, but only if you've got places big enough for those dogs to not run off of in five minutes.  When I go out to hunt little pieces of property or other people's fields, I want my dogs to find hot trails that are still on the property.  I want them to find a hog fast.  I want them to [put the breaks on him and bay him tight.  A good Lacy dog will that.  If you have huge expanses of land to work on, maybe a different breed is for you.  I use Lacys because they're smart, they're fast, and they're gritty.

[TrueBlueLacys]

I agree with Rachel that one of the biggest advantages of a Lacy is they shut the hog down. And that may be one reason people think they aren't long range. Because when you see a dog go a mile out and keep running, is it because they are looking for sign or chasing a pig? Our Lacys really don't chase pigs. I think that, comparatively speaking, they bay up extremely quickly. If one breaks, almost every dog in the pack will grab a nut and spin it around. If it is a runner or manages to get away, they aren't going to give up. And if there are more than a couple dogs on the ground, anything under 100 pounds will probably have a Lacy on an ear before the pits get there. Yet they are so smart in how they size up and work a hog, plus they are compact and agile, that *knock on wood* they rarely get torn up. For the Hill Country, at least the eastern edge where we are and the dogs were created, that style works very well.

Bump, I think a Battle of the Breeds is an awesome idea. And it could actually yield some useful information if combined with geographic area/property type/hunting style. Maybe we could work that in to the Hunt for the Hungry. Do you have any ideas on how it could be applied in that type of tournament?

[Monteria]

Bump, I like that idea!

As an association, we (the NLDA) have been kicking around ideas for standardized testing and titling of our dogs. A way to compare each dog within a given discipline on a level playing field. I think that the benefit would be great, but the logistics prove cumbersome. If the TDHA were able to incorporate a "Battle of the Breeds" into the Hunt for the Hungry, you can bet that we would play.

One point which I have neglected to comment on, but have to agree with, is that Lacy Dogs definitely mature at an sporadic rate. They seem to turn on real young but their progress stops somewhere between 1 and 1.5 years old. Then they tend to make no improvements for the next 2 to 3 years. Somewhere between 3 and 5 years old, you can expect that they will take their game to another level with marked steady improvements until they are 6 or 7 years old.

If you have a young Lacy Dog that proves to be a good dog, but not really anything special, it would behoove you to keep that dog to maturity. It may turn out to be something.

If you have a young Lacy Dog that you think is something special, maturity may just make it a great dog..... But still not a mile deep dog.

Steve

[Circle C]

This is just an observation, but I have to wonder about some statements that have been made on this thread. Now, I don't own a Lacy, and I have only hunted behind a few. Certainly not enough to make an opinion of the breed.

Now, they may not range out too far looking for a track, but when they've found a good one, I know they're follow it and bay for the rest of the dang week if I let them.

It all depends on what type of dog you like, how big your property is, and how much money you have to waste on tracking collars.

I may be missing something here, but regardless of how close your dogs hunt, if they have the bottom to hang with one. It makes no difference how small the property is that they find the hog on. It's the property they bay the hog on that matters. With bottom, you are still going to need tracking collars to locate the dog.

So it sounds like everyone agree's that the Lacy Breed is not a long range dog but has alot of bottom.

I read this entire thread, and I did not come away from it with that opinion. It sounds to me like that a long range Lacy dog is an exception, not a rule. and that like all cur breeds, some hunt close, some medium, and rarely, long range. With regard to bottom, it seems they are once again like other cur breeds, some have it, some don't.

[Circle C]

Battle of the breeds.

I hope y'all have a crockpot cur division so that I can compete.

[Bryant]

I agree with Rachel that one of the biggest advantages of a Lacy is they shut the hog down. And that may be one reason people think they aren't long range. Because when you see a dog go a mile out and keep running, is it because they are looking for sign or chasing a pig?

I'm going to (respectfully) disagree.  Any good dog no matter the breed should shut a hog down (or perhaps not over apply pressure to make it run in the first place).  I wouldn't generalize the breed by saying that is an advantage of a Lacy dog.  What you describe is more an advantage of a GOOD dog.

Again, what were talking about here is HUNTING range.  Not how far they will work a track, or stay with a hog.

Bryant, I think a Battle of the Breeds is an awesome idea. And it could actually yield some useful information if combined with geographic area/property type/hunting style. Maybe we could work that in to the Hunt for the Hungry. Do you have any ideas on how it could be applied in that type of tournament?

That was Rex's idea, and you'll have to talk with him about that.  AGAIN, this post is not about who's dog does what or which way is better.  If I bring some dogs, turn them out and you get to watch them make a 3/4 mile loop, are you going to sell yours and buy some of what I've got??  Absolutely not, so what's the point?  My original post was not intended to sway anyone's opinion of long vs. short, or degrade the Lacy dog breed but rather state my obervation in relation to the original question that was posed.  We all feed what we like and enjoy hunting behind.

[elliscountyhog]

Battle of the breeds.

I hope y'all have a crockpot cur division so that I can compete.

You may still LOOSE that one cause i will be in it