So you think you've got a good dog, huh?

[Noah]

There's a close couple of friends that I hunt with occasionally that have real good dogs, the best I've ever actually seen to tell the truth... one of which is the source I got my bird cross dogs from.  I'd have to say that, besides me of course , they're the most serious dog-men I've ever met.  Neither uses a computer, they just hunt hogs and worke cattle, as did their families before them. 

All this talk of line dogs doing(or not doing) leads back to the same subject that all working dog men eventually come back to... "what proves a dog?"

These couple of friends I speak of live too far from me to hunt together on a regular basis, only on special occasions do we get to hunt and compare dogs...   So... the banter of "you have got to see what this dog is doing" is usually communicated via a cell phone call, after a good hunt.   

On to the subject at hand... when the occasional dog shows to be becoming "above average" the smack talking is sure to follow ... as are the challenges to "test" the dog in front of other "dog men".... for us, this means known properties that are hard on dogs....

This is something I've been thinking a lot about..... You can catch thousands of hogs with a particular dog and still not have a true hog dog.  Anyone that has hunted different places knows what hogs truly "test" your dogs.  One hog might weigh 450#'s and have 6" of teeth, but if it doesn't know what a dog is, a single walk in pound-pit could catch him and it'd be a done deal... the other hog may have been dogged his entire life, been caught numerous times and finally figured out how to beat a dog... this is the type of hog I judge a dog by

This coming up weekend, these friends and I have decided to bring all the dogs to the "testing grounds".  A particular piece of property full of hard running dog killers.... Not the type of place you go to hunt for fun, but will sure as hell show what you've got... or had.

They're asking me to bring Shiner... which I probably will... but I plan on working Snapps and Chub the majority of the time...  Time to swim or drown.

[craig]

good luck on your quest my friend..

[Rockin-P-Ranch]

you are right as rain. I have done just what you are taikng about. The biggest boar in the world is the easiest hog in the world to catch if he has never been dogged. And a 200 lber can kill every dog you got if he has been dogged and figured out how to getaway.

[LionandBoarHunter]

man i love to load up a few an join ya i like a good challenge

[buddylee]

Sounds like a great time to be had. Nothing better than a challenge ! Make sure you keep us updated.

[Caughtandhobbled]

Bring your bay vest........

[djhogdogger]

Yea, I have heard stories about hogs that put men out of doggin in one hunt. That hunt should prove to be a real adrenaline rush. I wish you the best of luck.

[make-em-squeel]

I like my easy going dumb hogs, I have a hard enough time with them...plus they makes my yellow dogs look better and my internet muscles bigger   even though I never take pictures or drag them back to the truck where my camera is!

[Noah]

Jesse, you're welcome any time, Caught'n'hobbled, I won't own any bay dog I have to put a vest on... either they figure out how to back off or not...

There's two places that we're going to test at, one is full of big, toothy barrs that have learned how to rally... your dogs catch a shoat... you might not have anything left but your dog collar when you get to them... locals have learned to send the catch dog in on a rope to pull a hog out, just to keep from getting dogs eaten... no chit.

The second place is just straight up, run, bay, wreck dogs.... then repeat...

Neither place is fun to hunt, always stressful.

[JDJP]

good luck. What part of the state are you headed to?

[LionandBoarHunter]

noah what type of country are yall hunting where they are runners and hard to catch?

[Noah]

These particular spots are in south west FL.  The biggest danger is the rally aspect of the one property, these hogs will come to a bay like your best dog... catchy dogs, or any dog that doesn't watch it's back is gonna get whacked big time here.  Both places are swamp land, saw grass... which is hell on dogs.  Tunnels through thick grass that leave dogs little room to move.

Jesse, the biggest problem I see is property size, rarely do we get to run a property over 5K acres...and there ain't no gettin' around to the other side... people 'round here either keep your dog, or kill it.  Around here, it's all about stopping power.

[Noah]

To be frank, the hunting team I'm working right now are nothing but "meat dogs" to me... I can go about anywhere and catch a few sh!t hogs... just not the "trophy team" I had in Ellie and Snappa.... Shine is... but she's still on restriction...

[jbhuntin]

Good luck man it's make or break time for the team I guess

[joe]

good luck noah,hope everything works out for the good. take lots of pictures if you have time to.

[Noah]

Joe, if you run out of dogs, let me know... I'll get you a dog

[sfboarbuster]

I hunted a place like you are talking about Noah. Over 60 dogs have been killed on this orange grove in 10 years, but it seems like every hog we took out of there was a big toothy boar hog.

[Noah]

A lot of the places down there have been hunted for a long, long time, with, basically, RCD's. ... either you shut a hog down quick, or he'll make you pay for it... these are the types of places not many people get to hunt.... As a Seminole Indian friend I met down there on an invited hunt told me after meeting me for the first time.... "you've either got a deep wallet, a bad-ass swamp-buggy... or the best dogs in the county to even be here...."  .... I guess I was invited because of the latter...

[Noah]

One more thought while I'm still in a thinking mode... This is South Florida I'm talkin' about.... what most people don't understand around this part of the country... is you've got to be invited to even "have the chance to get your dog beat up" around here....  To be allowed into the "inner circle" of old school Florida hog doggers is a rare thing... sounds gay I know... but it really is a priveledge to be requested to even show your dogs.

[BigAinaBuilt]

Hunt for the trophy or settle for the show ribbons! Good luck Noah! I know exactly what you mean about those "circles" and wish you the best at staying in them.