Is this type of press bad for most hog doggers?

[Silverton Boar Dogs]

You know folks, Josh is a friend of mine, I want to say that right up front. I have read the article and I don't find anything wrong with it at all.

There is a difference in a depredation hunter and a recreational hunter and how they conduct their business. And in the eyes of some land owners there is a big difference with a person running 1-3 dogs down at a time and a person who is going to put down 15. Its just a lot easier to control 2-3 dogs than 8-10. I know this from my own personal experience and mistakes I have made in the past.

The question of the style being more humane, that's worth a look I think. There are many on this site who kennel alot of dogs and take great care of them, but that is not always the case. It is easier to take real good care of a smaller number of dogs. We as hog hunters continually fight the problem of how others see us and if you live in town and kennel 15 dogs your neighbors are not going to like you very much. Also, another aspect of this is many people/land owners/ general public feel a little squeamish when they see 8 dogs chewing up one hog, 1-2 dogs just holding an ear looks better to the public.

There was a question about controlling a pack and dogs ending up across property lines, you know that is just a fact. A big set of dogs on a running hog is going to go where the hog goes, I am sure that everyone here has had that happen, I know I have many times. I can call my dogs off a bayed hog but I can't stop them while they are running hot. Now if I am running 1-2 dogs down with GPS and e-collars and I see they are headed for an area I can't hunt I have a way better chance of calling the dogs off.

I do feel posting this was a cheep shot at Josh, and just hunter bashing hunter.

I do believe that  running finder/ holder style dogs in small numbers is the future of depredation/ contract hunting here in Texas. Recreational sport hunting is a different topic.

Thanks,
Paul T

[Dexter]

after rereading the article  i do agree that theres alot of bullhockey writen there and you cant tell me that dane wont cross a fence

and in time that dane will get cut down when he runs into a band of boars tending a sow

and you cant tell me that dane dont fight the hog and just runs up and grabs a ear and holds (yall all know that)

But we all need to figure out how we all can ban together and work to save our sport,job or how ever you want to word it

 ok ill step off my soap box but only to add more
      Dexter

[Silverton Boar Dogs]

Dexter I know you might find it hard to believe but those type of dogs do just grab an ear and hold not much fighting going on at all.

[Dexter]

 Paul
  maybe so  in flat land  but i just cant see it in the cedar thickets and hill country briar patches thats around Abline and  Baird.
Trippz is a big dog  and has struck and caught numbers of hogs  alone not with out battle wounds to add
i have crawled into stuff so thick I was wondering  WTH i was doing going in to the catch on my belly, But thank fully  We had more than one  dog  in on the catch.
   My hunting buddy Chad S. and I  hunted for years with 4 dogs all catahoulas no bull dogs  and caught  lots of hogs  and have had
several sounders of hogs bayed up at one time and  the slaughter was on as i am sure you have.
 So with that i cant see were one out would be benaficial in eradication hogs  in any kind of number a property owner wants.

 respectfully
 Dexter

[Piglywigly]

I hope to see ya too, Mr. Stark.

This is the thing about Josh, that i learned from talking quite a bit to him and spent a good bit of time with him.  He knows his stuff and  his wife has a great business sense.  I guess I don't get so offended to it because I know that's what it is.  The guy is trying to make a living hunting hogs.  It's no different than the bashing between Microsoft and Apple or Ford and Chevy.  Do I think we need to be united and not down another style of hunting, YES.  BUT, how do you seperate yourself from all the outlaw doghunter (and we all have to admit there are ALOT of them).  You adopt a style of hunting from another country that hasn't gained in popularity in here and use it as a marketing tool.  Is "one out" effective, yes.  Do you get more dogs hurt hunting "one out", i honestly have to say NO, in my experience.  I hunted with Josh in Sinton on some of his property and Riddick caught 1.5 miles from us.  It was wet and slow going and it took us every bit of 45 minutes to get to him.  the hogs back was no lie even with or just below his danes back, we couldn't get to him because they were across the bar ditch headed away from us (the hog was big enough to drag a 130lb dog hanging off it's head and gain ground on us).  The dog came back with not a scratch on him, minus a tree branch that got jammed under his skin from the hog trying to break him off by dragging him across the trees.  That says a lot to me.  I don't know too many catch dogs that could hold that long and not get cut down.  Maybe it has to do with the style of dog and it's holding style but i do know they can work the hog more because there isn't a pile of dogs all trying to catch on the same hog.  Just my opinion.  definitely not saying one is better than another though.  I think they both have their place in the woods.

I've noticed when people use a "one out" dog, after he catches, the hog looks pretty calm. I guess it's because he doesn't feel as threatend as opposed to having 3-5 dogs trying to stop him. It's almost as if he knows he's caught, and really doesn't believe it himself. It seems as if in his mind he thinks he's got a chance to escape while he's being held.

[Dexter]

nite nite all , i am being called

[Piglywigly]

Don't worry Dexter, just tell her your going hunting!
mine hasn't spoke with me in about a week.

[Bump]

t

[Silverton Boar Dogs]

Bump, that was uncalled for and rude.

Its a big world out there, and there are many ways to skin a cat. Did any of y'all look at those pics that NED put up? I mean really, I hear about catch dogs getting killed right and left on this board and nobody says a thing about that. And nearly everyone who actually hunts these kind of  finder/holder dogs says, well you know they really don't even get cut very much at all and we don't hardly ever lose one. ......hmmmm seams like some need to take a step out of the box.

Lets stop attacking fellow dog hunters. You might be next.

[Bump]

Bump, that was uncalled for and rude.

Its a big world out there, and there are many ways to skin a cat. Did any of y'all look at those pics that NED put up? I mean really, I hear about catch dogs getting killed right and left on this board and nobody says a thing about that. And nearly everyone who actually hunts these kind of  finder/holder dogs says, well you know they really don't even get cut very much at all and we don't hardly ever lose one. ......hmmmm seams like some need to take a step out of the box.

Lets stop attacking fellow dog hunters. You might be next.

Agree...and I was out of line. So many of his previous posts have really got under my skin.....and it probably should not.

[Skrag]

He should have said that his way works good for him and talked about how his dogs hunt and such. The part where he starts talking about how people with more dogs cant take care of them, go into frenzy, and run everywhere is way out of line. He put a bad light on the sport for personal gain is the bottom line. His hunting method is not in question just the way he shat on his fellow doggers.

[Piglywigly]

Bump, that was uncalled for and rude.

Its a big world out there, and there are many ways to skin a cat. Did any of y'all look at those pics that NED put up? I mean really, I hear about catch dogs getting killed right and left on this board and nobody says a thing about that. And nearly everyone who actually hunts these kind of  finder/holder dogs says, well you know they really don't even get cut very much at all and we don't hardly ever lose one. ......hmmmm seams like some need to take a step out of the box.

Lets stop attacking fellow dog hunters. You might be next.


I agree silverton, let's not bash our own. For crying out loud it was a year ago right? All I know is that everybody deserves a second chance. People make mistakes, I'm sure the guy is sorry. Be open-minded is hard to do, but can be very rewarding.

[Dexter]

After sleeping on this  its like i realy could careless how he catches hogs or anyone else for that mattter goes. The main thing is
for all of us to work as a group to fight the ANTI' and not give them ammo to use against ourselfs,,
 it does't matter if you use toy poodles all dolled up to hunt, we dont need to bash each other for our own ways of doing the job
not everone eats apork chop the same way

  if i offend anyone i am sorry . we still have a biggger fight to save our right
       Dexter

[Monteria]

Lets stop attacking fellow dog hunters. You might be next.

Paul, With all due respect, and I did not get to see Bumps post, but the whole point of this thread is that "we" WERE FIRST.....

His INTERVIEW, misquoted or not, is way past the point of self promotion and solidly detrimental to the majority of this forum.

Steve

[pigsr4etn]

Yes.
Quint

[aladatrot]

I don't see this thread as being a cheap shot at josh. I believe anyone here would be just as upset if their own buddy appeared to have done the same thing. I think josh should have known better than to endorse that article once he read it, not promote the thing. If the article is a year old, that just means he has had a year to chew on that thing and decide that he was misquoted. The fact that he is still endorsing it on his site makes me believe that misquoted or not he was using the article to promote himself and that alleged misquoting was not an issue until the heat was on within the rest of the dogging community.

With all due respect, I believe that sweeping an article like this under the rug would be irresponsible. If we are to protect and promote our sport, it is our duty to point out when we see potentially harmful statements being made by one of our own - especially in print.  I see this thread as beneficial in two ways. If the person who gave the interview meant what he said, he will likely be more careful not to put the rest of us in a bad light next time. Likewise, if he did not say those things and was misquoted, this will be a lesson for the rest of us to do our homework on potential publications when asked to give interviews. It was stated that the editor had a history of twisting things for their purposes. We should all understand that some reporters only want partial truths about our sport so that they can tear us apart. If this reporter/editor did turn and twist josh's words, hog hunters should steer clear of her. That is just plain poor reporting to put words into someone's mouth in order to make one person look squeaky clean while the rest of us look bad.

Cheers
M

[Caughtandhobbled]

OK, we have hunters attacking hunters. I am not sure why the post was put up, but it seems that it was a personal attack. When the rats are eating each other's feet off who is gaining from this (we all know the answer)?

Everyone on this site was their own opinions and hunting styles. There are good and bad, I spent last night with the Game Warden riding my ranch looking for "outlaw dog hunters". Should we really be attacking one of the good guys?

[jls41]

I agree Aladatrot.

[Scott]

1. Is it easier to care for fewer dogs? That's a no brainer...yes. But, just because folks may choose to keep a larger number of dogs...that doesn't mean those dogs aren't being cared for, fed well, or well trained. Anyone taking an objective view can see the error in making a blanket statement such as that.

2. "You can't control a pack of dogs that are in a frenzy, they will run through fences onto other people's property." Again, looking at this objectively...A single dog, or a pack of dogs (unless they can now read and comprehend property lines)...they're all dogs and can, on occasion, get onto others property. And that is just a fact. dabutcher said they had a dog caught on a hog 1.5 miles out...it just stands to reason if that dog was caught a mile and a half out...he could most certainly be a dog that gets onto another property. And what, exactly, is a pack of dogs in a frenzy? Just wondering how anyone would define that...

3. While I'm sure that there are dogs out there that will grab an ear and hold...I'm just as sure that there are hogs out there that don't appreciate a hundred pound dog hanging on their ear for an extended period of time. At some point, that dog's gonna have to do a little more than just hang on.

4. People should know better than to speak in absolutes when it comes dogs and hunting.

5. Whether you agree or not, see the story for what it is...promotional (be it personal or business). When it comes to working dogs, no matter the venue, there are folks out there who keep and work working breeds of dogs for their own pleasure and there are folks out there that keep and market them as a business. One has to decide for one's self who's doing what, and why.



Speaking objectively, that story is marketing at the expense of others (to what degree, you have to judge for yourself). No matter which side of the coin your on, at least be honest enough to call a spade a spade.

[Skrag]

There is no way that posting this is a cheap shot unless this has been brought up before and someone just wants to ruffle some feathers. Forums are a good way to let people know whats what and who to look out for. I dont think him working at the expo is relevant, no one is saying he is a dog thief or anything and TDHA can support who ever they please. Just that this guy pisses on other doggers when he gets a chance.
This was also on that same site a month later.
[edit-I forgot to post you guys the link.]

http://www.mysoutex.com/view/full_story_landing/2632370/article-Local-hog-hunters-offended?

Editor:

In regards to the article on the overwhelming population of feral hogs and local hog hunters. The statements in the article basically were offensive to the local hog hunters who have been hunting the fields in Refugio and surrounding counties for close to 30 years.

First off, they describe their methods as being humane and more effective when what they are describing is the same exact way that we hunt. We use four well trained dogs with cut vests and training collars.

As the article states, they put one dog on the ground to find the hog and stop it, then the rest of the dogs go to the hog then he sticks the hog with a knife. Again, these are the same methods hunters already use.

Again, when he says that having a limited number of dogs makes it easier to feed and take care of, we have 17 dogs and hunt four of them. We have no problem feeding our dogs or taking care of them.

All of our dogs are overweight. And when he says that his dogs don’t fight the hog that they hold it till he gets there to kill it. The dogs are fighting the hogs because the hog isn’t just gonna sit there and wait patiently for him to get there and kill it.

So if someone finds this letter offensive, think of how the article offended the local hunters who have been doing it the same way for over thirty years.