Catchdog Etiquette

[Noah]

I'd like to hunt with you halfbreed... I bet you got some stories you'd like to put up on here and can't... 

[J.Prince]

I'd like to hunt with you halfbreed... I bet you got some stories you'd like to put up on here and can't... 

X2

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[halfbreed]

you talkin about all them heartattack hogs ?? best fun i had was when i had them cataracts and couldn't hardly tell a dog leg from a hog leg . them was fun times . and i couldn't put most of em on here cause them young uns would call me a liar !!

[SCHitemHard]

you talkin about all them heartattack hogs ?? best fun i had was when i had them cataracts and couldn't hardly tell a dog leg from a hog leg . them was fun times . and i couldn't put most of em on here cause them young uns would call me a liar !!

ill bite... if you get the time id like to hear a story or two, you can always just pm it to me, i love reading stories that would make me mess my pants.

and i want to know bout the hat trick, is it all in the wrist or what?

[halfbreed]

i'm left handed never could find me a left handed rope so you just gotta run in thar and manu ally apply it and hope like hell the dogs don't let go   

[hogdog05]

I like to see my dogs work day or night.  That's what I am there for.  Don't think I am leaveing the cds out I like to see them hit to.  I don't like to turn them loose from a distance to many factors.  Might catch a hog on the way or get gun Ho and catch a cow( not good).  I had one that missed its catch a while back and ended up caught a long ways from me and in a bad spot.  I lost her to heat stroke.  Now I turned her loose from 15 yards but the Chase and where they caught prevented me from getting there in a timely manner and it cost me.  Usually I turn loose from 15 yards or less but here lately I can't keep a cd, so I haven't turned one loose in about a month.  I'm in the market for one. I do like 2 cds because my dogs don't hang around very long.  When they see you coming in they role out.  They bay pretty loose.  I like that because I don't have dogs getting cut up all Tue time.  Lately one of my yellers sees me coming in and has started catching, kinda got me worried alittle bit but I guess he will learn.  JMO

[brad s]

I like to use just one catch dog but I have brought 2 and used them when I did. But as far as how far I turn loose I had my #2 dog get killed last christmas eve bc I turned him loose to early and it was thicker terrain than I thought and they were caught for too long. With dogs with heart they will get hurt in a hurry if u can't make it ther in time. So now days I turn loose when I am close.  Jmo

[djhogdogger]

We lead our cd's in as close as we can. We have owned both small and large cd. I prefer a large cd, because I think that they can handle a large hog with ease. We ususally bring one cd. Most of our bay dogs will help the cd.

 We like to be pretty close when we turn the cd loose and catch the hog quickly after the cd latches on. Keeping in mind that nothing goes according to plan on a hog hunt. 

[mduggan]

Halfbreed, if you don't put some stories, I'll have to call you!!

[gary fuller]

for about 19 years i didnt own a catchdog and usually didnt hunt with folks who used one either. we had some dogs that would catch but i didnt have a ;lead in catchdog till i got to using american bulldogs about 15 years back.  how far i turn in a bulldog all depends on the bulldog or bulldogs, the terrain and the dogs on the ground.  if we hear dogs gettin hurt and are close enough to get a person to the dogs within a couple minutes we will turn in a bulldog or bulldogs. personally i like havin 2 bulldogs that on their own can hold most rank boars for 10 or so minutes. i prefer a bulldog to be 70 to 90 lbs. part of the reason i like 2 bulldogs is just because you turn 2 loose dont mean both will make it there( may catch own hog etc) or one may get taken out of action by the hog and so then all you have is one bulldog. now the dogs you are hunting with  decide what type bulldog you need a lot also. the pack of dogs we typically hunt now will catch alot of hogs without a bulldog so a big bulldog or 2 isnt as important. the dogs we hunted with for many years  would not help a bulldog too much if it were a bad hog so the more bulldog power the better. and since it came up in some post on this thread, ive tried to have cow broke bulldogs so ya dont have issues in that area, not sayin never had a accident  but after one the dogs got broke really quick.

[hogdog05]

and since it came up in some post on this thread, ive tried to have cow broke bulldogs so ya dont have issues in that area, not sayin never had a accident  but after one the dogs got broke really quick.

Since I brought it up.  Many years ago I had one catch a cow and tore her head all up.  I was able to pen her and doctor her but the landowner was PO'ed.  I took care of business and we got along.  I will blame it on haveing new catch dogs every week and them not knowing any different, not that I was young and dumb.  Lol still ain't much smarter.  After that incident I am very careful how I turn em loose, especially new ones.

[TShelly]

2 springs ago we were hunting a big place.. Dogs rolled out and caught a sow and a boar hog pretty quick. Then they rolled way off and went about a mile into another big ranch. No way to get to them so we start trekking it in. We can hear em bayed so we know we're gonna need cd.

About halfway there a puppy tagging along with us bays a big spotted boar hog. Turn Obama loose and bam trainwreck and off to the races. The other boys went to the dogs bayed, while I chases Obama down. Mile and half later on foot get him caught and headed back to the other boys. They've been catching sow after sow with the dogs and have already stuck 6 by the time I get over to them. Big e meanwhile has gotten q truck around and picks me up. We're getting over towards the dogs and we notice 2 gyps are bayed right by us in a bad coupon thicket. I jump out and E tells me  its just another sow, to turn Obama loose from about a 100 yards so i didn't have to fight him the whole way in. Well I get to a 100 yards and cut him loose. Still headed to them, about 60 yards out and the two gyps never missed a beat baying but I can see Obama treed there already. I finally get into them about a min later and find him caught on huge spotted Barr in a very steep and narrow creek.. Of course the gyps could care less about a caught hog and roll off. He was spinning everything direction making it tough to stay down in the creek long. Twice I almost had him and he through Obama off and put me up the bank or trees. Finally a 100 yards down the creek it flattens out and I was able to do the wheelbarrow.. It took about 3 throws and finally was able to get him caught. That's one of the worse Times Obama ever been cut, he almost even lost a toe but luckily a vet was hunting with us and sewed it back on

To this day I won't turn a CD loose without knowing where they are.. Especially when you're by yourself

363# Barr 

[BIG CHRIS]

nice hog and looks like obama was caught solid!

[dan]

It's hard to say how I will use a catch dog.  My decisions depend on a lot of things.  Knowing my dogs and my friends dogs helps with those decisions.  My pits might be hunted loose, sent from a truck/boat, or walked in.  No magic formula for me, just whatever I decide at the time.  

I often have someone send a catch dog from my truck or boat.  So, I try to sneak in from down wind with a VHF marine radio, when possible.  When that won't work, I vest a pit, hope for the best, and let 'em fly.

Dog size is a personal choice.  I like them medium to small and "athletic", but not muscle bound.

As for hunting with dogs I don't know:  Mixing packs is a good way to loose dogs and friends.          

[Bump]

I agree with most everything you said Tony....I will not hunt with rcd or dogs intended to catch. I do not put down that syle but not how I want to hunt. I think people who think catch dogs are expendable are not good for the sport.

It is my opinion two 50 lb catch dogs can do the job of any large dog and typically access the hog faster and catch quicker. I feel it is very important to know where your dogs are baying and be able to reach them quickly as possible. My release preference would be 25-50 yards. Out of all the hogs I have caught...I have yet to see a hog two medium sized pits could not handle.  Before I hunted two...I was never concerned with one dog holding a 250 + lb hog. Obviously two dogs can handle a larger hog easier than one dog. Which to me has resulted in less cuts or damage to my catch dogs and helping bay dogs.
All that being said...I do not want my bay dogs (even though they are 20 lbs) catching with the catch dogs...I would prefer them to roll out. That is easier said than done with jagds. Point being...I want bay dogs to bay and catch dogs to catch. I dang sure do not want my unvested bay dog on the other ear of the hog along side my vested catch dog.

We both seem to share the same idea of minimizing the time and damage a catch dog takes...but if safety is our concern...do you not agree putting two catching dogs on a hog will limit the possibilities of cutting/damaging the catch dog..as well as a bay dog helping?

[zachW]

I like the idea of two catch dogs i think it is safer for the cd if there is two, my feeling on turning dogs loose at a distance changed this week end, from now on I'm going to get as close as i can before cutting my cd loose.  When i first started hunting we waited till under 50 yards to cut them loose kinda got lax the more runners we got on but i think I'm back to waiting to be under 50 yards.

[make-em-squeel]

No arguements that the safest way to use a cd is to get a visual of the hog, cut the cd from a close range and get the hog off its feet as soon as possible.

BUT...

Weather or not its b/c I am lazy or just stubborn I use my cd like a good tool. I make sure its the best for the job that I can get (athletic etc) take great care of it, but work them hard. Once dogs are bayed I mostly cut loose from about 150-200 yds. Sometimes alot closer and soemtimes alot farther. Typically I have 2 big leggy good winded cd's and we stop alot of hogs that way. Havent lost one in 5 yrs (knock on wood) I would say the dogs are typically caught for 3-4 min on avg and 1 out of every 5 catches 8-10 min. When hunting with certain friends I have no problem walking in close but like a cd that has the diversity to be used multiple ways.


Good topic

[zachW]

But yeah cd need broke off everything your bay dog is broke off of, and i agree a cd Is doing the dangerous job u better have a good one that knows what's up.

[TShelly]

Bump: absoltely agree that a hog is handled better with 2 cd's, hence minimizing damage. Where I see the problem or issue is... Does hauling and carrying around 2 cd's everywhere you go for that 5 or 10% chance that you'll actually bay a hog that needs the extra help. Weighing all the pro's and cons of how much we hunt, the number of hogs we catch and the number of bruisers that need 2 cd's I just feel that one is enough.

That being said we don't have 20# bay dogs lol and most of the time 1 or 2 cur dogs will have the other ear

[sfboarbuster]

It all depends on the situation, when I used to have a CD back a few years ago i'd turn him in from up close if we had a good solid bay, but if it kept breaking on us then i'd turn him out from however far we needed to get it shut down.

and i want to know bout the hat trick, is it all in the wrist or what?

Sneak up behind the hog when the dogs are bayed, throw a hat in front of him. They will usually try and bite the hat, when they step forward, grab some tail and hang on! But, this little move will backfire on you eventually and get your ass hog caught! Make sure there is a tree handy to climb lol. I've also done this when they are bayed up underneath a blowed over tree to get them to come out where you can get a rope on 'em.

Sometimes, when you don't have a CD there is nothing you can do if they are bayed in the wrong spot. I've sat up in a oak tree for an hour trying to talk the dogs into catching a boar hog in a clump of small cabbage trees, nothing I could do about it except listen to the music and go back to catch him another day.