Bay competitions!!!!

[lcboarstoppers]

I have been woods hunting for a long while now but have really thought about getting into bay competitions.. Is there money involved?? How do I get started?? And how do I tell if I got a good competition dog by that I mean I don't know the rules and such.. Can anybody give me info and what needs to be done...thanks!!,

[JCook]

X2

[country man 563]

there is sum decent money in it if u got the right dog......has far as learning the finer points of bay comp the best thang i can tell is go to a comp and just watch and u can tell whos been around them awhile and those would be the people to talk to

[KevinN]

Bay Competitions, use to be my bread and butter. Here's the scoop. Money - your never gonna get rich off it but if you have a dog/dogs that can place regularly and you hit a couple pens a month you can pay for your gas and your feed bill every month. Even if you don't place every time you gain some valuable experience, make some good contacts and meet a lot of good people. As far as knowing whether you have a good competition dog it's easy enough to find out. What you want in a competition dog is energy - he/she has got to be quick, agile, athletic and he/she must have a good bark. There should be no time but a breath between barks. You need a dog with concentration - the dog cannot, ever, take his eyes off the hog. The dog must be gritty - it must stay in the hogs face, I'm talking inches to maybe a foot or two max away. If the hog charges it's got to sidestep or back out continuing to bark never losing eye contact. If the hog breaks it must put its mout on the hog, quick, and make the hog set up. This part is tricky, to much grit and he/she will catch which is bad! If your dog is all this then you will do well.
Rules?

Run time - 2 minutes

Point systems - may vary but you will usually start with 10, 20, or 30 points and deductions will be made from there.

Judges - there could be 1 but usually at least 2 and 3 to 5 at big competitions. When there are three to five judges they will usually drop the high and low scores and give you the middle.
Deductions: this is the hard part. Judges at different pens score differently. Some like a dog tight some loose, too rough for some is normal for others. That being said, here are the basics.

Look out - the dog loses eye contact with the hog. This could be just a quick look at you or a pen worker or crowd member but regardless it will cost you from 1/4 to 1 point each time.

Turn out/circle out - dog completely turns away from hog or spins. Again, judges are different but this is usually a full point or more depending on severity.

Not enough bark - slow bark, stops barking, etc. again this is judged discretion but usually 1/4 to 1 point.

Too loose - being to far from hog, this ones tough too, in the woods you don't want your dogs cut up so 4 to 6 feet is ok, not so much in pen. Most judges like dogs to be nose to nose with the hog. Another 1/4 to 1 point subtraction.

To rough - a dog that nips or bites a hog when it's standing bayed. Again a deduction, and again 1/4 to 1 point.

Catching - if your dog catches for a 3 to 5 second count it will be disqualified.

Alright, I'm tired of typing, hope this helps. Any other questions, feel free to message me.

[lcboarstoppers]

man thanks alot!!!!! i really appreciate it!!!!!

[Reuben]

Kevin...you da man... 

now that post needs to be permanently posted  somewhere....

[JCook]

Ok you were talkin bout if the dog catches for 3-5 seconds or whatever i was just wondering if you can talk to your dog within those 2 minutes of bay time

[Plainhorseman]

X2 thanks kevin!

[KevinN]

During normal competitions yes you can talk to your dog. I wouldn't advise it unless the dog does catch because it can distract the dog. Now, I said NORMAL competitions remember? In the past at Uncle Earls, during the best of the best competition it was strict silence. You would open the gate, put your dog in (alone) and close the gate. Then just watch and wait for that 2 minutes.

[KevinN]

Thanks Reuben  I use to love that part of the hog dog world. Went to many a competition. I personally just really enjoy the atmosphere. Even if my dogs weren't the best that day I genuinely had a good time. I went to a little gathering about a year or so ago up north of Gainsville and the people are still the same. Just good folk. I plan on hittin a few pens this summer with my pups just for fun to pass the time till January rolls around. My pups won't be ready to hunt till then anyway, might as well get them some exposure and see if they can't earn their keep till they do start hunting! 

[JCook]

Thanks for all the info kevin

[jimco]

Kevin, whats your opinion on offspring of bay pen dogs making decent woods dogs? Also do you think dogs can do both bay pen comps and hunt?

[justincorbell]

Ive wanted to bring my jagds to village mills a couple times, what size hogs do pens usually loose because mine will catch under 125 or so and im always worried abt the big "dq"


"the sun is shining somewhere in texas" -Jason Boland

[justincorbell]

I meant usually use


"the sun is shining somewhere in texas" -Jason Boland

[KevinN]

There's no reason pups from bay pen dogs can't make good woods dogs or vice versa. Back in the day people just didn't cross their dogs over (comp./hunting). Serious bay pen people wouldn't take a chance w/ their best dogs getting hurt or killed in the woods and most strict woods hunters just didn't mess with competitions. That being said, there was the occasional hunter that would show up and bay his dogs. Sometimes they did well but more often than not they either bayed too loose or caught out. Also, a lot of the serious competition people hunted as well but with different dogs, same blood lines but brothers, sisters, etc. As far as size of hogs I really couldn't say right now, haven't been on the circuit in years. I have heard that skipper has some rank boars. The main pens around Texas usually did.