the way it was then...and the way it is now...

[Reuben]

back in the early 1980's we didn't have hunting forums...it was slow learning...it was a big deal when I figured out a big solo track belonged to a boar...and I remember figuring out that boars don't squeal when caught...well most of the time...I remember most all the folks I talked too back then would say things like line breeding and inbreeding make dogs crazy and stupid etc...etc...I listened to that one for a while and then I did what the book said with a little of my own twists...

It took me a while to learn most of the med skills I have now when it comes to vaccines, and dealing with severe cuts on dogs etc...etc...One day back then a friend told me about Ivomec and heartworm prevention...it was on after that...I went to the feed stores and learned about livestock wormers and started comparing the active ingredients to the dog wormers and found that for worming a 100 pounds of dog cost me 8 bucks and for the same wormer but concentrated it wormed 1200 pounds of horse and that cost me 8 bucks as well...the doors just came wide open after learning about ivomec...  I could even cure dogs of heartworms...

a lot of the things I learned came slow but over a period of years it has accumulated...I learned from reading the full cry magazine...the dog stories in field and stream and outdoor life magazines, and sometimes dogworld had some good stories as well..had to spend money to educate oneself back then...I also read a few books on breeding and breeding articles here and there etc...etc...

but back then what we learned took years to do so unless we had some old timer that was willing to teach you...but one thing I have learned about dogs and people is that most folks don't care enough to trouble oneself teaching them..but when someone loves dogs (true dog folks)and are eager to learn I wll about bend over backwards to help...another thing I have learned is this...just because someone owns good hunting land and goes hunting a few times with dogs does not mean they want dogs...I have given a few well bred choice pups to some folks and a year later they don't have them and worse don't remember what happened to them...not all people appreciate a good dog...don't give a pup unless you know they want it bad... 

and if you have that burning desire you can learn about hog hunting with dogs and about all things that pertain to dogs and more...well you came to the right place... what took years to learn back in the older days you can learn pretty quick right here on good ole ETHD...I see a lot of youngsters on here that know there stuff pretty good...learning it here and then applying it in the field...nice 

that computer sure does make it nice...about all the info is right here and it is free...and then we have the GPS...before, we tried to visualize what the dogs were doing and we would talk out loud what the dogs were doing and once the dogs rolled out we would too because we didn't want to lose which way they were headed...But then Garmin tells the story exactly how it is happening...heck even radio telemetry is nice...I have learned quite a bit on here as well and I like to see everyy one else's opinions as well...

another thing...never under estimate what a kid knows or can do... 

[reatj81]

You are very correct..... I have learned a lot in ethd as well, but more than what I have learned it has refreshed my memory, from things I learned in the past.  It has tied many things in hunting together.

[YELLOWBLACKMASK]

First order of business that is often overlooked.....before getting into keeping dogs.....know how to take care of them...AND DO IT.

To often I come across dogs that are either
Not fed properly (Do not mistake for hunting weight)
Not medically healthy
Do not have adequate shelter or sanitary surroundings.

Alot of this isn't a learning issue.....its a lazy issue. And a Damn disgrace to witness. 

In my mind that alone seperates your dog men from someone that just keeps dogs.

Guess that's what's sad.  All this knowledge available now...and you still witness this occurring.

[Bowtech99]

First order of business that is often overlooked.....before getting into keeping dogs.....know how to take care of them...AND DO IT.

To often I come across dogs that are either
Not fed properly (Do not mistake for hunting weight)
Not medically healthy
Do not have adequate shelter or sanitary surroundings.

Alot of this isn't a learning issue.....its a lazy issue. And a Damn disgrace to witness. 

In my mind that alone seperates your dog men from someone that just keeps dogs.

Guess that's what's sad.  All this knowledge available now...and you still witness this occurring.

^^ I cant stand someone not feeding a dog properly or neglecting them. If thats the case GET RID OF THEM. See to many people With crap knee deep in the pen and too many underfed dogs.

[Reuben]

x3...

[Irondog87]

Awesome post Reuben! And I agree with you 110% YBM!! YELLABLACKMASK took the time out to give me a lot of insight yesterday on some topics I was in a grey area about, it was much apprieciated and I will definately be putting his words to work. Thanks again man!

[Shotgun wg]

One things for sure a man may accuse me of feeding my dogs to much but not to little. Lol

[TexasHogDogs]

I was lucky back in the day and didnt even realize it at the time.  I worked for C.P.  in 1980.  I met a great dog man that had years and years experience n the B dogs we became best of friends threw the years.  He gave me a gyp that was a champion dog and bred second to none.  He took me under his wing and from there it just blew up .  I could not get enuff knowledge of the dog world .  All the bloodlines we knew back then was not on a pc click a button and there it was it was in my head .  I could tell you a complete five gen ped on any certain dog ,  just run it off like coming out of a printer.  We had no pc it was all on paper .   From there I met friends of his very famous dog men and became great friends with most of them.  The first breeding I did with the gyp my ole friend gave me produced a Gr Ch and a Rom gyp .  A gyp that one of the most famous dog men in the world called the greatest bulldogs in the world .  From that breeding spun many major dogs.  I then bred this gyp to a famous dog N. Toby I later on bought and out came a liter of five and five that you would not believe three Champions and one GR Ch's.  In just this short of time I now had a Ch. Brood bitch her daughter a
 Gr Ch/ later to become ROM Daughter and now her Three Ch grand kids and one Gr Ch grand kid .  LOL  These ole men were very hard and did everything old school there was no such thing as breeding a average dog .  Anyway I never knew what a back yard are Average dog was when I started out n the dogs.  I started with the best old time breeders/dog men and only handled the very best dogs of that time and the funniest part about it I never thought noting of it till years and years later when I was talking to a group of people and they said what a lucky lucky man starting out with LJ BB JC JD WA all great dog men of their time.  I was just blessed to learn from these old guys.  Noting was learned on a pc back then noting didn't even touch a pc till nearly 2000.  You can get educated on a pc but applying what your learned  and making it work in the real world is a total different story very few can apply it stick with it and make it work because there is always little sticks and stones in the road that a pc cannot predict and unless  you know what to do from experience they are hard to get around get out and get your feet wet when you do that that is knowledge you will never forget.    

You know the funny part about all these things and experinces when your young ?
Is its not till years later that you realize what all you have done and who you have done it with.  Its like you take it for granet when your doing it and young and dont understand it till later in life ,  the experince and knowledge you learned .  

[T-Bob Parker]

I'm a know nothin wannabe still, BUT  if I have a helpful peice of techno-advice for my peers who want to be dog men instead of just hog hunters, it would be a little thing I do after EVERY hunt. Even after hunts like last nights, which started about 9 and ended at 7am this morning, I still take 10-30 minutes to zoom in on the map screen of the Garmin and replay that hunts events and just sort of analyze the days events. Sometimes it can be quite telling and other times will show you what you alredy figured.

[justincorbell]

Mr. Reuben, make no mistake, us "young guns" (at least some of us) still look to our elders for advice. I have never met you but honestly I have learned more from you than anyone else on this forum, especially in the raising/training pups department. Thank ya'll all for passing on your knowledge.

[Reuben]

 Thanks Irondog87...

Justincorbell...I sincerely thank you for that compliment... 

[smarlowe]

Reuben, Being of bout the same age as you I can really appreciate this post ' In my lifetime I have been considered by many an expert deer and turkey hunter ! I grew up in the day of field and stream and outdoorlife magazine . My buddys and me read them from cover to cover every month! We talked huntin at school and couldnt wait for the next weekend or next issue! That was before the cyber age, and now here I am an expert hunter / old timer truin to learn to hog hunt ! Hogs are new to ohio and I am basically one of the first to risk house and home to really learn this damn game ! It has overtaken everything but family and I'm enjoyin it to the fullest ! This is a first for me , for years people have come to me for answers and now im havin to ask ! As a young boy I was actually in outdoorlife magazine , (Three in one deer ) ! uou may remember, and we answered numerous questions for deer hunters Round the globe with honest opinions of what they needed to connect ! I was at 13 years old an honest confidant of the Benoit family in Maine for any deer hunters on board. When people contacted us for help we didnt push our agenda on them , we gave honest opinions of what was happenin or needed for that man not based on our own preference ! I guess what Im sayin is when someones askin for help you all ahould appreciate your position and do your best to give an unbiased answer to that question ! I gaurantee anyone readin this I am a hunter - 1st rate ! I may not no the new game but I will learn it !  I hunted 4 miles on foot last night without striking a hog , many would pass this off as a dumb newbie , but the wise will say wow , look at that heres a guy huntin his ass off and rarely gettin a hog and he's an old guy at that ! This old guy is more than capable of learnin a new game ! I am at the top of all ohio hog hunt
hoghunters
My point i guess in short is Ive spent most of my life givin answers to fellow hunters , now I need help because Im inju

incharted hog teritory ! Very few other than tbob and texas hog dog havevgiven honest help to this giving hunter ! In the future when ya get a newbie dumbass , give him all the help you can, he's tryin to do what you alredy do ! It doesnt make him stupid, it makes him honest because he' askin for yur help !
In this dAy of technological data, the best thing you can give is yur honest help !

[buford]

I also thank you and other elders and men that help us young guns out. Please don't stop giving the advice, it might fall in the right lap to keep traditions and the dog world going. Thanks again, I enjoy reading and learning.

[smarlowe]

forget that last post, was drinkin last night, my apologies !

[cantexduck]

forget that last post, was drinkin last night, my apologies !

    I am glad you said something. I read it four times and still couldn't make much sense of it.


 Old timer or not , you still need to be able to weed through the bull crap.  Rather it is breeding or hunting. Doing something for a extended amount of time doesn't make you an expert.

[smarlowe]

cantex, when I said expert I wS referring to the deer huntin, not hogs, whether Im an expert deer hunter or not would only be someones opinion. I can say when it comes to deer and turkey, things ive hunted my whole life I am very confident , I hunt with a recurve mainly and am damn good with it. The bucks on my wall say I know that game! Hope to someday be confident with hogs but its gona be a long road.

[Reuben]

forget that last post, was drinkin last night, my apologies !

heck...I thought it was a pretty good post...  you aren't the first and for sure not the last... 

[cantexduck]

Smar , my post was not directed to you at all.

[crackae11]

Mr. Reuben, make no mistake, us "young guns" (at least some of us) still look to our elders for advice. I have never met you but honestly I have learned more from you than anyone else on this forum, especially in the raising/training pups department. Thank ya'll all for passing on your knowledge.

dito mr reuben and other contributing dog men on this site im along way off from knowing little but damn sure enjoying everymin of it . i love meeting some the guys on here one inpirticular bein magnuml great guy and those still id like to meet and see how they do buisness like noah hes not to far . not only is it reading to me on hear that helps but getting in rhe feild and seeing it done and hands on involvment . lord knows ive put my share of time n money in and its only been 4-5 years and im lovin every min of it exspecially my sons involvment with the dogs (feeding meding excersise and family bonding to .ake for a solid pack of human and dog) but for me its onky the begining