Pups going to woods

[KalebK]

At what age do yall start taking pups to the woods? Depend on maturity or do yall just straight drop them in the woods after a few times working them? Just wondering what everyone elses opinions are on this.

[MakeEmSqueal863]

Everyone has their own opinion on it but i start taking mine at around 3 months. Simply to just ride in the box with the older dogs and get used to loading up and being quiet in the box. If we catch something smaller ill let the pup out just to play with the hog, not really expecting much from the puppy at this point but at least he's in the woods and seeing what the older dogs are doing. After a few times of going to the woods i might put a collar on him and let him run around with older dogs just to let him run with them. i don't do this long though because of the pup not being able to keep up with the older dogs. The more exposure to the woods the better in my opinion.

[Judge peel]

Pups can go full blast at 6 months or or 18 months just depends I like to get them out much as you can then will know what they can handle on the flip side no since in pushing a good pup to fast let them mature the woods will still be there

[kerreydw]

Start showing them pigs early get them in the woods at 6months and hunt the s.  Out of them and  cull hard.

[BIG BEN]

9-14months is when I start hunting a pup, I like them to atleast be physically able to keep up with the older dogs.

[KevinN]

In the past I always waited till a pup was right at a year old. That's how my mentors did it so that's how I did it. Looking back on it now....they probably waited so long because they had more than a few REALLY good older dogs and it seemed like they hardly ever got cut up....if they did, there was always an older dog in the yard ready to go.

Most of us aren't in that position, lol. The last couple years I've started them earlier and earlier. Don't misunderstand....I am a FIRM believer in waiting until a dog is physically and mentally capable of being around the bay, even on a big nasty. Sure enough...you take one out that's not ready and you'll end up on a bad one....that's my luck anyway.

My old Jasper dog I started taking out when he was 8 months....he was physically capable but not really mentally there yet. By the time he was 10 months he was up to speed in both categories and striking and baying.

My Bella gyp was just a month older (9 months)....she was both physically and mentally ready, but she wasn't working as hard as Jasper so she didn't get near the exposure until I started hunting more by myself and by that time she was nearly 2 years old. Just a side note...it's not good to let dogs sit at home and focus on just 1, lol. When I moved Jasper It took Bella a few months to get in the groove.

Abby...A Jasper/Bella pup I started at 6 months....the youngest I had ever started a pup. She was both physically and mentally ready. She didn't know what a bay was on her first hunt but followed the bulldogs in and was caught on the nutts on a pretty good boar. She was at every bay after that and struck a couple squatters at around 9 months.

Couple pups I have now I've been hauling since they were 6 months. Both physically capable at that age but neither were ready mentally. They are coming on 10 months now and just starting to put 2 and 2 together.

Long story short....MOST dogs are physically capable of participating at 6-7 months but sometimes not mentally ready. Those type of dogs...if they get in a bad spot and get wrecked....they are the ones that will get set WAY back. That's just my opinion anyway.

[Shotgun wg]

I start a pup at about a year give or take depending on the time of year that hits. I like to wait till their brain works. Like Kevin said u can bet ur tail they will end up on a good one if u take pups. The last thing I need is a wreck due to not thinking.


Shotgun
Arkansas

[parker]

   i'll play with one anytime I may have a pig or shoat availible but to really  hunt about 2 ....that's just the way it is its a long road  but earlier  you stand to set one back that may take months  or never  come back right 

[Judge peel]

Parker that's the truth

[Nannyslayer]

I have a 6 month old pup now that goes to the wood every time we take dogs. I am more interested in him learning to hunt and range, he doesn't go with the older dogs. He stays pretty tight to us, which is fine for now. So far he has treed a squirrel and ran a rabbit while we were out. That's what I'm looking for though, him learning to hunt. When he gets a little older I'll show him what I want him to hunt, but for now I just want him out and about.

Most of the hounds we have, we start taking them pretty hard when they are 10-12 months old.

[Reuben]

what really excites me is a 6 month old pup that is hunting and trailing...and if it takes a beating and gets back up in the hogs face is icing on the cake...I can put that pup up for 3 years after and take him back out and that dog will probably be an outstanding dog...

testing a pup for genetics/natural ability is valuable information if one wishes to breed top dogs...and that pup can be put back up until it is 10-12 months old...

I have ruined a few pups that thought they saw the devil in the thick briars and they were culled after a few months...but the ones that recover quick and get back in the game have a better chance on passing on the same qualities than those that had a major setback or were ruined...just the way I see it...

[mike rogers]

a little time in the woods is great for pups. I'm not talking working a drag  or turnout coon. Just let'n them get out and stretch a leg and learn how to work around obstacles. I like a few day trips just to let'm look around, run, go under and around fences etc.... Then I start on trailing and treeing. I like about 5 to 6 months old.  Just been easier for me letting them get use to being in the woods before they go running game through the woods

[TazD]

I show my pups a little hog at around 5mo old and 6mo old, let him bark and bite, bay whatever he does then pull him away still hot and wanting more!

When the pup is 7mo old he starts going on hunts! Learning to load, lead on a leash, getting tied off on trees, hunting, running through the woods and swimming the rivers, etc! Usually by the time they are 10-11mo old, they know how to hunt, what a hog is, how to get out and hunt, and find their way back, catching at the found hog, and finding some themselves. Just like we all learned to hunt when we were young, getting exposed to it by experienced hunters and trying to do what they tell me to do, and I see them doing!

It also lets me know what I have before their 1.5yrs old, so I can make a decision on the dog being a keeper or not!

[justincorbell]

I personally start toting mine to the woods between 6-8 months and will turn them to a bay when I feel they are ready. this past spring during the gator country hunt I started 2 of mine at 6 1/2mths old pretty much out of necessity, they had seen a hog multiple times before in a big wooded pen and were more than familiar with what to do. We ran into a BAD hog the first night of the tournament and had 4 dogs cut down and out in the first couple hours of the hunt so the next morning I figured then was as good a time as any and luckily they both did good, after that hunt I gave one of em to a good buddy of mine and I kept the other, we never really put either of em back up and they have both become pretty decent dogs for their age........the pup I kept still hasn't figured out the he isn't a catch dog but luckily after 40+ hogs he is still alive and well lol.


Not saying this way is the right way but it worked well for us this past go round and I think it will show in these two youngsters this coming spring when we go back to hunting multiple times a week, they have both seen multiple hogs in the big woods and now they will have time to grow and mature a bit more during deer season...........hell they may both end up bein culls but at least I can say that they were both set up for success lol. happy huntin