Walk hunting

[Judge peel]

There has been so much talk bout it in other threads I though I might just start its own. Now I have and do hunt all other style and such. But I do enjoy walk hunting and I have done it behind rangy dogs and short ranges dogs big bottom dogs rough dogs and loose dogs. Ain't much difference rough dogs you have to stay on your toes when they pick it up you have to as well. Loose dogs no hurry steady pace will be fine. On a runner with ether just keep a good pace don't panic lot of times the hog will loop or cut hard in another direction. Some times run straight as can be. I will say this you can find out real fast what a person is made of after 4 miles from the truck when it's 30 deg out and you have crossed a creek 6 times and crawled on hands and knees to get to a caught hog or a good bay. Just my observation but 90% won't do that twice a week yr round so hats off to walk hunter and it really is enjoyable to me.


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[ED BARNES]

Generally when people say they walk hunt it is less about their mode of transportation and more about the way the dogs hunt, close by you as you walk. Hunting long range dogs on foot i would not call walk hunting.

[bigo]

I think people are getting hunting on foot mixed up with having to walk a dog over a hog. When I was a young man, I hunted on foot and had dogs that would get out and hunt and caught a good many hogs. When my miss-spent youth and military service caught up with me, I had to send them from the truck then drive to them. Same family and caliber of dogs, just had to change styles.

[Nannyslayer]

How we usually hunt is, cast the dogs and wait and see what they come up with.  Most of the time I will head in on foot behind them.  I can usually be the first person at a bay that way.  Bulldogs stay in the truck with my dad, and he will send them once he's close enough.  Different style of hunting I guess. 

Here lately I haven't walked much.  I wait till the weather cools off before I go to hiking too much in these mountains.  But the last 3 trips have yielded 3 hogs so the dogs are doin a pretty decent job. 

[l.h.cracker]

I mostly walk hunt don't get me wrong I have nothing against road hunting casting rigging or any other methods and I have done them all when that is the best way to hunt a spot all with the same pack of dogs.If a dog won't get out and hunt I don't keep him period.In my personal experience when walk hunting my dogs have to work much harder to find pigs because I don't do any of the work for them. I don't find them a track to run or fresh sign to turn out on don't hunt feeders and am not riding them till they rig one.They have to find the sign and work it out and even though I have a game plan when we start the dogs usually decide where we're going because I won't make them turn if they are trying to head a certain way unless necessary.For me and my preferred style of hunting,a dog that is very intense and thorough about his hunting that ranges from 0-500 yards checking every game trail and bush on his loop and does this at a very fast trot checking in at the same trot and gone again are the dogs I like.The dog should have an internal drive that he has no control over the need to find his prey.Once a hog is found I want the dog to try its very hardest to stop the hog and hold it.I have been through a lot of dogs to get a few that I like  and I feel are suited for this type of hunting.The things that Judge said are exactly how I proceed in hunting my dogs.I to have found only a few guys that are willing to do this a few times a week it's not for everyone but I enjoy this style of hunting the most.

[Judge peel]

Bigo I think your right there is a big difference.


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[Fixitlouie]

Walk hunt....not for fat people

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[Shotgun66]

I think Ed and Bigo make very valid points. Terminology and interpretation of that terminology vary from person to person.
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I hunt on foot in a very similar manner to you guys. If you are all about commercially harvesting hogs, walk hunting probably isn't for you. I simply enjoy being in the woods. Having dogs along makes it a little more interesting.
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It will test your metal for sure! Go bout and walk for. 3 hours with a back pack on up and down ridges and creek bottoms. Just about the time you realize you have had enough, your dog starts one. He runs it 3/4 of a mile from you and bays it. U r already 2 miles from your truck. U r a hog hunter! U go to your dog. Cut your catch dog loose, it breaks! U follow them another .5 until they get it caught! Your gassed before u get there to leg him! It's a good one! Do I tie it or stab it or release it? Dogs r cut. Your hungry and tired and wet! Tie him. Doctor your dogs. Release him.  Start the.  3 miles back to the truck!
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U have had an adventure and conquered a worthy adversary! That's why I do it!

[Judge peel]

66 that's what I like about it heck any one can drive up in a truck or fancy ranger. I have been miles on top of miles from my truck with a caught hog cut dogs but it was worth every step. Don't get me wrong I don't mind a ride back lol


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[Shotgun66]

Me neither JP. I am an equal opportunity passenger when I have the opportunity!
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I really appreciate it when we get dusted! It's a lot longer walk back with a red but! LOL!

[aussie black mouth curs]

Around here it gets pretty hilly. A lot of places are too steep for a quad. I love to walk hunt and I have a circuit that normally takes me 2-3-4 hours (depending on pigs). I'm 42 and in reasonable condition but I can really only handle two days walk hunting in a row these days. One weekend we got 25 pigs in some steep country over two days. Lost two toe nails but had a bloody good time. Was pretty wrecked at the end but might also have had something to do with and empty bottle of rum...

Kiwis on the other hand are a whole other level...they are crazy..walk all day for one pig in country where if you fell you'd die and then carry the bloody pigs out on their back...nuts

T

[KevinN]

My main spot affords me the oppurtunity to walk, rigg or road. Honestly, I like all 3 styles equally as much...or I use to before I hurt my back. I don't know if I'll ever be able to walk hunt like I use to.

My favorite two hunts to date were a walk hunt and a roading hunt, both solo.

The roading hunt I took every dog I had that was of age, lol (5 dogs total). I was more or less just goofing around. I had my hound on the ground by himself most of the time. At my favorite bedding area I turned out my Cur gyp and her daughter with him. They struck a group and as was more often the case than not in this particular area the pigs slipped out the back door. I caught up my cur gyp and her daughter next time I saw them because my cur gyp would get catchy at times and I didn't want her getting to far off. Anyhow, long story short...Preacher trailed them down and isolated a small sow. At 200 yards I dumped the box just for the hell of it and they caught her in a pond. This hunt was just plain fun...and I didn't have to sweat till the end, lol. This is why I love road hunting/rigging.

The walk hunt was with a Cur strike dog, Ol Jasper and a lead in CD. I wasn't in any hurry, just a leasurely walk by the river. It was a BEAUTIFUL May morning. I walked for 2-3 hours just enjoying every minute of the beauty God had put me in. It started to warm up and right about the time I was ready to climb out of the bottoms my Cur struck. It was an easy little boar and my Cur had no problem holding bay...I sat and watched for a few minutes but my young bulldog was getting antsy so I let him finish it off. The possibility of hunts like that are exactly why I love walk hunting.

I've had more exciting hunts with buddies and we've caught MUCH larger hogs but I don't know that ANY hunt will top either one of those.

[Black Streak]

I prefer to walk hunt but can only do it when I'm by myself.     If I go with a friend they refuse to walk.  If a land owner wants to go with me or someone from the deer lease, they don't want to walk.   I hunt by myself usually so i get to do it my way usually.   Lot  of you guys that walk are tuff than I am.     I have a tenden in my leg that will start burning pretty bad after a few miles normally.  Also, I can't walk more than a few miles or I normally have started cover the same country twice in any one given pasture.  

[Myles Man]

I think Ed and Bigo make very valid points. Terminology and interpretation of that terminology vary from person to person.
-
I hunt on foot in a very similar manner to you guys. If you are all about commercially harvesting hogs, walk hunting probably isn't for you. I simply enjoy being in the woods. Having dogs along makes it a little more interesting.
-
It will test your metal for sure! Go bout and walk for. 3 hours with a back pack on up and down ridges and creek bottoms. Just about the time you realize you have had enough, your dog starts one. He runs it 3/4 of a mile from you and bays it. U r already 2 miles from your truck. U r a hog hunter! U go to your dog. Cut your catch dog loose, it breaks! U follow them another .5 until they get it caught! Your gassed before u get there to leg him! It's a good one! Do I tie it or stab it or release it? Dogs r cut. Your hungry and tired and wet! Tie him. Doctor your dogs. Release him.  Start the.  3 miles back to the truck!
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U have had an adventure and conquered a worthy adversary! That's why I do it!

Exactly, that sounds like an average type of walk, me and CD usually go 4 or 5 miles, strike dog doubles that....after the 3 or 4 hour loop, I'm usually done.....that's ok with me,

I'm trying the "1 strike dog and 1 catch dog" style,,,,so far it's easier said than done!!

[Slim9797]

All I do is walk hunt. Have 2 dogs that are finished(one ain't to much of a track dog but will wind a pig like nothing) and 3 pups that are learning. Cut them all loose. I've had so many broken bays its to the point where they've got to keep it bayed for more than 10 minutes before I make my way too them. Still have only caught one hog(this is my first year of dogging) but I'm young with the energy to do it everyday if I could so I'll go until my dogs catch on. So far more times than not, I run out of property before my dogs will quit the hog. So I call them off and start them again. I have my fun and that's all that matters to me

[Georgia-Hawgs]

Walk, trot, canter ...it don't make no difference to me . Just get after it 

[hansonw]

I will say this you can find out real fast what a person is made of after 4 miles from the truck when it's 30 deg out and you have crossed a creek 6 times and crawled on hands and knees to get to a caught hog or a good bay. Just my observation but 90% won't do that twice a week yr round so hats off to walk hunter and it really is enjoyable to me.


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This ain't got to do with about who can walk 4 miles. That's the point of having a damn dog to do that for you.


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[hansonw]

All I do is walk hunt. Have 2 dogs that are finished(one ain't to much of a track dog but will wind a pig like nothing) and 3 pups that are learning. Cut them all loose. I've had so many broken bays its to the point where they've got to keep it bayed for more than 10 minutes before I make my way too them. Still have only caught one hog(this is my first year of dogging) but I'm young with the energy to do it everyday if I could so I'll go until my dogs catch on. So far more times than not, I run out of property before my dogs will quit the hog. So I call them off and start them again. I have my fun and that's all that matters to me

If you have caught only one hog you DO NOT have finished dogs. You have 6 week old pups or some culls


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[hansonw]

And please someone argue you with me that it's ok for two finished dogs to catch 1 hog a year. You can hunt at the dang DFW airport for a year with a hog dog and catch more hogs than one... So your argument is invalid


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[oconee]

I'm not exactly at my "fightin weight" nowadays but I figure I could follow 95% on this site anywhere they wanted to walk.   Its never been about being tough or hardheaded about how I hunt to me.    I think the more versatile a guys dogs are the more oopportunities they will present for you.   My favorite is to rig hunt.    I either rig out of my pick-up or walk my dogs into potential areas.   My dogs are all taught to stay close to me when I'm walking  (alphas are nice for this  lol) and most folks would not approve of this but where I hunt dogs just can't go any random direction and find a hog so I don't have time to wait on a dog to make a 1000 yd cast in the wrong direction.   I am way smarter than any dog alive and I will dictate the areas we hunt if we are walking.   Two years ago a guy came to hunt with me and we were driving to the woods and the two dogs I had blew up in the box and as I slowed down he asked "what are you doin?"   Lol I said "fixing to catch this hog"   10 minutes later we tied a very nice boar that him or his dogs never knew was alive.   I got a kick as we were loading the hog he said "well I don't hunt like that, my dogs go hunting and find hogs."       Lol.    No style is better than the other until the time that one style is better than the other.