Different Style Question.

[ridgerunner827]

Been a dog man all my life. Started in hounds to coon hunt as a young man, went to squirrel dogs as I got older, now Ive had the hog fever for the last 1/2 year. Ive been blessed enough to start out with a fine catahula pup 10 (mo), an older blackmouth female , and a scott bulldog. Ive been running dogs with some boys that really like to road hunt. (We hunt in some sure enough rough country here in North Bama). The longer Ive been in this, the more people I meet in it, the more I realize that there are many different ways to run your dogs. There are some other guys that run hounds like we use to coon hunt (Go and cast them). What I am getting to, what in your opinion is the best way to hunt some really mountainous terrain? Keep in mind, all I have is a pup that is promising, and an older female that will only get out a couple hundred yards. (My bulldog is a foot warmer)  ...  BTW  I am headed to pick up a ben jordan dog saturday to hunt for a couple of weeks from a friend.  I have been told and read that this line of dogs  will get some younder on them. Which is what I need!! I hope and pray he pans out good, I am in desperate need of a good long range dog to run with my dogs.     

Thank you guys for all your posts and wisdom. I learn a whole lot from reading what you all say.

[Georgia-Hawgs]

What part of Alabama are you from?

[parker49]

 I'd hunt some dogs that hunt  perty deep to send in ruff places with no access where hogs  may be ... you  can find it in hounds  or curdogs ....

[Amokabs]

I'm just north of b'ham, no mts, but a deep valley and when u r on the creek, you feel like you are in the mts. Difficult terrain and seen these pigs outrun 4 different fellas packs of dogs. These dogs hunt great on flat land, but have an awful time on these steep hills and valleys

[Goose87]

If you didn't mind hounds I'd find me some big game bred hounds that have been developed in mountainous regions if the hills concerned you.

[ridgerunner827]

Thanks guys. We hunt in North West part of bankhead. I like my current dogs, just needing some with more range on them I guess.

[jdt]

depending on how you like to hunt and how scarce the hogs are but a cold nose rig dog would work in that country . how far are you from nashville ridgerunner  ?

[parker49]

don't know if the terrain  is  exactly the same but dean voit use  to come stay here a few days at a time and he hunted around table rock lake missouri  in a wilderness area in the mountains  ..... they hunted  by horse  and  mule  he said  he had  to cast dogs that would range  deep because no roads in the mountains and few hogs ....he said without casting dogs deep you would have   quite a few dry runs ..... he said  most of the time the hogs was way back in the mountains ....

[Shotgun66]

A gentleman by the handle Nannyslayer might be a good fella to talk to. He seems to mix hounds and curs in a similar hunting situation to yours.
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I have followed a similar path to yours. Started out with Coon hounds as a young man. Got into hog Doggin about 6 years ago. Transitioning from tail gate casting, truck to tree, open hounds to stock minded, intelligent, short to medium cur dogs has been an interesting adventure for me.
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A West Virginia or Tennesee bred Walker, Bluetick, or Plott probably fit your hunting situation the best. You may end up creating your own line of crosses. Keep us posted and good luck!

[warrent423]

Flat land Florida swamper here who moved to these SE Tn mountains 11 years ago. Carried a few of my Florida cow dogs with me up here.  I'm down to only one now, but she's still able to keep the freezer full of fresh sausage. No matter how rough the country gets, hogs are still going to gravitate towards bottoms. Find you a road that parallels a bottom and concentrate on that. I hunt National Forest Land here and the hogs like to root up the shoulders of NF roads after a good rain.  Concentrate on fresh sign(rooting) in these areas and hunt accordingly. I'll walk my rough cur dog up the roads at daylight and catch my fair share within hearing distance either side. Hot nosed, close range, rough dog that will do it all by herself. Like JDT said though, sometimes I believe a more cold nosed cur that would rig from the bed would be worth it's weight in gold I wouldn't feed one that would open, but would be more interested in one that would get "piggy" from the bed.

[l.h.cracker]

Warrant 423 where do you live up there my folks live in Greenville and I have always wanted to bring a couple dogs up when I visit.Yall got some decent hog's up there and places to hunt?

[warrent423]

I'm below them. I'm between Athens and Etowah off 30 highway in McMinn County. Hogs are scattered. I'm mainly "slippin" when I hunt the NF land. The beauracratic bafoons that run this great state have outlawed hog hunting. The morons believe if they eliminate hog hunting, they will stop there spread. Meanwhile, the ones that are here are free to breed unchecked, except the 5 or 6 they claim they trap each year I've do have a few private landowners who I do hunt for. Corn and bean farmers, as well as a few cowman. When the hogs are there I do alright. Forest is rough country.(mountains) My private spots are mainly bottomland. Let me know if you come. Carry a dog with you and we can make a hunt.

[l.h.cracker]

Yes sir I read the law's and it's crazy how idiotic they are.

[hyan]

I would never take my bull dog walk hunting I grew up walk hunting in hawaii with rcd now I live in Texas and own a bulldog and hate having to lead her 500 yards I couldn't imagine walk hunting her all day if you walk hunt get rcds or a gun and bay dogs just my 2 cents hope this helps

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[Nannyslayer]

Our country is the same mix. Ozark mountains and solid timber. Every once in awhile we will catch a pig close to the road but not likely. Dogs have to get back and hunt real deep. I cast hunt my dogs and they will go the distance on any hog. My main dog is a treeing walker that can move a track and stick with one all day.

The latest breeding we did was with that treeing walker male and our catahoula gyp. Pups turned out awesome and we are able to cast hunt them. Daddy is a cast type hound and mama is a medium range dog. So the pups have done good for us.

As far as finding a dog that will get back there and hunt for you, I'd be looking for a hound type dog or hound cross. I've also hunt with some fine bmc/ridgeback cross dogs that have as much bottom and range as any hound I've owned or hunted with.

[Boss Hoggin Outlaw]

Well it sounds to me like you already have your mind made up on what style dogs you want. If you're wanting something that will "go yonder" you're more then likely gonna have a cast dog. But I guess that doesn't necessarily mean that to some ppl, that's just what I think and that's how I like to hunt. I like to pull into a place, drop dogs on the ground, and in X amount of time hear them or see them on the Garmin bayed up. Keep in mind that long range, and bottom are 2 completely different things... In my opinion anyway... I guess it all depends on how you guys get around. To me a "road hunting" and "walk hunting" are the same style hunting. You're pushing your dogs with both styles. The only difference would be if you have a hood dog while road hunting. I don't know, I don't really like either one of those styles, it always seems to me like you're doing all the work, pretty much having to find the hogs for the dogs. IMO if you have a dog that can smell a hog and take a fresh track and has no range to him, you have yourself A) either a cull or B) a road/walk dog... Like I said it just depends on what you are able to do in your terrain. Hope that helped you on your question.
And all you road and walk hunters; don't take this comment the wrong way, I just personally don't care for those styles! It's whatever floats ya boat. Not stepping on toes here lol


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[Bo Pugh]

i live in south bama and have a go yonder dog for sale now, 2500$ and hes yours come get him.

[Judge peel]

The less hogs in your area means you need a certain skill ether big bottom big range of your hunting a big place if not a fast baying or catching type dog. For any who thinks only one style of dogs is best well your not open minded. I have seen and hunted all style they all work some better in some areas. But if you have a good dog it should do good any where you take it


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[Pwilson_10]

U can catch hogs with any kinda dogs if they have the want to u can catch a hog its just up to u what color shape or size or kind u want to hunt I seen dogs I would have shot in there tracks and they catch hogs it's not hard to catch hogs Point is it just matter what style u want to hunt I like them mid range bottem tell they can't run no more loose baying hound mouth type dogs that bay with style


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[Slim9797]

U can catch hogs with any kinda dogs if they have the want to u can catch a hog its just up to u what color shape or size or kind u want to hunt I seen dogs I would have shot in there tracks and they catch hogs it's not hard to catch hogs Point is it just matter what style u want to hunt I like them mid range bottem tell they can't run no more loose baying hound mouth type dogs that bay with style


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Can't say how many time I've said this the last 3 years. Lol it isn't hard at all to teach a dog to hunt a pig if it has any sort of drive. My culls find hogs decent enough for my liking. And there's plenty of people I hunt with who don't care for my dogs and how they hunt. When my dogs get out over 4-500, shut up and listen because it's gonna happen soon. They've got about 6-8 miles worth of bottom if they can keep up and then they're coming back. I run some decently loose dogs with a gritty dog or 2. Everything piles on with the bulldog