Austesus...I’m having to go way back...lol
this is how we trained the pups to rig. We tied a pig in the woods between 50 and 75 yards in...I put up a small marker exactly where the wind coming from the pig crossed the path we were going to drive through later... I wanted to be 100 percent positive the pups were smelling pig if I needed to fire them up...we waited a little while and drove slowly around rigging the pups...then we drove by where scent was crossing the road and once I knew the pups could smell hog I fired them up if needed it...turned them loose and let them find and bay...if they circle close by then I would slowly move towards pig if needed...they usually don’t need help unless you stage the pig further in the woods...
The other mock hunts...of course deeper in the woods is always better so you can simulate a real hunt as much as possible...I would say a quarter mile is good but less is ok...you can tie the pig or tie a short rope to a rear foot with a weight on it and turn it loose...
Let your imagination be your guide...
I know it’s easy to say and do when you have the experience which is...do the right things at the right times and your dogs will be better for it...just keep that in mind and take full advantage of any opportunities that present themselves when hunting...well bred pups and dogs do not need much training...mostly they need guidance...
Great advice, how do you do about with progressing to harder mock hunts? Do you do several the same way and then make it slightly more difficult? Or is each hunt harder than the last? Let’s say I set up a mock hunt but the pups struggle with it for whatever reason, and I have to help them more than I wanted to. The next time, should I repeat the same difficulty, make it easier, or make it more challenging?
T-Dog, stay up on the soap box lol! This forum is an awesome opportunity for guys that have only been hunting for a few years to get some great advice from the older guys on here. I like hearing what everyone has to say. Some I agree with and some I don’t. But everyone has at least one bit of advice that can help others and people that are wise will listen to what everyone has to say and pick and choose what they want to use and how they want to use it.
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