EAST TEXAS HOG DOGGERS FORUM

I have seen a ton of post on here about the Range of a dog and how far out they hunt its been beat to death on here but I wanna ask yall.

The dogs I have and have hunted for years are like this .  I really don't know what kind of range you would put on them just wondering if some of yall are like this .

I really cant put a range on these dogs because sometimes they may hunt 200 yd out strike a hog we get it and then move on and they may hunt out 500 yd this time.  Then ck back in and we move on up and they may go 800-1000yds out we find a hog get it .   Then move on then they may go back to 150 to 300 yd out .

How do you put a range on dogs that hunt like this ?   Its not just one of them its all of them from my dogs of the bloodline I got and even my Lacy dogs.

Its not that I care about putting a range tag on my dogs could careless but just wanted to see who else's dogs hunt like this .   One other thing I might mention here is we can go to a place let the dogs go and they may hunt on out to 1000 - 1100 yd and they may make two three round like this a long rounds and then after that I have noticed my dogs may come back to the wheeler and just act funny like telling me there is no damn hogs on this place lets move  to another.  Now I use to get kinda pissed off at them for this but over the years I have learned to watch them and listen to there body language and sure nuff we can move on to the next place ten miles down the road turn them out and with end ten mins we are on hogs .

I think the Range thing is way over rated and people might ought to pay closer attention to their dogs in some of these situations.  I have learned to listen to them and it pays off way better than me just being hard headed because I have realized over time a dog cannot chit a hog !

My dogs have struck anywhere from 50 yds to 1/2 mile but I do know one thing they don't roll out over 500 for nothing.  Yes the range thing is over rated I agree 100%.

2x

Oh and I like it that way...

Jimmy give me a call

Thats all people talk about around here. My dogs might not leave mh feet and sometimes they go 900 and come back. I am loving what i have right now.

I don't like loong range dogs...I like dogs that hunt with me and check in on a regular basis...2-4 hundred yards in any direction is fine and then when they hit a track or strike then it can be a few miles are further after that...

I will holler at you tomorrow Shawn for sure.

Yeah its way over rated if you ask me.   Range don't make a dog not to me it don't.  Of course you don't wont noting hanging around under your feet all the time and wont hunt but that a different story than a dog that is just smart uses its nose to wind and knows how to hunt and can almost tell if something is in the area soon as it steps out the truck bed.   I will take a good short to med fast  working dog that sticks his head in every bush and hunts through compared to a dog that just wants to go and blow .  Its almost like having a dog that is smart nuff to understand how far his owner wants to hunt and will make rounds in accordance to that .  This has noting to do with Stick to a hog once he is struck, because then it can turn into big time distances stick power is what I call it .  I would ranter have the kind of dogs I was talking about  with Super Stick and is ranging because of that  vs a dog that just Ranges and goes and goes and goes till he finds something.  Thats just me tho nobody is the same .

Am sure someone is gonna blast me and say if the dog aint ranging out a mile are two he aint huntin that to me is BS .  I have seen many a dog blow out the box go a mile and run past hogs many a times and other dogs hunting behind this dog find two three hogs this dog left sitting in the bush . 

We have dogs that seem to like the 900 yard area lately but I do have a dog that is pretty short range but he is my ears sometimes and he will sure nuff sit one down when he gets there.

x2...I like a dog that knows how to find a hog...

x2...I like a dog that knows how to find a hog...

I agree Reuben,  Thats the difference maker !

My dogs actively look for a track out to 300 at most. If they pass that I know they think they may have found something and work it farther. Past 500 I'm pretty sure they are on something. What is the question. If they aren't in much sign they don't get 75 yards but then they may go out 200 looking and come back. Most on here wouldn't feed my dogs so my opinion probly doesn't amount to much but the more sign the further the dogs I've seen will work the less the closer.

I'm with you texashogdogs my dogs do the exact same thing too...

Range isn't that important to me... the bottom to finish the job is.

I was talking about the range wise my dogs don't range far but if there's a hog there they will range pretty far

Here is another thing I look at .

I dont know about yall but I bet 99 % of the hogs we strike are from 150 to 500 yds out .  Its the chase that turns long on us around here at times.  When I stop and really think about it its rare real rare one is struck a 1000 yds out from us.   Am with you Mike its the Stick once the hog is struck,  a dog needs to finish it if he can thats what can turn long unless you can get him stopped.

I like my dogs to disappear. Doesnt matter if they are 100yds or 500yds. When they ck in they better be going in opposite direction they just came from

 how far they hunt in front of me until they strike is range to me
anything other then that is just the race

IF I WANT TO SEE THE RANGE OF A DOG I TAKE THEM SOMEPLACE I KNOW THERE ARE NO HOGS. IF THERE IS NO SIGN ARE YOU GOING TO HAVE TO WALK THE WHOLE PROPERTY WITH THEM 50 YDS INFRONT OF YOU OR WILL THEY MAKE 500YD LOOPS, 1000YD LOOPS ETC.

I like a dog to range out without me having to walk a mile just to put him/her on sign because some of our spots aren't "full" of hogs like a lot of folks. We seem to have to work pretty hard for most of ours, and is why we love a quick in and out hunt when there is pork at then end. As long as they don't just leave the country and check back in when there isn't any sign I'm good... but I'm with Mike on this one, if they hunt, and aren't under my feet I'm good; but they better stay with it till I get there with back up! Bottom is a must around here with these runners!

x2  Jimmy your post decribing your dogs hit it on the head for whats in my yard.  They get gone some days and stay close other days but i love them and they can stack up some shoats for me! ;)

Yeah man I love mine to.  Like I said use to get a little pissy with them but threw the years of hunting them I have learned their ways and I guess they have learned mine.  I dont mind my dogs cking back in and hangin around for a little bit to catch their breath and for me to only look up and they are gone again.  As far as my Lacy's go they are just different types of dogs they got a mind of their on and you aint gonna change it for them they will change it for theirselves .  They will hang around  sometimes long nuff to get me pissed and other times they are dead eye gone gone.  I can tell ya one thing if either of my lacy dogs leaves and are gone for over 15 mins you can almost bet your house there is a hog on the other end .  I have seen them leave and work out tracks that might take a hour are more and I have seen them wind one and go stragiht to it .  The Lacys once they get a snoot full of hog in their noses they are hell on wheels .  Other times its a love hate relationship I have learned to respect !

NO SIGN is the real determining factor in what a dogs range is.  Any other time he's just trailing sign he thinks he can smell, and most times if he bogs down on it 1000 yards out and comes back in, people claim they got a 1000 yard dog, without realizing what happened.

Damn right. Range is how far they go looking for sign. After that you are talking drive, trail and bottom.

Regarding preference, range has its place, and so do the short dogs. I currently have dogs that won't break 100 yards without a reason, and 2 that cast over a mile with ZERO sign to follow. We generally road short dogs until we hit a spot that's deep with no roads, then load up the short dogs and cast the long ones. Either they strike, or they come back 45 minutes or an hour later or how ever long later, and we repeat. The long dogs are also beneficial when its dry, big country, or there just ain't many hogs around.

The really long dogs are pretty new for me. I have only had them for about a year. But its working out well for us. I just had to figure out how to use them correctly.

At the end of the day though, no matter range or method, whats important is putting swine in the catch dogs mouth!

Steve