EAST TEXAS HOG DOGGERS FORUM

I am interested in learning about the cow horns for dog hunting. I would like to get one or make one, I have some horns but I understand the length of the horn depends on the sound. Which sound carries the furthest. Has anyone ever used one or made one


Sent from my SPH-L720 using Tapatalk

  horn discussions are all ways good , i'll get back on this one when I have more time .

I know an English guy that has a kennel called shake rag kennels. They fox hunt off horseback. Have the top hats , big horns , whips etc.  The level of obedience on his dogs, ( like 30 at a time) is nothing short of AMAZING. His kennel looks  like an animal shelter. He was showing me and my wife his dogs, he commanded all the dogs to sit down.  Opened the doors on the kennels and nobody moved. He would call the dogs name and say come and only that dog would come. When he said kennel it would return to its spot. When he hunts he uses horns and whips, the whips ain't just for show either. All the dogs stay single file behind the horses until he sounds for them to go hunt. When he sounds off for them to return they drop everything and get back in line. He's a true dog man, or in his words a "houndsman".  He will cull a dog in a heartbeat. Or if there's any lady's around he calls it sending them to doggy heaven. Sorry to ramble in your post but he uses horns with good success. 

That is amazing and thanks for sharing.
I had no idea they used different sounds  to get the hounds to do different things.

Sent from my SPH-L720 using Tapatalk

My dad used a horn when I was a kid. Worked real good. I still have it but don't use it. I do know how to blow it tho. Have used a shotgun as a horn a time or 2 as well.


Shotgun
Arkansas

To me a shorter horn is harder to get the rite sound


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I like using a blowing horn. shorter horns are harder to blow but have a lot better sound. long horns have a low deep sound.
short horns have more of a high pitch to them.

Yah I've been watchin those foxhound people on YouTube .. Some really cool stuff they got goin on .. I'd love to do it , but without dressin like that haha

(http://i1202.photobucket.com/albums/bb366/CHRISHEARNE1982/my%20family%20hound%20horns/8c3ea4f5cff316823116d2f7d2a5bed7_zps5a8db189.jpg) (http://s1202.photobucket.com/user/CHRISHEARNE1982/media/my%20family%20hound%20horns/8c3ea4f5cff316823116d2f7d2a5bed7_zps5a8db189.jpg.html)
This is a old family horn .
(http://i1202.photobucket.com/albums/bb366/CHRISHEARNE1982/my%20family%20hound%20horns/d6194d1d4e480a51d1ef3b5530705e86_zps3cea1745.jpg) (http://s1202.photobucket.com/user/CHRISHEARNE1982/media/my%20family%20hound%20horns/d6194d1d4e480a51d1ef3b5530705e86_zps3cea1745.jpg.html)
This one was given to me probably 20 years ago

I ought to learn how to use it cause I've been told I sound like a child in distress when I'm trying to call back dogs haha

Hunting horns were not only used to call in the dogs, they were also used to communicate with other people in the hunting or cow working parties. To call the dogs, the horn was blown in short rapid burst or tooted as some called it. Where I was raised, one long blast was for where are you, two was for I'm over here, three long was for come here.
    Dogs will come to a horn with very little training and will answer to it better than calling them. They can also hear a horn a lot further than a mans voice.

That is why I want one. Now just trying to find one that has a good sound and I can use. I looked on eBay and don't know how to tell if the are decorative or functional.

Sent from my SPH-L720 using Tapatalk

We use them for deer hunting with dogs. Before hand held radios anyway. I still carry one while driving dog so I can call them back to me after a race. To communicate between drivers we blew once for a look out to make other hunter get on point if we jump a buck. 2 for an answer from other drivers to get bearings on area dogs are being driven. 3 is a kill blow so others come help drag after kill. And 4 blows calls off hunt. Use to be couple old timers made them down here but I can't find one anymore. Mine are all family hand downs. Some say length makes sound. Others say size of mouth piece hole varies easy or hard to blow. And I've heard thickness of big end makes it's tone either flat or ring. I had looked up some folks online a few years back that make some but can't for the life of me remember the site or their names. Seems like it was a lady that made them and had learned from her dad who was well known as a horn maker.

I saw the same documentary or story...

If you find the info please let me know, I don't want to just buy a horn, I want to buy a good using horn.

Thanks

Sent from my SPH-L720 using Tapatalk

It finally came to me today. The business is called " the jewels of the horn " they are located up in west Monroe La. I spoke with the lady onces and she basically said tell her what you want and she would make it. I even had number saved in my phone. It's 318-388-1638.

Thanks

Sent from my SPH-L720 using Tapatalk

(http://i1303.photobucket.com/albums/ag148/mchall8/E3E60995-64C6-4660-BA94-3818AFF3FF21_zpspqmxhcbe.jpg) (http://s1303.photobucket.com/user/mchall8/media/E3E60995-64C6-4660-BA94-3818AFF3FF21_zpspqmxhcbe.jpg.html) my grandpa made these one is a goat horn

those blow horns your GPA made are nice...you can keep on passing them down...

https://youtu.be/Uh1dYVloUqc

Yes sir 

I have been blessed with a horn. Mduggan handed down one of his horns. I am still trying to master it. I am getting better, still not that constant clear sound. Horn sound then that weird something is dying sound.  I was totally surprised but honored by his kindness.  Thanks and have already taken it on a couple hunts. My other half is pretty good it.

Thanks again

Sent from my SPH-L720 using Tapatalk

Mike Duggan is good people...it's hard to find em much better then he is.

I bought a couple decent horns at canton trade days several years ago.

years ago before I had a radio collar system I blew that smaller cow horn but had to rely on my truck horn which I did not like to use on account it could attract unwanted attention...but that bigger horn I bought used at a resale shop in Utopia while on vacation has got me to training my dogs and pups to it...it was pretty old and had a few pits in the horn...I tried getting it for less than 28 bucks but the lady said it was on consignment so couldn't drop the price...I liked the feel so I asked if I could take it outside and blow on it...As soon as I blew I knew I had to have it...I brought it home and blowing hard made it flake off more horn so I put a light coat of epoxy on it...hope it lasts me until I can't hunt anymore...

I was thinking Jesse Paul had it on consignment but he didn't know it was there...  ??? I really like it...


(http://i988.photobucket.com/albums/af5/cuell27393/067_zpsros88vt5.jpg) (http://s988.photobucket.com/user/cuell27393/media/067_zpsros88vt5.jpg.html)

Funny thing happened to me today...

Not really funny but a really cool thing.
Just shows a persin how hog dog folks as much as we like to bicker really got each others backs.

My son and I were bringing my mother back to north louisiana from here in south louisiana after the thanksgiving holidays.
 
We stopped in vidaliia la for lunch after we crossed the mississippi bridge from Natchez ms.

We ate some pooboys at a seafood resturant.
 
There was an older couple sitting next to us that came in probably 15min after us.

I'd say the guy was in his mid to late 70s

As we got up to leave the guy hollered at me to come over.
 
I have a sticker on my truck back window that says hog hunter. Just that...it  bumper sticker that came from tuskers I'm pretty sure.

Well the guy asked me if I was a hog hunter. I think he picked me out to sit by after looking back now...

He said he saw the sticker on the truck in the parking lot.

Well my mother went to the truck as we were leaving and I stopped and talked to the guy. My son walked my mom out because she has a type of muscular dystrophy and and needs a bit of help. The guys wife sat for a few mins as they were done eatn as week and went to their truck that was parked next to ours.

They talked in the parking lot for while come to find out.

They guy talked about his dogs and told me stories and looked at pix on my phone and listened to my stories and we talked dogs and hog and hunts and stuff like folks would do on a hunt.
He had a fire in his eyes...
He was a hog hunter.

Well guy got loud, bit of cursing telling his stories, you know how we do...just passionate.

His wife come is after bout 20 mins of her and my mom and son Sitn in parkinglot. And tells him 'honey, these folks got to go, his family is waiting for him in the truck!'
 
I'm sure the folks around us was ready fer us go leave as well...lol cause they was being forced to hear these hunting stories and bout dogs and stuff.

But she went out and then me and the guy walked out still talkin and listening to each other. And he told me one more while she beckoned him to their truck.

I could've talked to the guy for hour and my mom, and of course my son cause he'd a hog hunter to wouldn't have minded. But as we parted ways and I pulled off he hollered out and motioned and I circled back. And he pulled a large goat horn out of his cab. He pulled some hair off it Nd brushed off some dirt. He had obviously recently got it from somewhere or someone. And gave it to me...he said you 'know what this is?' I says it's a blow horn. He started telling me how to make it right. Said he used one all the time when he hunted.
 
Well, his wife beckoned him again and I expressed my gratitude and we pulled out.

My mom and son and I  thought it was the coolest thing ever...

Now I been lookin at vids on YouTube and tryn figure out how to make craft this raw horn further and make it work without screwing it up so I can use it and and hand it down to my son who was there and is a dogman in the making for sure!

I live the holidays and that is something my so and I will never forget. Esp I'd I can make this horn right. Isn't that a true story of this time if year!???

I'm kicking myself in the pants for not getn his name a number still...but as we rhode of the guy seemed a bit like Santa to my son and I!
 
I still can't figure out the picture thing but thought it was a cool story

Good story semmes...I just sent a pm to Halfbreed a couple of days ago for some blow horn making advice...I saw a couple of rough horns at the flea market and might buy another and rework it to suit me...

Thanks man...

The guy thought this horn would make a good blow obviously and told me a horn like that would be worth some money

But to me and my son it is invaluable because of the story.

And I want to make it a working tool as he obviously intended for himself or someone else to do.

My sin watched the vids with me and we gone take our tune and make this horn blow and try not screw it up lol

Fate is a funny thing

Here's a few pics from Semmes(http://images.tapatalk-cdn.com/15/11/29/624292c237d24f299b163195f7d392a8.jpg)(http://images.tapatalk-cdn.com/15/11/29/2c28e0ca507f0a62891a6f99dc0726bc.jpg)(http://images.tapatalk-cdn.com/15/11/29/af30ea9d2a08b6d4d653479446247977.jpg)(http://images.tapatalk-cdn.com/15/11/29/7b7c31f40f19fc80a1b8460b73522dae.jpg)

Sent from my SGH-M919 using Tapatalk

Thanks Scott! Appreciate it brother.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b73wpB2Z_I8

theres some horn blowing in this video

Something I have learned recently is that a good horn is sanded down fairly thin to get a better sound...halfbreed told when you hold them up to the light they should almost be translucent...

I might start collecting a few...

I cut and drilled out the center off mine then bored out a bigger hole bout 3/4" deep around the mouth end.

It sounds pretty good...

Been sanding on it, it pretty doggone smooth considering what I started with.

Being a goat horn it's got a good random type ridge rib that runs along one side. The horn is obviously thicker there but I like the ridge and am gonna keep it just smooth it up a bit.

I started with hundred grit and worked thru to 30 micron then steel wooled it and its shines good. It could pass now with a coat of oil bit I decided to go back to hundred and get it a little thinner. Just hard to tell when to stop lol

I heard they can be heated some kind way and compressed or formed a bit....
 
I can't find any vids on it tho.

Anybody got any experience with that?

Just so you know...it's a stinky endeavor. The burnt hair smell sticks with ya especially when ya go horn dust boogers in ya nose at end of day lol

Stunk up our whole shop and it's a smell that lingers.

My co worker told me he heard the dust was an aphrodisiac but I assured him I wasn't feeling frisky hahahaha

Man thats a cool story !

I was hunting in Uvalde weekend before last and seen this Aoudad horn sitting on their deer euro mount wall. The ranch owner was nice enough to let me bring it back to south Louisiana. I ordered a ready to use horn online today in case I mess mine up, or in the event I get it right, I will pass the bought one to the next fella. I hunt with Semmes so this could turn into listening to each other toot our own horns lol.

Question is, how does one condition dogs to come to a horn blow? I was thinking blow it at feed time, and have treats for when they happen to obey whether it is on the yard or in the woods. Same way you would treat them with calling their name... Use a rope if need be and pull and blow until they are at your feet then give a treat. Just speculation, and any input will help. Last hunt I went on, one dog went 2 miles and crossed a river. I had to get back to my truck and drive around to the bridge and back up to her... I want to avoid that again if I can.

(http://images.tapatalk-cdn.com/15/12/31/bc994f545d8a02661ef0df47f03d452c.jpg)


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

cody that ought to make a good one.  Personally i dont think you need to go as far as blowing the horn and using the rope like you might when you teach them their name. Just blow it around the house and at feeding and they are smart enough to link that sound to you.  As far as driving to get a dog, you got to be dang careful doing that. Ive seen dogs get trained to sit down and wait for ole joe to come get me.  Every once in a while when the situation dictates you do it, thats fine but id make sure and watch out for a habit forming in the dog.

New dog on first hunt, across the river was a busy highway... I kinda had to at that point lol


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Ed, thanks for the input. Do you make horns? If so I will talk with you on the side when I start my project


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I've used one for years and my hunting partners still get a chuckle out of me using it, I use it to call my dogs in if I can, I just blow it around the yard when feeding and playing with it, it takes practice to get a tune, the trick is learning to mimic a running dog, I've called in younger dogs by doing that who either
Broke down or something.