Magnum,
I will disagree. I have hunted central fl for the last 15 years. I take pride in putting a cur dog on a single big hog track that "cannot be caught...or runs to bad for a one cur dog" and running a big hog 2 hours and catching him at the end. 99% of the guys around have a dog that will run one 30 minutes then give up. The good hogs know that. You put a dog that will run one till he is caught and game over.
You can catch a lot of hogs with short range rough dogs. You can catch a lot of small hogs with those dogs and you will catch a lot of good ones. But I DESPISE getting outrun and beat. Water no water....palmetto patches to briar patches a dog with no bottom is just that!
The best dogs I have been around in the same area are the same way.
I am glad to hear you have a dog that only catches big hogs. Have not seen any of those. I do know a lot of people with dogs that will run a track for 2 hours and usually are open mouth or semi open dogs or in good terrain. That is cool. To each his own. Just a colder nosed dog. That does not work well walking, hard to get to them and help them fast, Mr Garmin won't work well with dogs like that. more hogs break and are lost that way to me. Maybe i am wrong..You put a rough dog on a hog that will grab his rear end and spin him around and catch him they won't run either.. I hunt for the sport and the meat. But believe me i have caught more than my share of big tooth bad hogs, more than some, less than others.. But NOBODY catches only big hogs.. How do you know the track your putting your dog on is a hog that can't be caught? I have never seen a hog that could not be caught. I have seen hound hunters that have ran hogs that could not be stopped.. Maybe that is what you ment. I have hunted all over this state and many many State quota hunts, Ranches, orange groves and even behind the lakeland mall. We have probably crossed paths and did not know it and might know some of the same people. My name is Lee Henderson, use to live in polk City and now live in Bushnell since 2002. Use to drive a 90 Blue and silver F-350 diesel with a T & T dog box... From 96 to 2003 i hunted about 2 to 3 days a week and from 2003 to 2008 about 1 time per week.. no joke.. now if i go 1 time per month i am happy. Getting old and body is tore up..The dogs i have owned and hunted have had success in every type of situation. NEVER said my dogs give up nor do i want them to as long as they can still smell the hog and see him, but when they can't, i expect them to check back in and start over, Not quit. My dogs do not sit at my feet when i am hunting, if they do, they are eating someone elses dog food, they range out with no sign 50 to 150 yards. Again, never stopping. The dogs i have now are young and not fully finished yet but still hunt hard and know what to do when they smell one and get on one.. Last hunt we were out 3 hours and they covered just shy of 7 miles, 6.8 and 6.7 to be exact 2 times out.. Love that garmin. First trip in 7 with no caught hog. We did run some. Not bad for short range dogs and the guys i hunt with have great dogs.. Mine,Not the best i have owned but are well on their way i hope, but i looked for exactly what i have and know what to expect. Starting over after 4 years of being operated on has not been easy, especially when i have hunted as long as i have and had great dogs that consistantly produced and did not trash and know how long it took to get them..Dogs i knew , Really knew because i had no tracking sysytem for many many years and when i did it was a Quick track.. now a lot of people miss out on really knowing their dogs and hunting because garmin has made it so much easier. Not complaining, but it is different. Dogs i have given away when i got hurt have been pictured in magazines with trophy class hogs they trailed, and caught alone.. I know what works for me and what a good dog is. I just don't want a dog that will run for hours and i have to chase that usually come up dry, but i do expect them to stay with a hog as long as they can see and smell him weather that be cross a road, river , go thru a culvert ect and stop it asap! I would invite you to hunt since you are close to me but it seems like we have different styles and my dogs would not make your grade.Too bad, my in laws are cajun and i am sure we like the same type food. I will say since January i have hunted with the same guys and we have gone 14 times to the same place and caught 10 hogs out of that number of trips, and always atleast ran some.. I do post pictures , not just the big ones. I think all from this year are posted and if i missed one i can post it.. From Nov to Jan i hunted with someone that had long range dogs that would take a track like you described, same property ( Open Mouth) and run it for 4 hours and we only caught 1, and that was the day i got a new started rough dog and he stopped it from what i was told, i was the last to get their but my son was their first, again always ran some.. Since then that dog is gone and i have all new ones. starting over is frustrating and fun but i am lucky to hunt with people that run the same style of dogs i do. I believe what i just listed shows me that where i hunt Silent short range dogs produce more caught hogs and i get home earlier in the morning. For the record, I hunt at night 95% of the time also. Only day hunts are on State quota hunts becasue you have too. I don't understand why people have a need to have the best way, Biggest dog, Best dog ect. Lets just all enjoy hunting and not be afraid to tell someone they have a great dog or admit they have a better dog or catch more hogs. be open to learning something because no one knows everything. More hunters should own a scale and calibrate it and learn what a hog really weighs so they don't post a picture with them and a hog that looks smaller or the same size and list it at 300 or even 400lbs..Sorry Cajun, a lot of this has nothing to do with you or your comment,( Bottom Half) just got to rambling . too much time on my hands and observe to much.. Happy Hunting. Lee
