Good write up, Dean. I currently have 2 male pups I bred that are doing great. They’ll turn 1 year old on September 10th. I have kept the female pup put up because she seems much less mature and doesn’t want to leave my feet. Both males will leave out like their tail is on fire and they’ve both struck hogs several times and have probably been on 20-30 at this point. I have been cautious with them though, trying not to hunt them too much because I know I’m throwing the dice with them getting on a rank boar. I keep having to remind myself that they are still puppies because they’re hunting great with all the drive and endurance I could ask for and they’re now bigger than every dog on my yard. They’re on track to be the best two dogs I’ve owned if they keep progressing like they are.
Unfortunately here in SC we can’t move live hogs (well you can with a permit but you can’t cross county lines so that’s irrelevant for 99% of people). It makes it very hard to get your hands on one for training. I joined a club this year that runs deer dogs, I’m the only one that hog hunts. They have nice roads through the property which is a first for me. These pups did great roading last Friday night, it was their first time. They stayed 75-100yds in front of the truck and were winding and zig zagging back and forth hunting. I knew there was more than likely no hogs on that part of the property but just wanted to see how they’d do. I would love to get my hands on one to tie off so I could let them find it by roading. I have always walk hunted in the past. With some road access now, and more hunts from the boat, I’m trying to work with all types of hunting to have better rounded dogs. They are casting decent (400ish-500ish) yards which is the top end of what I want since I don’t have a bunch of huge tracks of land.
One of the pups really impressed me a few weeks ago. We hunted the river and were walking a creek that was pretty far back in the swamp. The pup swam the creek by himself and took off at a full sprint when his feet hit the ground. His mom swam after him but after smelling around on the other bank she swam back. I told my buddy that we would just leave him alone and keep hunting. Well after 10-15 minutes we hear some distant barking. Look at the garmin and he was almost 500yds out bayed. He caught by the time we got there and the other dogs of course came in and helped him. I could see the dry spot where that hog had been bedded down since before the morning dew, so I know he must have winded him. That was his first time finding his own and since then he has been on a mission. If all goes well they should both make really good dogs in another year.
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