Bay and Shoot.
Dogs bay. Hunter shoots. Dead pig. Safe in my mind. I have only shot and killed 7 or so hogs with my dogs but I have never worried about hitting one of them. You aren't shooting from 80yards. And if you have to work too hard at getting a clear shot your dogs shouldnt be getting shot over in the first place.
When the bulldog hits the pigs the dogs catch with them. That is when I think most cuts happen. When the hog is shot it drops. End of story. Your friend out near me(TG) shoots over his dogs. It has worked for him.
We have hit hogs with 30carbines,7mm and 30-30 and havent had a problem when them being alive when they hit the dirt. I like dropping bulldogs thats why I dont shoot over the dogs much. But when I am alone I will bring the gun. I feel that shooting over the dogs is more safe then using catchdogs.
Ditto!
I haven't shot a hog over a dog in more than two years but In my experience it has been much safer for the dogs and hunters than using catch dogs. That being said I think it is ill advised and of poor judgment to use a gun with your dogs at night. At night a catch dog or two is the only way in my opinion.
Due to work I had about a 10 year gap were I was only able to shoot hogs most of the time unless I had a friend along that owned a catch or two. I personally couldn't keep the dog power at home to go it alone catching them so I found myself in the woods with 1 or 2 dogs and my rifle most of the time.
After years of only catching and tying hogs it didn't take me long to realise that I didnt use my cut kit at all when I was just shooting hogs. Ill also add that I used the same gritty dogs both ways. Just less of them when using my rifle.
I love to catch and tie but no one can convince me that catch dogs are safer than using a gun. As with any type of firearm sport, safety has always got to be a first as others have already stated.
I have literally shot and killed well over 1000 hogs over dogs and have never came close to risking injury to a person or dog due to firearms. Ive seen and heard of others falling short of that though but the odds in my experience work out much better for the dogs when the rifle is out and the catch dogs are left at home.
In 23 years of hog hunting I have never seen a dog killed by a hog wile being shot over. Only one by rifle and it was a freak accident. (Check out my Magic bullet thread in guns on hogs).
As for catch dogs? I really dont want to highlight those numbers here but just check out the R.I.P. post on this board alone from the guys that use catch dogs for starters. Just stating the obvious in my mind folks.
Before anyone beats me up about my post here................I own catch dogs and tie hogs.
