A few hopefully unique novice questions

[Cowin8579]

Hello my name is Brian, and I have a few green horn questions.  I have read through these forums extensively, and your posts are a wealth of great information.  Part of the reason I read so much is to avoid asking a common question.
 
I was in the Army Infantry for roughly 7 years, and am working to finish school (and working full time) to be a counselor for the VA.  Currently I live in Western PA, a yankee state.. and most of our deer are harvested by ticks and coyote.  My father has 380 acres in South Eastern Ohio that is near an area where escaped hogs from a “game preserve” have been breeding.  This August I am driving down south to check out Tennessee and North Carolina to see if that would be an ideal place to live.  The goal would be to live in a more huntable area, and have access to pigs.  Eating them is the goal.  I’ve been working with and training dogs since the early years, but have never worked with a real hunting dog or cur.  I’m confident that if the dog has a brain, I have a chance at a making a usable dog. 

Once the next living situation is setup, I’m hoping to end up with 2 dogs.  That’s going to mean driving several states away, and looking at dogs in the wanted section; an older dog and a younger dog, or whatever makes sense. 
I don’t see much mention of using dogs and shooting on here.  Assuming you can do it without risk to the dog, is this a common practice?  I was wondering if that would break the bay.  Bully breeds are awesome, but if not using one meant a few less injuries.. I would be for it.  If you were hunting hogs in a mountainous area, or an area with steep hills, would you choose 2 curs? 

Also, if you were in an area thick with larger coyote, would you hunt differently? 
Are there any ways to avoid your dogs getting run over by a large bayed pig breaking bay? 
Thank you for your time. 

[Rocking Y]

If your dog's ain't too gun shy and you have a great shot I wouldn't mind shooting over em. If I have the right shot I will shoot over mine but a good majority of the time I don't even bring a gun

Sent from my LG-P769 using Tapatalk

[Cowin8579]

That makes sense, I haven't had a dog yet that stayed around any shooting.. A catch is way more interesting and natural, but acquiring dogs other than pits in the event of an injury would be a little tough.  I guess that's the benefit of having a full yard. 

I wasn't sure if there were better dogs for brush and hills/mountains verses open areas. 

[hoghunter71409]

Cowin- I know several guys on the east coast, Alabama, and Ohio that bay n shoot.  Many of these guys are out to kill good boars and they don't care about catching them alive.  Some just do it because they don't want a bulldog.

I think one of the reasons you don't read about bay n shoot on here a lot is, I think most of the guys on here are about catching the hog alive and tying it or catching with a bulldog and sticking with a knife.

The same friends that I talked about above use hounds and a lot of them will hunt anywhere from 2-6 hounds on hogs and bear in the steep Appalachian  mountains.  I would argue that that you don't have to drive states away to find good dogs; especially if you are going to be around TN.  I personally believe East TN and North GA produce some of the best dogs; the reason is those people hunt for food and in many cases this has been their way of like for a long time.  I believe Mountain Men and fellows that grow up in that environment are some tough guys.

I don't really pay a lot of attention to coyotes.  There is not a sure way to keep dogs from getting run over by a big hog, especially if your dogs ae going to bay tight.  Looser baying dogs may have a better opportunity to get out of the way as the distance between the dog and hog is greater.  There are some smart boars out there that will purposely lure dogs in as close as they can and then rush the dog.  This is one of the reasons so many dogs get cut in the back end.

[Reuben]

there are lots of good dogs up around where you are at...I have 2 pups ordered from Ohio right now that are of a line of dogs I used to breed and are as good as any and are large enough to fight off a coyote or 2...

it is easy enough to shoot over a dog and if 2 dogs are breaking the bay then hunt one dog at a time...12 gauge with OO buck shot is a good choice when shooting through briars...

it is best to train pups to gunfire as small pups starting at 5 weeks...I use a 22 pistol with blanks and I shoot when they are all over me wanting to eat a tasty treat...just a little finesse is all that is needed...making sure that they don't cower at the sound and praising...then as they get comfortable shoot closer to them so they can smell the gun powder...do that five or six time over a 4 week period and they are about trained to it...shoot once or twice a month later just to re-enforce what they have learned...

shooting over a dog is a lot more laid back and less strenuous and you can take your time getting there...

[Cowin8579]

You guys are awesome, and I appreciate your thorough posts.  The Ohio dog men certainly do have a lot of hounds, and focus on coon for sure.  It's safe to say not all rough hunting men have websites on google.  East Tennessee looks like a great place to live and hunt, so hopefully over the few weeks checking it out I can meet a hog dogger.  I will be there in August, which is probably not ideal. 

I respect the hunt without a gun for sure.  Catch dogs are amazing. 

That makes sense about the bay, and the risk and benefit of the tight bay.  Hopefully I won't have that experience too soon.

The coyotes in south east Ohio are a little weird right now.  There are big males and much smaller females, often venturing near the house.  They took a 10 point buck 100 yards away, and didn't leave much 18 hours later.  They ignore the family giant Alaskan Malamute @ 150 pounds, but a ranging 50 pound dog would make me worry. 

I will certainly seek out the Ohio men, and hopefully network in East Tennessee.  It will be interesting if they work with hounds or mountain curs etc.  certainly dogs shaped by a rough lifestyle.

[NathanDoss]

You may check the hog hunting laws in tennesse before you're set on living there. I could be wrong, but seems like they're sorta strict.

[Cowin8579]

That's wise.  It appears several of their politicians tried to remove dogs from hog hunting, among other things.  I will try to get an update from the locals.

Also Reuben, were those hog hunters from Ohio associated with the Ohio "Boar busters" group?  I checked them out months back, and at the time they were not advertising that they had BMC and Catahoula.  Very interesting. 

Hogs moving north is a natural thing, but these hogs are rumored to be from a caged hunting group with weak fences. 

[Reuben]

No Ohio boar buster...just good ole mt cur of the larger type...his hunt squirrel and coon...same bloodlines I used to hunt on hog...

[Cowin8579]

Ah excellent, I look forward to meeting a few people who still work with these dogs.  They sound very intelligent.  I appreciate the feedback.

[jimco]

I've never hunted east Tennessee but my wife and I spend 2 weeks every year in the mountains. The Tenn. North Carolina border area
is some of the most beautiful and least populated area of the whole Appalachians. The Cherokee National Forest is over 650,000  acres
and comprises nearly the entire border. This is big time Plott Hound country. They use the same dogs to hunt both bear and hogs.
There are a few small mountain communities situated in and around the national forest. If you are considering living in Tenn., this area
would definitely be worth checking out. The recreational opportunities are huge in this area, not just hunting.

[hoghunter71409]

I've never hunted east Tennessee but my wife and I spend 2 weeks every year in the mountains. The Tenn. North Carolina border area
is some of the most beautiful and least populated area of the whole Appalachians. The Cherokee National Forest is over 650,000  acres
and comprises nearly the entire border. This is big time Plott Hound country. They use the same dogs to hunt both bear and hogs.
There are a few small mountain communities situated in and around the national forest. If you are considering living in Tenn., this area
would definitely be worth checking out. The recreational opportunities are huge in this area, not just hunting.


This is very true and Im not sure to many of these ol mountain boys use curs. 

[Cowin8579]

Thank You Jim, that sounds amazing!  I'm at the age of settling in.. and don't have much family.  This area is green with Public land, for those that don't or can't own a large track of private property yet.  I'm hoping just one VA hospital and my future wife writing from home... should be enough work to live near a paradise of sorts.  The plan is to feel out these small towns, and really talk to people.  Cherokee sounds like a prime spot for recreation, and hoofing it throughout the mountains. 

[jimco]

Thank You Jim, that sounds amazing!  I'm at the age of settling in.. and don't have much family.  This area is green with Public land, for those that don't or can't own a large track of private property yet.  I'm hoping just one VA hospital and my future wife writing from home... should be enough work to live near a paradise of sorts.  The plan is to feel out these small towns, and really talk to people.  Cherokee sounds like a prime spot for recreation, and hoofing it throughout the mountains. 

Check out Tellico Plains and Coker Creek area in Tenn. and nearby Andrews and Murphy in North Carolina.

[Goose87]

What part of Ohio you in. We're drilling just west of Pittsburgh over around   Cadiz, New Athens area

[Cowin8579]

I will definety check out and visit those towns Jim, thank you.  It will be neat crossing the state border for the first time.


That's very close Goose, the family property is just north of that on 77, passing the Cambridge exit and getting off at the Kimbolton Plainfield exit.

A little more than 20 minutes, minus the back roads.  We have gas wells, but the fracking hasn't officially started. (But is in the process)  I can check the company on the lease.  I assume you have to travel to different sites throughout the year.

[Goose87]

Yea I work for H&p drilling and we move locations 3 or 4 times a year. We drilled some wells right on side of 77 between st. Clairsville and Cambridge I want to say the little town we were in was called fair view no businesses or anything just houses