Plotts?

[Wmwendler]

Waylon,
I think you really did sum it up in your last post... you just want to trash plotts. That blows my mind that you really havent spent the time with a plott. What you need to do is this... get out of texas and go hunt the mountains, go hunt where you cant use a atv. Go hunt where you dont have hogs like in Texas. My last hunt was this, We walked in .68 miles till the plotts struck, we walked another 200 yards, we let 6 plotts off the lead and at 700 yards they opened up, at 780 they stopped the hog. It took 35 minutes to climb 2 huge hills and the dogs held the hog till we got there. We had to drag the hog 680 yards to the truck. You really need to hunt outside of Texas... really

I really cant see whats all that tough about that.  What you just described sounds like a pretty easy going kind of hunt. 

I walk hunt all the time.  Its not uncommon to walk 4-5 miles a hunt.  Most of the time I walk atleast two miles even If I have an ATV....... they just dont go everywhere.  Most times we are in boggy muddy river bottom that will make you wish you had a dry hill to get on.  Sometimes they cross the Brazos river.  It might take a few hours to go get a boat to cross, then walk in a half mile or more to the bay.  But none of this is impressive its just normal.  Its not uncommon for the dogs to stay hooked for 4+ hours.  I expect them to stay hooked all day or untill they are exausted. Though it usually does not take that long to get to them, so they hardly ever get tested past that.  Those distances and condition you mentioned are not unique.  It happens with hog doggers all the time. Yes....Texas has a large hog population.  But you don't need a hound to find hogs where they are few and far between.  A good cur dog will do it.



Don't get my wrong.  I don't want to trash plotts.  I'm simply questioning the idea that you have to have a hound to find hogs in any location when there are good cur dogs that will do it just the same.

Waylon

[jassenswisher1974]

Waylon,
when you made the statement about a plott "Mindlessly running a track" thats trashing. A cur will never have the nose of a plott hound no matter what you say, You need to go to the mountains of east tennesse, or southwest north carolina and bay a hog period. And if you have a cur with a nose like a plott you own a priceless cur, from what I have heard one reason to hunt a cur is for a hot nosed dog, plotts run a track they smell, curs run a hot track. I hog hunted a mountain cur with a good nose but he cant hang with a plott as far as the nose. Curs will turn back and if you have a cur that will run with a plott that is a priceless cur. I want one, you could retire with the money on your proven bloodline. And you could prove that hunting outside texas.
swish

[Reuben]

Waylon,
when you made the statement about a plott "Mindlessly running a track" thats trashing. A cur will never have the nose of a plott hound no matter what you say, You need to go to the mountains of east tennesse, or southwest north carolina and bay a hog period. And if you have a cur with a nose like a plott you own a priceless cur, from what I have heard one reason to hunt a cur is for a hot nosed dog, plotts run a track they smell, curs run a hot track. I hog hunted a mountain cur with a good nose but he cant hang with a plott as far as the nose. Curs will turn back and if you have a cur that will run with a plott that is a priceless cur. I want one, you could retire with the money on your proven bloodline. And you could prove that hunting outside texas.
swish

if that mtn cur couldn't hang with the plotts then it was a cull...a good mtn cur don't need any help to track, stick, and bay a hog...

[Bar R Ranch]

 I hog hunted a mountain cur with a good nose but he cant hang with a plott as far as the nose. Curs will turn back and if you have a cur that will run with a plott that is a priceless cur. I want one, you could retire with the money on your proven bloodline. And you could prove that hunting outside texas.
swish

So you judge the whole mountain cur breed based on one dog? 

[smarlowe]

Don't argue with swish guys, (he's u real authority on this stuff, he's got 2 hogs now !)

[Hog_Hunter_57]

I have hunted public land in texas with dogs which is walk in only and have hunted public land in california which is mostly walk in forest roads only and hey i will keep my closed mouth cur dogs and walk 5 miles catching hogs than chase a open hound and to say only your plot will go .68 dude give me a break most of my dogs now will hunt that deep and i do not dump six more dogs to them my bay dogs run and my catch dogs walk on a leash. That is walk hunting I have a friend that has hounds and they are fun but i like my silent curs.

[hoghunter71409]

Waylon,

I apologize for not getting back here on ETDH to reply to your quote where you made all those points.  I will at some point get the time to return an answer.  If you are really curious as to the "attitude" that you mentioned in your original post, pack up your stuff and head to the mountains or go to Ohio, AL, AR, TN, or anywhere where guys hunt hounds day-in and day-out.  I know what I do here in LA works for me and I am sure what you and everybody else does works for them.  I know that I packed up my stuff and went to Canada to see plotts hunt bears on islands last year.  That was cool, that was neat, that was expensive, but I had to do it once in my life.  So if you are curious, go see for yourself.  Don't let anything hold you back, certain not some posts on the internet.  Also, in your original post you said you are not trying to start chit...really? 

Smarlowe, I never saw where swish was bashing you, what wrong with s guy that may not catch as many hogs as everybody else? 

Swish, I agree with several of your comments and as a plott guy, I know your dogs and I'd be glad to hunt them.  Keep hunting the hog in Ohio and be proud.

[Wmwendler]

I really don't want to start chit.  or get into a pissing match.

I want to have an honest and civil discussion/debate about why people think they need hounds to hunt hogs in areas that dont have big populations.  And for those that think that way, have they ever hunted with a good cur.  What do they consider good enough to get it done in thier area and why.  How many hogs which they start do they actually finish.  Whats the average race or do they ever bay hogs in their beds.  Things like that.

I've got some potential to hunt hogs in Arkansas and will most likely take the oportunity to do it when I get the chance to get away.   Its just not very easy to get away like that. But it wont be behind Hounds it will be behind curs that are proven to get it done up there.  And...... next year I'm gonna do my best to make a hunt behind hounds (oh yea a Curs too)on a mountainlion or bear in Oregon.  Yes I said hounds and I will enjoy hunting behind them.  I don't dislike hounds they are very well suited for game such as cougar, bear, racoons. ect.  I just dont think they are very well suited for livestock like hogs.  And expecially not when compared to a good cur dog.   

[tnhillbilly]

Heres the thing, before the Garmin came out hunting with a silent dog was pretty much useless. Not that a cur couldn't find or bay a hog, but for the simple fact that if they got over a ridge and Bayed up out of hearing it would take way to long to find them if you don't know the exact direction they left in. They could end up Bayed for hours before you might find them.
   With open mouthed dogs, you know when they strike a track and which General direction they are headed as to keep up with them.
   There is a reason that people have hunted hounds here in the mtn for the last couple hundred years and not curs, hounds work better.
   As far as being bred specifically for hog, the plotts were, and still are bred for bear and hog. Curs were pretty much unheard of up here until the www. And still are very rare.
   I have Bayed plenty of hogs in their bed, most races are usually 500 yds or less, but I will add these hogs weren't dogged much. But at the same time went to al recently and turned loose from the rd and Bayed a big sow in her bed were they had been dogging pretty heavy.
   If we had good rd up here and lots of hogs im sure there would be a few more Curs around. But we don't so I just cant see it.
   There is a reason there are more hounds hunted in the mtn and more Curs in flat country, the simple fact is, its what works better.
   Can you catch hogs with curs up here? Sure,  can you catch hogs down there with hounds? Sure.  Hunt what works, hunt what you like, I have hunted both type of dogs in all kinds of terrain, from the coast of Nc to tx, up to Ohio, ky, and every state in between. A GOOD DOG, IS A GOOD DOG NO MATTER WHERE YOU DROP IT! Whether its a cur or hound or cross.
Hope that helps

[ETHHunters]

I really don't want to start chit.  or get into a pissing match.

I want to have an honest and civil discussion/debate about why people think they need hounds to hunt hogs in areas that dont have big populations.  And for those that think that way, have they ever hunted with a good cur.  What do they consider good enough to get it done in thier area and why.  How many hogs which they start do they actually finish.  Whats the average race or do they ever bay hogs in their beds.  Things like that.

I've got some potential to hunt hogs in Arkansas and will most likely take the oportunity to do it when I get the chance to get away.   Its just not very easy to get away like that. But it wont be behind Hounds it will be behind curs that are proven to get it done up there.  And...... next year I'm gonna do my best to make a hunt behind hounds (oh yea a Curs too)on a mountainlion or bear in Oregon.  Yes I said hounds and I will enjoy hunting behind them.  I don't dislike hounds they are very well suited for game such as cougar, bear, racoons. ect.  I just dont think they are very well suited for livestock like hogs.  And expecially not when compared to a good cur dog.   

You are probably the only one who thinks your not trying to get in a pissing contest. Your the only one who keeps saying you can't catch hogs in the mountains without  hounds. Its their preference what they hunt. They have already told you their OPINION on why they hunt hounds so let it go. If I was going to take someones opinion on the subject it would be guys who live and hunt up there not your opinion you gathered from who knows where.

[hoghunter71409]

ETHH...well said.  I may have to borrow your first line.  That was a good one and most likely the truth.

[Wmwendler]

I got my opinion from the internet where else could It have possibly came from?

All I can say is if you don't like it don't read it.  I'm still interested in reading other people opinion.

Waylon

[ETHHunters]

I got my opinion from the internet where else could It have possibly came from?

All I can say is if you don't like it don't read it.  I'm still interested in reading other people opinion.

Waylon

That's fine you can read all the opinions you want to but when someones gives theirs don't question it again. Everytime someone has giving their opinion you come back with you don't need hounds just a good cur dog. That's your opinion and everyone on here has read it multiple times.

[blakebh]

Waylon,
I think you really did sum it up in your last post... you just want to trash plotts. That blows my mind that you really havent spent the time with a plott. What you need to do is this... get out of texas and go hunt the mountains, go hunt where you cant use a atv. Go hunt where you dont have hogs like in Texas. My last hunt was this, We walked in .68 miles till the plotts struck, we walked another 200 yards, we let 6 plotts off the lead and at 700 yards they opened up, at 780 they stopped the hog. It took 35 minutes to climb 2 huge hills and the dogs held the hog till we got there. We had to drag the hog 680 yards to the truck. You really need to hunt outside of Texas... really

I really cant see whats all that tough about that.  What you just described sounds like a pretty easy going kind of hunt. 

I walk hunt all the time.  Its not uncommon to walk 4-5 miles a hunt.  Most of the time I walk atleast two miles even If I have an ATV....... they just dont go everywhere.  Most times we are in boggy muddy river bottom that will make you wish you had a dry hill to get on.  Sometimes they cross the Brazos river.  It might take a few hours to go get a boat to cross, then walk in a half mile or more to the bay.  But none of this is impressive its just normal.  Its not uncommon for the dogs to stay hooked for 4+ hours.  I expect them to stay hooked all day or untill they are exausted. Though it usually does not take that long to get to them, so they hardly ever get tested past that.  Those distances and condition you mentioned are not unique.  It happens with hog doggers all the time. Yes....Texas has a large hog population.  But you don't need a hound to find hogs where they are few and far between.  A good cur dog will do it.



Don't get my wrong.  I don't want to trash plotts.  I'm simply questioning the idea that you have to have a hound to find hogs in any location when there are good cur dogs that will do it just the same.

Waylon

I have to agree with Waylon on this one! Didnt sound all that tough.  I hunt in texas without an ATV and its not uncommon for us to walk 10-15 miles on a good day.

[blakebh]

Oh and I forgot to mention I hunt all plott crosses and one full Plott. They are really making me want to get a horse! LOL

[Reuben]

Oh and I forgot to mention I hunt all plott crosses and one full Plott. They are really making me want to get a horse! LOL

  but I bet they find hogs...

[tnhillbilly]

Question- where are all these good cur dogs that will range 500-800 yds and run a track 3-6 hrs old, cold trail a hog 3/4 mi jump and run another mi or two and stay bayed however many hrs it takes you to walk to them? If you can consistently produce these kind of cur dog's  I will buy a couple and consider converting, oh wait those kind are not for sale, and how many come like that out of a litter of strait cur dogs?

And I disagree that a cur dog can do it the same as a hound. Not saying it cant be done with a cur, because I have done it. But not the same as a hound. BIG difference.
For the record IMO Ohio is not that rough. If you want some rough hunting come to north or south east Tn or Western Nc  And the only thing that make tn any tougher than anywhere else is just its straight up and down and not many roads.
   Ive hunted all over, and every place ive hunted is rough in its own way. They've all got briars and thick stuff, thats where the hogs go no matter where your at.

[tnhillbilly]

Oh yeah, and if those cur dog's are such the total package, why are so MANY people adding hound to them? To add range, bottom, nose.
  Don't get me wrong, im not knocking cur dogs, ive seen a few that I wouldnt mind feeding, but to say they would work as good as a hound up here I have to disagree.
   

[halfbreed]

i put it like this i killed and caught a BUNCH of hogs with my curs . i personally like the curs that I have . but when i  was doing hog control on the ranch or the farmland i couldn't be there all the time and i got me some dogs that i could take to the field several hours after i was called . or when we hit the ranch and i seen a several hour old wallow with BIG hog tracks . i got me some more dogs and guess what kind they were ? you becha i got me some good ol hound dogs . i love cutting one single track coming across a road no tellin just when it crossed and putting dogs out and going after that one paticular hog . and now seems like all i see is people lookin for some hound blood . hogs are no longer free ranged domesticated livestock they is WILD animals and they are outta control . and should be hunted as such . so ya''ll just hunt your cur dogs and i'll hunt my cur dogs and hounds and hound crosses and we'll all have a good time and kill some pigs . we can all catch hogs with whatever kinda dog will chase a hog and that should be all there is to it to each his own . been some stupid stuff said in this thread . see ya gotta go feed my hounds 

[crj4926]

I don't understand all the talk of plotts being trail barkers I have one that is just over a year and a half old and she is silent and just now figuring out how to trail a hog off and she will out smell my cur dogs any day of the week and I don't consider my cur dogs junk either they will stay with a hog for several hours.My uncle used to run running walkers and I have seen them trail a hog for hours before they ever looked at him the first time and then break bay and run for hours and they were all silent so I honestly think if a person has never hunted behind a good set of hound they don't know what there missing.