What do you expect out of your dogs?

[magnuml]

When it comes to the argument of " well, over here in my area, your dog better be _____ or you ain't catching these_______ hogs!!" I believe any one with that attitude to be full of ____ 

There's only a few people on here who know me in real life an know how much traveling I do for a living. I've hunted my dogs from west Texas to northern Alabama and over this coming winter and spring I've been invited to bring em to New York and Utah. They gets their butts handed to them just like everybody elses dogs do, but what I've found is good dogs are good dogs no matter where you take em. Mike, Lionandboarhunter, Cward, BigO and lots and lots of other actual dogmen could take theirs wherever they wanted to and still be measurably successful. I don't have any superdogs and I somehow still manage to catch a hog every now and again.

Hunt whatever floats your boat but always stay humble about it and don't get so caught up in thinking your way is the only way thats gonna work. My dogs cross roads, highways and even interstates every now and then, it's part of hunting.

Take care guys, no hard feelins

Well i am going to assume you are talking about me when i said their being a difference between how we can hunt in Florida where i live and texas. I would have been straight forward, but i got your point.. First off i have been hog hunting with dogs within 10 years of you being alive. I know a thing or 2 about dogs and hogs. I may not be as good putting it into words or as good with a computer but i am no rookie or punk nor am i full of number 2. I never said someone from texas with long range dogs could not catch hogs in Florida, i said they would have a hard time and probably get very frustrated and their dogs would be confused with the different terrain. This is one thing i hate about forums, people have a way to stretch things out and twist words. I also never said my way was the only way. I will tell you that Open mouth dogs and quiet dogs don't mix. Bay dogs with 1 rough dog will get dogs hurt and makes more hogs break than not. People that have consistant packs of dogs catch more hogs than people who don't. Quiet cur dogs will only go to a open mouth dog a few times before he won't honor his bark and go to him again. Short range rough quiet dogs in Florida work better than open mouth long range bay dogs. And last, People Lie, dogs don't ! Sounds like you are out to convince me you are a World class hunter who knows it all by making this something it is not.. Maybe you are, but in my experience the people who brag the most usually are the ones that are full of Sh*t. Like the people who catch 300lb hogs every weekend . No hard feelings!

[T-Bob Parker]

I was being as generic and polite as possible dude. I didn't have you in my mind and in reality I didn't have anyone in particular in there. Sorry it seemed that way.

Far as my age and what class of hunter I am? Think whatever you wish to.  I've apologized for hurting your feelings and that's that.

[magnuml]

I was being as generic and polite as possible dude. I didn't have you in my mind and in reality I didn't have anyone in particular in there. Sorry it seemed that way.

Far as my age and what class of hunter I am? Think whatever you wish to.  I've apologized for hurting your feelings and that's that.

I looked at that over and over and my post was the only one that said anything about what you commented on. With the _ and the wink i could only take that one way, disrespectful. I try and treat everyone like i want to be treated but i just don't handle disrespect well and as you can see, i will be direct and not generic and beat around the bush..  I just expect things to be kept mature and enjoy a good debate. People do not have to agree with everything to be friends or friendly. This all started because i was making a point that dogs are not always quitters when they are short range and the difference. Thats all. Apology accepted..Thank you.

[T-Bob Parker]

No problem.

[rdjustham]

When it comes to the argument of " well, over here in my area, your dog better be _____ or you ain't catching these_______ hogs!!" I believe any one with that attitude to be full of ____ 

There's only a few people on here who know me in real life an know how much traveling I do for a living. I've hunted my dogs from west Texas to northern Alabama and over this coming winter and spring I've been invited to bring em to New York and Utah. They gets their butts handed to them just like everybody elses dogs do, but what I've found is good dogs are good dogs no matter where you take em. Mike, Lionandboarhunter, Cward, BigO and lots and lots of other actual dogmen could take theirs wherever they wanted to and still be measurably successful. I don't have any superdogs and I somehow still manage to catch a hog every now and again.

Hunt whatever floats your boat but always stay humble about it and don't get so caught up in thinking your way is the only way thats gonna work. My dogs cross roads, highways and even interstates every now and then, it's part of hunting.

Take care guys, no hard feelins

Agreed!  I guess the point i (and i think a couple other guys) was tryin to make is sometimes alot of bottom aint necessarily a good thing.  I think everyone can agree on that.

[cajunl]

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.

[djhogdogger]

 The veteran dogs have to be a little on the rangey side. Our property is pretty big. They have to have a hot nose. Hogs cross all over the property all of the time back and forth between the farm we hunt and neighboring leases so I want them to wind a hog thats pretty close by, not all the way over on the neighbors property. Some bottom is required but not endless bottom. We will go to our dogs when we have to but I like for them all to know how to backtrack. THey MUST be SILENT on track. This is important for them to stay on our yard. If I hear a bark, they had better be looking at the hog. PERIOD! I know that open dogs bay and catch hogs all of the time, but silent is our personal preference.

[TShelly]

Here's what I look for in a hog dog.

It's not really one driving characteristic or another that the dog must have, to me there are many qualities that come together to equal a hog dog. Find ability (hunt) is imperative in our area. When you have one hog in a 1000 acre pine plantation, it takes a heck of a dog to leave you and go find him. Independence is key in my eyes. The best dogs I see do it for themselves and the love of the hunt.  When we drop the tailgate they hit the woods with a clear goal in mind. The dogs I'm talking about don't pay you any attention in the woods, they grind and work until its time to go home. 

Quit or bottom is something that will get you culled quicker than coming out yellow or with spots around our yards. We expect the dogs to never ever quit. They should stick with hog no matter what, we'll eventually make it to them. We never call our dogs off unless it's absolutely imperative to do so. We want them to strictly think about the hog and not us.  We generally hunt much larger places than most ppl so this is easier for us to hold as a standard. 

Handle is not important at all in our dogs. Some of them we can't hardly even catch after we turn them loose, maybe half know how to load up. In my opinion unless the dogs are worked daily handle can hamper a dogs overall drive as he is constantly looking to his owner for "direction"

Rough, loose doesn't really matter. I like both. Brains is a key, the dogs should progressively get better with more time in the woods. Not regress. Fast starters. No Time to wait 3 years for a dog to "turn on"

Range generally isn't an issue with the line we hunt, preferably longer ranged dogs if I can choose. When I mean range, is the dogs hunt their way out to a certain distance. Not just leave the country running. If they go a mile before they bay, it's bc there weren't any hogs the first 3/4 mile. I don't like super short range dogs. Hanging around the wheeler or constantly checking in gets a quick cull

Cold nose is a plus when we track hunt but not key. We have some warmer nosed hog dogs that are pretty solid.

I like the naturals, just take them to the woods and get out there way. Less chance of screwing them up do to human error

[Reuben]

TShelly you took the words right out of my mouth...you think as I think...

[TexasHogDogs]

Consistency ,  constant improvement with every breeding accepting no less than what the parents are culling the rest.

Don't want no mile long range dog don't need them were I hunt I try to keep my dogs ranged in the area of 750 to 1000 yd big loops ck in move up go again.

Don't care for dogs that wont ck in to much range for me and my places.

I look for dogs that consistently find pork not dogs that are find a hog two three times and go for two months not finding a hog in areas of hog sign.

I make my dogs hunt I dint ride them and I don't look for much sign .  I go to a piece of property that me and the dogs are going to hunt park drop my dogs out and they go they do the hunting not me.

I ride a four wheeler and hunt off of it my dogs are in tune with me and am in tune with my dogs both me and the dogs know when things are not right and somebody ain't ck-ed in its just staying in tune with your dogs knowing what a good dog is and expecting no less and accepting no less .

I dont worry about how other people hunt I hunt the way me and my dogs do.  I dont take my dogs with other folks that hunt differently than we do because you cannot expect the same out of your dogs if you change plans on them .

Just me and my dogs.

[TexasHogDogs]

Might as well finish this while am at it.

Like a fast quick dog a slow dog is worthless.

I dogs that can wind and work a track both.  Some are better at one than the other.  I have seen wind dogs that can be a track dog to the hog and I have seen great track dogs that will beat a wind dog to the hog .  Long as they are good at what they dog.

I like a dog that will finish what he started but that is not always possiable with the land being so short these days so I can make a exception to that rule with my dogs lets be real whos got 25,000 acres to hunt these days.

Smart dogs a dumb dog is useless I dont care how good he can wind are track .

I like dogs that will put teeth on hogs when need be if he breaks his nuts are mine kinda dogs and do what it takes to try and get them stopped but again lets be real none of us get all the hogs we get on .  If a 300 lb boar wants to run he is gonna run dont give a damn what kind of dog you got on him.  I like my dogs to be in the middle with grit .  To much and the hog is gone to little and the hog is gone so lets meet in the middle. 

Wind , Stamaina is a must got to have it with out it your dog is useless all goes back to breeding if you do it right .

And the number one thing HEART with out the heart a dog can have all the above but is about as useless as tits on a boar hog !  The bigger the heart the better the dog and without it breeding is useless.

Am sure I can think of more but if I can get these things out of my dogs am a happy man !  No less than the parents are the dog is a cull in my yard also if you get ten pups and only five turn out as good as the parents and the rest are culls this is not a good liter to me .  You need atleast seven are eight to turn out to be as good are better than the parents then you are headed in the right direction if you breed less you will get less is all it boils down to.  Sorry for all the long stuff here but a big question with big anwsers .

[Curcross1987]

When it comes to the argument of " well, over here in my area, your dog better be _____ or you ain't catching these_______ hogs!!" I believe any one with that attitude to be full of ____ 

There's only a few people on here who know me in real life an know how much traveling I do for a living. I've hunted my dogs from west Texas to northern Alabama and over this coming winter and spring I've been invited to bring em to New York and Utah. They gets their butts handed to them just like everybody elses dogs do, but what I've found is good dogs are good dogs no matter where you take em. Mike, Lionandboarhunter, Cward, BigO and lots and lots of other actual dogmen could take theirs wherever they wanted to and still be measurably successful. I don't have any superdogs and I somehow still manage to catch a hog every now and again.

What are you hunting in ny
Hunt whatever floats your boat but always stay humble about it and don't get so caught up in thinking your way is the only way thats gonna work. My dogs cross roads, highways and even interstates every now and then, it's part of hunting.

Take care guys, no hard feelins

[T-Bob Parker]

What are you hunting in ny

Hogs believe it or not. But it will be mid spring after the melt.

[magnuml]

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

[halfbreed]

yeah there;s hogs all over  lol they've had hogs in pennsylvania since i was a little snot nosed kid reading field and stream .

[cajunl]

Magnum,

I wont write near that much.

I am glad to hear you have a dog that only catches big hogs.

I never said that. I said I like to put out on big tracks and catch the hog that made that track. Never said I only catch big hogs.

I was only disagreeing with the short range dog. No disrepect meant, I know a lot of guys hunt different than I do.


I know a lot of people don't have big places or dont want to chase dogs. At 3 am on some night I am ready to get rid of all them.

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.

Hog hunting is not a competition to me.  I don't get a hard on posting with dead hogs. I hardly ever take pictures. I feed a pen full of pot lickers but they catch a few blind deaf hogs. My name is Lynel Poillion. I hunt 2-3 times a week probally less know that goat season is here. I hunt with only a few people. But I will go with anyone. Shoot me a pm and I will give you my cell.

[cajunl]

Too bad, my in laws are cajun

It sounds like your taste of Wowen is better than your taste in dogs!!

.........


Just a joke!

[magnuml]

Too bad, my in laws are cajun

It sounds like your taste of Wowen is better than your taste in dogs!!

.........


Just a joke!

Won't argue with that one. lol. I am lucky to be able and go after what i have been thru. I agree, Hunting is not a competion, it is a lifestyle and relaxation and time to spend with family and friends. Old and new.. We live catch, no pictures of dead hogs from me either. Anyway Nice to meet and debate with you lynel..We atleast agree on 3 things, like hunting hogs with dogs, Cajuns and John Wayne. He is my favorite actor. Cool profile pic. Where in central Florida are you? 

[cajunl]

Lake county....Sorrento to be exact.

[brandeek1]

I somewhat agree with too much handling being bad. Our dogs are hunted 4-5 nights a week. We don't use too much handle at all. We just make sure we have control over our dogs.
Different strokes for different folks.