Maybe a new concept

[T-Bob Parker]

Maybe a new concept in hunting tournaments could help all this bickering back and forth and be a truer test of the dogs with which we compete.

All hogs would be allowed (even the listed ones) (I'm on to y'all liberty county folks  inside joke)

Lie detector would be mandatory.

Two man teams with two helper total!

Now here's my "new concept" the winner of the contest would be determined by the heaviest total stringer with NO LIMIT on the amount of hogs.
This means if you and your podna are capable of catching 25-30-or even 40 hogs with your dogs in one weekend then so be it! I think a few tourneys have largest stringer side pots, but this would be the main event. A true test of both dog and dogman.


I was talking with TexasJ a while back (despite what some of y'all feel right now, he is a genuinely good guy and even if he doesn't have the same opinions as others, he is still a hard working fella devoted to this sport as he sees fit and will continue to get my respect) and yes, I did mention that I wouldn't be entering but maybe one contest this year because I know my hogs can't compete with the truly big ones I've seen others bring to weigh ins and to be honest, something I didn't mention is money is always tight at my house. Hate it, but it's the truth. We eat alot of hamburger helper

Were I lack in hog size and weight, I feel that I could be at least semi competitive in total number brought in.
I know of lots of guys off the top of my head who I still bet would absolutely SMOKE me and my buddy in this form of competion, I would love to see someone put it together!  Alot of folks have said in recent days, that no one goes to these competions to get silver or bronze and so on, but even though I know I'm gonna continue to lose for the forseeable future, I still love love love competition hunting!!


Id really like to see a comp where the winner is chosen by total number of hogs or heaviest stringer totals.

What do y'all think?

[hogdown]

T-BOB......I like it. I think a 4 man team with no helper's, all hogs must be live. (If it was me)

[T-Bob Parker]

The reason I'd say two man teams is to really really really put the dogs (and the men) to the test. It shouldn't be about some team who's got 40 dogs available to span the two days. Heck as long as I'm just dreaming it up, I may as well throw it out there and say each team member is limited to his four best dogs plus one catch dog each. That way your talking a total of 10 dogs per team for the whole weekend.

I've had and heard people say "oh yeah!! Well bring your best dogs and put your money where your mouth is!!!" and well this would be a friendly cordial way of folks all over Texas doing just that.

I like it.

[hogdown]

Ya your right T-Bob. I'll like to see it put on. The helper are good, i just think if some one would do away with helper's it would be just what you said. Not just the dog but the hunter's also. I can tell you this, two hunter's that can tie, drag,load,and keep up all weekend, and still turn in 40 + hog are some  bad SOB'S. TUFF AS THEY COME.

What do you think about a hog hunt that is set up like a coon hunt ? Two hunter's ,one dog each,cast at the same place and time.Hunter's will call his or her dog, and see the hog. Set up as a playoff. The hunts can enter up to 4 dogs ,but only cast one dog at a time.  Just asking you becase  it's alway on my mind. 

[Mike]

T-Bob... they would be great if you had a honey hole completely loaded with hogs.

Jesse Paul, Big E, Jasonmac and I hunted four days straight and barely caught 5.

But I've caught 26 in a weekend down in Matagorda County.

It's also real easy to ride around a feedlot, or wheat fields with a spot light... or down in the marsh in a boat and stack up high numbers of hogs.

Quantity doesn't mean the quality of the dog.

[TexasHogDogs]

Yeah the thing I never have liked about hunting comp is it is usely not the quality of dogs are men it is the places that they have to hunt .

So the way it ends up is .

Land vs Land instead of Dog vs Dog are  Team vs Team.

I may have 20.000 acres total but if it is not holding hogs like some folks 5000 acres flooded with hogs what the hell know what I mean .  I know its not all about winning and its about the sport and all of that but that kinda puts a damper on a lot of folks .

It turns in to land vs land instead of dog on dog are man vs man.

[TexasHogDogs]

Land vs Land

To me this is the whole troubled ball of wax to most hunters .  Solve this problem some way to were it is more compatible for the less fortunate hunters with just as good of dogs but less hogs on the land and less land .  Some people are hunters are just more fortunate. Dose not mean they got better dogs it just means they got better land and places so  Get this solved and all the other problems will fall in line.

Same people ever year over and over and over .  Not saying they are not great hunters and have great dogs but put everybody on the same scale and I would be willing to bet things might just get a little different results.

I know its hard to do are almost impossible thats why the few I been it was just for the fun of being there.

[T-Bob Parker]

I get where your coming from mike, but every competition does the same thing. Who's to say it's not a land issue as to why some hogs get so big, or just luck that someone with good dogs catches a great hog and beats someone with better dogs.
See, there's always some way of naysaying and complaining.


Heck it could be in somebodies pen or high fence. Whatever, put a two hour time slot on it and catch and release the hogs.

[reatj81]

T-bob   I like the concept!   
As I have said before I don't comp hunt, but I see the 4 man team with no helpers as more likely to work over the 2 man team!   I think there are more people than not that only have 2/3 dogs than ones with 10 hog dogs.   If say I have 3 dogs and my buddy has 2 dogs that's only 2 small sets to hunt, couple injuries and we are done.   If 4 man team say 2-3 dogs per member say 10 dogs total. A team should be able to keep hunting, and change dogs for a break!   I really like the no helper concept, I hunt alone or with 2-3 others at most.   Most all of the places I have to hunt the land owners don't want many people on their place!   We have a theft, crack head problem in my area, so I understand.   I really like the live hog concept, but I believe it would eliminate a lot of hunters!    I don't comp hunt, but I know my son would love to, so if his schedule ever worked out were he can make one I'm sure we will enter if he could talk the guys I hunt with into hunting!

[cward]

I have never won first place at tdha. But I liked the old rules never had a problem with them until thought of changing the rule.
To strive harder to better every year and try not to dog so heavy in the area we use for competition. Me and you have discussed ways of making it better for your group of guys ( not cheating  ways) Like leaving big hogs boars alone until the day of competition then going to try and catch those big boars not barrs.
There was good rules in the tdha. I think the answer to all of the problem is to make sure they ask the right questions on the polygraph test.

[Miller Lite]

im down for that we need to set that up t-bob sounds like my kinda hunt