Another open vs silent thread!

[hogdoggintexas]

i like semi open curs i dont know why i just do    i have got hogs both ways open and silent

[Eric]

Here is a silent vs. open twist for you, walk hunt from the truck next time you go to the woods.  I will promise you more hogs caught and they will be closer to you haha.  They can hear the buggies too!
MG

Thats it. Any extra noise, no matter what it is, will move the hogs out of the area here. They have been conditioned to know barking dogs = people and death.

Plus, I don't see how you get catch dogs lined up when the bay dogs have been barking the whole time. Guess you can send them on command or some thing? If the hog breaks and the dogs are barking on track the catch dog will probably try to keep going. I want the catch dog to come back if it gets quiet.

[WestTexasCurs]

Some real good replys.I would like to add that, I like a dog that runs quiet,as much as the next man.But I also wont get rid of one that can really run a track open,either.Anyone ever wonder why other biggame hunters use mostly open hounds?But most Tx hog hunters turn their nose up at hounds.Do Bear not fall into the "I hear a dog,I'm outta here" catagory?Why would someone want to breed up a dog that is open on track?Sounds like to me by alot of the replys all a open dog does is push the critter faster........Now I aint askin these questions because I dont have my own opinion.I just would like to know what some other dog mens opinions are.Do alot of yall think a open mouth hound is out of date?

[scdogman]

Allen I have hunted  regularly with two in my whole life.  These two are the standard that I judge all dogs.  My buddy owned both.  He was lucky enough to own both at the same time.  He now has dog with as much hunt and drive but not as near as the nose, but the search still continues.  My old dog has been hunted with these dogs and I know he does not have near the nose they have.  If a dog can't out trail my old dog,  I usually move on if that dog does not shine in another area.

I would guess that most big game hunters want alot of nose.  Nose usually comes with long ears and barking.  Finding a silent one that cold trail and quiet is hard.  That's why I say they are worth there weight in gold.  That being said, there are some big game hunters that prefer silent cold trailing dogs like the striker dog.  I know of a plott hunter that is trying to breed a silent line of plott.

I would guess that since I moved to Texas, I dont need a dog that can cold trail as much.  You can almost find a decent track to run.  Back in SC, that wasn't the case.  I have seen the two dogs above leave on a walk out of a field and put hogs to the end of the track many of days in July.  I have never seen a track that a hound could take that the Mt Cur named Tazz could not take.  His son was bred to lil hopper before he died.  My buddy is raising six of the nine pups himself and the other three are placed real close.

When I see guys posting dogs for high prices, I just think that they can't be worth it.  Usually a dog that good, has offers way before the owner wants to sell.  If he is silent and can trail he would have offers out the door.  I would have sold anything I  had to buy the Tazz dog if my buddy ever wanted to sell.  All he had do was name a price. 

[jsh]

I've never seen a catch dog quit when a hog breaks.  My experience is that they will follow a hog that breaks till they lose them or tire out.  They're not chasing a hog because of a trail barking dog.

An open mouth dog is just as good as any if he's putting pork on the ground.  If he's running hogs out of the area everytime he hunts, he's no good for you.

Mixing open/silent dogs will cause confusion - unless they are a pack.  A pack meaning that the dogs know each other and their roles inside and out.  Sometimes my hound will open up out of frustration if he can't figure out a track.  The other dogs know the difference in a trail bark and a bay.

I know some people wonder why someone would mess with the mouth, but I love to see and hear a good dog work.  You other hound guys understand what I mean.

[JJ]

I am in the hill country, I run open and silent dogs together. I still catch 100+ hogs a year. I am old school and appreciate a good race. its nice to hear where your dogs are goin, and not need tracking collars. I do use them just dont always need them. OPEN dogs catch hogs TOO.

JJ

[WestTexasCurs]

Allen I have hunted  regularly with two in my whole life.  These two are the standard that I judge all dogs.  My buddy owned both.  He was lucky enough to own both at the same time.  He now has dog with as much hunt and drive but not as near as the nose, but the search still continues.  My old dog has been hunted with these dogs and I know he does not have near the nose they have.  If a dog can't out trail my old dog,  I usually move on if that dog does not shine in another area.

I would guess that most big game hunters want alot of nose.  Nose usually comes with long ears and barking.  Finding a silent one that cold trail and quiet is hard.  That's why I say they are worth there weight in gold.  That being said, there are some big game hunters that prefer silent cold trailing dogs like the striker dog.  I know of a plott hunter that is trying to breed a silent line of plott.

I would guess that since I moved to Texas, I dont need a dog that can cold trail as much.  You can almost find a decent track to run.  Back in SC, that wasn't the case.  I have seen the two dogs above leave on a walk out of a field and put hogs to the end of the track many of days in July.  I have never seen a track that a hound could take that the Mt Cur named Tazz could not take.  His son was bred to lil hopper before he died.  My buddy is raising six of the nine pups himself and the other three are placed real close.

When I see guys posting dogs for high prices, I just think that they can't be worth it.  Usually a dog that good, has offers way before the owner wants to sell.  If he is silent and can trail he would have offers out the door.  I would have sold anything I  had to buy the Tazz dog if my buddy ever wanted to sell.  All he had do was name a price. 

Tazz sounds like the type of dog,I dream about.Whats his son like?What do you think of Hoppers nose?Did you keep one of them pups?I got a sister to Hopper here.You cant beat a peep out of her,and she can trail with any dog I have seen.The problem with her is she is kinda suicidal,If you run her with the right dog,she is gonna catch it.Not as bad byherself,but still way rougher than I like.

[scdogman]

Allen along the same line of thinking.  Have you heard of top notch hounds that use to open go completley silent.  Why do you think this happens?

There was a big discussion about this on a plott board.  Opening dogs going silent for no reason.  Dogs that were top notch opening hounds.

[WestTexasCurs]

JJ,I been waitin on you and Rusty to chime in. He must be out chasein pork all over Tx.............

[cward]

Well I got one for you!  I have a gyp that barks on track and a male that is completely silent he can fly he out runs everything well while she is barking and the hog thinks the dogs are way behind he done caught up  with the hog and put the heat on him.......I have said this before a hog is like a horse he can breath if he is in a trot but can not breath if he is in a dead run......If yor dog can put enough heat on the hog he will have to bay...Thats why in westtexas they long trot there horses so they can cover more ground.  If you can make a hog get in a dead run for a 100 yards he will have to bay... If a dog is fast enough it does not matter if he bark or not....

[WestTexasCurs]

I have had dogs that were very open,get more silent with age.I dont know why,but they did.I always thought they lost some of the excitement they had as young dogs.Also thought they might have got the Tx hog hunter mind set.If I stay a tad more quiet,I might catch him quicker. Its hard for me to say.Also had dogs open up more with age.So who knows??

[JJ]

yeah I talked to rusty today he is buying a hound from me.

JJ

[jhy]

I am a silent dog person and I used to get mad and pick up my dogs and leave if someone had a dog that opened up on track and I still will if the dog opens its mouth everytime its foot hits the ground.  Now a dog that gives a little mouth every now and then doesnt bother me too much especially if it is after a hog breaks because the hog already knows its there.  My old female will let out a bark or two when she smells a hot track and will give a little mouth when it breaks at first then she will let out two barks about every 500yds but the younger silent dogs are usually 500yds ahead of her so it doesnt matter.

However, I have noticed that open dogs seem to hunt harder than silent dogs at least the ones that I have observed for the most part.

Joey

[Eric]

How well do yall with the open dogs pan out as far as being able to catch multiple hogs in a small area? What kind of country are yall hunting?

Could there be a link between the two? Like the big game guys, they are after one and are done I would think.

[pig snatcher]

Allen,
A friend of mine owned Tazz and his son that Hopper was bred to.  I was fortunate enough to hunt with Tazz a little before he got gone. He was the first hog dog I hunted behind.  Was kind of dissapointed to find out they werent all that way. LOL  He was a once in a lifetime type dog.

Rusty, the dog hopper was bred to was a good dog. He didnt have the nose his father had but you could count on him to produce wherever you took him.  Hunted hard, was smart and had plenty of bottom and the rite amount of gritt.  I caught a lot of hogs behind him and put a lot of faith in him.

[scdogman]

My buddy is raising the pups.  They are about 8 months old.  3 of the 6 are really on the gritter side. He is also starting a Cody II pup out of the pocahantos plott line for me as well.  she is wide open all the time and can really play some music.

I had seen the too gritter from lil hopper.   I was hoping his 5 acre pen and some really bad sows would knock it out of her.  But he saw the same, two more dogs and she will try to catch any hog. Stayed on the IR.  With every bad wreck, we kept thinking that would change her mind,  it never did.  

I think lil hopper has a ton drive and can move a jumped track pretty good, but I dont think she cold trailed well.  


I believe some dogs learn if they keep there mouth shut they can sneak up on game quicker.  I have seen it were coon dogs go to catching game on the ground.  Also more and more of the competition dogs are getting quieter and quieter even though the rules state they must open.  "Strike my dog, tree my dog" in the same breath.

[JJ]

I hunt alot of country, the smallest place I hunt is 15,000 acres up to 173,000, However in the past i have hunted 500- 600 acre places. The best day that I ever had was in a section(640 acres) thats a small place around here. 15 hogs in 3 hours with my open dogs.

JJ

[WestTexasCurs]

How well do yall with the open dogs pan out as far as being able to catch multiple hogs in a small area? What kind of country are yall hunting?

Could there be a link between the two? Like the big game guys, they are after one and are done I would think.

[WestTexasCurs]

Caught on 7,000 acres.In not quite a full day,with open and silent dogs together.I wont go into best numbers or anything,but they do alright for us.I try not to hunt stuff under a sect,unless I can go on the bordering propertys.I like a dog to stay hooked,if he can.

[JJ]

If they dont stay HOOKED weather is 500 yds or 5 miles they dont stay at my house.

JJ