I have said it once and I will say it again. SPEED is as important if not more important than most traits. If u can't catch up u are just waiting for them to decide to stop.
Shotgun
Arkansas
speed is important...and a hound that takes a cold track and grinds it out and jumps the hog an hour or 2 later is not a dog I will keep...too many hogs around to keep a dog like that...one that finds a hog pretty quick and moves the track fast I like...open is fine with me...seems like the best dogs I ever owned were somewhat open anyways..
one of those cold trailing dogs that will work a track out a little more slowly because he is working out a feeder tracks is good to have when hunting a big place with a few hogs or when putting the dog down on a big hog track...
I do know for a fact that a hog has an exceptional nose...but I also believe that their sense of hearing is also pretty good...I think that is the reason why a hog stops and stands very still because he is counting on his ears to tell him when it is time to run when the silent dogs are closing in...