Herd style hunting

[alphabravo]

 I was talking to an old bulldog breeder, and he talked about herd style hunting. herding the hogs towards a temporary pen, and culling the ones you want to keep and then releasing the rest.  Has anyone ever done this? If so could you talk about your experience?
 

[Goose87]

You'll have a hard time finding anybody who does this anymore, it used to be common practice years ago when working hogs with dogs was a necessity and not a sport.

[alphabravo]

You'll have a hard time finding anybody who does this anymore, it used to be common practice years ago when working hogs with dogs was a necessity and not a sport.

 I figured as much. This guy was real old school. Looking forward to getting a dog from him in the future.
 His bulldogs are more herders and livestock guardians than catch dogs.

[C L]

Most of the hogs back then were quite a lot different from most in the woods today, both in genetic background and experience with humans. I am not sure it would be possible to drive a group of hogs with a lot of Russian influence, particularly if they had been hunted with rough dogs. I think there may be a few instances of hogs being handled this way today but I think it is very rare.

[CHRIS H.]

Most of the hogs back then were quite a lot different from most in the woods today, both in genetic background and experience with humans. I am not sure it would be possible to drive a group of hogs with a lot of Russian influence, particularly if they had been hunted with rough dogs. I think there may be a few instances of hogs being handled this way today but I think it is very rare.

My dad used to tell me about some old timer who'd ride around on a horse and call in his herd  of hogs with a  blow horn .. Out by cypress Texas

I always thought that'd been cool to see .. I'm sure that guy could get them in a pen and cull

[Scott]

You'll have a hard time finding anybody who does this anymore, it used to be common practice years ago when working hogs with dogs was a necessity and not a sport.

 I figured as much. This guy was real old school. Looking forward to getting a dog from him in the future.
 His bulldogs are more herders and livestock guardians than catch dogs.

Even those old stock dogs were required to catch when told. I've always thought it odd that some want to accentuate certain parts of the duties that were required of those dogs while minimizing others...

[318hoghunter]

Many of the older guys that i know who use to free range hogs had only one or two cur dogs that had an unbelievable handle would catch and release hogs on command. They managed those hogs back then, would ear mark all their pigs, dock tails and castrate most of the boars, leaving a few for stud boars. Every family had a distinct ear mark that was recorded at the county or parish courthouse. I believe parts winn and Lasalle parishes in LA still had open stock laws until around 2009. I think if you search some of the past threads there are some pics posted of some hog drives.

[jdt]

your right 318 , that was the way it was done just a couple generations ago . like cl said the russian influence and hunting for sport makes it hard to do nowdays but still if you find the right hogs in the right place and have the right dogs , they can be penned .

  scott are you saying there was or is a line of bulldogs that was used to pen hogs ?

[K-Bar]

JDT, I was talking to Mr Scott a few years back when we got our first ones from him; he has had a lot of dogs in the past that were used as herding dogs as well as catch dogs. They were just farm dogs. They caught when they were supposed to and worked when they were supposed to. Keep in mind though that the more time you spend with any dog the more they know what you expect and want from them. I raised a Scott bred female that went to the ranch with me from about 3 1/2 months old, and rode through hundreds of yearlings and never made a bobble. When I sorted one off and roped it she caught it. As soon as I turned him loose she was right back to trotting along beside me. She was a little hard to get off once she caught but I never had to tie her back or anything like that. After a few she got easier to get to let them go. Then she ate one of the boss's wife's decorative little pumpkins and I couldn't take her anymore. Dumb bit@@. Not the dog! 

[Scott]

your right 318 , that was the way it was done just a couple generations ago . like cl said the russian influence and hunting for sport makes it hard to do nowdays but still if you find the right hogs in the right place and have the right dogs , they can be penned .

  scott are you saying there was or is a line of bulldogs that was used to pen hogs ?

jdt, when it comes to bulldogs...many a yarn has been spun. I know folks that used bulldogs to work livestock and their thoughts were it's hard on the livestock and harder on the dogs. I believe that those dogs can be taught what is required of them from a young age, but still may not be the best tool for the task at hand. So, if someone were to tell me there was a line of bulldogs that would find, gather, lead, and pen livestock...I'd say I'd want to see multiple specimens from that family of dogs get it done...otherwise it's just another tall tale. Bulldog peddlers have learned to sell the story...not work the dogs.

[TheRednose]

your right 318 , that was the way it was done just a couple generations ago . like cl said the russian influence and hunting for sport makes it hard to do nowdays but still if you find the right hogs in the right place and have the right dogs , they can be penned .

  scott are you saying there was or is a line of bulldogs that was used to pen hogs ?

jdt, when it comes to bulldogs...many a yarn has been spun. I know folks that used bulldogs to work livestock and their thoughts were it's hard on the livestock and harder on the dogs. I believe that those dogs can be taught what is required of them from a young age, but still may not be the best tool for the task at hand. So, if someone were to tell me there was a line of bulldogs that would find, gather, lead, and pen livestock...I'd say I'd want to see multiple specimens from that family of dogs get it done...otherwise it's just another tall tale. Bulldog peddlers have learned to sell the story...not work the dogs.

Scott you make some great points. But my question is why would you even want a bulldog who did that??? When you can go get a McNabb, Border Collie, Hanging Tree Cow Dog, or Catahoula who already do this at a much, much higher level. Thats the part that doesn't make sense to me. Like you stated Scott just seems like the wrong tool for the job. Just my opinion though.

[Rooster79]

Used to bunch up hogs with the cows when I was younger and drive them to the pens. Hogs has definitely changed though and it ain't too easy to do anymore. I agree with Rednose, a good cur will be better suited for the job but I am sure there are some good bulldogs out there that can do it

[alphabravo]

your right 318 , that was the way it was done just a couple generations ago . like cl said the russian influence and hunting for sport makes it hard to do nowdays but still if you find the right hogs in the right place and have the right dogs , they can be penned .

  scott are you saying there was or is a line of bulldogs that was used to pen hogs ?

jdt, when it comes to bulldogs...many a yarn has been spun. I know folks that used bulldogs to work livestock and their thoughts were it's hard on the livestock and harder on the dogs. I believe that those dogs can be taught what is required of them from a young age, but still may not be the best tool for the task at hand. So, if someone were to tell me there was a line of bulldogs that would find, gather, lead, and pen livestock...I'd say I'd want to see multiple specimens from that family of dogs get it done...otherwise it's just another tall tale. Bulldog peddlers have learned to sell the story...not work the dogs.

 You ain't never lied about that!!!

[alphabravo]

     It takes a domestic hog on average about four weeks without human contact to become feral, so why wouldn't this style of hunting be possible?  I'm sure a feral hog with cutters intact could be just as bad as a half Eurasian boar.

[T-Bob Parker]

I've not driven hogs a distance with any success, so take this for what it's worth.
Hogs that will rally will work given the right amount of time, pressure and skill on the part of dog and man.
I've gotten lucky enough to bay a good number of sounders now, but the most memorable was in Scurry County TX with Josh Heffernan. We both have stock minded dogs though they are quite different in style, they all have the feel for "pressure". A dog winded sign from a feeder, went to the hogs and they rallied up in no time with all the dogs there. We decided then and there to sit back, relax and let the dogs work this group as long as we could.

After a good while we went up there and played with the group, any way we went, the dogs moved opposite and kept the rally focused. Seeing as how we had no atvs or horses we decided to push them with Josh's truck and did for a spell. Eventually my best dog suffered an injury and We decided to bust that sounder, and let me tell you, after all that time "dog breaking" them it was durn hard to get them to leave.

One of these days we will have some friends along and drive a rally and film it, but for now its just fun getting them to rally

[Goose87]

     It takes a domestic hog on average about four weeks without human contact to become feral, so why wouldn't this style of hunting be possible?  I'm sure a feral hog with cutters intact could be just as bad as a half Eurasian boar.

. Because a domestic hog doesn't have as much of the fight or flight mentality, years ago when this style was common practice any hogs that busted out of the group were killed off only leaving the ones who would rally up, same with the cattle, then deer hunters wanted to come in and lease up all the land so they could "manage" the deer and that was the downfall of the days of working hogs...

[warrent423]

Alphabravo, I know I have talked to you before. Anytime you want to see a stock bred bulldog work on cattle, you can come see me. I won't "tell" you about one, but I will "show" you one that will still get it done(head bunch ring and catch) You better hurry though, she's getting old who you getting a pup from.

[alphabravo]

Alphabravo, I know I have talked to you before. Anytime you want to see a stock bred bulldog work on cattle, you can come see me. I won't "tell" you about one, but I will "show" you one that will still get it done(head bunch ring and catch) You better hurry though, she's getting old who you getting a pup from.

 I'd love to get one From either Ray Lane Or Jeff Clark. I want the old school Mastiff type temperament, and not so much the pitbull temperament.