English lines

[dswish]

I'm looking for opinions on English lines that the east coast big game guys are liking. Here's what I'm looking for, an English line that has a decently cold nose, natural rigging ability, and a bawl mouth track voice. For the most part I only coon hunt but have dabbled in cat hunting. The 1 1/2 y/o gyp I've got now has been turning it on nicely since I got her and started her at 10 months old. What I like is she was a natural rig dog, easy starter, excellent disposition, fairly accurate. What I don't like is she is chop mouth both ways, and she is a hotter nose dog. She is Wilcox bred on the bottom and hardtime/briar creek bred on top. I'd like to work on producing dogs that will suit me for several years to come and she possesses a lot I like but had some traits I'd like to change. I've been reading up on the lightfoot bred dogs and like them a lot but haven't seen anything close by Va, also would like to hear about the turkey ridge rackett bred dogs and the rocky bred dogs. Any opinions or info is greatly appreciated.

[bearhuntermatt]

I use to have several English dogs. Still got a couple older ones male and female. The male is a blue English dog but has a great cold nose with a good bawl mouth both track and tree. He was easy learner, took to the rig and free casting great. Had a good amount of grit and got hurt a few times. He is currently 10 years old, I still take him some he just isn't able to keep up with my young dogs now. He is originally from Wisconsin and bought him when he was 1. His bloodline goes back to swamp rooster, I don't have the papers with me but could will look next time I go home. I also live in VA just outside of Roanoke. I bred the dog once to the female I still have and only got one pup from litter. He turned into an excellent dog, being fast and great on the rig. If you would possibly be interested in breeding to him let me know. My dad would like to have a pup out of him again and my female is to old to breed now.

Thanks
Matt

[dswish]

I would love to see your dogs pedigree. I'm on the fence right now of what I will end up doin whether it's gettin a male pup bred up the way I like or breeding my gyp. Either way it will most likely be 6 months to a year at least before I do anything for sure. I want to make sure my gyp is solid by herself before I work on another project or breed her. She is turning out very nice though. I'm not too far from you either just up 81 a couple hours.

[bearhuntermatt]

Ok sounds good. I will get the dogs pedigree for you on Saturday when I go back home. That will be fine and hopefully get something worked out in the future. I got a few young dogs I should get finished up next season and will be ready for another project after that.

[Tbblue]

If I was gonna buy an English dog for coon , I would give Asa Briggs a call . He's from mi. N always packs a coon dog . Know Asa a long time n hunted with his hounds back when I coon hunted. He's had a dog in the final cast at the world last 2 yrs.
Another guy that always packs a nice English dog is Larry Wilcox from mi.

[dswish]

Tbblue- thank you for the info my gyp now is a granddaughter to tae Bo and niece to top gun and I would definitely own a Wilcox dog again. I've also followed Asa's dogs the last couple years and there's no doubt he packs a hound, but I don't think that line is goin to suit me. What I've heard about them is they tend to be chop mouth both ways and even silent on the ground. I've not looking for the flavor of the week breeding so to speak. A lot of the comp bred dogs bein produced aren't exactly what I'm looking for to suit me. By that I mean I don't need a dog that once unsnapped gets gone and has no reverse that could mean a looong night for me some nights. I also don't neccesarilly want a dog that has to be split 90% of the time either. I do however want somthing with a good nose that can work up a colder track preferably with a bawl mouth and comes from a well known line of natural rig dogs. If or when I make a cross I don't necessarily need names that will sell but rather have the parents have the ability to produce. I would plan on keeping several pups for myself and give the rest away to some very good friends that are hardcore bear hunters. From what I'm gathering through research I'm leaning toward the oney or lightfoot dogs.