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I have noticed that a large % of the coons I run end at a hole in the ground or a huge pile of tree limbs or some other place other than a tree. my dogs seem to move a track fairly well but they have a hard time pressuring a coon before it can get to its favorite hiding place. Are my dogs moving the track too slow? Are they not locating on the ground? Are the coons in my area over hunted and smart?
I have 2 hounds one is loud with a loose mouth the other is real gritty.
They are 1 1/2 and 2 1/2 years old. Neither dog seems to move a track better than the other but both can move a coon track at deer speed sometimes for several hundred yards then they struggle for 5 or 10 min. before moving it again.
do my dogs need more practice? Should I cull?

Have you tryed hunting in a new spot? If so do they do the same thing there?

I have tried a few different places. The problem seems worse if the ground cover is thick. It seems like the coons are hiding on the ground and waiting for a chance to sneak out, but my dogs cant find them.

Keep hunting them 90% of the coons we catch are on the ground

Could they be running the tracks backwards? This would explain ending up in dens all the time.

Maybe try hunting them with someone elses dogs that you know catch coons. That should tell you alot. If the same thing happens with there dogs, then you have no problems.

Thaks for the help. I will try them for a while longer. I don't think they run too many backwards, but I should probably check that . I don't get much opportunity to hunt with other hounds as my friends run bird dogs, but I agree that would be the best way to figure this out.
The dogs are fine I need new friends

I catch more than half my coons in holes and on the ground, too. Its where we hunt. My dogs tree just fine and don't have a problem with tracks. Its that the coons I hunt live in the thick nasty cat tails and will run past trees to get caught on the ground. I don't know where santaquin is but surely theres someone around to turn loose with.

if they run coon i woulnt be worried about it. i dont care how much pressure a dog puts on a coon, some just arent going to tree. some of the bigger one ive seen will fight, and some have got away. some will head strait to water, ive had that happen a couple times, and then some hit holes. thats jsut coon hunting in my opinion. i would be keepin theese dogs. and if u dont like em, i would bet someone would buy them from you. good luck

Thanks, I appreciate it. I have a lot of fun hunting these dogs, and sometimes they make me real proud, I just hope locating is a skill they gain with more experience.

Go to utahfederationofhoundsmen.com and get in touch with them they will hook you up with some one in your area to hunt with. Also they have events every so often that you can take your dogs to.

TREE DOG/BOONE :Go to utahfederationofhoundsmen.com and get in touch with them they will hook you up with some one in your area to hunt with.

You quit already? The Haskells live in Santaquin

you said the dogs were 1 1/2 and 2 1/2 most hounds don't reach there prime untill between 4 to 6 yrs so I think you have time.

Thanks, boots I just had a great weekend with them, Your right they seem to be getting better, especially my older dog.

My english female is 3 and she's just really turning on this year, she'll still tree porkies, but she's a strong tree dog on coon so i can tell when she's lying to me, i made her a show champ and she'll be a grand water champ soon, and i'll try for field champ this year yet, maybe next year she'll be ready for the night hunts.....if i had given up on her two years ago i would have missed out on alot of fun, and thats what it's really about, isn't it?