BigGameHoundsmen.com

Hey guys new to the forum and hound hunting in general.

Around 7 months ago I bought a couple of plott hound puppies and have been trying to train them on bear, coon and hog.

I have a small bay pen with a pot belly pig I let them bay and try to catch on. I let them in the pen about once a week for about 15 minutes or so. Occasionally also take it to the mountains and let then play with it there to simulate finding feral hog.
I also have a havahart trap I've been catching coon and possum in and letting them see.

Have some graws bear and coon scent I've been putting on coon and squirrel hides and dragging. Drags are anywhere from a couple 100 yards to 3/4 mile.

The pups have no problem understanding the concepts. They'll range out on the drags and stay treed til I get there. But when it comes to hunting they just aren't doing very well. They've treed on a few squirrels and when they got very hot deer or turkey tracks They'll drive them for a while but then come back after 10-15 minutes. They also have yet to find any hog or coon even though I've put them on sign. It's almost like they don't want to.

Last night me and a friend took them to some public land and they would barely even range out. They were under our feet almost the whole night. Occasionally they'd start tracking and them come back.

My buddy said I probably need to get a finished dog to run with them but I really don't want another dog if possible. Could it be because they're still so young or should they be making a lot more progress by now?

Every part of hunting dogs is confidence. A dog without confidence won’t be independent. I like to take my puppies to the woods and just let them explore. I’ll sit in a chair and just wait. They may hang out a while but they’ll get bored and start venturing out. When it gets to the point where they are getting out pretty good and come back, move your chair further and repeat. This allows them to learn sites and sounds of the woods. It lets them learn to navigate the brush and how to find their way back to you. It also lets them learn that you are still going to be there and not leave them. You have to remember you are their pack leader. They are paying attention to everything you do. If they happen to find something make sure you praise the heck out of them. It will only fuel the fire. I’m a believer that dogs either have hunt in them or they don’t. You can dial a dog back that is longer ranged but you can’t force them to hunt. They aren’t going to be super stars right out of the gate usually. I’m sure you knew that going into it. You can also make them lazy by making everything too easy, like putting them down right on top of a track or bay pen work. It’s easy so why work for it. There are many variables, just remember to think like a dog not a human. That’s my two cents worth.


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Yep, less (or no more) 'mock hunts' and more real time in the woods. my $.02