Best way to Start a dog without older dogs..Maine.
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PineRidge
- Posts: 13
- Joined: Sun Jan 24, 2010 10:02 pm
- Location: Downeast Maine
- Location: Downeast Maine
Best way to Start a dog without older dogs..Maine.
Topic says it all. Got a couple 7 month old walkers that came from awesome bear dogs..dont have any older dogs to go with and need help..should I just use drags for awile then put them on a hot bait...Also any of you Maine guys that would be interested in taking my pups in for some running with older dogs id be more than willing to pay..or just let me tag along would be cool too..thanks guys! Mike
Re: Best way to Start a dog without older dogs..Maine.
I'd first give them a few more months to grow up. 7 mos is pretty young. I like them to be more like 10-11 mos old personally. My other suggestion would be to get an old broke dog to hunt them with. You can do it alone, but the road is a lot longer.
In the meantime I'd try to get them fired up on some sort of critter. Kick ma's house cat out the back door and if they go ballistic at it, then they are probably ready for a little more work.
After that I would pick out the bait that is getting hit the most frequently by bear. If it's hit, put them out. If they don't go, load them up. Keep checking it about every hour or so until you've got a hot rehit, then put them out see what happens. Eventually if they've got the right stuff in them, they will take off on a track. I'd put them out one at a time and if one goes, feed the other one in behind when it is opening on the track.
If you know somebody who has some good dogs and trees bear, see if they will let you walk in with 1 pup to a tree of theirs. If they will, walk one in and wait for the bear to come down. The dog might even tree before bear ever comes down, but most likely it will jack ass around with all the new dogs and commotion. If you want and they will let you, you could even re run the bear when it comes down. But I wouldn't make it a habit and sometimes the bear isn't so easy to tree the second time. Sometimes they go up quicker, depends on the bear.
In the meantime I'd try to get them fired up on some sort of critter. Kick ma's house cat out the back door and if they go ballistic at it, then they are probably ready for a little more work.
After that I would pick out the bait that is getting hit the most frequently by bear. If it's hit, put them out. If they don't go, load them up. Keep checking it about every hour or so until you've got a hot rehit, then put them out see what happens. Eventually if they've got the right stuff in them, they will take off on a track. I'd put them out one at a time and if one goes, feed the other one in behind when it is opening on the track.
If you know somebody who has some good dogs and trees bear, see if they will let you walk in with 1 pup to a tree of theirs. If they will, walk one in and wait for the bear to come down. The dog might even tree before bear ever comes down, but most likely it will jack ass around with all the new dogs and commotion. If you want and they will let you, you could even re run the bear when it comes down. But I wouldn't make it a habit and sometimes the bear isn't so easy to tree the second time. Sometimes they go up quicker, depends on the bear.
Re: Best way to Start a dog without older dogs..Maine.
Work them on some coons and get them catching those pretty consistently... Then get some bear scent (piece of hide if you can) and get that scent all over that coon, and then start letting those dogs crave bear scent and stop chasing coons for a while till your dogs are going crazy on bear scent.
After that, then walk those dogs in heavy bear country, possibly a bait station, or just where the food is abundant and let those dogs do the rest...After they catch some pop ups, then it outta be on from there...
After that, then walk those dogs in heavy bear country, possibly a bait station, or just where the food is abundant and let those dogs do the rest...After they catch some pop ups, then it outta be on from there...
Re: Best way to Start a dog without older dogs..Maine.
I can't add much to what's already been said but, if there was one thing I would do is take them with me (even now) everytime I baited. Of course have them coming to you when called or running on a long check cord. Just let them explore and get used to the scent of a bear in a non threating manner. If they start to wonder off or start liking the scent and start working it you can call them back or walk up to them and praise them. I wouldn't let them take off just yet. Heck if your lucky you might even get one up a tree when you get to the bait. Just see what they do.