Mixing packs - the good, the bad and the ugly?

[TomJr]

How do you go about mixing your pack with another hunter's pack to minimize problems?

I have never tried to mix packs and would guess that it might be better to meet the other hunter a few days before and walk the dogs together on leash ect. a few times, Before just turning them all out together and hoping for the best?

I have not had many problems introducing a new dog to my pack but have always been careful to have them used to each other before we acualy go out in the field, however long that takes...

[tman308]

TomJr,

I have not had any problems(knock on wood) mixing with other packs. I hunt with a couple of buddies and we mix our dogs regularly. However none of us have a really Alpha dog in our packs. When the dogs are on the ground no issues, once in a great while I do get some growling from the box when letting another dog get into it but no fights yet. I would guess if you let the dogs run around together a little before you actually set out to hunt you will be fine. Only thing that has happened is they tend to cheer each other on when running trash. lol

JMO

[Redwood Coonhounds]

I gotta agree, I don't hunt often with people, but never had an issue ever mixing packs, or running my dogs with others. My dogs are brought up quite a bit different than most peoples, in how they are socialized, ect. Maybe it's because I do the events, field trials, water races, ect, and they never think twice about what another dog is doing. Or that most of my dogs are kinda independent spirits, and honestly don't care much what another dogs doing - they stay focused on the job at hand. I've hunted with dogs in heat and none of my dogs ever noticed. But I think most of it is just knowing the people you hunt with, and hunting with people who have the same view about hounds as you. I won't hunt with a person knowing they let their dogs do stuff that I never approve of, or a hunter who does anything I don't approve of. If your having issues with dogs, or how someone elses dogs behave, then it'd be best to hunt alone or find someone else.

[Ike]

I had an old hounddogger tell me if you mix males from one pack with females from another you aren't gonna get into much trouble. However, mixing older, more dominate males is what gets people into trouble. To me it just isn't worth it cause I have a box full of dogs and would have to leave half them home to mix packs....but good luck and get'em treed!

ike

[houndnem]

I've had pretty good luck with mixing packs so far. I did have a buddy with a litter mate to one of my males that raised a little hell with me, but outside of that no big deal. I want my dogs to hunt the same no matter what dogs or conditions are around. The funnest hunts are always the ones with all your buddies there, so I'll keep mixin it up. I don't however think my dogs perform to their full potential when mixing so far.

[George Streepy]

I agree, never have much of a problem around others dogs. Hunting with others can be alot funner. But be warned, if a dog is going to do something stupid or off the wall, it will be in front of your buddies. You can have a great dog that has been a catching machine for years, it will seem intentional when it makes an ass out of you.

[coadycurbow]

My dogs never hunt as well when mixed, but right now I have all young dogs. The older dogs who have caught a bunch of game, aren't affected as adversly as the young dogs. I'll load up and go somewhere else if somebody's dog wants to fight. If it's one of mine it won't be pretty.

[Catman]

Packs of dogs can be mixed with no problems as long as both people are honest about their dogs. I mean: Some dogs are aggressive toward other dogs in your own pack (some call this the alpha dog) the dog thinks its king of the pack and everyone should steer clear....don't take this dog hunting with your buddies. If your buddy has a dog that seems to be a little macho....he shouldn't bring this dog hunting with your pack. Sometimes dogs have personality conflicts with each other...no different than humans. I have zero tolerance for fighting or aggressive behavior. I am the boss and that's that. I will say though that I have seen females that have an aggressive side almost as many as males. Here's the deal.....there's alot of good times to be had in this sport hunting with buddies, and if I don't have dogs that will hunt with my buddies dogs....well the dog has to go Although I don't mind hunting alone....there's nothing better than spending time with friends doing what we enjoy, and it just wouldn't be the same if you or your buddy had to leave his/her dogs home

[Trueblue]

My experience has been that my hounds work very well together like a well oiled machine but when I hunt them with other dogs the wheels can come off a bit.My dogs all live together in a common area and I almost always hunt alone and I think those things create a situation where hounds really learn to work together as a team.Nothing worse than turning out on a cold track, with a bunch of strange dogs who haven't learned to hunt together and trust each other.That usually ends up in dogs scattered all over the country.My success rate is the best when my dogs are hunted alone.

[dwalton]

If the dogs are hunted together usually not to many problems. The dogs don't do as well with strange dogs. I don't recommend it. I love to have people to hunt with and like to watch other peoples dogs work a track. If you mix dogs a lot you will have trouble. When I bear hunted i have seen some really good dogs killed in fights. It only takes one time losing a really good dog to not hunt with other people. A lot of bear bites that dogs get may not really be from a bear. Dewey

[Ike]

My experience has been that my hounds work very well together like a well oiled machine but when I hunt them with other dogs the wheels can come off a bit.My dogs all live together in a common area and I almost always hunt alone and I think those things create a situation where hounds really learn to work together as a team.Nothing worse than turning out on a cold track, with a bunch of strange dogs who haven't learned to hunt together and trust each other.That usually ends up in dogs scattered all over the country.My success rate is the best when my dogs are hunted alone.

You said a mouthful there and I couldn't agree more!!!!!!!!!!! Plus I feed more hounds than will fit in my box and leaving my dogs home so a buddies dogs can hunt just ain't in the cards!!!!

ike

[Bplott]

[wanchese]

we turn out any where from 20-100 dogs, depending on how many of the boys show up to run and the only time i have any trouble is every once in a while in the box when we are all rounding up dogs. some times when we put another fellas dog in the box with ours they might get a little growly. as soon as one growls i light his a$$ up. that puts an end to right then and there. you have to have 0 tolerance for fighting and air barking.

[BlacktailStalker]

100 dogs
Any video or pics of that to share ?

[wanchese]

how am i gonna get 100 dogs to sit still long enough to get a picture? just messing with you. i had some awsome pictures from this past season til my jackass brother erased my memory card .first time i ever had a good camera and that sob deleted my pics because he didnt want to go buy a 15 dollar card. come november i will have some though. we are in a big club there is usaly about 40-60 turned out in a day but a couple of days each year we realy put them on the ground. we have about 8-9 guys that show up to run every day during the season and then some days a few more show up. if you have never hunted in eastern NC and you like to run hounds you had ought to give it a try. BIG bears and a lot of them.

big club=16,000 acres of thickest woods you ever laid eyes on