Need opinions

[Coloradobawl]

So I live in Colorado and have been running hounds for 3 years now. I always told myself I would never run bears just cuz I've seen a few close friends lose some real nice dogs but the more and more I look at pics and videos of bear huntin the more fun it looks. I know a few of my dogs will strike a bear track but I've never let em take one. What's ur guys opinion as far as how to get started. I have real nice hunting spots n california to run em but just never have. Im just worried their gonna get in a bears face like they try to do with cats and get killed on the first outting. What do I need to do to get started?

[JIM HARRIS]

FIND A GOOD TRACK THAT THEY CAN CARRY, CUT THEM LOOSE ONE AT TIME BE HIND EACH OTHER, ROLL THE DICE LIKE THE REST OF US. MY BET IS THEY WILL GET SOME WICKED QUICK RESPECT FOR WHOM THEY ARE DEALING WITH.

[beardogger]

I think it is so funny how the cat guys think that they are going to get there dogs killed on there first bear but I have bear hunted for many years and only seen a handful of dogs die to a bear and have seen a ton of dogs die to cats. Most dogs normally just get hooked by a claw(not life threatening) but if a dog catches cat in cave or on ground you better have a good vet!!!

this is a pic of my lead dog never been to vet for bear injuries but get caught by cats regularly this looks worse then it was

[beardogger]

In Cali from what I have heard bears are thick so I would get a box with rig rack and start driving forest roads when they strike look for track then you know what you are strikin cause cali has tons of cats to and dont want to get caught under one of those. remeber you have to run telemetry in cali to no gps
good luck bear huntin is way more fun then cats so be prepared to be hooked

[Coloradobawl]

I'll bet it is fun I can't wait to do it just a little nervous. I spent every last dollar I had trying to put a good cat pack together and would suck to lose one but I guess that's the risk we take every time turn out no matter what the game. What's a bear race going to be like compared to cat track once it's jumped?

[Coloradobawl]

Thats a brutal wound, hope that one healed up ok

[beardogger]

she healed up fine. A jumped bear race is way better then any cat race lots of sweet hound music and the cold trailin is normally pretty good too.And it warm out so no major equipment necassary just a truck and some dogs!! I also have spent alot of money puttin a pack together one of my pups I had to drive to s utah to pick up which was over a 1000 miles round trip so you can guess what that cost but I wont own just a cat dog or just a bear dog they have to do both or they dont stay here. You could easily turn a dog lose and lose it to a snare dont even have to be game ,had one in a snare couple months ago luckily she is my smart dog and didnt move also had a dog drowned in a river he was a bad swimmer and water was flowin fast so you never know. Most cat guys seem to think bear races are long to but I think the only death marches I have made were while cat huntin and in the snow. So to me bear huntin is more family friendly and have had all my kids at bear trees cant say that about cat trees to hard and cold to get them to tree. If you are in Colorado I would go to Utah to try it before you go all the way to Cali

[BigGameHunter]

Interesting......

Well. I will tell you that I have lost a LOT more dogs to bear than to lion. I usually average loosing a dog a year. Last year I lost two. My races on bear cover a LOT more country on average that a lion chase does, this does not mean the races are longer duration.....cold trailing a lion in the dirt usually takes HOURS. Once jumped, bears go a LOT farther on average. Bayups on a bear usually end up with a trip to the vet for the dogs. Be prepared for some HIGH action, fast runnin, equipment ruinin, addicting fun.
This is just my opinion based on my experience, others have different. The only way for you to find out is to saddle up, and head out.

Oh and by the way. If you are in Colorado I would go to Idaho to try it before you go all the way to Cali.

[beardogger]

sorry Idaho is draw only and already had draw. I have never been to vet from bayed up bear and have bayed some toads, my dogs are gritty not stupid they hold a bear not sit there and chew on it dogs have to respect all game and brainless dogs dont normally live to long lion or bear. funny thing is i have put more money into cats with snowmobiles, 4 wheelers, trailers, and gas then ever put into bear only need truck and dogs to catch bears on a regular basis. I put 3 different axles on a trailer this winter one bearings went out one i bent and third just got installed and that is the norm around here equipment gets beat up.. when I was poooooor I could still catch bears but if you are poor good luck catchin many cats just my 2 cents

[BigGameHunter]

I agree with you beardogger. All but two of the dogs I have lost to bears have been under 2 years old. Dogs learn respect as well as which end of a bear bites back. In order to learn, they have to be on game. That process can be a little rough on dogs that are bred to be inherently feisty. I don't much like cheerleaders so if I have a dog that won't get after it and work to put a bear in a tree, I just don't have much use for it unless it makes up for it in other ways (like a cold trail dirt dog). In a perfect world, I'd have an entire pack of cold trail dirt dogs that knock the shoes off a bear. I don't. Got 2, but not my entire pack.

As far as equipment is concerned, around here I hunt of 4-wheelers, side by side, truck, horse and foot for both cat and bear. We just don't have the numbers of animals to do it any other way. Sounds like it may be a little different up there. If you can find bear by just hunting out of a truck then all power to you. Sounds like I'd be putting in for one of those limited entry tags up there! Its just not like that where I hunt. Also when the snow gets deep, I just saddle up the horse for a good morning horse ride so I guess a lot of my equipment takes a break during part of the winter.

Anyway I guess thats why he titled his post the way he did.....to get varying opinions!

[Tom A]

I only have 2 dogs that I would consider gritty. Untill this last season the bears that would tree treed. The mean ones got away. LOL

[kickemall]

I'd be more worried that they aren't fast enough to run down the tough ones and not gritty enough to stop the bad ones. I think you'll find out that most dogs have a lot more of a natural fear/respect for bears than they do for cats. I hear your same concern from other guys that have never run bears with their dogs and are worried because their dogs are so gritty. Not that this will happen to you, but it usually always ends up the same, the first bear they run that stops they booger bark at for a short time then quit. Good luck and I hope it works out.

[dhostetler]

Bear Hunting is 10x more exciting than cats. In my opinion a bayed up cat is far more dangerous than a bayed up bear. I get a lot more injured dogs on bears than cats though most of the injuries are minor like stratches or bruised shoulders (from bear swats). I havn't hunted bears nearly as much as some guys on here have but I've had only one dog killed by a bear and only had to take one dog in for stitches. The country I hunt cats in is heavily timbered with large trees so we vary rarily have cats on the ground though cats I have been on on the ground have been disasterous for both species.

[Nolte]

I wouldn't worry about it. Go hunt some bears and see what happens. Most dogs won't aren't going to pressure a bear enough to get hurt.

I also haven't seen many dogs killed by a bear. Most times it will happen with an infection that isn't caught after the fact. Seen a bunch killed while running bears but not many by the actual bear. They might get a cut here/there or banged up shoulder most time you just have a little vet trip. If I was losing a dog a year, every year I'd be trying to figure out a way to get that first bay up experience a little less dangerous. Maybe put them on a hog or something to learn they aren't going to win like with with a coon.

I'd rather bay up a 400lb bear with two dogs than a 35-40lb bobcat. That cat will have enough at some point and eventually latch on to one of those dogs. It will then get messy at that point and there ain't no real good way to step in to help out. Seen a few seasoned cat dogs that will give a bobcat much more space than a bear.

[BigGameHunter]

Most of the dogs I have lost have been to bears in a hole or bears in THICK brush. 7 or 8 dogs at the mouth of a hole trying to get in pushing the ones already in the hole is not a good scenario(maybe they ARE brainless...). Sounds like you won't be running enough dogs to worry about that one but dogs and a bear in the thick brush is not a good combo. Seems like a bear can get through pretty good but a dog has to move around. Or maybe I just have slow dogs.

Some get caught with infections or crushed hips or knocked off or slip off ledges just like a lion, but some get flat killed.

A hog is a heck of an idea.....just wish we could find a few around here. Got a buddy who owns a few but I am thinking you're meaning something with a little more spunk. Besides, if I turned a bunch of pups in on my buddys hogs I would be less concerned with their lives and more concerned with mine!

I'm with everyone else.....go give it a try.....just know that losing a dog can and does happen. My bet is that you will be hooked!