how does a hog dog hunt

[mountain top]

this may be a weird question but here goes. I just got into hog dogging, and have 3 "broke" dogs, a bird bull and 2 catahoulas. all was told that all three have caught lots of hogs. I have had them in my hog pen and they are all about a pig, i have hunted them 4 times now and im not real excited about how they hunt. Ive hunted bear and coon my whole life and im used to being around hounds, and they seem to scour the woods till they hit a track, several hundred yards to a 1/4 mile or so. Seems like the less sign the further they will go to find a track.
I can lay eyes on all three of these dogs the whole time they're hunting, if they range out over a hundred yards id be shocked. Ive had guys say "oh they will hunt wider and range further once they are in hog sign". I dont get it, seems to me that a dog should hunt hard when there isnt any sign?

[halfbreed]

welcome to the cur dog world mountain top . most curs are what we call short range dogs they hunt close to you and check up often . thats the way i like em for where i hunt . small tracts and hay meadows . now if they hit a hog track they will go find it . but most curs are hot nosed and like to ride the wind . but hog huntin is fun and dangerous at the same time . i like a close working dog because when they get on a hog i am close by and can usually get there quick with the catchdog and dispatch the hog before it ruins my day and the dogs . just walk em till they find a track or wind one they want and go get it or get you some hound cur crosses and get you some more of a trail dog out of it or go full hound . i have all three types and use them according to where i'm huntin and how much land they've got to roam on . good luck in whatever you do .

[mountaincurs]

halfbreed hit the nail on the head. give them a chance youll be suprised. just gotta keep them in the hogs. All mine make about 200 yards tops in no sign. but if they start heading off your in business. Good story along these lines, bout this time last year got invited to hunt my dogs on a farm that had some serious hog problems. the guys hunting it were mainly bear hunters and if they caught a hog great, they all ran walkers and other hounds (nothing against hounds just not my cup of tea for hogs). took 3 curs and a bully, we turned out on a little feeder creek where they usually wallow. dogs were out 50 yards tops i was getting all sorts of junk talked about the dogs..... till they winded one. they rolled out about 500 and caught a big sow. Bout 5 min after getting her out we went to another corner dogs hit the ground not 100 yards from truck caught 1. we got 5 that night couldnt be happier. but its a completely diffrent sort of hunting dog.

[mountain top]

never thought about it like that, they get a big rank boar stopped you need to be close. I went last night and they do hunt a little wider after you get em off the roads. Still no sign though, but then again there are only a handful of places in VA that have hogs, and I'm huntn about 2500 acres wit maybe 400 pigs on it, lot of ground to cover.

[ninja]

Thats why I like to have a mixed bag. I like a few like you have, great for roading or hot sign, a good running catchdog to send in to the bay and one or two that will get gone and go find you one no matter what. Don't get hung up on whether they're curs or hounds, I've seen silent short range hounds and long range cur dogs that never checked in.