In your pack of dogs ?

[treetalkingjp]

I was just wondering what and all everyone does with there dogs on bear , see a lot of people use 1-2 good trail dogs and pack the rest where I live when jumped. But everything in there box can trail . Does most of all yal in other parts of the country have certain dogs you use and trust more or throw em all out on a track . Buying a pack dog up here more then likely it can trail . I like my dogs truck to tree all them and most can. What's everyone pack consist of?

[bearsnva]

Here in Va. where I hunt and with the group I hunt with there will usually only be a couple of dogs put down to start a track if it is cold. The more dogs put down the more dogs you have to spend time collecting up if the track doesn't work out. They may have cold trailed several miles before totally loosing the track. Also the more dogs down the more dogs that have stomped over the track trying to get it straightened out. If it is a tough track and two good trail dogs can't get it going then five more are just going to make it worse. My opinion.

[chilcotin hillbilly]

I don't use bait, only rig for bears. I dump the box each and every time. This gives the younger dogs a chance to start their own track. This breeds competition.
I expect every dog to show up at the tree or bay up May be once or twice a year I need to collect dogs that don't make a tree, nothing pisses me off more. I start my dogs fairly young most between 5 and 10 months and it doesn't seem to make a difference.

[tigger]

I do the same. Where I hunt hunt it would be tough to get get dogs turned, and a pup is not learning much getting bounced around in a box all day. I do the the same with all tracks I hunt, has hurt me a time or two, but I like seeing young dogs learning how you start and finish a track from the start.

[bowtech36]

We try to send every dog but one at a time 100 yards or so apart. I hate trying to deal with catching up and turning dogs IN

[bearhuntermatt]

I hunt a good bit by myself in VA running 5 dogs. I have 2 older dogs I run loose at all times when walking. My younger dogs that are 1.5 years I cut them loose fairly quick so they learn to trail. Both are making some excellent dogs and hopefully by end of this season I run them loose as well. Off the rig I have been sending 2 older and younger female, if they cant find it they come back and get on truck on their own. I have a 6 month old pup that ive been taking since August and I turn her loose every time with them so she learns to trail and she sticks with my older plott cause they are the same speed right now. I too start my dogs early around 5 months and turn them every track, if they don't go that's fine ill lead them in. Usually by 3 turn outs they go behind other dogs.

[Redwood Coonhounds]

Every dog I have, from truck to tree/catch better be able to do it solo, and they can all cold trail snd fly a track out. That said I usually turn whichever strike dogs I have on the box loose first, once they open on the ground, I dump the entire box. I rotate which dogs I use to strike and start, ie some days I use old dogs, some days young, some days a mixture. But a majority of the tracks are started while roading or freecasting, and all dogs are in from the start.

[Nolte]

I usually put out 1 to 2 older dogs then a pup behind. If it's really sounding good I will line out some others. Usually try to keep something in the box though in case I need some fresh legs at a certain point. Generally I try to switch out the rotation and see what I've got in the rotation. This is all when I'm just working on training. Then other times we'll let others give it a whirl and then feed in when it warms up. All my dogs usually have the ability to start and go on an easier track. The number drops considerably when I've got to grind out a dirty cold track. And sometimes I don't have any in the box that can get it going.

[treetalkingjp]

Yeah we rig ours , seen them blow up on truck but take a minute to straighten track out

[justahunter]

I only hunt 4 dogs . I dump them all on bait, track or rig . If I hunt with others I only dump one or two that's because they usually dump one or two also . When lion hunting I only dump the best two lion dogs then feed the other two in unless its a hot track then I dump the box. Works for me.

[mark]

Do the dogs that get fed in ever go on to become good cold trailers?

[treetalkingjp]

Good question mark, I've seen some just run hot tracks the rest of there life and then I've seen some the more fur they got in there mouth they got alittle drive

[dhostetler]

I usually do one or 2 dogs to start it then have all the dogs in packed in and at the front by 600 yards out. The spacing how I turn loose is all based on how good the start is sometimes they are all turned loose within a minute. The problem with dumping the box is it can get screwed up. Several weeks ago I treed one with after a several mile race a couple hours later I got a red hot wind strike. I dumped the box and they went up the ridge about 75 yards and started the track but ran it backward about 300 yards. Diamond turned it around first and got a mile lead on the other 4 dogs before they got it turned around. She treed it 900 yards off the road and the bear bailed when I got about halfway to the tree. I never got it caught, I would've probably got it caught if I had turned loose like I normally do. In my experience bears go up a lot quicker if you have at least 3 dogs in the front.

[treetalkingjp]

Yeah , it's one thing having 1-2 to good dogs but when having 4 jump it , I've had better luck with it not getting out of the country on me

[dhostetler]

I like the idea of packing fresh dogs into a runner but areas I hunt there are not enough roads for that to be a good option. I always just turn everything loose where they start it. You have to be right there when they cross for it to be effective. If you are 5 minutes late the front dog may already be a half mile away. A walking bear is different story though those are usually a lot easier to pack in.