best breed of bear dog

[Cowboyvon]

airedale

[pete richardson]

walker lol

[Jason Waterhouse]

[quote]Back in those days you could get dogs from the pound for free. He would load up a truck load of them and take them out. He said he would start a bear with the older dogs then turn all of the new dogs loose.

Then he would lay across the hood with a 30-30 and shoot the dogs as fast as they came back.

WTF

[Dan V]

Here is the lesson I took from that 40 year old story:

There are all kinds of bear dogs out there and you never know whats going to work out.

If a 40 year old story about some culls getting shot on the mountain instead of being put to sleep at the pound offends you guys, you need to get thicker skin.

Ignorance would be thinking that stuff did not happen and then getting wound up about a story that was told only to make a point...Bear dogs are where you find them.

I've seen great bear dog bred to great bear dog, and some of the pups turned out and some did not. I've also seen cow dogs that would out do alot of hounds when it comes to bear.

[Mike Leonard]

Most of you guys are probably a little too young to remember a couple of very famous houndsmen and bear hunterf rom the state of Utah.

One was Willis Butolph of Wellington who was undoubtedly Utah's most famous state hunter. He was accredited with over 1000 lions and many more bear than that in his professional career. He was a well known as one of the early western plott breeders and did much to popularize the breed across the west. Thos of you that have Del Cameron's book can read about his times with Willis. to say the least Willis was a character.

The other hunter who probably was less known on a national level but was reveered around the area as one of the very best was Bud ( Demar) Hutchings of the Provo area. Buddy was a sport hunter although he did some professional work with his brother in law another famous state hunter for Utah and Arizona Ken Kiggens. Buddy had hunted all types of dogs in his earlier years but settled on a strain of black and tan dogs that really did well for him on bobcat and bear. He hunted lions but it wasn't a big deal to him and he preferred bobcat and he really liked running bear.


Well Willis was in an area where he was having a terrible time catching a couple of spoiled bears. He would get on them and they would run, fight, bay charge dogs, run and just melt them down and get away.He prided the fact that his brindles were hair pullers but these bears seem to have their number and just wouldn't go up. Well he said he layed up a day to lick his wounds and rest the dogs and in rolls this guy from Provo with them big old long eared black dogs and boom he just runs up there and catches both of them bear like it was a walk in the park. Well he said it hurt my pride a bit but then I thought about it and I figured maybe I should go see about them dogs. He went over tyhere and visited and Buddy was a man of few words and he certainly knew Willis thru his hunts with Ken Kiggens and Geaorge Nay. Anyway Willis said he didn't have but 5 dogs in camp and that is not many in a bear camp. He said Bud didn't say much when he asked him about only 5 dogs other than this.

He said if you can't catch a bear with 5 dogs youn don't need more dogs you need different dog.

That about sums it up.

[Nolte]

Mike

From the few stories I've heard about Budd Hutchings was that he was absolutely ruthless on culling the ones that didn't meet his expectations. He probably got rid of better dogs than most guys had. I know I sure would have liked to seen the ones he kept in action.

This is all from a couple of second hand stories though, so take it for what it's worth.

[Mike Leonard]

Culling is a fact if you are going to make it as a top hunter or breeder. I know it sounds bad the way the old guys did it, and I would guess some of them maybe glamorized their stories a bit to really make an impression on young hunters as they say with heads full of mush. But the cruel reality is the dog pounds are culling heavily on a weekly basis. No not every doggie gets a good home in the end. I know that is a sad fact and it should really make anybody think twice before they let old Ready get hung up with old Able in the back yard. I get so mad driving down San Juan Blvd. and seeing these people out there with their portable play pens on the weekends selling pups. No we did n't really want them but they are cute take them home and breed them and you can come down here and join us and we can have a picnic. Or the ametuer pit bull breeders clubs doing the same thing. Oh man we are selling them pups out of old Ripper for a bunch. I got a new chrome rim and an 8 Ball for that pretty pup just last week.

You get my drift by now I am sure.

Don't fall prey to that.

And remember a good hunting dog costs no more to feed than a piss poor one, and he will lick your hand and think you are a great person as well.

[Eric Muff]

The thing about culling dogs is that they are much more personable than other animals that we cull without even a second thought.Livestock like cattle are culled for just as many reasons as dogs,things like bad feet,cow hocks,prolapses,absesses and poor attitudes are all good reasons to cull cattle and at the same time acceptable to most people.In fact most people eat the result of this culling process.
Not far from here we have a processing facility that slaughters horses for meat.Within their feedlot stands many a faithful companion,hundreds infact.Some are their because they are too old to be of service,others due to bad conformation,health problems and of course poor dispositions.
Now not too many folks in these parts will wrap their gums around a horse steak so most of the meat is exported to Europe.I must admit to feeling a wee bit sorry for those swaybacks on driving past the plant but do understand the necessity of what is taking place within their walls.However,most people are of the opinion that slaughtering horses is needless and cruel and for meat....
The point of all this being that people identify with horses as a friend or buddy because of their working relationship with them.A cow is just a cow.
Dogs also fall into the same area horses do as "Man's best friend".

[chilcotin hillbilly]

Well said Eric. I for one have a really hard time shooting a dog as they are my little buddies. I have only put a few down and the next time I think I will ask a friend to do the deed. I tend to find good points in each dog and try to utilize them in the best way. The only dog I wouldn't mind culling is my wifes, but you all know how that would turn out.

[Bdog]

I think dog shelters, animal control centers and non-kill sanctuaries’ promote the millions of unwanted pets/hunting dogs. I feel you should be personally responsible and owe your hunting dogs/partners, to take care of them in life and in death. Our society makes it way to easy to pass them unwanted pets onto someone else or agency. If folks would have to look into those big blues and pull the trigger they may think twice and or be more careful not to have those unwanted litters. However, culling is a practice that is necessary to better lines by limiting bad traits/drives, physical abnormalitites, sickness ect.

Just two cents

[B.B.BD]

The best dog i have been out with this year was a Trig, And then the Walkers

[PLOTTMAN55]

I would say plotts but its just my opinion. I have hunted with some great blueticks,walkers and redbones as long as they get the job done it dont matter.

[The Ole' Guy]

Should be the breed you're huntin' or you should be huntin' for somethin' else!

[radar]

Culling is part of good hunting hounds.stupid dogs will only make stupid dogs. And I don't know about ya'll but I hate late bloomers.

[RubySwampblackntans]

PLOTT's are the best the only dog that will tree a bear LOL!!! Just kidin . I will run any thing out there as long as it does what I need it to. I've been lookin at the B&T forum. I think I'm gonna get ahold of that Ken Duncan fella, he sounds like he has some top notch bred B&T's, I want to try one of them cold nosed sob's. I seen guys talkin,sayin they are fairly fast

Doesnt sound like a bad idea. who knows might jus change your mind bout them plotts. lol!! I run all Ruby swamp black and tans and im hear to tell you they are not any slower then any plotts that my buddies run. We are always giving eachother shit bout whos dog crosses the road first. Its pretty even some dogs have better days than others. The only thing that makes my dogs a little better is they can cold trail overnight!!