ADC work with hounds

[Hunter]

It seems that out west some guys get to do alot of animal damage control work with hounds. Guys getting called in to catch a lion or bear with their hounds. That's unheard of around here. That would be the LAST resort in the east. The best I can figure lions must be next to impossible to catch in a live trap so hounds are the best option. A bear will walk threw the depths of hell for a free meal so catching them in a live trap is quite easy. I have never heard of anyone getting to do ADC work with hounds on bear around here. Hell for that matter we can't even dog hogs for ADC in my state. When you talk to some of these wardens they are always bitching about how many calls they are getting over bears and hogs but, when you tell them that we could take that work load off of them they quickly and sharply say "NO". What a crock.

[Jason Waterhouse]

What state are you from? Here in Vermont i have help the warden out a few times with bear complaints.I have some freinds in New Hampshire that have help out also.

[PIGLET]

I hear you, friday was the first time in 5 years i got a call from the local warden, He said he has three traps and can't keep up, but this time a local landowner shot a bear off his porch the officer followed the blood trail but lost it, he figured since it was injured he better try and finish the deal so he was calling for hound help. I don't think he enjoyed hound hunting as much as i do!

[bency]

I got faith in you..youll make a dogger out of him yet.

[sawtooth]

Whats really crazy is that with some guys it is there full time job!!! Garunteed that would be one job that I would never call in sick from!

[PIGLET]

Bency, things got wild and i got to call him names and yell at him that was worth the trip right there!lol

[Ike]

I've always donated my time to the fish and game if they needed or wanted it on lions or bears. None of those guys have hounds that I know and are limited to either setting a bear trap or calling ADC on a problem lion. ADC is pretty good at catching a lion off a kill if that lion returns, same with bear, but again none of the guys with ADC in this area hunts a pack of hounds and relies on one of the hounddoggers if the offending animal won't step in their trap. But I haven't offered to help ADC on a lion or bear in eight or ten years, as they don't seem to want or appreciate the help.....nothing against ADC but they just seem to want to do the work themselves which is great.

I know alot of those guys and talk to them on a regular basis, and DWR attempts to work through a hunter with a tag on every opportunity they can. The problem is the offending bear is usually one of those 120 pounders and very few hunters want to take those kind of animals, so the state has to.

ike

[Mike Leonard]

From a departmental standpoint it can be a real hassle at times using outside help to try to solve some of this problems.

As you said bear offer little problem in the catching department if you have the time . Occasioanly you do they come to the trash or the BBQ and then wander off you call the warder he drives up with the trailer cage and drops it. Set the trap with goodies a little later call the warden back he comes hooks on and the problem is solved.

The usuual problem with bears comes from the hysteria they cause running thru a neighborhood. Every housewife within 5 city blocks will be on the phone to the the Sheriff's Dept. and then dispatch calls the nearest warden and he or she has a rodeo on their hands. Bringing hounds into this situation would just compound the problems not to mention the property damage and possible trespass and liability issues from such a wreck. Thankfully there are usually enough back yard pooches in the area to convince the bear to either leave or climb a tree or a power pole abd this offers a whole new set of problems that can bring PETA into the mixLong story short bear in town are a real pain in the butt. But it offers little opportunity for the local houndman. Animal depredation in more rural issues can be resolved with traps, or hounds at the District Officer's disgretation but there again it is usually easier to trap a bear than run him with hound and then shoot him with drugs and deal with the emotional issues of it falling to the ground and being drug into the trap.

Lions that is a different ball of worms but you still have to deal with the personal and liable issues. Also not many officiers or ADC folks have trained and conditioned dogs that can at a moments notice go catch a problem lion especially during warm weather periods of the year.

[Ike]

From a departmental standpoint it can be a real hassle at times using outside help to try to solve some of this problems.

A friend who knows one of the head guys with ADC told me that they could contract out the work Mike, and then a guy would get paid to run down a problem lion or bear for them. After I found that out I never again offered my services (for free) to ADC. The fish and game are a different bunch of people, and they have no mechanism to pay the public for that type of work. Therefore, all DWR has to do is call ol' Ike and he drops what he's doing and they have all the dog power they need............for free!

I guess the bottom line for me is ADC works on depredating animals that have taken livestock, which really doesn't effect the public at large; however, if the fish and game needs a lion or bear removed it is usually because it is a safety issue for the public. If that sheep or calf killers lives to kill again it'll most likely get caught next time whereas if that problem bear gets away from DWR--and if that bear is aggressive--next time it might be on somebodies kid...........

ike

[walkin w/ some blue]

Ive never done any ADC work yet but im all for givin it a try. How do i go about getting on a list to be called or somethin. Never been able to find all the info i needed. any helpo would be appreciated.