Running in Cold Temps

[blackpaws]

i know this has been discussed before but thought i would ask it again. What is the coldest anyone will run their dogs? i usually try to keep in right around 0 degrees. Just wondering if there are any medical things to worry about with the dogs.

[catdogs]

I like to keep it around 0 also but will run if it is 0 to -10 if I find a hot track going in a good direction. If it's below -10 we are all here:

[blackpaws]

usually we end up in some sort of a swamp on these cats so the wind doesn't really cause too many problems with wind chill.

[Mike Leonard]

CATDOGS,

I LOVE THAT PHOTO!!!!

LOL! Now them are some relaxed black dogs. LOL! Good job!

I have had my dogs out running in -15 deg. weather and although I know it was hard on them and scent molecules are frozen tight it was just one of those things when the temp drops. I do not advise it and in certain places with humidity levels and other factors one could really permanently mess up a dogs smeller. I would say that 0 is a pretty good basement rule of thumb.


Some years back I was driving a snowed over road early one morning I came around the bend and there was two young hound guys out of their truck with two dogs on a leash and they were getting ready to start them on a night old lion track. I pulled over and let them go ahead. Well the dogs acted like they had been on lion tracks before and eagerly ran ahead smelling in the snow. One peeled off to the right wet a bush and sort of fanned out, and the other went the opposite direction. The guys were waiting there standing on their tip toes with their ears cocked to hear the dogs open. Nothing! Presently the dogs came back and tried to jump back in the box. Well they gott mad and threw the dogs out there and tried to drag them down the track. I looked up at the thermometer in my truck and it said -11 degrees. One of them knew me and he came over and said what do you think? I said too cold. He said that track can't be more than 12 hours old how can that be too cold? I said well it is so you better look for a fresher one. He said will your dogs run it? I said nope too cold.I pulled on past and went on, and a little later I could see them cruising around looking for another track. Well I never found anything and about 11:30 I went back by the first track and stopped. I loked at the temp, at this time and it said 23 Degrees. I got out and looked at the track pretty nice lion so I got out a couple of dogs and didn't even leash them. I went over and they went out past where all the dog tracks and man tracks were , opened up and left, and caught the lion in about 45 minutes. It warmed up so it wasn't toooo cold. LOL!

[blackpaws]

yep i will agree the colder the air temp the colder the track. they just can't smell it and the snow won't hold the scent very good. takes a good patient dog in the real cold until they can get it warmed up or the air temp rises a little.

[twist]

I am with everyone else about the 0 range and it can be around -10 but need to know the sun is coming and will warm up some. When you start turning out on tracks at -10 and lower and it stays that cold all day it is just plain hard on the dogs if a guy could gaurantee the run would be less than an hour it would be fine but most times in that kind of temp you are in for an all day run and the dogs will do it but more times than not you will tare up thier feet (even on a tough footed dog) them kind of temps are brutal on a dogs feet and also have the chance of freezing thier lungs. We have the perfect snow here right now but for the past 2 days it has been well below 0 any where from -8 to -27 so no hunting here until the temps finally breaks. THE COLD SUCKS! later, Andy

[buckshot]

LOL, all you guys are states where cold and snow go hand in hand........for this guy from Alabama, if it's below 20, I am keeping my happy ass home.

I think the lowest we got down to last winter was 9.............for Alabama, that is cold.

Game don't move well and stay denned up when it drops down below 20 down here. Heck when cold spell comes through here where below freezing for a couple days in a row, you'll find coon at 3 o'clock in the afternoon moving and staying in den overnight holed up.

I guess if I lived up north or midwest and dealt with the cold winter temps like that, I'd be adapted and use to it and wouldn't bother me like go from 9 degrees one day here and then 60's a couple days later with our wild changing temps in the south.

[pete richardson]

i wished i never ran when it was below 0

have had lot of success running coyotes , in below zero weather - less with cats and even less with hare -
if the dogs can run , i can hunt

,, below 0 weather will suck the moisture out of the snow- when it makes that loud squeaking noise when you walk on it , not good

the more days its below zero , the worse the scent is -
dogs may run great at ten below on fresh snow but same dogs cant run after several cold nites - ten below is kind of a cut off point for me with beagles-

good ones can usually run at ten below-- great ones can run when its colder -have seen a very few run hare at 20 below and even 30 -

its not just temperature--still have all the same things that affect scent-barometer ,humidity etc , - the cold makes it worse -

it doesnt matter so much what the temperature is daytime but what was the coldest temp last nite-- or even the coldest temp since the last time it snowed -


seen lots of beautiful windless sunny days - it was 20 below overnite but mid day you can stand in the sun and think its almost nice out - - and dogs cant run , under that thick softwood-- it hasnt warmed up in the shade -

they might not run good for days unless temperature changes drastically-or it snows again


harm to dogs ?-- i guess its possible -


20 below is pretty safe as long as they dont get soakng wet .ie fall thru ice ,

its worse the first cold weather of the year --- water everywhere- - im walking and getting ice buildup on boots ,pant legs, same problem for dogs -had that problem deer hunting this week--- mud everywhere, under the snow -

dogs are barefoot , sometimes they hurt feet from ice build up

have seen dogs get minor frostbite,other than their feet, , but only 3 times in 30 years

cold weather in december is worse than january when everything has froze up

its doesnt get hot here often-, ive seen dogs harmed by heat alot more than i have cold


i had a hound running a coyote - i tried to catch him till several hours after dark - finally left him .

went back at first light , it was 35 below, walked in with beeper , he was very old and grey and i was expecting the worse.
found him sleeping under a blowdown- he dug down to dry leaves and made a bed -
looked like he had slept on the couch .

[Eric Muff]

WE TRY REAL HARD TO STAY OUTTA THE WOODS BELOW -10F OR -25C.
TRACKING IS PRETTY TOUGH UNDER THESE CONDITIONS AND IT IS VERY HARD TO KEEP IT SAFE FOR THE DOGS AND HUNTERS.
WE WATCH THE FORECAST PRETTY CLOSELY AND ALSO TRY TO BE ALOT MORE SELECTIVE ON WHAT AND WHERE WE TURN OUT.
IF DAYIME TEMPS ARE SUPPOSED TO CLIMB WE ARE BIT MORE LIBERAL THAN WE MJGHT BE IF THE FORECAST IS FOR DEEPER COLD.
DROPPING AT -25C IS OK IF IT'S GOING TO WARM BUT DEADLY IF IT'S GOIN TO DROP TO -40,I'VE BEEN THERE AND GOT LUCKY,MOST TIMES YOU WON'T.
TRACKING IS TOUGHER IN TH COLD TOO,I AGREE.T'S AMAZING HOW A FEW DEREES WILL HEAT THINGS UP TO WERE YOU CAN SMOKE A TACK THAT SEEMED UNRUNABLE A FEW HOURS EARLIER.

[Steve White]

Besides hating the cold myself. I fear for the dogs when it gets cold. This was only touched on lightly.

I have heard about dogs freezing their lungs. Did some research on it, and talked to several vets about it. Never came up with anything conclusive other than it could happen. Mostly the results were the dogs getting sick.

Having a dog getting frostbite in that all important sniffer is not a good deal at all. Frostbite anywhere is bad.

Tearing up the feet, and legs is always a problem. When the snow gets crusty the ice really tears up the dogs. SOme wil get cut up on the legs in addition to the pads.

Sometimes it not always the temp itself, but conditions. Sure it might be 15 or 20. Not bad good to run the dogs. Yet the snow is a bit wet and sticky. Now you get an ice build up on the dogs belly, ice in the pads. Heck I even had a few dogs once that had 2" of ice on the collars. Not good for the dogs.

Talking tracks the warmer the better. Sure I may load up when it is -10. Will only look for tracks. Find them mark them and come back later when it warms. That snow will hold the scent when cold and as it warms it will come out and be a more runnable track. Really if I can do it. Will wait until the temps are at least 10 or above.

Got some good snow now. Yet the dogs and I are sitting at home. A high today of 4 and high winds. Is just not condusive to a good hunt.

Cat dogs love that pic. Reminds me of my house at times. My wife and daughter fight with me when ever the temps start to drop below -10 at night. By -20 I'm in a losing battle and will have all the dogs in the house. Then I have to sit around in long underwear as the heat gets turned down so the dogs don't overheat.

I hate the cold!

[Trueblue]

Mine got the whole front room floor to lay on but they all think they want a piece of that sleeping bag.

[Mr.pacojack]

Mine got the whole front room floor to lay on but they all think they want a piece of that sleeping bag.

I like to keep it around 0 also but will run if it is 0 to -10 if I find a hot track going in a good direction. If it's below -10 we are all here:

Those are some great pictures there. If my wife had it her way all of mine would be in the house just like that.

[Riverbottom]

I hunt a lot in cold weather. Mainly snowshoe hare with beagles. I pretty much agree with everything Pete says.

I gotta say, hunting in cold weather won't hurt your hounds any. I have hunted lots of days in below zero temps, a few times when the thermometer was down past 30 below F, with no frostbitten noses or lungs (on the hounds anyway). The only problem I have had is from females freezing their teats. This was mainly a conformation thing. The dogs I keep now don't have much trouble with this. I have an old female with thin, fine hair that has run on more cold, bad days than I can remember. She's missing the first two teats on her chest, aside from that she has never had any trouble from the cold.

On the other hand, I won't run my dogs in hot weather. I've seen a few dogs heat stroke and I don't want to see any more. Hunting in hot weather also damages a hounds kidneys. Lots of beagles and coyote dogs die from kidney failure before they are ten years old. They get dehydrated. If you run your hounds when the sun is shining and it is over about 50 degrees, make sure they get lots of water.

Keeping hounds outside in cold weather is a whole different subject. Every time we have a bad winter lots of people lose hounds around here. Again, water is the key. Folks feed dry dog food and a dish of water which freezes up right away. A couple hours later, when the dog really needs the water there isn't any. They die from dehydration, not the cold.

The best thing you can do if you keep hounds outside in cold weather is feed meat. If you have to feed dog food soak it in water. If you feed dry dog food, make sure your dog has water when he really needs it, a couple hours after he eats all that dry dog food.

By the way, that old female that runs on those bad days lives in the house

[Buddyw]

Mine got the whole front room floor to lay on but they all think they want a piece of that sleeping bag.

I like to keep it around 0 also but will run if it is 0 to -10 if I find a hot track going in a good direction. If it's below -10 we are all here:

Those are some great pictures there. If my wife had it her way all of mine would be in the house just like that. [/quote]

You guys sure do make me feel alittle better about myself.. I refuse to keep any evidence of mine taking up the living room floor it's a sore subject! (My wife DID get her way!, she started with the lap dog.... Ok hunny but just this one!, then slowly each dog had some accident or vet trip that was easier to keep them inside.. Seems like once they made it inside for a few days they never made it back out when they got better, the last dog to make it in was just out of pure pity)

[BuckNAze]

Haha Im with Buddy and the other guys on this one. Seems my wife has done the same. One dog is always inside until we get kennels because she is a jumper and will jump the fence. The other jumper is use to being outside and it chained up and the other 2 are just free roaming out back. But we have had cold temps lately and the wife makes me let them in when it gets too cold, at least to warm up then its back out. And the vet thing is the same story, one gets hurt and then its inside for like a week or two.....Kind of babied but I cant help but do it at times either, most of my dogs have those big eyes that pisses you off when you look at em, its like looking at a child and trying to say no....just not gonna happen