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Ya, I know this dog has started alot of bear of baits and rigging. I don't know why he can't seem to do it lately. This isn't the only bait/track he can't start. He will go hard with other dogs but not mine (I only have two and two pups). If anyone knows of a good start dog for sale in south eastern Idaho let me know!

I've got a rig dog that I bought out of Idaho. I know this dog has seen a crap load of bears from start to finish. he's a red bone kindof a big dog loves to rig and he's 4 or 5. I want to send him back to idaho I'm asking 1500.00 exactly what I paid for him. he hasn't worked to well with my dogs because he likes to be in the lead and my dogs are about ten times faster than him. as soon as he gets blown out of a race he comes back and don't leave. I know if you started the bear with him and waited till he was lookin at the bear and then fed some more dogs in you would probably smokem. The guy I bought him from actually called me about a month ago begging for me to sell him back cuz he got his other lead dog killed. I agreed to sell him back and he was gona figure out a way to ship him back to Idaho and now he's not returning calls so I figure I will either keep him or sell him to somone like you. I would also love to come out and bring some dog power and help you put a hurtin on those bears. then you could try him out in action. give me a call 435-668-0161. Jared.

imchestnut wrote: I bought an expensive start dog who is seven and I know has seen alot of bear in his life but he seems to not be able to line out tracks lately. I just got him in April so this is my first year hunting him.

How expensive is expensive? I know times are tight for everybody, but if you paid better than a $1,500 or $2K for this dog it SHOULD be showing you bears with regularity. At the very least it should be getting races going. If not, the guy hosed you plain and simple. Hopefully this wasn't an expensive lesson.

One other question I've got is, how is the dog's health? I've seen good dogs look like crap when they were wore down. I've also seen older dogs get weird when they got older, but 7 is a little young for that.

Depending on where you got the dog from, I'd load it up and go hunt with the guy you got it from. See how it does in that situation.

Bo D wrote:I agree with what Nolte said that you might be a tad light with your start dog, but if your dogs are somewhat young I can understand them getting a little confused trying to start and line out a runable track.

What you may want to try is leashing your best dog up and walking him in a circle about 75 to 100 yds out from your bait pile and see if he can pick up the track out away from the pile. It might not be as confusing to him there and hopefully be able to line it out.

I second that. I hunt from a summer camp that has multiple bears hitting every night. It is really hard if I try to start from the garbage conpactor, where they all go, but much easier if I start from somewhere else in the camp, where the tracks aren't all on top of each other...

you sure you didnt buy a pack dog cause thats about what hes acting like under all the opportunities he has had. either that or the dog can only take out a hot track which he hasnt had opportunity to do . either way at seven he would have to hold a bear real good to make him worth keeping .dont buy a start dog until you have seen it start its own bear without help.

Try using just a tiny bit of bait, like a gallon or less. We often bait with small amounts that gets them checkin more often so we have a fresher track to run.

I've started with nothing a few times, nothing more satisfying though then when you get there. Simple things first-dog health. Is this dog to fat? Out of shape, heavy and warmer weather can be a problem. Something simple and seems to be directly tied to some dogs noses sometimes is worms. Worm him. If you just did do it again with something else. Bedding, eliminate dust use shavings and because of my own personal beliefs never cedar. Just pine. I don't like straw or hay either for allergy reasons in some cases. Simple & cheap things you can do to help eliminate a broke nose. Maybe all these are in check?

At the bait- A big circle helps sometimes but can still result in multiple places around the circle where a track can be found. If you do the circle, resist turning down a track until you've walked the complete circle. If possible check track direction and that to will help eliminate junk tracks as you go around. Some areas this is not possible and you are left picking which track you thought was the best. Gamble in my book. Best thing I know to do and this is how I was taught to make lead dog material - I'm assuming you are using a barrel or buckets? And thats fine for when you are not going to be hunting. Go the evening before as late as possible. Use an onion, cabbage, grass seed or burlap sack. Put a gallon or two of whatever you are feeding in it and tie the top. I use bailing twine (purposely so it will break easy for a bear) and tie that bait up high enough to eliminate yote's. I then use masonry twine and tie one end to the sack somewhere, loop many many feet around your arm off the spool, cut from spool and tie the end around the base of a nearby tree and lay the looped up twine there. You probably need to do this all week so you and the bears can get the kinks worked out. Next morning you should follow out the line, find sack and turn dog loose or continue following the track.

Thats the only way to actually help the dog(s) yourself get started and especially in areas where tracks are not easily if ever seen. If nothing else you'll get to see exactly how this dog reacts. You might come up with some better way of dispersing your string. Good Luck. Later

sent you a pm

Chad H