Big hounds

[houndnem]

+1 devin.

[plottpappaw]

i run around the competition world for awhile and when long time comp hunters tell you you have better odds winning with a 50% correct dog is bad and my dogs better be right all the time. i carry on conversations with steve herd on another site and he is a stand up guy with several years of good breeding backin his dogs that his father started. steve is a good source of plott history too. no need to knock steve. good post LDB. i agree.

[coop74]

been my experience every dog is different some big ones make it some dont but you can say the the same for small dogs as well.My theory is try see one you like try it out dont work out thats life.

[joe janak]

Good post LDB. The drive in a dog is more important than the size.

[kordog]

i will take a smart fast hound in the terrain i hunt whether it big or small ,because it is fast for a reason . there are certainly alot of other factors to consider .

[Big Mike]

In my experience and they way i hunt (muleback) the bigger dogs don't last as long. My dogs have travel 15-20 miles a day and that's when they don't strike a track.

When I think of bigger dogs I think of 80lbs ++ in hunting shape. They wear out quicker during the hunt and run shorter in years of hunting. The 80+ pound dogs i have owned are usually done with there hunting careers when they are ten. All the heart and drive in the world wont help when the body doesn't hold up. I have 1 90 lbs dog now, he is 9 and pretty much done as being a productive hunter.

I prefer 40-70- lbs range of dogs. All of the 40-50lb dogs i have owned hunted and hunted good until they were 12++. Just IMO.

PS I'm 6' 5" 260lbs and those little 5'5" 150lbers walk my ass into the dirt!!!

[AntiBluffCreekMan]

Proportion Means Everything when Building Large Hounds !!

Everything in their Conformation Height/Body weight/Leg Build and Feet Size ..

If their build in the Correct Proportion to a 45# Hound, A Issue of Longevity is'nt relitive .

What is Gained is Stride, Jumping Distance and a Whole Different Demand of Respect By the Game being chased .. Bear act totaly different to a 29"- 100# Hound then they do to a 23"-25"-60# Hound .. I've seen it in Wild chases and at Live Bear Bays ..

Several Times at Eddies Bear Bay in Cowpens SC .. 3 smaller hounds Baying the Bear and even had alittle contact and the Bear stayed in the Creek and acted prit much Undisturbed ..

When 3 Large Hounds were Baying him and even with no Contact the Bear left the Creek and Headed for the Tree and the hounds were cought off ..

Agreed.

Big Mike I am 7' tall and weigh 400# and am in tip top super shape! I would out walk or hunt anyone smaller than me. It was stated all things equal except for size. Size matters and the bigger, stronger, and faster will out last the midgets. Unless there is a conformation problem or bad feet.

[bearyooper]

It's the Bowflex!

[AntiBluffCreekMan]

Bear-Bo!

[teddyreynolds]

we run big, medium and small blueticks on deer; the hardest and longest runner is zues and he weighs 90 lbs and is 27 inches tall to front shoulder with smokey river lineage. per gps readout he runs over 20 miles a day on 4-5 runs (with gps we are able to gather them up and start 4-6 times each day). zues is in the same pen with small to medium size athena and she eats the same amount as zeus; on hot days zues only eats one meal a day, but she is always high strung and he is laid back and he is only super energized when trailing. zues tpically runs over a mile before returning and athena and other medium size bluetics typically run 1/2 to 3/4 miles. zues is also gentle and never initiates a fight but sure ends them. below is a picture of zues and his record typical deer.

Zues; 90 lbs, 27 inches to top of front shoulder

;

12-point typical; 168 b&c

[teddyreynolds]

we run large, medium and small blueticks deer hunting; our hardest and longest runner is zeus who is 90 lbs and 27 inches to top of front shoulder. zues is the same pen with small to medium size athena and she eats the same amount as zues, but she is always high strung and he is laid back and the only time he is super energized is on trail. he is very gentle and never initiates a fight but sure ends them. zues runs over 20 miles a day per his gps and seldom runs less than a mile as crow flies one way before returning (with gps we are able to gather dogs up and run 4-6 times per day). athena and other medium size dogs typically run 1/2 to 3/4 mile before returning. zues is lean and muscular but so is athena. zues also has an infinity for running bucks over doe. below is a picture of zues and his record typical 12-point.