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ive had friends tell me that coon hunting with your hounds could do a little damage to your training when you primarily hunt big game . . . . . ive also heard that its does nothing but good in the off season from bear . . . . . .just curious what some of you guys thought

The only thing runnin coons has done for my dogs is keep them in shape, make them handle better, make em tree harder etc. I run lion, bear, bobcat and ocasionally deer and elk on accident. The only potential problem I could see is if coons inhabit the same areas where you hunt your big game. you don't want to turn out on a bear and catch a coon.

I'v turned my coon hounds out in a corn field and treed a bear before thats not good if it runs far and you gota get up to work the next day

I agree with houndnem. When lion season ends here you can still hunt coon. Keeps em in shape, keeps em on game. Catch one in the water, keeps em acting gritty lol. I also agree that you dont want them treeing coon while running bear. I know a lot of people start them on coon and then switch mostly to bear when they are ready. One of my females started that way and she does just fine on bear. For me, it just keeps me busy starting young dogs or having a good time in the off season.

Ryan

I agree with both. Coon hunting is a great training tool. It keeps the dogs in shape teaches them to free cast if you hunt that way. And they are short races most of the time. wich gives you time to pull them off and teach them its time for another. And its great for young dogs that cant keep up in a long bear or lion race. And who doesn't like a big ol coon and hound brawl now and then. Where I live you can coon hunt year round wich makes it pretty easy to get out whenever. Anyway thats JMO

my thoughts exactly i do the same with my hounds, great for younger dogs for sure but do you think its still good for older dogs with so many coons in one area and short runs

I think that running coons is valuable practice. It seems that dogs started on coon first, instead of bear, develop their noses a little better than those that start off on just bear. Bears are like my dad, and you can smell where he is whether you are trying or not.
Also, I like to use coonhunting to see how well the young dogs do without the rest of the pack--it's a good chance to strengthen the dog's whole game so that you don't end up with "me too" traits.

As far as older dogs: I think they are smart enough to distinguish between coon habits and bear habits once they have run each species for a few years. I think that coon hunting is better for the older dogs than staying home and tugging on a chain.

coon and bear can exhibit some similar trail traits. and cats have some of the same traits. one big factor is location and habitat. in different areas a multispecies hound is doable however in others the differences in habits are a big drawback. I believe field time is a real plus for any hound and should be used if possible. I think you should look at what the more successful hunters in your area are doing see how it works for them and their hounds. be honest and see if you think there's room for improvement. generally coonhunting doesn't hurt beardogs. the biggest obstacle in some conditions is getting a beardog to concentrate hard enough on cat tracks to outsmart them and use its brain and nose in a more focused way. It can be done in some cases but it's best to be honest. it's like playing to sports some coincide some actually cause a loss of performance in both.

it depends when the pups are born as to what i start them on. i prefer to start them on bear first if possible .walking in to a coon in the tree after a 2hour treck pisses me off .this happens if they get outrun ,or get sidetracked once there already out there.but if there going to be too young for bear season i start them on coon .they need something when there in there learning curve. at least its tree game .

only place I can see a problem is when u are bear hunting is good coon hunting areas. Don't know if I'd wanta walk off to my dogs in some canyon thinking I was going to a bear tree just to catch a lil ole coon. Other than that, keeping your dogs in the woods can't be a bad thing!

I think if you can trail and catch over night coons in the dirt...that is some of the best practice for your dogs to buckle down and work a hard track...Ive had no problems working dogs on coons and then up grading to the big critters.

If your off season choices are hunt coons or don't hunt, it only seems reasonable to say hunting coons would help more than hurt.
Derek

I like to hunt my young pups on Coon,it teaches them to use their noses,gets them in the woods at night, they learn to load up and travel in the box.It also teaches them to listen and handle better.It gives them an advantage when their ready to move up to bigger game.If you can't hunt bear during the off season like this stinking state lol, it gives you a chance to get out and have some fun,my boys love to go coon hunting as well it's a great adventure for them as well.

bency wrote:I think if you can trail and catch over night coons in the dirt...that is some of the best practice for your dogs to buckle down and work a hard track...Ive had no problems working dogs on coons and then up grading to the big critters.

you know i've often wondered if anyone else had ever run a dirt coon. one thing i will give them is they are some ground covering fools when feed is scarce.