canadianbgrunner wrote:i live in canada and i want to train my 6 month old pups on bear,but 1st it is winter and it will be winter for another 4months so there is no coons or bears running around,2nd you cant get bear scent in or send to canada,3rd no one runs bears around my area or in ontario as far as i no so running with a trained dog wont be happening and we dont have a training season and hunting season starts in august.i tried to run some cat so far but they are far and few.so is it alright for my dogs to sit in a kennel all winter and wait for the bears to wake.i been trying to find a hide to use as a drag but no luck.i have ran hounds on coon and ran hounds on deer and they were doing circles around other hounds with little training, im hoping these pups(3 blueticks and plott/bloodhound)
will be the same.any ideas will be helpful.im only young so go easy on me.
Many years ago when I got started it was the same for me. That is just memories now but I hope this helps you.
If you have someone to help you? Please by all means let them put the coon in tree and lay the drag away from tree. This way when you are leading the pup around you can just let them clean themselves out (Crap Out) this might take several minutes, do not get in a hurry.
Just walk the pup around for 10 minutes or so. Then try to cross the track right on the end where the drag ended. You don`t want the pup running the track backward, so start on the end. You will see the pup showing interest in the scent left, this is the time to get the dog excited as soon as he starts on the track. Lead him on the track several yards, make sure he will go on the track, then let him go. Stay right wher you are at, let him find the tree on his own.
If you are allowed to have a live coon as a pet? just pay someone to trap you one, either in leg trap or box trap. Put a dog collar on the coon with about 1 foot of chain on it. Make yourself a long stick with a hook on it, this will allow you to catch your coon, put him in a cage and take him to some close place to run your pup.
Now don`t make this a long race, just drag a coon hide or sac with coon scent on it away from the tree you have the coon in. Please leave the coon in the cage. Put a long rope over a limb up high, so you can pull the coon up high in the tree at least 20 feet.
This is the most important part in training.
If you do not have a tree close by to tie your dog to after you pull him back away from the tree? Drive a stake in the ground so you can tie him close to the tree. if he is a little slow to find the coon and start treeing?
You do not have to let him get to the cage or fight the coon. If he is bred right, it will happen. Just give him time some will click at 6 months others at 1 year old.
This is why you tie the dog back and lower the cage so the pup can see the coon up in the tree. He will turn on pretty quickly after seeing the coon. Pull the coon up into the tree, let him tree for just one minute more praising him all the time. You have to make him think he is your greatest hero. Just drag him away.
Leaving the coon in the tree. Now when he can not see you or smell you, go get the coon and put him safe until the next two weeks. Do not show him anything in this time, do not do any training at all of any kind.
You want him thinking for the next two weeks, when will I get a chance to find Mr. Coon. Just do think a few times in different places. Do not worry about getting him in hunting shape, he will get there quickly running tracks.
Hope this helps, pretty long story. send me PM if you need more help.