BigGameHoundsmen.com

JUST CURIOUS OF HOUNDSMENS OUT THERE SPENDING BIG BUCKS FOR 99.9% BROKE LION, BOBCAT, AND BEAR DOGS? WHAT BREED? MALE OR FEMALE? FOR MY PART IVE BARTERED; GUNS, EQUIPMENT, MULTIPLY DOGS, CONSTRUCTION SERVICES. I WOULD LIKE FOR RESPONSES TO BE FAIR. IVE HEARD OF DOGS GOING FOR UP TO $4500?

I was woundering this the other day when I spent 2000 on a 4 year old coon hound thats the most I have ever spent.

$4500. But the dog didnt adjust to my country to well. Sold her back to someone from her own country for $4500. Bought a dog out of New Mexico 3 yrs ago for $3000. She was worth every penny.

All I know is i dont have the kind of money to buy An Arizona bred dry ground hound. I sure wish i did.

Maybe 12 to 15 years ago, a guy from Texas by the name of Perry Helmsley (I think I got his name right) talked several ranchers into financing a lion dog for him to hunt their ranches. He went to Steve Smith in Arizona to buy a dog. when Steve showed him what he had, he left out his #1 dog, Bolt. Perry asked Steve about Bolt, and was told that the dog wasn't for sale. Perry badgered Steve into pricing the dog, so Steve told him $15,000.00. I think that Steve knew that Perry only had $10,000.00 with him. Perry asked to borrow the phone, called his Texas guys, and had the other $5000.00 wired to him. Bolt took up residency in Texas. Bolt sired a litter of pups, Perry took them to a get together in Az to give Steve one, and wouldn't even sell any of the rest to anyone. He said that he was going to knock the rest in the head, which I believe he did. A different guy, by the name of Tommy Collins hunted Bolt until he died.

2000 is the most i spent and i wont do it again iv also hunted with people trying out lion dogs they want 3000 for and trash and cant make it to the tree without help i dont think mine are worth that much but if them other dogs ive seen are selling for that then i would say mine are 10000 dollar dogs lol some people are out to make a buck if there aint a trial on a dog 800 and over i would tell the guy to f-off

$2000.00
$3000.00
$5000.00

All three were very good dogs that I hunted with for months or years before buying. They were Northwest bobcat dogs. If I could get a dog like any one of the three right now I would in a heartbeat. Would probably even pay a little more. I have a dog right now that I bought at a 1 1/2 years old for $2500, that was money well spent also. I can't get a very high percentage of dogs to make the cut so buying a good started or finished dog makes it a little easier and funner for me. I have sold a few dogs along the way also so it isn't just money going out. But have spent more than I will ever make selling dogs for sure.

Only $300 and that was my half the other guy put up a rifle. He was old and was our pup trainer taught the dogs how to tree so he was worth every penny. He was just a Good old dog.

Most Ive spent on a dog was $200, he's my lead dog, got offered $4,500 for him and he's almost 2 but Im too attached to my dogs. Heard of dogs selling for 10 grand though.

Benny,

I would call BS one your story about a 15K dog but I got educated one time. I was quail hunting down there in that Tonto Basin area and it was hot I mean hot and dry and everything out there had thorns and stickers on it. Well them bird dogs were in top shape but they would melt down quick and you couldn't hardly get enough water to them to keep them smelling or working. Well I am wandering along up this big rocky wash and I hear hounds trailing. Naw it must be my imagination hell it's near noon so hot you could fry and egg on the pickup hood, so I go on. A bit later my old English Pointer bitch Dot who was very use to hounds and hated lions sold out and ran to the top of the ridge cocking her head. I whistled her back and went on. Well I killed a few quail that day but damn few, and on towards evening on my way back towards where I had left the truck I wandered on to this secluded little cabin down in this rough gorge. Well I figured I would walk thru there and get on the little rough road and head back towards the top to my truck. I noticed a big tall feller standing on the porch sipping a cold beer so I just sort of headed that way. He cocked back his black hat and said I reckon you would be Mike Leonard. I stopped in my tracks and looked around and said well yes I am. He said I heard you was down this way, come on up here and have a beer my name is Steve Smith. Guess the folks at the Inn across the lake told him I was around. Holy Smokes did we have a good time over the next couple days and yes for sure he was trailing and catching in that god forsaken country. He said he had heard of me and seen a few photos in Full Cry and from friends over the years and that is how he spotted me. We are the same age so I told him I had never seen any pictures but I was told he was tall 6' 5" barefoot. Well let me tell you them little bench legged blueticks and redticks he had could trail and move a track in horrible country and they were tougher than a lizard. He told me lots of stories about old Dale Lee when he was hunting with him and how Dale use to razz him about wanting to be a lion hunter. Well I guess it fired Steven up cuz I am not sure if any out there other than Larry , and Sam that catch bad lions in Arizona like he does. I do however know some younger guys who are going to be hot on their heels. LOL!

Yep them kind of dogs are mighty pricey!

Mike Leonard wrote:Benny,

I would call BS one your story about a 15K dog but I got educated one time. I was quail hunting down there in that Tonto Basin area and it was hot I mean hot and dry and everything out there had thorns and stickers on it. Well them bird dogs were in top shape but they would melt down quick and you couldn't hardly get enough water to them to keep them smelling or working. Well I am wandering along up this big rocky wash and I hear hounds trailing. Naw it must be my imagination hell it's near noon so hot you could fry and egg on the pickup hood, so I go on. A bit later my old English Pointer bitch Dot who was very use to hounds and hated lions sold out and ran to the top of the ridge cocking her head. I whistled her back and went on. Well I killed a few quail that day but damn few, and on towards evening on my way back towards where I had left the truck I wandered on to this secluded little cabin down in this rough gorge. Well I figured I would walk thru there and get on the little rough road and head back towards the top to my truck. I noticed a big tall feller standing on the porch sipping a cold beer so I just sort of headed that way. He cocked back his black hat and said I reckon you would be Mike Leonard. I stopped in my tracks and looked around and said well yes I am. He said I heard you was down this way, come on up here and have a beer my name is Steve Smith. Guess the folks at the Inn across the lake told him I was around. Holy Smokes did we have a good time over the next couple days and yes for sure he was trailing and catching in that god forsaken country. He said he had heard of me and seen a few photos in Full Cry and from friends over the years and that is how he spotted me. We are the same age so I told him I had never seen any pictures but I was told he was tall 6' 5" barefoot. Well let me tell you them little bench legged blueticks and redticks he had could trail and move a track in horrible country and they were tougher than a lizard. He told me lots of stories about old Dale Lee when he was hunting with him and how Dale use to razz him about wanting to be a lion hunter. Well I guess it fired Steven up cuz I am not sure if any out there other than Larry , and Sam that catch bad lions in Arizona like he does. I do however know some younger guys who are going to be hot on their heels. LOL!

Yep them kind of dogs are mighty pricey!

ya lost me there mike? you would call b.s. on a guy paying 15k for a dog, but you met a lion hunter while you were out bird hunting that had some good dogs? at what piont did the 15k dog transaction take place? or are you just saying that because they could hunt the heat they were worth 15k? are people really paying that much for dogs? it was a good story but I must have missed the point. maybe a little clarification for us slow people.

well I read about the hound that sold for fifteen thousand from Steve Smith and all I can do is assume that he is the same Steve Smith Mike met. Maybe I am lost don't know.

sourdough

Steve has a ranch just southeast of Tonto Basin, but that's probably right where those quail were headed for a drink from the hose in the yard! Steve hunted Dale Lee's dogs after Dale quit hunting. And yes, Mike and Steve know each other. Another side note, Bolt was a Hendrix dog that Steve bought from Larry when Larry needed a new pickup.

i believe mike was stating he would have called bs if it werent for the fact he got the story directly from mr smith himself in a by chance meeting. thats what i got from it.
on the other hand i can not ay i hav paid alot for dogs but i have heard of several dogs being sold for large amounts of money but recently a dog named booger hollow mojo was sold. first half of him was sold for 20,000 and then another party paid another 20,000 for the other half and i was told 65,000 was offered at the autumn oaks last year but myself have a hard time believing the tales.

i had the good lord look out for me one time on a $10,000 dog deal.Lookin Up Jeb came up for sale for $10,000.I called and told the guy I had $7500 and asked if he would give me a week to come up with the rest.He said yep.I tried to sell a few things,to no avail.I finally called a buddy told him what i had going and asked if he wanted to buy an interest.He said no but he would loan me the $2500 and the only interest would be that he could breed to him anytime.Oh I just knew I was driving to Arkansas,so I called the guy.He said I have good news and bad news.Good news is"You didn't loose $10,000,bad news is Jeb died yesterday of blasto". I turned down $10,000 from the same guy who was going to loan me the money for Horn and I'm sure glad I did cause we sure had a good time with him.