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Is catching what you are chasing the only thing that really matters when it all comes down to it......What are some of the things that you look for in a hound? Or what type of hound are you after?

Thanks for any input on this subject, jason

Jason,

I think this is a great subject, as for me the catch is an added bonus. I love the adrenaline rush from the highest high to the lowest low (or loss). I love seeing that pup pick it up a notch and make the find where she/he would have missed it a week or two ago. I guess it is the satisfaction of the progress being made and the desire getting stronger.

Thanks

Kevin

Is this a serious post?

You all just got a reprieve from a three page answer by a technological glitch which is one thing of many I strive to avoid while hunting. Short answer is no a kill is hardly my measurement of succes
s. And has little to do overall with why I run hounds

This is a good one My hounds have been my anti drug and to find out what is going on in my sons life, Have 4 sons that hunt and we still love to get toghter and go,
the tree is an added bonus as long as the dogs make a good showing work track hard and no quit,
Some of the best meals ive had are a mangled sandwich warm water sitting on a hillside listning to them work a cold track,

From what I've read on here we should be asking you what you look for

Brains....with tons of drive not to quit a track no matter how hard the trailing gets...

Im with Bency but personally I could care less what my hounds look like. Im partial to english and bluetick looking hounds but got all sorts of crosses, a plott, and some heinz 57 dogs. I love listening to the dogs and getting out in the woods as much as I can but what type of "hunter" would I be if I didnt want to catch everything I turned my dogs loose on. Personally if I turn the dogs loose I want to see something in the tree, if I dont then Im actually pretty disappointed unless Ive hunted them for 4 days straight and they are just dog tired but are still giving it their all, then Im a proud man. I definetly dont have the best dogs but expect to catch something when I turn loose. Young dog or pup work and watching that pup get better is one of the reason I think I am hooked too, doesnt get much better than that.

if your lookin for brains then dont go lookin for plotts. they have a one track mind. the 3 stupidest dogs i've ever owned in my life were plotts. im gettin rid of my last one and hes a mix. i own two redbones and they show very high intelligence and have a real cold nose. im stickin with red dogs from here on out (redticks and redbones).

Maybe I got the exception for a plott but he's damn smart and got one of the coldest noses Ive seen. Ran a bobcat track with him this last winter at 8 months old with my lead dog and he smoked him like he was running a bear on a cold track. I thought he was trashing till I went and found him and he was still on this bobber track just cooking it. Ive seen a couple other good plotts a buddy has. Ive seen, what I feel, are good dogs in all breeds but Im still partial to certain breeds but wouldnt pass up owning a good dog no matter what color it is.

pegleg wrote:You all just got a reprieve from a three page answer by a technological glitch which is one thing of many I strive to avoid while hunting. Short answer is no a kill is hardly my measurement of success. And has little to do overall with why I run hounds

pegleg, you might want to reread his question, he never mentioned Kill, he said catch.

I am with BuckNAze, I enjoy listening to and watching them work just as much as the next guy, but if they don't get it caught they are only doing half their job and at some point I would have to reevaluate my dogs and get some that are treeing the game.
Not every race is going to be 100% but if it is on the lower % then it is time to look at my pack and see where I can improve.
Good post poser

Thanks for the replies fellas...and yes this is a serious post. But seeing how im not a rocket scientist and was up for a couple days trying to stay awake when i posted this, i may have worded it wrong....sorry this is what you get when you deal with an idiot like me.

What im asking is are you satisfied in your dog making the tree? There are alot of dogs out there that will tree game and i personally wouldn't own a lot of them for one reason or another. I may love a type of hound that someone else wouldnt own. Whatever works for you.....

Just asking, at the end of the day.....do they have to do anything more then put game in a tree. If so what are some of the things that you look for in your hounds?

I am working a couple of bluetick hounds right now for a guy. One dog is older and goes chasing ghosts sometimes.... Still catches game for the guy and has done so for several year and earned a spot at his place. One is an offish dog that seems to be coming around and doing good. The last one, i think is gonna make a real nice dog. I like a lot of things about the way that she hunts, handles, gets around and uses her head...but at the end of the day i wouldn't keep any of these dogs because they are hard keepers.

So what type of hound are you looking for?

Thanks, jason

Jason,

My perfect pack is 5 dogs for me that can lead, be turned in, trail on their own, have the desire to finish the track with the abilty to keep it in the tree. I guess what I am saying is that I want all my dogs to be able to play every roll in my pack from start to finish. Now I understand that the this is something the pups will have to grow into and progress and I can accept this as long as progress is being made. Their will be dogs that will excell at certain things better than others but they can still do it all enough to put the game up. If they are not easy keeps or learn to be easy keepers they will go. I dont have time and have a dog that knows when and where he/she needs to act accordingly.

Thanks

Kevin

I love purebred plotts, they are the grittiest sons@#$bit@# in the world. They are real smart too. Wouldn't have anything else. Devin, you don't know what the hell you are talking about!

lsorenso wrote:I love purebred plotts, they are the grittiest sons@#$bit@# in the world. They are real smart too. Wouldn't have anything else. Devin, you don't know what the hell you are talking about!

I know I am trying to learn