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I have had some kind of hound ever since I was 8 years old. Im now 56. I have hunted rabbits coon, fox, deer, little hog, and alittle bear.The point is Ive been exsposed to hunting a lot of different game with hounds. In the late 90s I was running half walker half beagle on deer and caught a couple of cats on the ground and that is when I fell in love with cathunting. I got me some chase reg walker foxhounds from a friend of mine who breed fast track running hounds. Iwent to a man that was selling out and bought his whole pack of hounds so I could get his jump dogs. Well like everybody else you start thinking about what kind of short cutts you can take to speed up the process. Well I built a 40 acer foxpen put grey fox in there and started running puppies at about 5 months old. I had some deer jump in the pen so I started shocking my puppies off deer and by the time they were 10 months old they would be broke off deer which really helped out. This really was a short cutt that helped out. I would run these pups for about 5 months in the pen and I would have them comming to the truck horn loading and everything. I would take these pups to the pen about 2 times a week for about 5hr a trip and by the time they were 9 or 10 months old they were bad to the bone. But when I would carry them hunting in the wild it would take me 6 months and longer to ever get them to hit the thickets.They just were looking for tails and roads to run down. For the last year I have been running my pups for 1hr in the pen and just 6 or 8 times. I still break the pups off deer and to come to the truck horn but Im not letting them stay in the pen till they just want to run trails. Now these young hounds are getting in there at 7 and 8 months old getting some of the fox or cat. Now like mr. Finny Clay and Mr. Don and some other older cat hunters have told me this is very true there is no short cutts as for a dog learning how to run a cat! The only way a dog is going to learn how to run a cat is to feed him lots of cats. I dont know if this has been helpful to anybody else or not but it didnot cost you anyhting but your time to read it. Goodhunting from the Alabama cathunter.

I have found over the years in this area that if a pup can be left loose to run, explore and learn at least the first 6 months of thier life sure helps them get off to a younger start once exposed to hunting what ever hunting you are wanting them to do. Andy

Yes that is always a big help! But where I live the cars will get them now

One thing I work alot with is creeks and rivers, during the summer I swim rivers alot and make the dogs cross with me. I think it helps in mulitple ways but the biggest thing is to be able to recall the dogs across the river when you can't cross. And creeks for pups as a starting point. Also if a cat or coon crosses it helps keep them from being afraid of crossing to find the track again.

A C- Great post. Too much of a good thing is not necessarily a good thing, yet there is no limit of good at the right thing.

Cobalt..
You said a lot of "things" that are very true.....

Ala. do you still breed and raise your own register walkers for cat hunting??? If so, what blood line did you start with and/or do you prefer to use.


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Yes, I use willow oak bonanza breeding. With some other stuff crossed in there. I want fast track driving hounds with a good nose!

Enjoyed the conversation the other night Ala cathunter. Thanks Henpeck


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I have enjoyed the reading, Alabama cathunter. I also use a pen to help with pup training, although it is much smaller than yours. I kinda think the mind set of the hunter and their expectations for the dogs play a big role in success.

The more we ask from our hounds.

The more we must give as trainers.

Realizing, understanding and applying this is as much a short cut I can give. Thankyou. John Warner.

i dont think theres no short cut in training a pup on a cat, i normaly start mine ahead of the truck with the broak dogs let him get started following when he starts trashing he wears a hot collar i never handle my hounds in the road ! i do go to a little pen that has nothing but greys let them run a coupla times then get them out i hunt everything i have loaded down the road right now 12 amazing what eletricty will do