What age is old enough?

Bticked · Post by **Bticked** » Fri May 02, 2008 2:04 am

Just curious to see what you guys think is a good age to let a young dog out after bear? The younger dog would be with 1 or maybe two older dogs.

larry · Post by **larry** » Fri May 02, 2008 7:45 am

If it's old enough to keep up on a long race than its old enough to go IMO

bearbredplotts · Post by **bearbredplotts** » Fri May 02, 2008 10:43 am

most of my dogs have the desire to run at a young age.
my new female last year was fightin and treein bear with my other dogs. she was 6 months old. kinda young? maybe. but thats my style. obviously these dogs can handle the mental and physical pressure a bear can put on em.
ultimately its up to the dog to let you kno when they want to hunt.

pete richardson · Post by **pete richardson** » Fri May 02, 2008 11:35 am

i dont like pups getting left behind on longest runs- i dont want them in the habit of falling out of race-
i want them chasing bear,not dogs -they all got to start somewhere

- i dont need them hammered by an extra bad bear either - - this stuff is a little out of my control- just have to use best guess- what the older dogs are like makes a difference - if i thought a 6 month old pup can stay with my best 4 year old on a long hard race -id wonder what was wrong with my 4 year old -

-i do like them "started "-- young--- i try to remember that they are pups and dont push them as hard as i would an older dog

if your young pup is makeing super hard fast races- you got something pretty special ,take good care of it

Spanky · Post by **Spanky** » Fri May 02, 2008 11:41 am

a month prior to bear season we road our hounds to get them back in shape after the short downtime from Cougar season. If I have a young hound that I want to run in the spring I have them roading with the older hounds.

If that pup can not keep up after a month of roading about 8-10 miles then its simple, it does not go. I agree with Pete if it can not keep up no sence teaching it bad habits of dropping out. You owe it to your hounds to have them in shape prior to the start of the season.

You want to see something funny, I have two 4 month olds roading behind their father :lol:

Laughed my ass off when they experienced there first mud puddle and though they could just run right through it rather then around it :lol:

Splash nose first :roll:

Bticked · Post by **Bticked** » Wed May 07, 2008 6:21 pm

Thanks for the input fellas. Im gettin ready to buy another younger dog to help out my dogs and was just tryng to decide how old or young to buy so that the dog could hunt later this year. Thanks again.

Ryan

danny · Post by **danny** » Mon May 19, 2008 3:31 am

I like to take young hounds along to see what's going on and if possible turn them into the race. I agree with the other guys that it's a hard call and the dog has to be ready and if he with go to the other hounds when turned in he is probably ready.