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I was kinda curious about what you guys thought about dogs taking a bear track backwards.There's a local hunter down here that accuses his dogs of backtracking every time his dogs fizzle out or can't line out a track,I always thought it happened more on a hot track than a cold track.This past weekend he thought they were backtracking and it was a pretty cold track.Is it that common for dogs to go backwards?just curious what y'all thought.

We rig hunt the high rocky country and seldom have a track, or even look for one. In my country the most common reason for backtracking is a dogs natural favor to hunt into the wind, not with it. That being said, an experienced dog will learn to turn around and get it going the right way. JMO

I agree Preston, another thing Ive noticed is alot of dogs always want to leave the rig going up hill. Most dogs learn to turn it around and head the right way. A few things that Ive noticed that cause this is turning in other dogs to quick, or useing a young almost to egar dog to start with. If this continued i would change what i was doing as far as starting the track, Mayba use another dog to start the track or wait longer before turning in another dog.JMO

from what ive read on other message boards

coon hunters---beaglers ---would cull any dog that backtracks-

if i did that -- i would have culled every decent start dog ive ever owned or hunted with-- i think a little bactracking is very often the price you pay for a dog with a decent nose



There's a local hunter down here that accuses his dogs of backtracking every time his dogs fizzle out or can't line out a track



me tooo lol - -- backtracking unless they prove otherwise-

also they are trashing , unless they prove otherwise- -




ok sometimes the scent changes---they could be going the right way -

ie

if a bear goes over the ridge-- lot of times tracks blowed out / dried up/ whatever up high on the ridge -

im guessing, most the time - lol
if they come back , you better believe i will let them try the other direction-


its very common to strike off rig and have dogs go short ways backwards----

--very hot or very cold tracks are the worse-
-
some of best ive seen -- would check both sides of road as just normal practice--
do it more times than not -

its like they went a short ways backwards ,just to be sure --

an experienced dog will learn to turn around and get it going the right way. JMO


yup- provided you give enuff time-

cutting the rest of the dogs in ,is an art all by itself -


backtracking doesnt bother me at all--

seen a few that once theyve started backwards ,cant be turned around , thats a different thing --

Good response Pete, and there's a whole of truth in what you just said.........
Your comments are words that sound as if they came from a man who has been there and done that, and one tht is honest with himself about what he sees or thinks he sees in the field......

My Moto has always been go see what there's doing, never assume anything and never lie to yourself about what the evidence tells you......

ike

The times I've experienced my dogs going the wrong direction they've always corrected themselves in a pretty short amount of time.It just seems like this guys dogs have been running the track for quit awhile and without changing direction.A dog that backtracks for a bit and then figures out what he's doing wrong doesn't bother me either,I just found it kinda strange how it happened to this guy more than anybody else.Thanks for all the response guys.

James-

Great points that were brought up. Most times the dogs will turn it around and start it the right way. I was hunting Idaho a few years back and we struck a track and the dogs went out pretty fast then the track petered out and we ended up picking all the dogs up on the next road over. I told the guys I was hunting with that I think they we got on the wrong end and I was going back to where we started the track and see if I can get them going the right way. The guys I were with decided they would just try and find another track. About a half hour later my dogs had this bear treed. I think this was a prime example of knowing your hounds and in this case too many dog (and a lot of different dogs) cut in at the start before the track got lined out by the other dog. If I ran a lot of tracks backward, I think I would be putting the dogs back on the other end and seeing if they were running it backwards or if something else was really going on. Hounds are either good or they aren't- consistant errors in a hound means it's time for a change. Hope this helps.

When it happened last weekend we went back to where we started the track and since it took me a little bit longer to catch up my dog by the time I got back the guy I was with had already turned his two oldest dogs out on the uphill side of track.I held on to my dog to see what was gonna happen and nothing really did.The dogs just kinda milled around on the hill for awhile,barely getting out of eyesight but still within hearing.For some reason I think he's just trying to tell himself his dogs are better than they really are.I hope it doesn't sound like I'm on a rant I was just curious what you guys thought.

If you hunt with someone that consistantly has dogs that strike off the box and catches game, you will know what to look for. Any day in the woods is better than working, but if you want to learn and are willing to put the time in to learn I suggest you hunt with someone that is "the real deal" then when you go, you will be able to seperate the bs from the truth. I'm not saying get rid of your hunting partner, but just look how someone else is doing it. A dog can't be made just hunting on the weekend. Most good houndmen make good dogs by hunting at least 5 days a week. Most people can't do that, but it will really show in how their dogs handle on or off a track. They will be dialed in!

Good luck

just reading about what you guys are talking about and agree 100 percent cant hunt my dogs 5 days but the more the better but i did hunt that much in the past and as far as wacthing and learning about dogs and your dogs and how some of the old hound doggers do it i learnd a lot

I have seen many dogs that were hunted on weekends only, that you would have given ur right nut for. The fact that they have a owner that can only get off work on the weekend does not diminish their ability. I have also seen dogs that got hunted 3-4 times a week that I didn't think amounted to a bucket of piss....jmo

Those are called "Naturals" you have to breed, and cull for them. They are supposed to be a well kept secret, but you went and blew it!

I just cracked up laughing when I read that 5 day a week post. Quality over Quantity. Dogs, days hunted, and time spent.

Onalimb- Just curious how often you hunt your dogs?

I think it's the handler's responsibility to learn each dogs tendencies and handle his pack accordingly. Some dogs can handle a track better than other's just like in the human world some people are better at certain things then others. I.M.O

I work a 40 week contract, and I'm off 12 weeks through the winter. I'm a weekend warrior with a few three and four day weekends thrown in during spring, summer and fall. I'm not saying it wouldn't benifit a dog to hunt 5 days a week. if they were able to, but the good ones will stand out,. get their education, and depending on where they are hunted, they might not be able to hunt 5 days a week anyway. My goal is to bring them home totally worn out and spent, and it seldome takes 5 days to get it done around here.
Saying a dog can't be made by only hunting them weekends has been proven wrong hundreds if not thousands of times with the right guys having the right dogs, no matter the breed.