BigGameHoundsmen.com

where i hunt in maine im having a hard time putting a end to the chase.there are alot of beaver bog and low land.on the hard wood ridges they scream it out ,but it seam like the water is messing them.i have been running bears by my self for 2 years.they run cat great. any thought on this

Some dogs just don't like water,wich as you know dose'nt work out good in some places like ME.Some dogs will get used to it and some won't.Try taking your dog's swiming and see how they act around water.That may or may not be your problem.

Thunder Struck: where we bear hunt Brownville Me. I would call the terrain rolling hills ,no mountains ,plenty of Bogs though. I would be willing to bet that from past chases the smarter bears tend to head towards the bogs when the chase is on . we hunt with majestics, plotts and a few blueticks . Does not matter which breed some hounds seem to loose interest and almost get confused when they get into a bog.I do not think the scent changes but some just do not like running through them .My son does take the hounds out a few times per year swimming so I don't think it is them being afraid of water. Just the fact that they realize they are in a different type of enviorment.and the rythm of the chase gets altered. kind of like us trav eling thru a clear cut with slash all over the place

most all dogs have problem running them in deep water bogs but them bear know where they loose the dogs in them so if they can get there to loose them they will head there every chance they get

There is alot of water were I run.I used to loose bears in water sometimes.Now I almost never do.They even swim good sized ponds ounce in a while.Like rich40s said If the bears that you run learn that they can loose your dogs like that they will head there every time.Your dogs should get better at it the more they do it, if there not afraid to swim.Some dogs I've tried over the years wouldn't even cross a small stream.They usaully get better but it takes some dogs longer.The more they swim the quicker they will get used to it.JMO.

Bob, i hunt about 30 min south of where you hunt.i have 3 dogs they swim very well.i put my plott in a water race last year and he smoked them.when do you go to brownville

Some dogs I've tried over the years wouldn't even cross a small stream.


me 2-

if you take young pups swimming in the summer --- most of them will swim so well ,sooner or later , they will make you wish they couldnt


start by wading those real small streams- leave em behind--- they will cross-

work up to , bigger faster water -


old dogs can learn -- but not like pups can -

Pete I wish the good ones would follow and the yard trash wouldnt
Be awfull nice if it was that easy huh

hows it going over there anyhow Pete

I started leaving mine behind on creeks, rivers etc and now they pull me back across on lead when leaving a tree. Both just turned a year old.
Just expect to get wet more often going into a tree

Not much worse than wet carharts but the grin on your face lightens them up real quick.

They lost a real nice cougar when they were about 9 months old. They barked treed and I walked in to find them river banked, about 40 yards across I could see the water trail where the cat ran up the rocks.

Bet some dogs save their own lives sometimes when they wont swim too though.