Hunting dogs

Hunting dogs ,( if I am correct since I don't hunt... but odd factoids stick in my head sometimes... ) Do one or a combination of of the following

Trail ..... Hunting game by scent to bring the hunter to the game. On lead or off , think bloodhound to foxhound, they can be both independent or tether ( long lead) trained

Chase..... Track by sight, this is off lead and if you are going to follow you best be on a horse or cross country capable vehicle,  Wolfhounds, RRs , Salukis they can run all day until game is exhausted.  Very independent thinking hunters.

Push .... Like deer dogs they run the deer from the thicker parts of a forest or wooded area toward the hunting stand. There a re a ton of breeds that hunt this way.

Bay.....like my RRs they get up close and personal with big game and dance in an out holding it until a hunter drops it.

Then you have pointers and retrievers and they are kind of self explainatory .

Down here , near the Gulf of Mexico , the hunting plots are still pretty big. They may have rudenetary fencing and some trails and rough cut roads on them, the smaller places all use Deer Stand/ blinds but rarely use dogs unless retrieving since as you pointed out they can run right off the property and into the roads.

But that is all I remember about Hunting dogs.

Bonita of Bwana

 And terriers go to ground, and hold the quarry at bay. Some are used for flushing quarry.

I should have specified I forgot there are a whole bunch of different hunting breeds. The ones I am talking about are the ones that most hunters around here have they look like beagles but are bigger. I don't know what breed they are as I just hear them call them hunting dog.

Labs can be used for ground hunting by flushing and pointing prey. But they also excel at retrieving ducks from water. They have soft mouth, a combination of soft lips and pressure sensitive jaws so that they don't tear up the prey. Labs have nearly waterproof hide so they are able to take to water like a, well, a duck. They have a thick otter-like tail and webbed paws that help in swimming.

Harriers, or Treeing Walker Coon Hounds?  Not sure what they do but they have markings like Beagles.

My uncle's hunting dog retrieves water foul.

Liesje

Harriers, or Treeing Walker Coon Hounds?  Not sure what they do but they have markings like Beagles.

My uncle's hunting dog retrieves water foul.

Yeah I think they are those. My problem with them is that around here they keep them super skiny I am not talking about showing a few ribs I mean you can count each and every rib aswell as their vertabrate and you can see the hip bones. Not all ofcourse but some do and I don't see how a skinny dog can be good for hunting.

BEVOLASVEGAS

I know a lot of pitties who are hog hunters.  They are game enough to catch a hog, & hold it until the hunter can get there to kill it.  It is very impressive, & a bit scary to watch.

On NatGeo I saw a man that used Dogo Argentinos for that. It was really impressive.

Where I grew up, it was sad but true, that hunters felt that their dogs (like Amanda said, were usually pits used to hunt pigs) hunted better when they were hungry.  They are also expendable.... if one is sick or injured, they shoot them.  It's disgusting and sad... and true.

My gun dog points, flushes and retrieves. 

Coon hounds will corner or tree small prey, such as squirrels, raccoons, etc. They have a special musical voice when they have spotted prey. It is unique and unmistakable.

My uncle has been pheasant hunting with his Golden Retrievers for the last decade.  They are flushers & retrievers.

Recently he switched over to German Shorthair Pointers, as his Golden girls are getting older.  They, of course, point.

I don't know anyone who uses dogs for deer hunting around here.

Just a small comment on body condition.

Hunting dogs...esp coon dogs...use PHENOMENAL amounts of energy and calories. During a hunting season it may actually be really challenging to keep ANY weight on them, no matter how much you feed. They run hot...all the time...it is how they are made. There ARE hunters that do not feed their dogs enough...just as there are pet owners who do not. But a truly emaciated, sickly starving dog is NOT going to have the stamina to tree coons all night long on the type of schedule they run. Just flat out wouldn't.

I think the mushing set might encounter a similar issue...the type of food needs to be calorie PACKED but the dogs still make all into muscle or sinew and they certainly do not have the sort of body condition we pet or even show folks are used to seeing...but because of the bigger coats on those dogs, perhaps it is not as apparent to the eye.

I think there are some misconceptions out there about hunting with dogs...and this is why it's come under such fire with the AR folks. There are bad people doing bad things to and with their dogs...but there are also those that treat their dogs well. Not like you or I might...but they treat them as what they are...working dogs.

I have seen dogs at Coondog Bench shows that were thin...but they were obviously also..."fit" dogs, dogs with boundless energy to do what they were bred for.

Not excusing the condition of the dogs here, because I haven't seen them...more just speaking to body condition as relates to work. We've had many threads here with a particular APBT's picture being shown as "skinny" or "emaciated" and the dog is simply in show condition...it is not kept that way at all times. So again...not knowing the full story...perhaps not making a judgement straight off would be prudent.

We always need to be careful. After all sighthound folks have people calling AC on them because their dogs are emaciated...so appearances are not always the whole story.

 I am not far from where Sowilu is and there are lots and lots of hounds about just about any type you've heard of and crosses of all them abound.

Last year there was a story that after hunting season many of the 'hunters' thin the pack by dumping some here and there.  Some wind up in the shelters but unfortunately since they often get dumped on roads I've seen more than my fair share of dogs that have been hit by cars and dead at the side of the road.

Last year DH & I were driving to the beach (2.5 hrs) and saw 3 dead hounds on I-40 in different spots and also saw two running alongside the interstate.

I have no problem with hunting with hounds but I have major issues with not taking care of the whole pack after the season is over.  I know I am preaching to the choir here but just thought I'd heighten awareness of the fate of many hounds

Sowilu

I should have specified I forgot there are a whole bunch of different hunting breeds. The ones I am talking about are the ones that most hunters around here have they look like beagles but are bigger. I don't know what breed they are as I just hear them call them hunting dog.

Fellow NC-er here......beagle-like hunting dogs are normally beagle/walker(larger hunting dog breed). Those dogs are normally used to 'run' deer. What happens is, one guy will hoad every dog into a 'dog box'(normally 10+ dogs from 2+ guys) and take them to one side of the plot, the other hunters will be scattered in the plot on deer stands. Let the dogs loose, you can hear which way that deer is going, and which ever guy the deer is running to gets to kill him/her. The run at my PaPa's hunting club is, if it's a big hunt, whoever shoots the deer gets first pick on meat(and antlers) but they have to send some meat back to the freezer at the club.

Now, for bigger game(Mt. Lions, Bear, ect..) they use Plott Hounds(NC state dog, beautiful hounds!), Treeing Walker Hounds, Bluetick Coonhounds, Redbone Coonhounds, and other large hound breeds. But, they let the dogs out and the hunters follow the dogs(and therefore, the bear). If it's a small bear, it's going to climb a tree, if it's a medium its going to run, turn fight(a little), run, turn fight, run, turn fight, ect. If its a big bear, it will walk(amazing right?) and once it gets tired of walking, it will turn and fight. Most hunters know they're is a HUGE chance of losing 1 or more dogs when they are trailing a big bear.

That help any? I didn't read many of the post's, so hopefully someone didn't mention this....