Any issue running young "lion" dogs on coon

[MedRiver]

I have a couple young dogs that I bought to run primarily on lions. I started them as young dogs on caged coon and they have done very well both on solo runs and together.

I have had them out on one lion tree after some older dogs put it up. We kicked the young cat out for them and they both ran it well but my male eventually got sidetracked from the pack and came back. My female stayed on the track but when the lion headed to private property and a bit of a hellhole we called all the dogs off and did not get it treed again. I think they both show promise but am really happy with her.

Lately I have been taking them out at night to find some coons on their own. Had a good hard tree the second time out. I have lots of access to bottomland and it is easy to sneak out for a short night of coon hunting. Way easier to take my kids too which is important to me.

If I want lion dogs am I doing the dogs a disservice by spending as much time as possible running them on coon when the snow conditions aren't good for lions? I don't anticipate many coons in the country we hunt lions in and they can run cats with experienced dogs.

Thanks in advance

[tman308]

Everybody has their own opinion but I like to start young dogs on small game because it's easier to find lots of it and get them lots of experience before you actually take them to the woods. I would not do a lot of cage work I would do live work as that's teaching them the same kinds of things they need to learn for chasing cats.

[Bearhunter247]

I don't know anything about lion hunting but I start all of my bear dogs as pups coon hunting but as soon as they either strike or tree first a few times they don't go anymore. I have hunted them to long after that point to where they were broke dogs and wouldn't fool with a bear at all.

[pegleg]

Plenty of lion dogs start on coon where theyre available

[Mike Leonard]

I agree with Pegleg and I use to start all my lion dogs on coon. The best lion hound I have owned to date was also an excellent coon hound and a layup specialist that would find many coon even on nights they were not walking.

I think coon hunting really helps young dogs learn to locate and tree by scent and thus you nail a lot more lions down before they slip out again on dogs that are milling around trying to keep the track going.

I don't coon hunt where I live these days because everywhere there are coon in this country there are also so many people living on little plots of land you can't turn a free casting hound loose and have any idea whose ground he will end up on treed.

I never had any problems of my dogs getting off on coon scent in this country because coons hang to the main river valleys. Over in Arizona a few times on rivers such as the Verde I have had them pull to a coon but usually it is just a minor set back and can be quickly corrected.

Bear hunters have more problems with this when they are hunting off baits or rigging close to rivers. At times the dogs will rig a coon that has been recently in the area.

Up there in Montana where you are snow hunting you don't have much chance of ever running across a coon because during that time of the year they are pretty dormant other than when the boars go to rutting and checking out dens for perspective mates.


A funny story..

Years ago I was bear hunting up in some very high wilderness mountains. I had taken a pair of my dogs off into a big drainage and was walking down to the bottom in hopes of getting a bear going. One of the dogs was the dog I referred to at the start of this. He had been on lots of coon and would sure enough tree one. About 1/2 down the drainage the dogs all of a sudden threw their nosed in the air and went to winding way up high, and all of a sudden they just left there heading down towards the creek in the bottom of the canyon. I ran after them and could not see any bear sign the way the dogs went, but the ground was pretty hard. Before I got to the bottom I heard old John locate and go to hammering, and soon Poppy joined him. right on the creek in some slender aspen trees that grew along it. Well I just knew they had a coon because no bear could tree up those little trees.

My partner who had gone around in the truck to pick me up in the bottom was waiting for me there and he asked what have they got? I said I think it is a dang coon down there in those little trees. Well together we took leashes and walked to the treed dogs. when we looked up we sure had a surprise. There about 20 feet up balancing between two of those little quakies was one of the biggest, prettiest tom lions I have ever seen. His coat was still in the summer reddish collar and it revealed all the white battle scars he had on his face plainly.

We had a good laugh and leashed the dogs and said that was the biggest coon we had ever caught. LOL!

[MedRiver]

Thanks for the input guys. The bear issue makes sense to me. No running bears in Montana so kind of a non-issue for me. Sounds like it probably won't mess them up on cats so will keep hunting them.

Great story on the lion Mike!


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[Gary Roberson]

I hope that it is not a problem as that is the way I start mine.
Adios,
Gary

[runninman]

B

[MedRiver]

Thanks. Took them out yesterday and treed a nice mature female.






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[rum3002576]

That's awesome

[MedRiver]

Thanks. I borrowed my buddies older dog to help out and they all three did great. My female especially did awesome. Watching the gps it looked like whenever they got hung up it was either her or the older dog that got it straightened out. My male seems to really excel at the tree though. I think they will make a great team eventually.