PICKING YOUR KEEPERS FROM A LITTER

[Dan Edwards]

If you look at the average of all of them, 75% or so get off their chain for a weekend or two and then 20% get hunted every weekend and then the other 5% that get hunted a couple times a week throughout the year are "considerably above average". I was just looking at a larger sampling pool. I believe that we are both right.

Scott,
I think you are right but your sampling pool is a little biased. It's a prett short list of guys who hunt all the time that go to the woods with junk. They just don't keep it around for long and why would they. A weekend warrior like myself usually takes a little longer to figure out one is junk, so it probably sticks around longer than it should.

Now if these guys get a pup that doesn't have the right stuff in it, it doesn't matter how many times it gets put out. It's not going to turn out. It's a two-part deal. They need the right makeup and then it's all exposure.

I put that in my first post that guys that hunt day after day wouldnt put up with no shit dog but I edited it cuz I didnt want to sound mean like Nolte. He's a brute ya know.

A dog that aint gonna make it will screw up faster with guys that are dead serious and they wont be around for too many chances.

[sourdough]

With all your home work done and out of the way it can still be a crap shoot when picking a pup. I been around some outstanding litter over the years, ones that every pup made a hound that would catch their own game even with that some were better than the rest. I have never really cared what pup I ended up with when from well bred hounds, put the time in and the genes they were give will show. Knowing the back round of the hound pups is half the battle. Why not give yourself a fifty percent chance to start with?

sourdough

[dwalton]

A lot of good thoughts have been brought up since I was on here last. Yes if you have been around the same type of dogs for years you should be able to see what pups make what. Let me add a different thought. I pick totally different pups if I am looking for a bear dog than I would pick if I wanted a cat dog. What do you think? Dewey

[sourdough]

You are right on Dewey as you know you are. There is a huge difference in what kind of hound that would make a cat dog and one that will make a great bear dog... Oh there are some that will catch a bear on the cat end and some that will catch cats on the bear end but nether can be called great bear or cat hounds . Just nice combo dogs. I have some nice lion hounds and catch a few bobcats I would never call them bobcats hounds but how knows? I just know on the jump they need to travel on brains with bobcats because if they make any losses it's good buy MR bobcat. On a jumped lion there are few losses though they are much bigger and leave more scent behind you need a hound with patience on a bare ground cold track that can pull their head out of their a$$ when they are jumped to be a great lion hound. All the greats whether bear, bobcat, or lion have certain traits that make them great at their job, unless you have seen a great in each category get it done time in time out when all others have dropped out and through in the towel then old so and so will always be the greatest bobcat, bear, lion hound that ever lived.

sourdough

[plottpappaw]

i was given some advice one time that makes great sense. keep the whole litter and at 4 months show them a coon and keep the ones that bark at it and rid of the rest. then wait a couple more months and show them another coon and more times than not there will be one pup that focus' on nothing but the coon. won't bark a minute play a minute just eyes locked on the prize and acts like its just it and the coon. doesn't turn around and look at you or any other dogs. thats the one you keep.

[dwalton]

Plottpapaw: A lot of hunters rely on what a dog does on a cage or dead animal as to which pup to pick. I agree it is one way to pick a pup. I do not use it, I feel that a lot of the bast pups would be culled using this method. It is limiting the things that you use to pick. I feel the smarter easy going pups, the ones I want for bobcat are more reserved and my not show a lot on dead or caged animals. They have more desire to trail than to get to the game. The draw back is that they can have less tree than the dog that wants that game. Dewey

[plottpappaw]

that is all very true. i have no point to argue. i've run into difficulty picking pups due to the fact i am mostly a bear hunter but have takin up bobs and look more for a combo dog. to be honest i have no clue in what to look for in a pup for bobs. i never have heard that opinion bout a laid back pup. so now i'm confused. i havee a litter of plotts bout to hit anytime and planning on keeping two cause i liquidated all but four dogs to concentrate on these pups due to the cross.

[driftwood blue]

a lot depends on if you are raising the litter or you are picking from some other persons litter..
also depends on whet your objective is..
If all you want is an old biscuit eater that will trail and tree the game. the chances are about as good with one method as another

But--- If it is your litter from old Pride and Joy that you have owned and hunted that will change the aspect.--- you should know beyond doubt then what traits they bring to the table for the offspring... that is the advantage of raising your pups from your own stock..and choose the cross to pick up the needed traits that old Pride or Joy lack.
one has to be honest with themselves there

some years back I was pretty willing to keep what others left me as that helped to move the pups off the feed bill. however I noticed a slow decline in the quality and type of the hounds that I ended up with.. in the last 20 years I have figured out exactly what my hounds should look like as well as how I want them buggers to hunt... so I select the mates first a lot depending on my desired type and hunting style. then when they hit the ground those that do not have the "look" are never considered for my replacements.. then when they are starting to mobile around they are again graded for actions... Those that seem dull are out of the running.. but one thing also that seems to crop up is that individual that is pretty laid back sure seems to be easier to train---- so make sure it is a difference between laid back and dumb. before the culling..

shoot one old fellow claimed he culled before he bred therefore he had no culls--- the truth was with him any thing he could sell for $150 was not a cull.

[plottpappaw]

this all makes since. every plott i have had luck with all resemble each other in color size build even actions and oddly enough the sound of their bark. also the best black and tans i have had have almost solid black legs. even though it aint my post but thanks for the info.

[Benny G]

I generally have the pups sorted out by 4 to 5 weeks old. That doesn't mean that I always end up being completely right. I can't stress enough that GENETICS IS THE KEY. As for the pups that I raise, I usually end up with the last pup left. I have never had a problem with this, because as I stated, it's about genetics...period.

A couple of years ago, I went by a friend's house on my way to Phx. He was getting ready to go to camp for the winter, and had a female that was about to have pups. I asked him what he was going to do with a new litter in camp, and he said that he wasn't looking forward to it. I offered to take her, raise the pups to 5 weeks old, and go to his camp and split the pups with him. He agreed, and at the agreed upon time, I went to his camp and spent one week hunting with him. After a couple of days, he asked me what I thought about the pups, and why. I told him, and gave my reasons. Every evening after we got in from the day's hunt, we would watch those pups and discuss them. When it was time for me to go, we flipped a coin to see who would take first pick, and we split those pups right up the middle. In the end, we were both satisfied. When I got those pups to him, they were a couple days short of 5 weeks. When I left with my half, they were a couple days older than 5 weeks. For me, IT'S ALL ABOUT GENETICS.

[Anchor Red]

Hay this is brobly a doumb ? But all the same im knew into hound hunting and am about to have a litter hit the ground any day know and was wondering what does it mean to have a litter of pups culled. I always thought to culled a dog ment to dicapline it . Know Im not sure

[reed]

Culling means to eliminate it from your pack in one way or another.

[BlueJohn]

We've had pretty good luck picking for size, conformation, and attitude at about 8 weeks. This is one we picked to keep:



Here she is at 9 months:

[bare_down]

I KEEP MY PUPS UNTIL THEY ARE 3 TO 4 MONTHS OLD AT ABOUT 2 MONTHS I WILL PUT A CAGE COON IN THE LOT WITH THEM TWICE A WEEK TO LOOK FOR PUPS THAT ARE INTERESTED, AFTER A WHILE A COUPLE WILL BEGIN TO BAY, THATS WHEN I DECIDE ON MY KEEPERS.