Decline of the Redbone Hound ??

cathunter · Post by **cathunter** » Sat Feb 02, 2008 4:47 pm

Anybody have any thoughts on why the Redbone Hound breed has declined in numbers so drasticaly over the years? Each breed of hound seems to have it's own charateristics but then again I have found that if you take a look at the same breed say 500 miles away they can be very different than the local hounds of the same breed. Any thoughts appreciated.

Mike Leonard · Post by **Mike Leonard** » Sat Feb 02, 2008 7:23 pm

Beauty!

I really think that had a lot to do with it. Here's why. When I was a youngster all I knew was redbone hounds. If anybody had a hound around it was a redbone. I went to my first bobcat tree at 6 years old to a chorus of redbone music. I thought they were the best thing going and many of them were. Most of the redbones I remember back then were lighter red color, some even had a trace of black hair down there back and most a a splotch of white on their chest and a white stocking or foot was not all that uncommon. They were bred for performance and they did perform in all kinds of weather on all kinds of game. Most were cold nosed, tenacious, and solid tree dogs with pleasing bawl mouthes and heavy chop mouths on the tree. Well time went along and the Night Hunt competition got crazy around coon country, and before long just about every breed fell into the same type of hound that could run fast, strike quick and pop coons uip and rack up points on a scorecard. Don't breed to them old bawlers that waste all that damn time messing with cold trails you will never win anything the hot rods said.Well a lot of the old redbone breeders didn't want much to do with this and they just kept their country coon dogs going and selling a few to bear and lion hunters. Well times changed and a few guys found out one thing a redbone could do in competition very well if bred right was put a gleam in a bench show judges eye. Nothing is more striking then a dark red shiny hound with good ears, tight feet, and proper conformation. There is nothing wrong with any of that but when actual hunting ability was placed down the list from the winning bench show type the overall status of the breed slipped badly. I owned one of the winningest redbones of a time period. I bought him to hunt with he was not good as a hunter and was growly. A man bought him back from me and went on and made him a super champion on the bench. I am sure he bred a lot of females to that dog.

This is not to say that there is still not some great redbone hunting stock out there, but in proportion to the other breeds it is a minute amount.Too bad the old red hound deserves better.

FullCryHounds · Post by **FullCryHounds** » Sat Feb 02, 2008 8:47 pm

I don't know how many hounds I've owned over the years but by far my best was a Redbone. The reason, and I've said this many times here is he had brains. I'll take brains over 'grit' or any other trait any day. I don't think redbones have lost anything over the years. There are just a lot more blues, walkers and other breeds around because they are used more in the competition hunts, so there are more of them around. A lot of those lines have now been bred for their hot nose. Take a look at just about any picture that shows up on these boards...there's almost always a red dog in it.

Ike · Post by **Ike** » Sun Feb 03, 2008 11:26 am

cathunter · Post by **cathunter** » Sun Feb 03, 2008 4:01 pm

My son actualy has a couple of Redbones that are hunted on Lion Bobcat and Lynx nearly every weekend. One was 1/2 Bloodhound, the dogs are super tough and super producers and this is why I'm curious as to why they are not more popular. Walkers obviously have worked well for many people and my observation is that they are a more mellow dog easier to handle. Now being a super tough hard driving dog also can have it's draw backs especialy when they climb hundreds of yards up a rock face ect. The half bloodhound was the best unfortunately he passed away, here is a pic of the small female, she will be bred shortly to a half Bloodhound. OOPS I don't know how to post a pic.

Ike · Post by **Ike** » Sun Feb 03, 2008 4:29 pm

Majestic Tree Hound · Post by **Majestic Tree Hound** » Sun Feb 03, 2008 5:05 pm

CatHunter .. This is "Big Red Bear" He's 25% Blood Hound But he is nostly Old Strain Bluetick .. But he produces Nice Lite and Dark Redbone Pheno Types when bred to Reds. We have bred him Twice to two different Females and their hitting about 60% with afew great preformers at 15 months old.. He's 28" at the Shoulder and weighs 94# in top running shape.. Very Cold Nosed but pushes the track as need to Very Fast.. He must be bred to a mellow Female thou, if not 10% of the pups tend to be grompy.. Bart Lancaster has two pups he is starting now in B.C.

Bear With a Son

Another Son of Bear's (same litter as the pup above) "Owned by Lloyd Nielson" "Dozer" 14 months old and is showing very well..

cathunter · Post by **cathunter** » Sun Feb 03, 2008 8:51 pm

Hey Majestic, I spoke to Bart on the phone a few weeks ago about possibly buying a pup, he e-mailed me a couple pic's of the dogs he has. As it turns out some thing else came up but the male he showed me was a nice looking dog.

Majestic Tree Hound · Post by **Majestic Tree Hound** » Sun Feb 03, 2008 8:59 pm

cathunter wrote:Hey Majestic, I spoke to Bart on the phone a few weeks ago about possibly buying a pup, he e-mailed me a couple pic's of the dogs he has. As it turns out some thing else came up but the male he showed me was a nice looking dog.

Yea Bart told me he was selling afew of his to make some room.. Bart Does have some nice ones .. He is sending me a Female to bred to "Bear" She is in Montana now I believe ..

He sure Killed some Cats in the past coup months .. Some real nice Lynx..

Mike Leonard · Post by **Mike Leonard** » Sun Feb 03, 2008 10:14 pm

Funny how we got from the redbone to this, but what the heck it's all about them hounds.

Ike,I wasn't sure if you ran registered redbones or not. Some fine looking hounds there for sure. I remember years ago when I lived in Vernal Leland Evans had a fine redbone or two. I always had a soft spot for them starting out the way I did. My Uncle Bob had a registered redbone named Buckshot he was a long ear out of the Minnesota dogs from Blakesley as i recall;. Man that was a good looking dog, and he was a good cat dog, but he was like the son of Coffman's Little Joe I use to own. Never met a skunk he didn't like! LOL! Whew we went thru a lot of Hunts tomato juice. LOL!

easttenngator · Post by **easttenngator** » Sun Feb 03, 2008 11:45 pm

Come to the smokies ..they are still bred and hunted alot around here. One of the guys I run with has about 23 of them

Majestic Tree Hound · Sun Feb 03, 2008 11:55 pm

Mike Leonard wrote:Funny how we got from the redbone to this, but what the heck it's all about them hounds.

Sorry Mike I just Had Red on My Brain .... and it just did'nt matter which flavor red..

Mike Leonard · Post by **Mike Leonard** » Mon Feb 04, 2008 1:12 am

Gator,

I reckon you are right out behind the barn is usually where the real huntin dogs is anyway.

Fella came to my place and said he wanted yto look at all them dirt grindin lion cat catchers /. I said he better get back in his truck and drive a few more hours to Arizona and he might find one. LOL! the best catch dog of my bunch was settin right by him and he thought it was the yard dog. LOL!

Ike · Post by **Ike** » Mon Feb 04, 2008 2:38 am

Mike Leonard · Post by **Mike Leonard** » Mon Feb 04, 2008 10:11 am

Ike,

If you see him tell him hello from me. We haven't hunted together since 1979. I knew his dad Tex as well, now there was a character!

Probably not too many of the hound guys still hunting that were when I lived there.

Larry ( Bear) Gurr, Shirely Cooke, Kent Miller, DJ Reynolds, Doug Gibbs, Scott Allred, Scott Gross. George Kennedy, Bruce Nay, Hal Meacham.

Seems like a long time ago and then again it seems like yesterday. I guess that the way life goes.

I was one of them young whippersnappers back then a newbee who had only been in hounds a bit over ten years. Now I am one of the old dudes . LOL!