windy days?

[dirtywalkers]

how many of you run your dogs in the wind? if so how do you run it the same way you run a bird dog with there wind in there face?

[dwalton]

I hunt my dogs in cat country where that takes me. If I am walk hunting the dogs can pick a track out of the wind a long ways as bird dog people do. It is like comparing apples to oranges we hunt far bigger country and take a track where we or the dogs find it. I hunt habitat and into the wind if that works out that way. Dewey

[Jackaldog]

I walk hunt my hounds and start off into the wind. The dogs often dont seem to be as interested and energetic when the wind is strong. I dont know if anyone has had this experience.

[dirtywalkers]

thats why i was asking the other day we went coon hunting and normally my dogs go nuts when i let them out the box they were kinda lost when it was windy thats why i asked

[coadycurbow]

The biggest problem I have with the wind is after the jump on a mean hog.

Picture this in your mind, the worst tangle of briars and brush that you can imagine in five year old plantation pine timber that is about 25 to 30 feet tall. You can see about five feet in front of you and your feet are staying tangled in vines and briars (this is the dogs that I'm talking about). All you can smell is boar hog (an odor that is very distinct). Every time you see the hog he is coming after you while you are trying to tear yourself out of the tangled mess. You can't hear anything because the timber is blowing. You are not as prone to stay close to the hog because you can't hear when he is about to try to cut your a$$. When he finally decides to break, you are a little hesitant to rush in and try to pick up the lose. Also, you really don't know if he has left the area because you can't hear him crashing the brush.

In places like these, I think a dog being able to hear is crucial. He has to apply enough pressure to bring the hog to bay. When he can't hear, a smart dog, is reluctant to dive in a thicket when he doesn't know exactly where his quarry is at. A big hog will get in a bad thicket on a windy day and have a field day wrecking dogs.

[Orion Guide]

My dogs would hunt in a tornado if i let em, but me, I hate that damn wind!!

[zachvu]

Last weekend of Spring season we were in 30 mph with 50 mph gusts and ended up catching a bear. We think it was total chance, and that they winded a bear off the ridge and then happened to jump the one that we caught, but we caught one! It's not so much fun...the dogs can pick up the scent but don't know where to go with it, so like you said, they'll blow up the rig, then run around in circles looking confused and come back to the truck.

[Warner5]

Sometimes a hunter can get a very tight jump, followed by a pop-up in windy conditions where I hunt bobcats. Either the wind muffle's out the hounds and the cat dosent know they are on track or the wind is helping the dogs drift putting them right on top of the cat. either way it is rare. Most of the time windy conditions = poor scenting conditions. fresh tracks seem olded than what they are, you will see dogs struggle with scent on the ridge's or windswept area's, then drop into draws w/out wind and move almost jumped only to come over another windswept area and slow to a cold track pace again. Day's like this when you catch a cat are very rewarding and sometimes the best to listen to. keep the wind at your face it will help you hear.