open or silent??????????????????

dixiejagds · Post by **dixiejagds** » Tue Feb 26, 2008 6:03 pm

I have my opinion and it goes against the grain of the majority, but after 10 years of chasing hogs and an assortment of dogs, I have come to the assumption that open or silent has nothing to do with catching hogs. But, you have got to have fast dogs. The three best hog dogs I have ever had the pleasure of being in the woods with were open trailing dogs. Two were plotts and one a catahoula. All three opened regularly and caught hogs by the hundreds. They also shared one other trait. No other dogs could stay up with any of them. If all a guy has is a medium speed, short ranging type of dog, then silent is the way to go. But if you have dogs that run to catch and run hard, then they can bark all day. It doesn't matter. JMO

12-GAUGE · Post by **12-GAUGE** » Fri Feb 29, 2008 1:10 pm

I agree.

easttenngator · Post by **easttenngator** » Fri Feb 29, 2008 7:55 pm

I would say drive ...is more important than speed,, the want to get to the hog

longshot · Post by **longshot** » Wed Mar 05, 2008 6:15 pm

I have to agree on the track speed. If they can put the pressure on the heels of a hog they force them to realize running is NOT a viable option!!

good post Bama
Longshot

Boar Runner · Post by **Boar Runner** » Fri Mar 07, 2008 6:38 pm

I agree , Open or silent doesn't matter as much as being able to shut a hog down to me.
Most of mine bark 2 or 3 times when they strike, then its silent until they bay. I have had some hound/cur crosses that were wide open start to finish. when they run to catch it not a issue. unless the property is limited and the hogs are tuned up pretty good.

nightowl24 · Post by **nightowl24** » Wed Mar 12, 2008 1:27 am

i say it depends on the land you hunt. if you got acres and acres of land to hunt then it doesn't matter, but if you are limited then silent is the way to go. they can get a better jump on the hogs. i know here in texas if you got an open dog on the first bark the hogs are running. and when you let a hog get a 400+ yd jump on your dogs that is pretty darn hard to over come. with that said if you got a dog that can really burn up a track then most times it really doesn't matter. the can be open as open can be but if they are fast as snot AND can make them stop running you got a winner of a dog. i guess my question is how many dogs are like that?

my gut says that those dogs are kinda rare and they are hard to breed up also. you may go through many dogs before you get that dog that can burn a track and stop a running hog. i think a silent dog is easier to breed up.

think about it, if you got a dog that can burn a track but can't stop the hog, the hog will keep running. i've been on 3 hr races before. the dogs would lose him then get him again(could have been another hog though). if you got one dog that can burn that track but doesn't stop the hog hte hog keeps running, well the other dogs can't keep up and the eventually fall out. so your other dogs go to another hog and your track burner is in another state running the heck out of the hog. i think if you got an open dog(for the places i hunt cause we are limited to where we can go)it has to be fast on track AND it has to be able to make the hog stop so he/she can get some help.

dixiejagds · Post by **dixiejagds** » Wed Mar 12, 2008 6:41 pm

nightowl-------------
you can breed for this. fast hounds with a little pitbull. this gives them the heart and desire. I have two 1/2 walker, 1/2 pits that are great for stopping races and they are wide open on track. We are breeding the fastest one back to his momma(the walker). I hope to keep the speed and desire but add a little more nose to them.

longshot · Post by **longshot** » Thu Mar 13, 2008 6:45 pm

my buddy had a 1\2walker 1\2pit. It looked like a full running walker, had a nose like a walker but DEAD SILEINT on track and then it caught like a Pit. Never know what you get on a cross like that but I have liked what I have seen.

Dog just died at 5 1\2yearsof old age. All the staples added the years on him quick!
Longshot

nightowl24 · Post by **nightowl24** » Thu Mar 13, 2008 7:22 pm

that sounds like a pretty good combo there. a guy i know is selling a pit/redbone cross. some basic thing. will open when the hog breaks but will catch like a pit. my blue dog is like that, he is silent tell he sees the hog then he is open as long as he can see them. he caught a 175-200lb sow last time out. ran through the thickets like a dozer and hit hard...funny thing is the guy that was there before me said he was caught solid but was still able to bay will caught...lol...

Eric BEck · Post by **Eric BEck** » Tue Mar 18, 2008 3:01 pm

WELL GUYS IF U ALL ARE LOOKIN FOR SPPED AND CATCH ALL TOGETHER I MIGHT HAVE SOMETHING FOR U . CROCKETT BREED PLOTTS RUN TO CATCH NOT BAY NO MATTER WHAT SIZE HOG IVE BEEN ON THEY HAVE NEVER BAYED. THIS GOES FOR HOG AND BEAR. WE JUST HAD A PUP ON A 500PLUS BEAR NEVER SEEN ONE IN HIS LIFE DOG DIDNT EVEN BARK WENT IN TO CATCH THAT BEAR WITH THE OTHER DOGS. THEY CALL THEM ALAGATOR DOGS. CAUSE THEY GO FOR THE MEAT

cab · Post by **cab** » Tue Mar 18, 2008 5:03 pm

Hogs or bear, doesn't make much difference, if your fastest dog doesn't stop him, he will run all day unless he just wants to stop and teach the dogs a lesson.

longshot · Post by **longshot** » Wed Mar 19, 2008 3:41 pm

CROCKETT BREED PLOTTS RUN TO CATCH NOT BAY NO MATTER WHAT SIZE HOG IVE BEEN ON THEY HAVE NEVER BAYED

So would that make them a running catch dog?

So not to get off topic, I think Dixxiejagds is refering to track speed not the ability to catch or not.
Longshot

scdogman22 · Post by **scdogman22** » Thu Apr 24, 2008 1:43 pm

I'll take these in the order.

1st Silent and Fast. I can trail them up in and bay without hog even leaving the area most of the time. If they break I can shut him down quicker than any other combo listed below.

2nd Silent and slow. I can trail and have the first bay in the same area. Because the bay is closer to where I started, another dog will be at the bay realy soon. If the bay breaks(not all bay breaks) I will might be in for a longer races.

3rd Open and Fast. Hogs knows he is being chased. First bay will probally be somewhere from where I turned lose.

4th. Open and slow. Why would I want a dog like this. Pup trainer? I would probally use a silent and slow with a bell on the collar for pups to know where he was.

If speed is the same, I will always pick silent. I have bayed hogs within 75yards of the truck. Hunted with guys that go into a area and ease the truck door close. When hunting with them, you better not have a dog that barks in the box. If you hunt in area that hogs have been dogged and they run like deer, why would you let them know you are coming.

longshot · Post by **longshot** » Thu Apr 24, 2008 2:08 pm

I have been hunting latley with Curs and Hounds(blue ticks)

There has been several times that we heard a race got ahead of them in the truck only to find the curs bayed. Killed the hog and sat on top of it and waited for the hounds to track up to us.

Breed makes no difference SPEED KILLS!!!!!!!!!

Silient is better for hogs but open dogs will work if they can move a track in a hurry.

It all comes down to this: Do you want to listen to a race? Or Do you want to kill a hog? Do what pleases you.
Longshot

12-GAUGE · Post by **12-GAUGE** » Thu Jun 05, 2008 7:06 pm

All the grit in the world will not catch hogs. The hogs have to stop. Fast dog and semi fast hog that does not want to stop = zilch. Point is you have to have a hog that eventually wants to stop and fight, or you got nothing. I've seen dogs hanging by a boars nuts and he still rode out. To get it done consistantly, I'll take a very fast dog with a great nose any day over an average silent mouth cur dog. JMO ( which only matters to one man in this world ).

12-Gauge