What makes a houndsmen the real deal?

[bristolblue's]

I'm sure this subject has been breached several times on this forum, and while i have my own opinion on the matter i was wondering what the rest of you lot thought about the question? What makes a Houndsmen/houndswomen the real thing and not a poser?

[Curtis Wilcox]

THE way he treats others and cares for his family.Ol'Curt 541 570 2863

[Benny G]

The most obvious answer would be the sheer volume of dogs that he/she is feeding. A TRUE hound dogger, when asked "How many dogs do you have?", will respond with something like this: "Well, I can't really give you an accurate number right now, but I CAN tell you that a 50 pound sack of feed lasts me almost two feedings."

It doesn't take anyone special to feed 2 or 3 dogs, but it takes a REAL dogger to feed a warehouse full!

I hope this helps.

[halfbreed]

ha that was funny rite thar . people ask me how many dogs i got and i have to start figureing on my fingers and such .and they say hell you don't know and i reply i try to forget .

[Mike Leonard]

Two Feedings? What kind of terriers ar you got there Benny?

WHY old Big Ben himself eats one of them for breakfast and one for dinner. I don't even bother to open the bag I just it out there and he gets it paper and all. Fact is that paper sort of help with the clean up cuz them lincoln logs come semi wrapped and ready for disposal.

Not sure if that makes me a real hound dogger but I may be getting closer. Some of the best real hound doggers I have seen generally have others to feed and care for their hounds in the off season and do most of the leg work and then they swoop in there gather them up and with all their poise and expertise they just go capture clawed and fanged critters like no tomorrow.

Whose feeding them dogs of yourn now Benny? LOL!

[bency]

Well I guess that would be me Mike L, Im feeding two of his dogs now. lol

[shawn cole]

a hundred hounds aint worth a shit if the owner is a part timer two good hounds are worth more than a dozen terds and a houndsman is one who does it for the love of the music they make

[J.Jonet]

My thought or opinion on a real houndsman is the heart and dedication he puts into any hounds not only his own.When you give your hounds a 100% even during the of season.Giving and hunting as much as you can and respect your dogs,by that as hounds hunt the houndsman need to observe and treat a woonded or ill dog and lay them up at this time.where i found out a hound on game doesn't realize he is hurt. To me if a guy has 20 or 30 dogs and need to count numbers when asked how many you have isn't a houndsman your out to claim you are a hound guy,there is no dedication to your dogs if you can't remember them. Now by that i mean for 1 guy not a group or a guy with his kid are involved to. Any one single man that has 20,30 or 40 dogs (not puppies) you are wasting your time,if you need that many to hunt you don't no what you are doing and can't justify each and every dog. It is immpossible to dedicated yourself as a houndsman to that number of dogs.

[Benny G]

Everyone has different abilities. Part of what should dictate the number of dogs that a person owns is the game that is hunted, as well as, the terrain. To make blanket statements that are all-encompasing for everyone out there, well that just says to me that the person making the statement thinks that they have it all figured out.

Clell Lee kept in the neighborhood of 40 to 50 dogs, and hunted them all. Perhaps, because of the beliefs of others, he was just a legendary idiot?

I have hunted as many as 14 dogs at one time, and had a handle on every one of them. To each their own, but I'm kind of new to this game myself!

[Nolte]

It's a pretty easy definition for me. Just make a list of the last guys you want to find a track either in front of you or worse behind that you missed. That you know will go on and make that the last track the critter makes. My other distinctin is if you'd gladly take any dog they've got tied out in their yard and tie it up in yours.

Most guys take pretty good care of their dogs. They've learned if you don't it's going to bite you in the ass one way or the other. They might not run to the vet every time Fido has a hangnail, but they bring them in when they need to and take care of the other stuff on their own.

[Big Horn Posse]

my answer to this would be the dedication one has for their hounds. Whether you can hunt every day or just a couple days a week. When a person will put those dogs as their priority above all else, except for family of course. If you are going to have hounds they cannot be a hobby like golfing where you take your clubs out of the garage when you feel like playing. A real houndsperson makes owning hounds a commitment. My dogs come before me. I buy their food before I buy food for myself. They eat before I eat. I set aside money to make sure I can take them out hunting before I buy myself what I may want or need. It is not about how much game you put in the tree or how many dogs you feed. It is about doing the best you can with what you got and not throwing in the towel when times get tough and game is slim. A real houndsperson keeps going no matter what and keeps that commitment to their dogs. I also think a real houndsperson has respect for the game they hunt and doesn't need to prove themselves by harvesting everything they tree, but practices good conservation and management of that game.

[J.Jonet]

Very well said Big Horn Posse and Nolte. that is true

[halfbreed]

well seems i been slapped in the face . now with that said young mr jonet [no offens to the rest of you ] bring your yankie ars down here and do hog control in texas with me and see how many fresh dogs you need to put down seven days a week . i'm 56 years old and been keeping no less than ten dogs since i can remember . course in the begining they was granpa and daddys dogs . think before you speak best advice i can give you, you will wind up with less knotts on your head . every dog i own all 20 of them are WELL CARED FOR and can do their job all of them were bred and raised by this [ not a dog man ] . so you go easy out thar youngun .

[shawn cole]

easy there tex dont get your panties bunched ive got more than ten dogs myself and i bear hunt in pure shit holes and we know all about them wild hogs here i raise pure russians for game farms a lead pipe works just as good as any pitbull when shit hits the fan and what makes someone east of the big river so much less of a houndsman where i hunt its just as thick and just as many thorn apple trees and briars and prickly ash get my drift but its home sweet home to me and us yankees are proud of the fact and you can have texas that snake infested place and thank colombus for the hogs and what is texas part of the south or west

[halfbreed]

hey there shawn they ain't ever been bunched i run comando and i said no offense to the rest of ya . but to just sit and type up stuff you don't know about well it is easy to talk but can ya walk the walk . i wish i could survive with just a couple of hounds .but if i could i'd still have at least 10 old potlickers around me . i ain't said nuttin about any bodys huntin conditions . but i do this for a livin and to be succesful it takes plenty of fresh dogs . and i rotate all i own in and out . hunt the morning go home get lunch hunt the afternoon go home eat supper then go back out for a night run . thousands of acres with nuttin but hogs . gotta love it !!! some people just rub me the wrong way sometimes how bout you?