Sighthounds on prairie yotes

[Gilly]

Just wondering how many sight dogs most guys are runnin on yotes ? I'm seriously considering trying some out but wanna hear from some of the guys running em what works best. Anyone runnin dogs just off a flatbed truck or are the side dumpin boxes Better?

Cheers

Gilly

[pegleg]

You might want to ask on a coyote forum. But honestly it really only takes one if its the right one. But its easier to run pairs that work well together and will keep the corners to a minimum. But yourterrain and coyotes make a huge difference. In some really flat open areas the coyotes that are still around are educated to the point its almost impossible to run them. Most are used to being shot at so they just don't let you near. The only answer iI've seen is calling if it still works. Or traveling quietly off roads or trails with a quiet running hound and a sighthound. Just remember killing young or easy coyotes is simple with most methods right up to the point it gets away. Then you have to try something else. I've used gated boxes and the issue is they have to see what you see. And they can break bones hitting the ground even from a stop. Also some areas are open and others fenced. I ran a nice dog into a tumble weed covered fence once because she hadn't ever been dumped near a fence. Your in a area I am not familiar with. So I'd advise going out and seeing if and how its being done. Then improve on that because its the little things coyotes use to get away. Even something like using a horse to ride fence lines away from roadscan make a huge increase in catches where coyotes expect dogs to fly off trucks with rev'd engines. Or whatever it maybe.

[Dan Edwards]

I usually run 2 and I just have my dogs in the back of my truck. I don't need or want a dump box to be honest. I'm not sure a flat bed will work to well though cuz you might be tossin dogs out all over the place like that but give it a whirl and see how it goes. I've never had a dog hurt or break anything coming out of the back of the truck and rarely do you get stopped before they jump. Running a single dog on a coyote can work if you got the right one but finding them are like finding hens teeth. I've owned a couple like that now but they are rare especially if its a big coyote or if the dog has to run at all. A long race will take the fight out of even the best dogs. You cant fight if you cant breath and trust me the coyote wont be tired.

[Dan McDonough]

There are others but myself and Bruce O' Mally are having some success in the big woods. That's a tough job for a sighthound but I've been impressed with how well they are doing. I don't know if you are in the plains or in the woods but it doesn't really matter much. It's more how you release the dog. They can take care of it from there. You will need several to keep the dogs in good shape if you hunt a lot. They can wear themselves out pretty quick.

[carl]

I'd be curious to some of your techniques that work in the big woods, Dan. Don't mean to change the subject just wondering how your doing it. Thanks.

[Dan McDonough]

I'll PM you Carl.

[Cowboyvon]

I want to hear too

[Dan McDonough]

I've done this with two stags that were adults and am working on two lurchers that are near a year old. One of the adult stags was not run on coyotes when I got her. She had to spend some time around the trail hounds first and then get walked into caught coyotes. After that, I cut her in when she got excited and the race came close to the road. The other stag was ready to go for this from the time I got him. He was raised and trained by Bruce O'Mally from MN. Bruce gave me most of my ideas for using these dogs in the woods in the first place. I had been working with Streak for a while before I met Bruce but he gave me a couple of ideas that I had not tried yet. The best one is to cruse past a known crossing by 75-100 yards, turn the truck off and cut the dogs loose in attempts to get the stags back to the crossing just after the coyote breaks cover. That only works if you know your area and is tougher to pull off when hunting new places. The other way I do it is to walk the dogs down wind of an area that I tracked out and found that there was a coyote in that block. I do this if the track is old enough that the stags won't take it. If it's a hot enough track that they will take it I just run them in like the trailhounds. Those are the only "tricks" I have so far, that work anyway. Oops, thought of another one. I like to slink up onto the edge of smaller lakes when the ice shacks are out and either wait to see if something is out there looking for scraps or do a little calling and see if I can't pull one out onto the lake. That ice is hard and I worry about the dogs ankles so I don't do this unless the snow is at least four inches deep or so. Thta's usually neater sounding than it actually is and sometimes it works but usually it doesn't. This year I'm going to try and do that in the moon light. I think that might make a difference. Anyhow, I'm still a rookie at this but I sure am having some fun.

[Snow walker]

If you got the open country then stags or gray hounds crosses.. If its broken ground with lots of tree's, ravines, creeks, sloughs and lakes then I suggest a Running walker or running walker wolf hounds, 3-4 dogs..

[KYBoy]

seam like I have read or saw on tv use bait or calls to bring in game for a sight hound I have been thinking about trying this as right know I don't have the space to keep tracking dogs and sight hounds two and I am wanting to try sight hounds because I love the old ways of hunting I was just wonding has anyone tried and how did it worke

[Cowboyvon]

I use to catch a lot of coyotes off of dead piles.. also I had access to dead roping steers or a dead horse I would haul it a place I could get a good start and catch coyotes off of it the next morning.. I also used a fox pro caller on horse back that was my favorite way of doing it.. another way was at night I would leave the caller drive off and come back with the spot light on those hounds really learned how to look for eyes in that spot light

[Shag]

anyone know where a guy can find pure scottish deerhounds from working stock?