New to forum - hello from Alaska

[Nicole Stark]

Just dropping in to say hello. I'm located in Alaska and have interest in big game hounds. At the moment the Plott has my interest, but I need some time to flush a few things out and get properly acquainted in an effort to make the correct choice.

I had the pleasure of speaking with someone earlier today who was willing to share a bit of information which I am grateful for. Hoping to eventually check out the dogs and expand my knowledge enough to eventually make a decision.

[pegleg]

Well good luck. Make sure it's a cold weather strain

[Nicole Stark]

Thank you. I appreciate the suggestion.

[Ndigs]

Welcome Nicole, Your in for a lot of good times with these hounds, curious as to what all they'll let you run in Alaska. Fairly new myself, flew a couple coon hounds up here to Prince George BC 3 yrs.ago.It was 70 f.when they put them on the plane in Charlottesville NC and -40 here when they landed. They have adapted very well and we chase lynx and Cougar in -15 f. The forums on this site for some reason aren't as active as they used to be, however there is a wealth of knowledge in all the archived pages .As lynx are my personal favorite game, I read every post in the lynx/bobcat pages over the period of a couple years, some real good stuff in there. The bickering as always can be disappointing, but to be expected with the amount of pride some pour into this amazing kraft. All the best. Tom Griffith

[Nicole Stark]

Hi Tom, I am a member of another working dog forum that used to be pretty active as well. I suspect the decline has to do with a few things: more people rely on cell phones and tablets as opposed to the times when most everyone had a PC and sitting down to chat online was the more common way of sharing information. Then, you have the introduction and total domination of Facebook.

I'm by no means old, LOL but I own neither a personal cell phone nor do I have a FB account.

That said I am glad to have found this forum. I am pleased to see theres still active forums to interface with people.

As far as what is legal to run I don't want to misspeak or misrepresent what might be legal or not in Alaska. The state is massive and I am not yet sure if there are regional permissions or if they universally apply to the state.

Since you mentioned lynx being a personal favorite, what specifically do you enjoy about them?

What led me to hounds is a bit of a long story but it comes down to a single dog that a breeder gifted to me, which changed my life. The dog changed how I looked at and experience the outdoors. I was exposed to the sheer beauty of the utilitarian role dogs can take in a relatively primitive environment. Then I saw the awesomeness of raw ability and was forever impressed by how remarkable a versatile dog can be.

She's still with me, though I couldn't imagine the outdoor experience without this dog. I often thought she was as valuable if not more than a side arm. Somehow through her I learned to see differently, through watching her work I saw remnants of action; it's almost as if she taught me how to see scent by watching her work.

I got to the point of questioning what next? The only thing I could think of that might ever bring me close that experience was through a hound. My Grandmother was originally from NC, her father and granddaddy ran hounds and much to my surprise I recently discovered the family name mentioned in some of the material I've read on the Plott history.

And now you know the rest of the story (smile). Thanks for the welcome.

[david]

Hi Nicole,
And welcome. Women on this forum are not real common. But the ones who are seem a lot smarter than me on a lot of things to do with their hounds. A woman who is not on face book is probably more rare than a woman on Big Game Houndsmen.

We Hope you find what you are looking for. You didn't mention the breed of your dog. I don't want you to build false expectations for a replacement for your amazing companion dog. Not all hounds are able to be that to the level you may have come to love.

Here is a thread you might find interesting:

viewtopic.php?f=24&t=46388&p=263919&hilit=Hiking+protection+plott#p263919

[Nicole Stark]

Hello David, thank you for the welcome.

The dog is from a breeding of the combined efforts of about 55 years of breeding. When asked what she is, I respond Dogue de Bordeaux (phenotype), F2 specifically. I was gifted her as a pup for two reasons. The first was that the breeder wanted a place where they could be sure to have access to their back up breeding bitch. The second is I'm a person of my word, they knew I'd be willing and able to push her further than any other of her type probably has been in documented history.

I understand well your comment about false or even misdirected expectations. I found my way to this forum because of the sum of my experiences with this dog. I'll spend some time here and see if a hound is the right fit. I also have a KNPV lined Dutch Shepherd. The dog is ill suited for the back woods and at times feels like a bit of a liability. She has her strong points and excels in a number of areas but not ideal for the hybrid lifestyle I live up here.

Thank you for sharing the thread, I look forward to checking it out.

[Nicole Stark]

Adding - I checked out the thread. I've seen those type of inquiries a fair bit. The recommendations appear to be spot on. 300 miles over what period of time is what I wonder.

Separately, my dog was entirely ruled by her nose and it started as early as she was able to follow scent. At 5 weeks she started leaving litter and had to be tracked down by the breeder; once he found her in a hole. What originally I found maddening (this endless not listening, wandering off, searching, catching, dragging back, etc.) I came to develop a bit of a love affair with, which eventually opened many doors for me to look at what she was capable of doing with that seemingly endless desire to search/follow (I'll leave the rest off).

Anyway...

If you happen to come back to this post or if anyone cares to comment, I see that the Drahthaar was mentioned. It's a breed that I don't personally know a lot about but I am curious to know why it was mentioned. I mean, in the context written it's obvious. I was really just looking to understand a bit more about the breed. An intro post is probably not the best place to ask the question but let's see what happens...

[david]

The Drahthaar has an American counterpart called the German Wirehaired Pointer. And I know I could make some Drahthaar people angry by suggesting that. The German breeding standards are somewhere between extreme and impossible. To my very limited knowledge this is one of the most versatile hunting dogs on the planet. They are smart and extremely loyal, with hunting abilities that are hard to believe. They do not bark on trail, but If I had to have one single dog to help me survive Armageddon, a Drauthaar would be deeply considered. And based on what I know at the moment, I would get one and head for my cave, and eat well (even without a gun). But I would probably never learn how to spell the name of his breed.

If you have interest in them, I am sure you will find tons of information on line.

[Nicole Stark]

[david]

I have a good friend who has the highest scoring female Drauthar ever. He has a male that was equally amazing if not more so. The stories he tells me of the things his dogs have done through the years are almost shocking in terms of athletic ability, intelligence, and hunting prowess. He won't breed his female for personal reasons. But if he would, I would have a pup out of her no matter the cost.

[david]

They can track like a hound, although they do not bark. And they catch game like rabbits in their mouth. They will singlehandedly kill a coon in a heartbeat. They are tremendous upland bird dogs and do point. There are better water dogs, but they will retreive ducks if that is your game. Some will bark up a tree at game in a tree. I don't know if they all do that but I have video of his female doing it. If you wanted them to catch spawning salmon, it would not be hard to teach them to do it.

[Nicole Stark]

It looks to me we're now speaking the same language.

[david]

Awesome photo!

[Nicole Stark]

Glad you like it.

The dog in the picture isn't the bitch I speak of. He is however one of the first I had that made me realize they were willing to work bear. The bitch I have now you cannot take fishing, she's an absolute menace. All she needs to see is a pole and it's over with.