houndsman or not?

[pegleg]

We skirt this all the time and there are always B.S undertones to some post questioning it. My question is to YOU what does it take to be a good houndsman? I don't want to know who's well known that should only come after the good part if it does. I want to know what ideal you measure yourself against every time you look at your hounds or go out. Don't be shy maybe everyone can get a better ideal from this topic!! and be a man don't bash anyone just tell us what you strive to be.

[nmplott]

a person with respect for his hounds and for the game, toss in some knowledge of both hounds and the game and there will be a well rounded houndsman

[Rigrat]

A good houndsman is the same as what I look for in a good hound. Brains,drive,brains,honest,natural ability to get the job done,open minded with the ability to never stop learning.Always respect your hounds and your game.Most of all desire to be the best you can. JWS

[Dads dogboy]

Rigrat,

Throw the word TENACITY in the mix and to us you would have all the adjectives Dad uses to describe a HOUNDSMAN.

There are Lots of Hound Hunters, fewer Good hound Hunters, even fewer Very Good Hound Hunters, and the fewest....HOUNDSMEN!

C. John Clay
Dads Dogboy

PS Everyone Dad considers is a Houndsman breeds his own Hounds (or in a few cases have someone breed his line Hounds). Very Good Hound Hunters might breed some of their own but buy most...not wrong just his definition of what a Houndsman is!

[perk]

I would say a true houndsmen has to be able to do most and probably all of the following, or have the following characteristics:

-Be sucessful at what they hunt.
-Ablitly to Start, Train, and Break their own hounds
-Honestly assess a dogs faults, and be honest about them to himself no matter how much the dog may mean to the personally
-Have the heart to care for an injured one, but the heart to cull one too
-The knack for looking at 2 dogs and deciding if it will work out, and continually be successful
-Cannot only be a fair weather hunter, has to go on some of the less than perfect days too
-Hit the woods as often as possible, normally 1 time a week aint cutting it
-Call every dogs voice in his pack
-Knows his dogs voice and every characteristic, call tell how good a track it is, who is pulling the front or who made the pick up all by the sounds his dogs make, and whether or not the hounds is running off game
-Hard working, dedicated, goal-driven
-Never satified with where you are, always want to be better
-Raise pups to hunt personally not to sell
-Know how to locate game
-Appreciate the value and enjoyment of a good race 1 dog or 40 dog
-Never takes the easy route, if it were easy everyone would be doing it
-Hustle to see whats going on, and which dog is doing what
-Ability to admit some one is better/ knows more than them
-Confidence/Courage to try something new (breed, style, location)
-Doesnt let others decide if the dog is worth feeding (hunting partners, field trails, etc.)
-Goes home with the same number of dogs he left home with
-Feeds dogs daily, fresh water in the summer, clean pens when needed, worms, clips toe nails, and any other general maintanence needed to keep your dog healthy, happy and performing.
-Has hounds that handle... i.e. load and unload from the truck, come when summoned
-And lastly he has to have a relationship with each and every dog he hunts, the dog wants to please him, and after 3-4 days hard running the hound limps to the gate swollen ankle, raw eyes, tail and ears, cut pads and all, wagging his tail wanting to be loaded to go please his master. (not many people have that relationship)

now to name a few things every wanna be houndsmen seems to know:
the dog eats, and he poops

JMO.....great topic, and I look forward to reading what others have to say

Perk

[Dads dogboy]

Perk,

Another great answer from the land of our Founding Fathers. It would not be a bad idea to make your listings into a "Constitution" for Houndsmen!

CJC

[pegleg]

183 views and perk gave a lot of time up typing out who he is or tries to be it takes some balls to state definitive beliefs on this site and I salute perk for it!! what about the rest of you? at least tell us who your grand pappy was, it don't count for much but might get the topic goin.

[Daniel Tremblay]

I'll just start out by saying that Perk nailed it! Couldn't have said it better.

Now..I read this post a day or so ago and was going to reply but didnt have the time, so I will try to remember what I was going to say and try not to let perk's post effect mine lol.

I guess the easiest way to do these would be to just list em out with numbers. 1 being the most important to me and so on. Keep in mind I am only 24 and will fully admit I'm still a rookie at this hound deal. But I do know sum and for sure know what I want!


Dogs
1. My dogs are my friends not my slaves!
2. Dog must have the type of desire that makes you believe they will die if you don't take them hunting.
3. Obedience, obedience, obedience. I don't believe in using a leash. My dogs aren't ready to start hunting until they listen!
4. If they dog can't do the job, they will be replaced. I want a dog that can and will do it all own they're own.
5. Dog must get a long with other dogs.
6. Endurance. Be able to last atleast three days of hard hunting.

Hunter
1. Honest...If I say something or tell a story its the truth. I've heard too many stories already and I will never be considered one of those guys.
2. Trust worthy.
3. Dependable... If I say I will meet you some where to help ya out or go hunting. You can take that to the bank.
4. My dogs will never have a doubt if I will make it to a tree with them.
5. When I let the dogs out of the box. 90% of the time I am right on they're heels following everything they do.
6. I want to be remember as a "houndsmen" they did everything I could to help the sport of hounds and caught a lot of game.
7. 95% of the reason I will shoot an animal in the tree is to reward the dogs. (other 5% is to keep the wife thinking the bobcats are helping to pay for the gas bill of hunting)
8. Hound Mountain Music is worth than any dollar amount that could ever be offered to me for a dog.
9. When I raise my first litter. It will be for myself and friends. I will never commercialy or publicly sale dogs. (just not my deal)


To sum it up my dogs mean everything to me. I have them because i enjoy the companionship, but they must work and listen and produce game. You can't fully enjoy a hound if they dont produce game for you.

The last and most important thing! I will never stop learning and will always listen before I add my two cents. I am the humble type I rather help than brag.

[coastrangecathunting]

I think you men deffently are i this for the right reasons. I agree with everything you men have listed except the not selling a dog. I think if you put your time in making a dog you can do what you want with it. I LOVE MY DOGS MORE THAN ANYONE . But they are mine and for the right price unless your finacilly set for life they are all for sell.

jc

[cat and bear]

Perk,

Another great answer from the land of our Founding Fathers. It would not be a bad idea to make your listings into a "Constitution" for Houndsmen!

CJC

X2, perk you nailed it, I'm speechless, great job.

[david]

Well, I had a better post than Perk's ready and then well... And then I woke up from dreaming because my dreams are the only place that is going to happen. I dont see how you even did that without a panel of houndmen meeting for a week and sifting the chaff from the wheat.

Perk,

Another great answer from the land of our Founding Fathers. It would not be a bad idea to make your listings into a "Constitution" for Houndsmen!

CJC

X2, perk you nailed it, I'm speechless, great job.

Ya, way to kill a good thread Perk

I think the award goes to Red Headed Walker, because he was the only one with guts enough to put together a full post after that. And It was a good one at that!

My only pause came at the fourth point from the bottom, Perk, as it seems to me that the fourth point from the top makes the fourth point from the bottom impossible at times.

The thing I like best about this thread is that it has freed me of the burden of thinking I ever was a houndman. Now I can just be a guy that loves to catch bobcats with dogs.

One of the disqualifiers is that I have never found a breed or strain of dogs that I thought was complete enough that I should go to breeding them. I still have the hope that they are out there some where, still looking, but have not found them yet. I have had individuals that I would sure like to reproduce, but they were not pure bred, and I think it would take a bankload of money and an army of hard hunters to get that solidified into a reliably reproducing breed.

I agree with everything you men have listed except the not selling a dog.
jc

I too have sold every dog that I have started and finished. A finished dog bores me, and I get worried about my few cats. IF I dont have a young dog to finish, I dont have enough reason to go hunting. IF I do have a young dog to finish, I dont have enough reason to stay home. And my best dogs have been finished in an environment where they beleive that the cat will not be caught unless they themselves catch it. This will not happen when hunting them with a finished dog.

[Gamedog]

As with anything in life....persistance!

[perk]

David,
After reading my 4th point, I realize my point was not clearly stated, it should have read
a person has the knack for looking at 2 dogs and know if the cross will be successful. I had breeding in mind while typing, and the good ones rarely make a boo-boo when it comes to breeding.

BTW I am in no way the houndsman I describe. I still dont confom to all I wrote, alot of it yes, all certainly not. But it is what I strive to be.

[R.M.]

You guys have done a good job so far!

a person with respect for his hounds and for the game...

I think respect for the game you run should be very high up on the list of what it takes to be a good houndsman

[Poon]

Perk, where are you from? You sound like my kind of folks.
Poon