Tree/Kill Ratio

Mose · Post by **Mose** » Fri Nov 16, 2007 7:19 pm

I was wondering what everyones opinion is about how much game you need to kill to your dogs. I know some people that believe the best way to make a good dog is to kill a lot of game to them and they kill everything they tree. I also know a lot of people on here do a lot more picture taking than killing and seem to have good dogs. What do you guys think? I am talking about coons and bears, we don't have any cats around here but I guess it would be the same for them as well. Thanks

Budd Denny · Post by **Budd Denny** » Fri Nov 16, 2007 8:39 pm

When I lived in Indiana and ran nothing but coon if the fur prices were up witch wasn't very often I killed most of the coon I treed when the fur was prime. The years they were only worth a buck or two I would kill maybe every third or fourth night out. Now all I run is bobcat and bear. Never killed a bear over my hounds, have treed quit a number of them but have never killed one out to them. Bobcat, it all depends who is with me, if it's a freind or a youth I don't mind if they kill the cat. When I'm hunting alone I never carry a gun. (Have treed some cats pushing the fifty pound mark and wish I would have had a gun.) Do I think my hounds would run game with the same enthusiasm if they never got game kicked out to them? Absolutely!!

HoundDawg · Post by **HoundDawg** » Fri Nov 16, 2007 8:42 pm

You said "I know some people that believe the best way to make a good dog is to kill a lot of game to them"...

That's a myth.

Show them a lot of game, yes. Kill or shoot game out to them to make them good? False.

People that tell you that will also tell you "the check's in the mail"...

Bearkiller · Post by **Bearkiller** » Sat Nov 17, 2007 3:24 pm

HoundDawg wrote:You said "I know some people that believe the best way to make a good dog is to kill a lot of game to them"...

That's a myth.

Show them a lot of game, yes. Kill or shoot game out to them to make them good? False.

People that tell you that will also tell you "the check's in the mail"...

I think most people who tell you that are either new or don't catch enough game to make a difference anyway.

Tom White · Post by **Tom White** » Sun Nov 18, 2007 1:12 am

Lots of hunting and lots of game in front of dogs is what makes em good dogs . If ya kill everything there won"t be as much game to train em on the next day.I say leave em in the tree and pet the dogs real good for a job well done and they will want to do it again, and again cause they like the chase and they want to please their master.

pete richardson · Post by **pete richardson** » Sun Nov 18, 2007 8:17 am

ive had some dogs that were hunted alot , already did a good job-

when they got a few kills, seemed to make them a little better-

they were just a little bit more intense --it dont hurt to let them win once in awhile -

sure dont need to kill everything- 10% of what they tree should be enuff for any dog -

i know for sure if i kill it -- i cant run it again-

how much game have you got-- how fast does it reproduce--

you can kill adult males and not hurt population much-

you better count one female as ten --

Rockcreek · Post by **Rockcreek** » Sun Nov 18, 2007 8:27 am

Hey Dawg... the check is in the mail bro... LOL!!!!!!!

COOTER · Post by **COOTER** » Fri Nov 23, 2007 1:57 am

Mose just look at the running dogs you have back East and in the south there is bookoos of Fox pens and these running dogs go every time and its rare for them to chew on a Fox or Yote.These hounds were bred to run game by scent with the idea of catching it one day but if that day never happens they will still be trying to catch it.......cooter

bluedogs · Post by **bluedogs** » Fri Nov 23, 2007 3:47 am

i like to shoot about one or two critters out to a younger dog seems like it helps them alittle more and if a young dog trees the game by its self for the first time i will deffently shoot it out but after that i dont really shoot anything out unless its kill season for cats then if it trees it gets shot try not to take to many females though. theres a happy medium for killing game out to your dogs they dont need a bunch but every now and then just to let them have it doesnt hurt. jmo

danny · Post by **danny** » Fri Nov 23, 2007 1:30 pm

I'm not sure how to answer this because like everyone i have shot some game out to my hounds. The only way to find out my be to hunt a hound it's whole life and never shoot anything out to it and if the hound pleases you when it passes on you didn't need to shoot game out to that hound to make a good hound out of it.

Mr.pacojack · Post by **Mr.pacojack** » Fri Nov 23, 2007 2:07 pm

HoundDawg wrote:You said "I know some people that believe the best way to make a good dog is to kill a lot of game to them"...

That's a myth.

Show them a lot of game, yes. Kill or shoot game out to them to make them good? False.

People that tell you that will also tell you "the check's in the mail"...

For once we agree

You will notice a dog that has had alot of game shot out to them they will be the ones that are loose at the tree

Idcurs · Post by **Idcurs** » Sat Nov 24, 2007 11:00 pm

There are way to many variables in the equation for just one anwser.A lot of very rough dogs are in it for the fur and fight.Many very good tree dogs never give a hoot about getting claws or fangs drove into them selves.Each dog is so different that a blanket statement can't cover all dogs.I have a couple that will tree just as hard on coon and we hardly ever kill one as they do on bobcat and I kill every one when the fur is good.A couple of my best will not trail and tree coons with near the intensity as bobcats and I am sure it is because the love to fight the cats. Some dogs will stay and tree a little better when you shoot game out to them,some will trail and stay with a bad track when they know there is light at the end of the tunnel.Not every dog is the same in this and if they are you anit looked at many of them.