Starting out

[Pagosa]

It's been a long time since I've owned hounds and coon/bobcat hunted in Oklahoma. I'm wanting to begin again next spring when me and my family get moved to NW Montana. We have bought a place up by Ronan and will be moving over Thanksgiving. I'm wanting to get a cameron bluetick, b/t, or similar type pup (like the stonethrow kennel) and begin the training process next spring and hopefully hunt some next fall (2014) when I'm a resident. My question is what is best method for only hunting one dog, which will be a pup? Or even the following year at 1.5 years of age? I will probably try to coon hunt out on the plains while still training, to avoid possible diasaters with deer chases, wolves, getting a single killed, etc. And I hope to meet guys once we get settled up there that run dogs and my dog can get some training by older dogs. This winter I mainly plan on hunting/shooting wolves, and finding cat tracks for next year (since wolf tags are only $50 for NR).

I plan on doing the normal training process I have done with bird/duck dogs, which have been coming when called, breaking from trash, heeling, sitting, house-breaking, whoa/stopping, kennel, etc. Are there any other recommendations for cage training, drags, or finding fresh tracks along roads and walking the dog along trail until they pick-up the track? I've read Mike Leonard's blog about training cat tracking dogs and plan to follow his advice with drag training and getting a pup from a proven cat hunting parents. Thanks for the direction. Preston