How much time do you invest in hound hunting and training?

[Jamison559]

I have been considering once I graduate to get some hounds and try to get into big game hunting. I am just curious how much time people put into hunting hounds? I really don't even know how to quantify it, whether it be days in a week, a month whatever you like. Also, what do you feel is an adequate amount to keep your dogs in shape and tuned up.

[mike martell]

JAMISON. THAT IS A LOADED QUESTION. FIRST EXPERIENCE PLAYS A KEY ROLL IN BUILDING A TOP PACK OF BIG GAME DOGS. SOME GUYS NEVER DO GET IT. IF YOU ARE GOING THE LONG ROAD BUILDING A PACK FROM YOUNG DOGS ,TRYING TO TRAIN THEM TO BE BIG GAME DOGS WILL TAKE ALOT OF TIME. THE RECOMENDED WAY WOULD BE TO BUY THE RIGHT STYLE DOGS THAT SUIT YOU .THAT ARE COMPLETE BIG GAME DOGS AND YOU COULD GET BY JUST HUNTING ON WEEKENDS. ALL THE OLD TIMERS SAY YOU CAN'T HAVE GOOD DOGS HUNTING 1-2 DAYS A WEEK. I DISAGREE WITH THAT, BUT AGAIN HANDLING/EXPERIENCE IS KEY. I WOULD RECOMMEND GOING WITH SOMEONE WHO WILL LET YOU CHECK OUT A DOG AS MUCH AS NEEDED TO SHOW YOU IT IS GOING TO WORK FOR YOU AND BUY IT. HOWEVER FINDING THOSE TYPE OF GUYS/DOGS ARE FEW AND FAR BETWEEN.

[mike martell]

I ALSO FAILED THE MOST IMPORTANT THING ABOUT KEEPING A TOP PACK OF BIG GAME DOGS. NOT SURE IF YOU ARE GOING TO STAY IN INDIANA OR MOVE TO A STATE LIKE IDAHO? IF YOU DON'T HAVE THE GAME OR SEASONS, IT DON'T MAKE ANY DIFFERENCE IF YOU HUNT YOUR HOUNDS 7 DAYS A WEEK ! GOOD LUCK

[nmplott]

My wife would tell you....too much but,
Mike is right, you need to have the game to put them on. You can use Mike Leonards methods to train them on drags which helps a lot but experience is where the dogs really start to learn. I take my dogs for rides with me all the time, we get out and do some form of feild excersizes at least once a week, at home I let them chase the barn cougars around from time to time.

[Mike Leonard]

Being a hound enthusiast is a happy thing I guess and they make pretty good pets. But being a true big game houndsman is a decision and it comes at times at a hard price. It is not for everybody that thinks they would like to see their own hounds tree a bear, lion or cat. You may but I caution you this is not an easy sport you casually get into and stay.

I know many that will say my caution is a bit over the top and I am full of it. That's ok, I know many that think they have found and easy way. I never have. If you really want this it becomes a way of life. Not weekends, not several days a week, baby this is 24-7. And those that tell you different are rich enough to hire it done or just hound enthusiasts. Nothing wrong with that, but that is the cold , true fact of the matter.

[high desert hounds]

I would say that all the advice you have been given is right on. All I have to add is that I am one of those idiots that started with nothing. My first dog came from the pound and our first few winters together were tough to say the least. I would snow shoe from morning till night looking for a lion track. I was fortunate that that dog took almost no guidance from me. she caught her first lion at 10 months old. and she was a natural. That is where it ended. it took 2 more years to catch any bear and 3years to start catching bobcats. in those three years I went thrue dozens of junk dogs and probley my forth or fifth year i had a pack. and that was getting lucky with my first dog. I spent everey waking hour that I wasn't working with those dogs. every winter night looking for lion and bobcat tracks, every spring summer and fall day looking for bear sign and walking canyons just hoping to get lucky. If I had to do it again I would by me two dogs a bear dog and a lion/bobcat dog. you can have an instant pack if you want. I will admit this building a pack from scratch will make you a way better hunter than the guy who buys a pack. I now have my pack. it might not be what anyone else would want, but I wouldn't want anything else. So when mike leonard told you it was a life style he was right. I would also add that it is an obsession. GO GET IT DONE AND GOOD LUCK

[Jamison559]

I definitely appreciate everyones advice. I will be moving to Northern Kentucky next summer, and was trying to figure out if I could try to start getting big game hounds, but I think i can see that it probably won't be feasible. I would be able to take dogs out pretty regularly, but they would never be put on big game, most likely just coons. Maybe someday I will be lucky enough to find a job where I can live where there is big game. Thanks again for the advice.

[houndcrazyfool]

if you might just be on coons for a while i would do some research on exactly what you are looking for and buy a good pup. It will be the best thing you've ever done

[pete richardson]

hounds are hounds-

if you dont have big game where you live

-get a squirrel dog / beagle/ coondog / foxhound,

its more the same than it is different- you will learn alot training hounds on small game-

if u bought a pack of trained big game hounds and bought your replacements -- you could probably do ok on weekends --forget about doing anything else on weekends -


it might cost you about the price of a new pickup to buy them--

thats cheap compared to what it costs to do it yourself - lol

its tough -- dogs run hard saturday and your hunting tired dogs sunday-

which are more likely to get run out


you will miss some mondays at work looking for dogs you lost sunday

you might l start taking off fridays you will be exercising those dogs after work during the week to get them in shape for the weekend


ts a very bad addiction--





if you raise and train your own --very tough to do it on weekends

like mike said , it can be a full time 24/7 job

[bob baldwin jr]

As others have said it is a Non-stop adventure and obsession. Myself I stayed clear of the addiction for 40 years .Have hunted every year with my buddies with hounds. Some were good A LOT were trash in my opinion. I prefer to not knock anyone's hounds " BEAUTY IS IN THE EYE OF THE BEHOLDER" I worked a Part-time job for 5 years to save up the money to be in a position to buy what I want . 2 finished hounds 2 started hounds 2 pups, for bear and bob cat . Same for seperate breed for coyote's Maybe not to you guy's but I am looking at about $18,000.00 I could not have done it with out the Part-time job. They might not be the best but I will be comfortable with them. With-out dipping into my retirement that is the best I could do . I just have no desire to start off with JUNK
The hunting and training will be a continual thing .I just hate the thought that some guy's leave their hounds penned up too much . I guess we get out of life what we put into it. HAPPY HOUNDING

BOB BALDWIN
PH: 502-647-3768
E-mail: bigbob817@hotmail.com

[ChazK]

It's all according to your schedule and work ethic. You should ask yourself, "Do I want my dogs to be the best?" and "Do I want to spend the time with them to make them the best?"