El Cheapo

[BigGameHunter]

I can tell you not to use cheap stuff.

I was out training one of my good trail dogs to stike last Sunday. I took some coon scent and put a little on a rag and hung it in some willows next to the road. Drove back to the house only 5 min. away and loaded up two of my young hounds. Drove slowly back up the lane right past the willows with the scent in it and nothing. Not a peep. The wind was just right and still not a thing. About the time I was ready to cull a couple dogs and another quarter mile up the road, they both gave a resounding yell. I was looking for deer wondering what in the world they were up to. Finally I decided to let them off still wondering what was going on. They both ran to a ditchbank about 100 yards away, trailed for another 50 yards and began treeing. Now I was really confused. Walked up the the tree and low and behold a coon. Ah the satisfaction of working with a dog from a pup and finally having them come alive. Few things compare.

I do have a question to go along with all of this. When your out stiking for whatever you stike for, would you say your mostly striking tracks left earlier or winding animals scent carried up out of a canyon? My personal opinion is 75% tracks 25% animals but I would imagine that would depend on where your hunting. Just curious about what others opinions are.

Oh yeah and.....so much for going cheap.

[treeing walkers]

I would say 75% your striking scat and piss posts. If the dogs are winding the animal when they get down off the box they will not be able to locate it in the road and get back on the box. at least mine will. That is all we do up here is rig dogs. Chances are if they are not cold trailing off the road then they are hitting scat or piss posts or they are winding the animal. You can tell the difference if you watch your dogs after they strike, when they get down if their nose is to the ground and they are working then its a track or piss post. If their head is up and smelling the air they are winding. This is what I have experienced in my dogs. but for coons about 80% time they are smelling the coon that crossed the road not too far ahead of you. Not often is their alot of cold trailing a coon at least around here.