Hey Dog Hunters a few questions for ya from a stand hunter

[OldCrab]

I am a dog guy who has my adult life always had a bulldog - pound /rescue of a sort - they hunt cats and squirrels in the yard and allow me to feel 100% sure that my home and family and yard are safe
they are very well trained in being a protectors and loving freinds and had 2 that were fair bird/rabbit dogs but these 2 wont leave my sight thats how the were trained by me not to - even if I wanted to take em to the woods the wont go far --

back when I was a teen I used to go with a fella to coon hunt competitions- that was a lot of fun


anyhow

I have been hunting in a dog area for a lil while and enjoy the sound of a race - actually had some dogs run a few by me , no shooters though

I was fleeting some thoughts - while swinging in my tree the other day

I would like opinions from both pig hunters and deer hunters

If a guy (me) was to want to get into Dog huntin!
how many dogs ?
whats a proven good dog/dogs gonna cost ?
then what breed /breeds ? probably a whole new debate
radio vs gps collars ?
4wd a must ?
do the dogs always bark / do the neighbors complain ?
how much $ a year do ya have/average a year per dog for vet bills?
any of em actually house pets and hunters ?

I am sure you all will add more stuff I did not think of and such
and I will probably have more to ask later

thanks guys

[Iluv2hunt]

Here's some thoughts from an ex-doghunter

How many dogs and breed kinda depends on how many people who are going to be in your "group." If you are by yourself(which is difficult) keeping up with dogs is a pain in the rear
4-6 dog is a good pack. You can run 2-3 at a time and always (or usually) have fresh/rested dogs. Plus if you get a hot race you can send another fresh dog to it. You need a good trail dog, one with a good cold nose that you can put on a track at daylight and let that dog work it out. Then you need a mixture of younger dogs that can run it
As far a s breed, depends on how many people (in my opinion). Long legged walker hounds can clear a block before you can drive to the other side. Beagles or beagle walker mixes usually are a great dog. Also if you are going to be hunting WMA's that allow dog hunting, there may possibly be dog height restrictions. Mallory Swamp WMA is one that comes to mind.

Good dogs are gonna be a few hundred each. Then you have to have a kennel. Probably two if you want to keep males n females separate(sometimes necessary because they will fight and/or breed). Then you have vet bills. And feed. And a dog box. If you want aluminum, you are looking at +/- $400. or you can build a wooden one. And you have to shovel shartt every day...
Tracking collars are a must, imho. Technology has changed since I did it. We had the "beacon" type ( a tracking box with antenna, and a collar for each dog which sends a signal back to the tracking box. Nowadays everyone uses GPS collars and a handheld GPS unit. They are highly expensive, but sooooooo worth it

There is more, but that is just some things to think about

[OldCrab]

those are the things I am runnin through my mind

Maybe a guy or 3 will invite me along to see if I can hang/ get the feel for it and maybe start savin some cheese -

noise ??? complaints do they always bark - i just cant remember if my freinds dogs were noisey -
I do remem- they would get riled up when he loaded the dog box

[houseofmicah]

where did you coon hunt? never done it in florida, only indiana.

[OldCrab]

michigan

[Skunk Ape]

Advice I give everyone is to hook up with a dog crew for a season or two and see if you really enjoy it. Help them with their dog feed which has almost doubled the last few years. When I started 27 years ago I rode with my buddy for a few seasons until his son was born,then I started driving my own rig. I learned a lot from him that way.

Hounds need to be run every weekend not left if the pens.Be prepared to stay out late at night trying to catch them,the heartbreak of a hog killing them if you hog hunt,or even spending a lot of time and money on a dog and it ends up being useless.

[doghunter]

First, I'm a deer hunter.

how many dogs ? I keep 4 running dogs and 2 or so pups. Not all pups make the cut as I'm hard to please. No need to keep more dogs as everyone I hunt with has WAY too many dogs and along with collars( telemetry, gps, shockers) there's no need for more than a small pack.

whats a proven good dog/dogs gonna cost ? from $200-5,000. Depends on what you want and how deep you want in it! Also depends on age and ability. trail/track dog are the most expensive by far. cast dogs are cheaper, pack dogs are cheapest. started puppies in the rabbit pen are $200-300 depending on bloodline and amount of promise it shows.

then what breed /breeds ? I prefer beagle/walkers or walkers.

radio vs gps collars ? I run both along with shock collars

4wd a must ? in my woods it is..

do the dogs always bark / do the neighbors complain ? I have mine on 140 acres of nothing but timberland. Most of the neighbors own deer dogs though so they're cool with the barking. I cannot stand barking dogs near my house and I raise a few pups at my house only.

how much $ a year do ya have/average a year per dog for vet bills? All prices yearly- $700 in food or more. Ivomec, intestinal wormer, vaccines, meds- $150. Vet bills really depend. The vet is the last ditch option if I cannot fix the dog. You'd be surprised what farm use medicines will cure- I've only been to the vet once with a hunting dog in the past 7 years and should've gone 1 more time.

any of em actually house pets and hunters ? No. Most act like pets though as I treat them like they are until the dog box opens then it's business time.

It takes along time for alot of hunters to build up what i considered a decent pack. I have been through alot of dogs in 7 years just to have the pack I have today. It is a lifestyle and takes up alot of free time. I have to feed up and clean kennels every day or every other day. Constantly checking dogs and keeping them up and healthy. I wonder often if it's evern worth it myself with the soaring costs involved.

My suggestion is find a crew to hunt with and see if you really want all the hassle of dog huntin. If it's really about only killing deer, then stick to stand hunting my friend lol

[OldCrab]

thanks very much for the answers fellas

I need to find some body to tag and help for a while too learn a bit / see if it fits