How many hounds?

[Wimuzzleman]

I have a very beginer question. Can I hunt coons with just one blue tick hound?

[Feistman]

You sure can. I hunt coons with one little 25lbs. Treeing Feist dog.

ORIGINAL: Wimuzzleman

I have a very beginer question. Can I hunt coons with just one blue tick hound?

[Dryridge]

You can if he will tree coons

Unless there are a ton of coons there is no REAL benefit to hunting 2. Sure one may help keep the track if the other loses it, but one good dog is WAY better than 4 mediocre ones, believe me, been there, done that, got the t'shirt to prove it

Seriously though, one good dog is all you need. Besides, it is really more enjoyable to me to just go out by myself or even better with my son and our good old Walker male, "Cinch". Just something personal about it, you can really develop a relationship with one good dog that isnt there with a pack.

FYI Packs of hounds are used more to force an animal that would rather run or fight to take to the trees such as a mt. lion or bear. Coons for the most part would rather tree pretty quick that go long distances or fight. Of course there are exceptions. Here in WV they breed in Feb. and our season is in then. Hides are prime, but the old male coons will be on the hunt of a girlfriend and be out of his home territory and pumped up with hormones. They will run for miles some nights and fight the devil himself. Makes for a long night. Now in that situation 3 or more dogs will help. One dog and two is pretty much the same unless you have lots or coon trails then maybe t hey will "split tree" or each get their own coon.

There is lots too this, and a good dog is worth more than they fetch in just saving you lots of frustration.

My advice, get one that will tree, stay treed till you get there. Won't run trash and won't stay at a hole if mr ringtail goes underground. Hunt with the dog a night or 2 before you lay down the cash and by all means if you don't have a buddy with a good pup trainer hound that you have unlimited access to...DON'T EVEN THINK ABOUT BUYING A PUP TO SAVE MONEY. You will wear out 3 pairs of $100 boots, have thousands in gas money, not to mention feeding, housing and vet bills for a pup that in the end may never make a coon dog.

Hope this all helps in some way. If you have specific ???'s you can email me or PM me.

Good Luck,
Dave

[deepdiver]

Dave is absolutely right.

If you are just hunting coons, then a single dog is good. Two is ok, but they can be hard to handle if they get split treed.

I had my two dogs out the other night, and my bluetick opened up about 3 times, and that was it for the rest of the night. The Black and Tan that I have been running just couldn't lock down on anything at all and she chased nothing clear across the section of land that we were hunting. Blue came in and decided that she had enough after about an hour(she had a one inch thorn stuck in her paw), but I chased that B&T until I was about ready to leave her.

[Wimuzzleman]

how far will a bluetick travel to tree a coon?

[deepdiver]

That really depends on the dog. Some dogs will go so far that you need to go get the truck to find them. Others will range out for a will, then come back.

Most people buy a dog that suits them. I have a friend that likes his dogs to come in every 20 minutes or so. I know other guys that say that they better not see their dog until it is under a tree.

[Dryridge]

I like the check-in dogs myself. I am disabled and I rather the dog find me than the other way around.

Dave.

[Wimuzzleman]

Thanks for the info I was hoping I could get one to check in every now and then. I will be hunting state land and I was afraid I would have to chase it all over the farms that border the land.

[duckdog132]

for the question how far will a dog traval to tree a coon.... durring the coon rut. coons will travel miles and i have had dogs trail and endup 4 miles treed under a boars coon. i comp hunt coondogs alot and dont like mine to check in at all, just keep hunting. i have tracking collars on them, so ill find em, but if i was a strick pleasure hunter i would prob want one to check in every couple hours if not treed
click here to see some pics and short videos of a couple of my hounds
http://s134.photobucket.com/albums/q105/coonsmen/

[Wimuzzleman]

Thanks for shareing the videos and photos duckdog132. Now I really cant wait to get a hound.