Seriously, it depends on what you want in a dog and your prefered style of hunting. You do not mention whether you want hounds or curs, both are quite capable but very diferrent in style of hunting. I myself hunt Clover bred Walkers. You might check out the UKC site. www.ukcdogs.com/forums
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"I'm in the Heart of Dixie, Dixie's in the heart of me."
Different breeds have different styles. The Walkers are high-strung cracked out "go-getters" The old blue tick bloods are alot more methodical, some newer bloodlines are critized for being bred to compete in the fast-paces tournaments and behave more like walkers. There's alot sites out there for "hounders" or coon hunters....google them and read all you can, you'll get an idea for their individual characteristics. You'll also be able to find the famous bloodlines and reputable breeders.
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Anything I say is my opinion, just that...and only that.
"...and what does the Lord require of you, but to do justly, love mercy, and walk humbly with your God?
There is as much difference in the strains within the hound breeds as there is between the breeds themselves. You need to know what you expect from your hound. If nite hunts are part of the plan, you need a "go yonder" hot nosed, simi silent, quik tree dog that is a little rough around the tree. If he isn't rough, the other dogs will move him away from the tree and he will not likely get credit for his work. If you want to hear a good race and tree every coon that he strikes, a colder nosed, slower track dog will work. If you plan on some big game, more grit is needed along with speed. I personally prefer a good plott hound, but again check for a strain that is known to preform the way you want YOUR dog to perform. If you feed him, you are the only one he has to please.
A Streak or Busher bred Original Mountain Cur is a good bet, too. For that matter, just about any of the major cur strains will work, these are just two that have well-proven themselves. Here is a pic of a heavily Streak bred cur. Caught this one on the ground.
I know there are many out there....but this is the forum I've learned most of my stuff from. Its got a seperate section for each breed. You can learn the pros and cons of each as well as hear some of the better bloodlines' names thrown around. Read up, you'll learn alot by just wandering around.
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Anything I say is my opinion, just that...and only that.
"...and what does the Lord require of you, but to do justly, love mercy, and walk humbly with your God?
coon dogs?
