H&Hhunter
Senior Member
Join Date: Jan 2003
Location: Colorado USA
Posts: 1,212
As far as the wolf thing goes. The affected wolf depository states are not wanting to "wipe out" the wolf populations. They are merely demanding a way to deal with managing the populations and to handle a depredating wolf without becoming criminals. Oh and by the way you can not legally shoot a wolf that is killing your dog by law in the reintroduction states to do so is a Federal Felony. What do you think about this reintroduction program and it's more than slightly oppresive rules now?
Ok from our previous post we have learned a tiny little bit about hunting with dogs maybe we can learn a tiny little bit more. Bear with me if you will, I am passionate about this subject and have been a bear and cat guide who used hounds in the past. I do not consider myself a "houndsmen" as that is far too complimentary of title for me to claim.
The pursuit only season is exclusively for the training of bear dogs PERIOD. Whether you think it's stupid or not to be able to carry firearms legally is besides the point. You see in many states if you are carrying a firearm during pursuit season the DG&F considers that to be hunting not pursuing. If you don't hunt with hounds I guess it's impossible for you to understand the need to train new dogs every season to keep up with attrition and figure out which dogs are going to make the cut and which ones aren't.
While I can tell you that for obvious and before mentioned reasons I always carry a firearm in the wilderness. A good houndsmen with a seasoned pack of hounds seldom finds a need for a firearm unless he's actually going to kill the bear or cat he's pursuing. Here's why.
I'd dare say that there isn't a black bear on the planet that can work through three good bear dogs. I've seen a good pack put an aggressive big old male blackie up a tree 4 times in a row. The way a good hound pack works a bear is by hitting him from multiple angles at the same time with incredible speed and never latching on. They just dive in and out like a pack featherweight boxers nipping the bear, when the bear turns to get a dog another one hits him from a different angle keeping him spinning and turning totally confusing the bruin. Pretty soon all ole blackie wants to do is either exit the country or get up a tree. Of course the dogs job is to stay with the bear until he's had enough and trees up for good. It takes one hell of a special and brave dog to do this job. I'd put up three good dogs against a green horn with a .44 any day of the week for effective bear defense no two ways about it. A good dog is mans best friend under the most challenging circumstances.
Here are some hound hunting terms you should know.
When the dogs are milling around looking for a hot scent it's called "casting"
When they hit a scent it's called "Striking".
The time between the strike and sighting the animal is called the "race". The race is run by dogs who are either "hot trailing", that is on a straight line hell bent for leather on a hot scent or "cold trailing" where the dogs lose and reacquire the trail or they may be "sight trailing" where the dogs are visually chasing the critter. A good hounds men knows by the sound of the bark the dog is making what mode his dogs are in.
The dogs will race until they tree up or loose the scent or tire out. The race can go on for many hours and multiple miles across some of the toughest terrain on the planet. This is where we separate the men from the boys, most people are completely incapable of following the race from a strike to a tree. Hound hunting is the most physically demanding hunting that a person can do, bar none. I’ve had grand slam sheep hunters tell me they didn’t work half as hard for their sheep that they did for their properly hunted hound chased bear. Especially when the critter being chased goes "jackrabbit" that’s a bear or a cat that won't tree up or won't stay treed up. If you ever start hunting bear with hounds you must be prepared to walk and ride further into the wilds than you ever have before and you must also be prepared to siwash with minimal equipment on a regular basis because hounds will take you places you never dreamed of going or never wanted to go and once they start there is no stopping them. You go where they go until they end it some times spending cold nights in rugged country with only the gear you have on.
A good proven dry land cat or bear dog can be worth over $10,000 USD a good dog man is becoming a rare breed and they are some of the last true mountain men left in Americas. They are a rugged tough breed of individuals they become deeply attatched to their dogs and their horses or mules as their very life depends on them at times. Most of the ones I know carry some kind of revolver in their packs or in their trucks or on a saddle at all times. But most don't feel they need to carry one for bear protection when they have between 4 and 8 good hounds with them. Apparently in wolf country that just ain't so.
It absolutely SICKENS me to see a bunch of citified wana be "hunters" rail against houndsmen. The VAST majority of these arm chair, outdoor network watching, Real Tree wearing, once a year deer hunting fools have no knowledge of the tradition or the time and effort that goes into hunting with hounds not to mention the extreme physical stamina required and the vast amount of outdoor knowledge it takes to be a successful hounds men. The hunting houndsmen is one of the last true vestiges of our outdoor heritage they are link to our not so distant past, the last of a breed of truly in tune rugged outdoorsmen and what every hunter dreams he could be at some time in his life. And the average fat assed lazy boy "hunter" is doing his level headed best with his miss notions and misunderstandings of this great sport to destroy this truly American and extremely rugged way of life.
THOSE OF YOU WHO ARE SHOULD BE ASHAMED !!!
Because wether you know it or not your seemingly innocent way of hunting will be the next one on the chopping block.
PS
Doublenaughtspy
I asked you a question and would appreciate it if you would be man enough to answer it in public. Are you or are you not an anti hunter?
