coon hounds, what breed?

Ian

Ian

New member
I hunt deer hunt some land that is filled with coons and have always wanted a hound dog, so I figure I'd give coon hunting a try, what type of coon dog should I get, I dont want a pack, just one(can it work that way), my moms friend coon hunts with dogs, I'm gonna give him a call so he can show me how to train the dog and show me how to hunt with it

thanks
Ian
 
depends, do you want to listen to the melody of the race or do you just want to tree and kill lots of coons? You are sure to get many different opinions on this subject. There is no right or wrong answers.

I hunted competition for years. I used treeing walkers for that purpose and owned several breeds through the years. I liked the walkers best because of the fast learning curve, however most of the other breeds now have been refined to the point of being fast learners as well.

The best fur dogs I ever hunted with were 2 border collies and a kelpie that belonged to an old gentleman in the hill country{ they were also very good goat herders}. They were silent on trail and barked very little when treed. I promise you they could put more hides up a tree than any hound in one night.
Ah those were the days!
here are a couple of pictures from about 20 years ago, unfortunately I have very few pictures from those days most of which people sent to me.
normal_rocky.jpg

normal_sally_and_hanna.jpg
 
in that case I would hook up with some of the old men that hunt in your area and I bet they'll help you find a good hound. I'd still go with a walker but that's just my opinion.
 
I have a problem, I have a lab that does not socialize with other dogs, I am afraid she might kill the pup, what can I do to prevent this, what breeds do well with children
 
Most adult dogs will not kill a puppy if introduced properly. I had one female that would. She is no longer with us!

nearly all hounds are good with kids, I had 2 walkers that got down right protective and 1 redbone that did.
 
I always just bring the pup around the older dogs and let them sniff and such petting both, let them know they belong not just some strange dog showing up. Even worked with my pitbulls. I wouldn't recommend leaving them alone for a while as pups like to play and the older dog may get tired of it. Kind of like supervised visits. Most dogs do just fine with pups, it's nature way I think. That's why it wasn't at all reluctant to get rid of the one bad one I had. She was just flat vicious!
 
this dog killed our pet chicken, pet mice, and pet turtle, but not the cat(scared of the cat), my family is concerned of what she might do to a puppy, how do you feel about redbones?
 
I owned several through the years, they had great personalities , but none ever hunted to please me. In fact I only owned 4 hounds period out a great many that I truly loved to hunt with. They each have different personalities. I bet the lab will do fine with a pup. if the lab doesn't kill the cat soon I would get a new dog anyway! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif
just kidding.
You have to look at what she's been killing a bird which is natural for a lab, a mouse which most dogs can't resist and a turtle which is nothing more than a chew toy to a dog.
 
I've been out of the game far to long to give any breeders, I have a friend here that still runs hounds I'll ask him.
 
I've coon hunted for about the past fifteen years and guess is right about the walkers the only thing I would suggest is that you start with a semi trained dog or a trained dog because you can already start hunting plus the dog will help you see what you need to work on with a green pup. when I say semi trained I mean already running and treeing a little with or with out other dogs, there will be times when someone can't go with you and having a started dog or trained dog will really pay off. I tried the pup thing when I was a beginner and it was a mess up on count of lac of experience on my part and the dogs. I'll be happy to help any way I can.
 
what are you calling a pup a dog is usualy 6 months old before you start it. if you get a weaning pup you will need to wait awile before you can hunt it.
 
I see what your saying about the getting a semi trained hound first, i cant find any breeders of coon hounds around here
 
I live in MS. the best thing is search for american cooner this is a coon hunting magizine but they also have a website you should be able to find all the top breeders in the US on this site. get your moms friends to help you find the right bloodlines. most breeders will have references somewhere around you. also go to PKC.com. being as you live in LA try to contact Rodger Dale Carnagie his number may be on one of the sites he may know where a young dog is.
 
Welcome to the world of coon dogs. I'm gonna say some stuff that may upset some but it's not intended towards anyone or thier dogs. I had hounds for years. Redbones to be exact. Also had a bluetick and a black and tan. Comp hunts and escpcially dog shows are ruining the coonhound breeds. It's gotten very hard to find a redbone that will tree or walkers that have half a brain. Hounds have never handled very well and today they handle even worse. Chances are if you get a hound you'll be needing a tracking system and a shock collar with at least a one mile range. Hounds today run fast and wide and miss half the timber you hunt in. If I had to pick a hound breed all over again it would be Walker. They seen to have the most" tree" in em still. Redbones would be my last choice.

I switched from hounds to curs. Curs hunt closer and hunt more "for you". Hounds tend to hunt "for themselves". Curs also make great pets. It's true, they don't have a nice bawl mouth on track and most run silent. Curs are better dogs though and if I'm dropping $$ on a dog I'm gonna get the best dog not the best voice.

If I were you I'd really look hard at the leopard curs (I think they some have switched to calling them leopard hounds but I refuse to lump them in with hounds). Leopards hunt like a hound but have the brains of a cur. From those I've talked too that have switched from hounds and traditional curs, they say they'll never go back.

Be very carefull to stay away from bloodlines with only "champion" and "grand champion" titles. These are show titles and a far cry away from hunting titles like "nite champion" and "grand nite champion". They make look impressive on paper but don't mean crap in the woods.

If you look at a pup make sure to see BOTH parents hunt in the woods before you buy. Take your friend who hunts with you. This is a MUST. Papers look good at the kitchen table but quickly lose value in the woods.

BTW, either breed is a lot of work which is why I got rid of my tree dogs last year.

CB
 
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I agree with you CB, competition hunting left a bad taste in my mouth for all types of competitions, cheating, backstabbing, and bad dogs.
Out of the 4 hounds I owned that I truly loved to hunt with, 3 were females that hunted to please me, 1 male that just loved to hunt.
My hounds hunted close and came in when I called them. I can't stand a disobedient dog.
I would not own a dog I had to put a tracking collar or a shock collar on. My kids are a different story I think they need a shocking collar.

I owned 1 of those wide ranging walkers, the second time he beat me home I sold him!

If I was to run hounds again other than the beagles we own, it would be a cure most likely a leopard cur.
 
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