Understood, Jesse. I think that other thread has been addressed to everyone's satisfaction.
It seems like some guys are all hung up on what their dog does AFTER the shot, rather than what the dog is, or isn't doing BEFORE the shot. It's the BEFORE part that makes a 'decoy dog' an asset, and is the part that fascinates me. That is why I started this thread, to put the focus back on HOW & WHY a decoy dog works on stand!
And onto a related, more 'touchy' subject of recommending "average" hunters to try decoy dogs...
When running a 'decoy dog' during "prime time", I feel one now owns the added responsibility to taking care of certain unglorifying aspects of the task, namely denning. I can't see that as being any sort of fun, but I do see the necessity...
I am of the opinion tha encouraging 'decoy dogging' during the denning period without even acknowleging or addressing what needs to be done after taking adult coyotes is completely irresponsible!
That is exactly why I won't encourage ANY "average" hunter to try decoying coyotes during this upcoming "prime time", whether his dog is a 115 lb. mastiff, a 15 lb. JRT, or a 35 lb. cur!!! This topic ties back into the OTHER thread about recommending & encouraging other hunters to "just try your dog out and see what happens". Well, consider this for a moment...
What if that hunter, who'd otherwise not be in the field, takes his dog out in the next month to "try" on stand, gets lucky and kills a coyote? As he proudly stands over his pet dog's first coyote experience, he notices that he has just shot dead, a WET female. Maybe he realizes that there is a litter of pups in the ground somewhere, maybe he doesn't. He might only remember that the guys on Predator Masters collectively encouraged him to "try it out and see what happens" without mentioning the part that, as a result of him killing an adult coyote, there might be a den of helpless pups now without a mother to sustain them.
Is that HIS fault for not knowing better, or those who encouraged him here in this forum's fault for not sharing that 'unsavory' part with him???
Is it nobody's fault and coyotes are not worth the consideration?
Think about that a minute before you jump on me for asking.
Maybe some you guys might want to take pause before encouraging guys to try a dog in the spring/summer, maybe not. That's up to you guys. I'm just offering up something to ponder & playing "devil's advocate" again to encourage everyone to look at the big picture of what happens when "average" hunters are encouraged to hunt with a dog this time of year.
I figure, 99 times out of 100, those same "average" hunters are either not aware of, not willing to, or not capable of, handling a denning situation after taking the adults out of an area. I know I'm not, and I'm not comfortable with knowing that a litter of pups might be in a hole somewhere that need taken care of.
Would anyone care to comment on recommending/ running decoy dogs during the summer when there are young pups in the ground?
And for the guy who plan on it, do you feel that it is worth the effort to see your dog 'work' if you run the risk of leaving pups in a hole somewhere?
Are you prepared to see through a denning situation after taking an adult? Or do you walk away with your camera, dog & gun without giving it a second thought?
This is where the casual/recreational side of enjoying a 'decoy dog' crosses over into why ADC men employ the use of them. So I'd sure like to hear how the recreational hunters are prepared to handle that type of situation?
Like I said, 'touchy' subject. But I'd like to hear the "decoy doggers" opinions (not you kirby
) & especially from the guys who are in the decoy dog business to make a profit.
Jesse, I'd like to hear from you, too, since you run hounds. Do you run in the spring/summer? If so, how do you handle the denning aspect after an adult is taken?
Thanks...