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-- catching them on the ground......... (http://forums.ukcdogs.com/showthread.php?threadid=928475050)

I've hunted for 46 years. Several of the hounds I've trained & hunted would catch coon occasionally. Yes they were blue dogs. I thought they were top hounds and good track dogs. The Rebel dog I had has caught up to three coon on the ground in one night. Two or three a week in crops was normal. That's after running them in crops from 10 minutes to over 2 hours. Hot tracks in pastures didn't last long. Rebel was tight on working tracks, opened good on hot tracks. Shut his mouth on a loose and didn't open until he was running to catch. The best I can tell, the difference between a top track dog and a coon catcher is about 20 yards. I have looked for 10 years to find anouther track dog/coon catcher like him. I have found one, he's 18 months old and has caught several coon. Luke is a son of Rebels. He's tight on most tracks but opens on hot tracks just enough to know he's running to catch. If your young hound is catching coon you better keep him, he's a track driver.

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Home Of:
Gr Nt Ch, Ch Natural Smokey River Irene a coondog (Mailes Bob X Nt Ch Utchman Blue Two)
Gr Nt Ch Natural Smokey River Flo UKC Top 20 placing 15th UKC World 2011, top 100 2014 (Rebel x Mailes Lil)


The Hounds I Enjoyed Hunting:
Dual Gr Natural Smokey River Rebel, A buddy of mine
Gr. Nt Natural Blue Echo ( Gr Nt Quail Ck Jimmy X Nt Ch Natural Blue Bell)
Gr Nt Smokey River Chief's Joe (JBS Chief X Gr Nt Jeans Ruby)
Gr. Nt. Ch. Natural Smokey River Lucy (Chief's Joe X Muggins)
And Many More

Running to catch

I have a bluetick male here that I'm hunting now and have raised from a pup that if you put him in the woods 10 nights straight he will catch one on the ground usually in that time frame. He is an honest strike dog that bawls on track but runs with his head up and will drift on a lose. He is 3 yrs old now and love hunting this style of dog but they create their own problems as well. When he was about 1 1/2 old he was having more fun catching them than treeing them so he was looking for a track instead of a tree. With him it doesn't seem to matter the time of year. When the coons are in the standing corn its game on though. As he has matured he has balanced out more now and we still catch some on the ground but not quite as many. But the tree part has definitely Improved. It is my take on it that they will never be the " bet the farm he aint't leaving type" though. He will get hooked and stay but is the type that is action packed always wanting the excitement. Usually accurate when they drive a track to the tree. Hunts on a run all night and never know he is on the farm during the day. Not a pacing jacked up idiot. He may never be a perfect hound but man is he fun to hunt. Good luck with your dog and he sure sounds like my kind.

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Morgan Branch Kennels:
" where quality comes first "

hound

Nice hound,sounds like he bred right,wats his nose like

hound

Nice hound,sounds like he bred right,wats his nose like