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number of dogs

how many dogs do you guys recommend at the minuim to bear hunt with?

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If you can't run with the big dawgs keep your puppy a$$ on the porch.

Can do it with 1. I feel comfortable with 3, 4 is even better. I have 7 dogs now but have only been hunting 5 because 2 are too small and young. All depends if you have a good solid dog then one is enough if they are a real bear dog. I think you will find 3 is a good number though so you dont have to worry about them being alone on a mean one.

I agree, treed a number of bears with only one hound but never did like to send less than three. Three or four hounds will put up about anything that's gonna climb but six or seven will usually do it faster...........

ike

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quote:

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Originally posted by RunninBear(Ike)
I agree, treed a number of bears with only one hound but never did like to send less than three. Three or four hounds will put up about anything that's gonna climb but six or seven will usually do it faster...........

ike

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i use 3

quote:

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Originally posted by komatsuvarna
LOL, Thats the way I like to do it. Send the whole pack!!

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__________________
Living the Dream, making it happen and taking photos to share with others along the way!

I agree

1 is all it takes but 3 to 6 will give you much more noise coming into a tree when a bear may want to slide out or a walking bear that you are trying to sneak in and kill.NEVER more than six!More than six will just get a dog killed or hurt.

I agree totally. I have one dog, and several others that can do it by themselves. But as most of you know a mean one if it doesnt want to wont tree for one dog, and sometimes a whole pack. Sometimes these bears that have been ran so much that they are almost immune to going up a tree need to be taken out of the game, meaning harvested. If you are in an area with not many bears I can see why you wouldnt want to harvest this bear because it may be the only one you run all the time. But if you have an abundant amount of bears maybe take this one and next year you might not have as many vet bills. Bear hunting is fun but it is hard on the dogs. I dont like my dogs getting torn up personally. Some might think it means they have the grittiest dogs out there, thats fine but you can spend all your money on vet bills and Ill spend mine hunting. Mine have got plenty of scars from getting swatted, hit, whatever, but when it comes down to it Im not a rich man and if it takes 6 dogs to get it done, then fine. Like I said most can be done with just 1 dog. Its those mean ones you want more then one on to help get in and out with and save yourself vet bills or possibly losing a dog.

Thanks for the answers guys.I've been thinking/looking of getting into bear hunting for awhile and wasn't sure of how many more dogs I would need.Before you ask I have zero bear dogs just have 3 coonhounds that I hunt coon with.Just was wondering how many bear dogs I would need to get to start with.Thanks again.

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If you can't run with the big dawgs keep your puppy a$$ on the porch.

You can definetly use your coondawgs for bear hunting. Whether or not you want an unwanted bear race while coon hunting I dont know? Ive been coon hunting (we have a smal population and sometimes do it for the younger dogs or in the off season) and treed a bear, luckily it was in November and they were starting to hybernate and it treed relatively quickly. Im sure your coondawgs could turn into great bear dogs. Just depends if you want to use them for multi-purpose dogs. My dogs better be able to run anything, Lion, Tigers, and Bears OH MY! But on a serious note they better be able to run Lions, Bears, Bobcats, and coons or they probably wont stay. I think you got all the right tools just need to put them on some bears and see what happens. Good luck!

I keep five dogs an got one dog that's treed around 20 this year by herself, but I prefer to turn out 3 or 4. Got 3 dogs that if he'll climb they'll put him in a tree. Sometimes they won't no matter how many u put on him.