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Why do you?

Hunt blueticks? Reading some of the motor posts and for the sake of being bored I figured I'd ask this question. I've had several breeds myself and was pretty set on the English dogs until recently. For me it seems like of all the bluedogs I've hunted all but 1 have been real level headed laid back accurate dogs with good mouths and suit my pleasure hunting style best. I saw where several guys mentioned making some crosses for more motor and get gone and alone type dogs to compete with the other breeds, my other question to this post is why? Not being ignorant or tryin to cause an argument but if that's what you like why not hunt a different breed that you have a better odds of getting that in a dog, there's got to be a reason why guys have hunted blue dogs for so long without breeding the get gone and lonely into them. Personally that trait wouldn't suit me but I don't compete much.

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Dry Branch Kennels
Churchville, VA


PR Dry Branch's Thunder Braley
PR Dry Branch's foggy mtn daisy


Never forgotten-
PR Dutch Hollars Mtn Cry Diamond

I'm with you on that question I still want accuracy but would like to steop up 1 gear I'm just about where I wanna be

__________________
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ALSO HOME OF
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AND SEVERAL YOUNG ONES IN THE MIX

Don't get me wrong I hunt in thin coon and I don't mind a dog that covers ground but it better not blow through a place to be an idiot. On the other side of the coin I know a lot of guys don't want to walk a dog but I don't mind walking a little along a branch if the dog will get out around me and hunt like it has sense. That's what has attracted me to blue dogs I'm hunting, they seem to have sense.

__________________
Dry Branch Kennels
Churchville, VA


PR Dry Branch's Thunder Braley
PR Dry Branch's foggy mtn daisy


Never forgotten-
PR Dutch Hollars Mtn Cry Diamond

Big motor

Does not meen a dog has to get out of pocket or hunt straight line. To me it is one that will go hard and cover the ground needed to strike a track or tree a coon. And not take unreasonable amount of time to do it. The time and distance is something that may be preferred or not preferred by the one hunting the dog. I prefer one that does not check in. There out there to find a coon and that's what they should try their hardest to do. I will go round them up if l feel l need to.

Well said

Ron Jackson

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Jason henson

The bluetick community is a diverse group of people. There is a large group of bluetick hunters who prefer a competition style hound. You often see posts like deep and lonely, extremely independent, or big motor. This group of hunters post on here regularly. This style of hound is very popular but there is still a large group of bluetick hunters out there who prefer a closer hunting, more hunt with their owner type of bluetick hound. It all comes down to what each person prefers from his or her hound. I do understand your question though and wondered why people didn't just switch to a breed that was known for a competition style hound. I concluded that maybe these hunters want to be the first hunter to win a world title with a bluetick but thinks that the breed as a whole needs a extra gear in order to accomplish that goal. Who knows this way of thinking may be right.

Thanks for the responses! Didn't Mean to start a pissing match just throwing a question out there. I'm starting to see what the English dogs are turning in to and I don't care much for it personally. Mr Napier I've got a young female off blaze that I like a lot and have hunted 2 half siblings to her that I liked a whole lot and they were a big part of me tryin the blue dogs. I'm not saying I nessecarily want a hound that stands at my feet, I don't mind a hound putting in some distance from me to tree a coon but around here a lot of places I hunt there is no "driving around" to pick a dog up that could mean almost an hour of driving so I don't mind a dog to check back in time if they can't find one.

__________________
Dry Branch Kennels
Churchville, VA


PR Dry Branch's Thunder Braley
PR Dry Branch's foggy mtn daisy


Never forgotten-
PR Dutch Hollars Mtn Cry Diamond

Re: Big motor

quote:

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Originally posted by Ron Jackson
Does not meen a dog has to get out of pocket or hunt straight line. To me it is one that will go hard and cover the ground needed to strike a track or tree a coon. And not take unreasonable amount of time to do it. The time and distance is something that may be preferred or not preferred by the one hunting the dog. I prefer one that does not check in. There out there to find a coon and that's what they should try their hardest to do. I will go round them up if l feel l need to.

---

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" BOGUE CHITTO BLUES"
Where hounds are more than just dogs, they are a part of the FAMILY.

I don't like one that BLUEWHOO's in a 300 yard area for hours. That's what most do and thats what blueticks are known for and it just might be the reason why one has never won the world hunt. I know what kinda style of dog I like to hunt no matter the color or breed and that's won that can get in there and tree a coon quick and be all alone 90% of the time. U can be deep and lonely with a big motor and be DEADLY ACCURATE and I know this because I hunt one just about every night and my win percentage is pretty good with him in any part of the country I hunt him in.

Re: Why do you?

quote:

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Originally posted by yrphunter
Hunt blueticks? Reading some of the motor posts and for the sake of being bored I figured I'd ask this question. I've had several breeds myself and was pretty set on the English dogs until recently. For me it seems like of all the bluedogs I've hunted all but 1 have been real level headed laid back accurate dogs with good mouths and suit my pleasure hunting style best. I saw where several guys mentioned making some crosses for more motor and get gone and alone type dogs to compete with the other breeds, my other question to this post is why? Not being ignorant or tryin to cause an argument but if that's what you like why not hunt a different breed that you have a better odds of getting that in a dog, there's got to be a reason why guys have hunted blue dogs for so long without breeding the get gone and lonely into them. Personally that trait wouldn't suit me but I don't compete much.

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Trust me I have no use for a dog that grinds at a track in the same 50 yard circle for 30 minutes and so far haven't see that with the blues I've hunted

__________________
Dry Branch Kennels
Churchville, VA


PR Dry Branch's Thunder Braley
PR Dry Branch's foggy mtn daisy


Never forgotten-
PR Dutch Hollars Mtn Cry Diamond

I'm not saying your dog does this. What I'm trying to get you to do is open your eyes a bit. If your dog covers more ground at a faster pace than your current dog would you not tree more coon?

Yes sir I agree with you, I've had a dog that would flat get gone when nothing was moving and he was English he put me in a lot of places I never knew and would have never known existed, I loved his mouth and accuracy but didn't care for no reverse he unfortunately passed away in nov, I've got a 5yo English gyp that I raised here and will die here, she's quick looking for a track and moving a track but doesn't blow out of an area. The young blue gyp I've got now has those same qualities plus a better mouth and lots of sense that I like a lot more, I don't know how her hunt is going to be in the end because in less than a year that I've had her I've been lucky enough to get on tracks fairly close or she has gone with another dog that got her out a bit further and she was not afraid to roll out with the other dog. I guess I've kind of gotten off my original question of "why do you hunt blueticks" opposed to other breeds? I know everybody has a set of traits that they love and stereotypically blueticks have been known for the boohooing (not saying I completely believe that) but it's always seemed to me regardless the stereo types blues have a big following, so what draws and keeps guys interested in them?

Novicane- I apologize I just read your post and I believe you and I were posting at the same time and I missed reading it before but after reading it I agree completely with you, just picking brains is all I'm doing. I have been keeping up with a lot of the in depth conversations on here for a long time and don't say much but I do notice your name come up with lots of good things being posted and for that I thank you. To answer your question I can typically make 2 maybe 3 trees with real live coons or legit dens in about 2-3 hours of hunting, during the summer it's usually 1 and done or if I have my kids along. During the winter it's typical for me to make 4 drops on a good night starting about 8ish and gettin home by about 2 and I hunt fairly close to home.

__________________
Dry Branch Kennels
Churchville, VA


PR Dry Branch's Thunder Braley
PR Dry Branch's foggy mtn daisy


Never forgotten-
PR Dutch Hollars Mtn Cry Diamond

If I would have heard the phrase "deep and lonely " twenty years ago I would have had no idea what you were talking about. Call me old fashioned but hounds working together to tree the first coon they smell is what it's all about to me.

I'm not necessarily looking for a dead loner, and deep. I'm looking for one that will hunt its way out from you. But doesn't take all night to get struck and treed. Track speed is what I like. But I also want a dog to cover as much ground as possible at the fastest pace possible. The faster they cover ground the more coon you'll tree in a hunt. I'm like everyone else really. I don't like to walk 2 miles to the dog, but I will if that's what it takes to tree a coon. I like a dog to take the tracks as they come to them. I don't want a dog to blow out of pocket and run by coon.

I don't care for a slick treeing dog. Which is why I believe blue dogs are a favored dog for pleasure hunting. They aren't known for being slick tree'ers. The other reason is there are far more pleasure hunters than there is competition hunters in this sport. Everyone likes different things. Some guys don't really care if it takes all night for a dog to get treed. Some don't care for tracking ability and only want to concentrate their focus on a tree dog. Others want the dog to have a cold nose vs a hot nose. Other guys like a lay-up dog. And from what I've put together it really depends on the area you hunt and the coon population in your area.

Now if you can mix everything together to get the WHOLE package you have something.

To put it to you this way. My buddy has a young dog 15 months old. This young dog can really put on a clinic in our area. My dog is a decent dog, but can't keep up with the young guns any more, she's 8 almost 9. If there's coon moving, this pup will put it to you in a hurry. Where my dog excels is when the coon moved early. My dog has a colder nose than this pup currently. Both dogs need a track, neither one is a lay-up dog. But the young dog will tree more coon on average than mine. IMO it has to do with hunting speed.

My experience

The blue dogs I have are to independent for my liking but tend to do ok in the comp hunts. They all have no reverse and sme hunt to straight line. With that being sad they are track dogs that run to catch and very good about having a coon. IN the winter I usually hunt 6 to 10 hours a night and in the summer about half that. I hunt blue dogs simply because it's all I have ever had and I like them in general. I like a good comp dog but pleasure hunt first and foremost. You can have both in the same hide.

what you want?

I thought i wanted hard , deep hunting dog until i got one ! I found out how small my hunt area was real quick . Constantly trespassing or toning the dog back is frustrating . I like a go hard dog but sometimes that 400 yard criss cross the woods type hound that checks back makes for a great pleasure hunt and is a lot of fun. I dont really think its settling for less , its just whatever suits you.

I hunt blue ticks now because they suit me better. I hunted Walkers for 50 years and "deep and alone" is what made me switch. And the slick treeing also. I am more than satisfied with the young blue ticks I have. I look at plenty coons and don't have to walk very far to see them.

i have had dogs that hunt close and dogs with no reverse. i have enjoyed both.i have seen good dogs both ways. i have had dogs that hunt in circles and straight line. i prefer circles. either way i like a dog to hustle.
i even enjoy owning at least 1 dog that hunts close and 1 that hunts deep at the same time. my reason is it depends on what style of hunting i would like to hunt for the night. like maybe an easy nite of hunting with someone who is new to coonhunting or pup training or drop in a small woods that ya can't safely hunt with a dog with no reverse.

Well, I have two blueticks and a walker. I hunt blueticks for several reasons, one is I like the way they look and the other is that I have always had good luck with blueticks. The best dog I ever had was a bluetick and also the very first coon hound I ever saw was a bluetick. That factors in somewhere too.
I am very happy with the speed and drive of both of mine. They are pretty fast and they hunt a little too wide for this area, but that is subjective because we really don't have too many big woods anymore. They hunt out about 800 yards or so when they need to, the good thing is we have a pretty decent coon population here and so most of the time they don't need to go that far.
Neither dog was junkie or hard to break and they both have a good mouth and tree real good. I read a lot of comments regarding more speed. I'm with shadinc on this one....I believe that too much speed can result in too many slick trees. Do we really want to make our dogs more like walkers in this regard??? Don't get me wrong...I'd love to win the world hunt, I'd love to do it with a blue dog, I'd even just love to see it done with a blue dog and one night it will. But if it means I got to start wasting my time walking to slick trees then I will just as soon pass.
I have watched a lot of dogs that just didn't have a good balance between nose power and drive. That is to say the ones that hit a bad spot on the track and instead of working it out they would grab the nearest big tree {just quit}...one of mine doesn't have any better of a nose than anything else {at least I don't think so}, but when the going gets tough and other dogs bog way down she will not give up, she will work it out and have the coon. Many dogs will quit and go looking for a better track and that's okay too, that dog has to be intelligent to be able to figure out to do that, but I'd rather stick with what I've got.