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Training bear dogs

What does everyone do to train their bear dogs? I'm just curious if anyone out there does anything different than the norm and has success with it.

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Iraq/Afghanistan Vet

Training dogs

I start mine on hogs. If he doesn't bay a hog pretty tight he usually won't bay a bear. Then I'll put them in a bigger pen ( 50 acres) and run hogs or fox. This teaches them how to run something. After they learn how to run I 'll put them on a bear with a few old dogs. If they will run and bay I'll continue to hunt them. Treeing usually comes slower. Don't like one too tree happy seems like they slick worse than others. I don't put them on a mean hog in the beginning just one that will just walk. If the dogs are real aggressive I go to steps two.

When they big enough to get thru woods take them with you best I've ever owned pretty much start themselves when put in the woods. They pick up more from being out and being around grown dogs. A dog that has a true hunt desire will do so you just need to keep them corrected and focused on desired game. Take them to trees and walk bear out let them see and run easy sight races if by the time they are a year old they are not completing races cull them. If more would do this the hound world would be back like it should be. Too many haul around 2 year old dogs call them young dogs these dogs and they don't finish races it's pathetic they should have been culled. A trail dog takes several years to complete but even though they make mistakes young you can tell the ones with the desire to make it.

Thinking about starting some English and Bluetick pups soon. Bear are getting really thick here in Arkansas.
Do you think you could bait em up and then cut your pups in on them to get em started?

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Bobby Cagle,
Waldron, Arkansas
(479) 207-3789

Training beardogs

Baiting bear is fine to start your young dogs on, but everything comes to bait here in Maine. The best way to train young dogs on bear to get a good start dog. That way you'll bi-pass all the problems that will come your way. JMO Paul

That's the key. Just how we train our coondogs. Just have to find a coondog that'll run bear? Not many people hunt bear with dogs around here will that I know.

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Bobby Cagle,
Waldron, Arkansas
(479) 207-3789

If its legal to bait then thats what Id do, if its not then you didnt hear it from me. Also if you know a spot where theres a whole lotta bear and a good amount of food Id go in there and look around at night to see if I could find a hot track. If dogs will run deer that we consider trash without bein deer dogs, then they'll run a bear without bein bear dogs. They may not run it for miles and tree it the first few times but if they run a ways and quit they can only get better over time. You dont necessarily need a bear dog to make a bear dog, everybody has to start somewhere.

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Outlaw Kennels

If they don't bay, they don't stay

Catch em and stretch em, tree em and free em

'PR' McPherson's Big Mouth Brandy

That's what I was thinking. We coonhunt and our old dogs are not trashiny thanks to the old trashbreaker pro and alpha. But my buddy has a blue gyp that just might run one and tree it. I've got 2 English pups that are ready to start. And we can bait the crap out of em. We couldn't bait the coons for the bears tearing our feeders up. I can't wait! Me and my buddy think bear hunting will be a blast. Y'all let me know all the ins and outs of it. Are there any safety precautions? Going into the tree? Sow and her cubs? Leashing Your dogs? Anything a man might need to know? Thanks

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Bobby Cagle,
Waldron, Arkansas
(479) 207-3789

You always want a one shot kill. An upset wounded bear will go through some dogs. Also be sure to leash your dogs at the tree before you shoot, that's another easy way to get a dog hurt or killed. Bear aren't like coon. What I mean by that is, its not uncommon to run one 7 or 8 miles. It really helps if you have a group to go with. Sure you can get it done with one or two dogs but not always. We hunt with about 10 people and about 10 dogs turned loose at a time.

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Iraq/Afghanistan Vet

It'll be a blast! Thanks for the advice.

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Bobby Cagle,
Waldron, Arkansas
(479) 207-3789

Training

Run to catch. Sounds simple until you try it.

Re: Training bear dogs

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Originally posted by James50
What does everyone do to train their bear dogs? I'm just curious if anyone out there does anything different than the norm and has success with it.

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Rocklynn Phillips
Kardinal Kennels


Pups and started dogs available from time to time.

That was a great post and spot on up until you said keep a blue dog....

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Iraq/Afghanistan Vet

Very good post. Enjoyed that.

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Bobby Cagle,
Waldron, Arkansas
(479) 207-3789

pup training

if i did this right these were eight weeks old going 100 yards on scent piece of blue jean

pup training

I agree with Doug I start them young and often on hogs and move them up if the video is right James50 this is the yound dog you helped me with third time seein some youngs hogs these are not pets if remember my crow was cut quick and bad these can help you in the long run just my opinionand the other two are some pups i am working now



two against one is fair

pup training

my advice if you know you have a sow bear with a cub or two leave her alone she can cost you more than you can her. Find a good animal vet learn how to fix your own dogs and have a good time doing it. I agree with Kardinal the real way to get a great pack is to give them exposure and the hardest part for some seasoned hunters, cull. if he dosen't have it he just doesn't have it no matter the breed or breeding program sometimes they just don't work despite our best efforts. My dad use to say this a serious hunter will have serious dogs,,, I so-so hunter will have so-so dogs,, and a sorry hunter will always have sorry dogs and sorry excuses,,, don't make excuses for the dog or the man hunting him.

Re: pup training

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Originally posted by ttrusic
if i did this right these were eight weeks old going 100 yards on scent piece of blue jean

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training pups

the small ones are off our TJ dog and the dam is Sheba both are pure white clouds the two larger pups are about 12 weeks old and are from TJ and our Fan-c female all pure white clouds

You sell any pups

training pups

some times usually when they are eight weeks old I have a pick of the litter male pup from TJ and Fan-c he is the very large pup but is only 12-13 weeks old right now do not have any female for sale 400.00 for him the the TJ and Sheba cross are all spoken for unless some one backs out one guy bought four

Training Bear Dogs

I think ttrusic and KardinalKennels have hit the nail on the head. People spend too much time on a dog . Most of them at a early age you can tell if a pup has got what it takes. If he'll bay a caged coon at a early age he is worth keeping. If not move on to another pup. I bought four pups and at four months old one was really baying good. One a little and the other two none. At nine months old the same on a hog. At a year old only the one is left . He will bay tree and trail a little. Could have saved myself some time but wanted to give them a chance. This has happen often. A lot of the time you can tell at eight weeks old a lot about a pup. They have got to have brains to be a outstanding dog. Watching them around the pen will tell you a lot. To get a good dog go to a good hunter. Work with them early and often. If he has got it in him all you need to do is take him hunting. Just a thought are males or females better. I raise a lot of pups and have got a better percent of females that will work for me. But the best dogs I ever own were males.

Re: Re: Training bear dogs

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Originally posted by kardinalkennels
You could get a million different answers on this. I have said it before yrs ago on her and I will say it again.

Your dog or pup has to have grit, and there is a fine line between grit and a mean dog, and a good prospect can become a mean dog if hunted with the wrong dogs.

Not every dog makes a bear dog, it must show grit from 3 months old or you are wasting time and money, cut your losses and move on. The right stock doesn't mean it is the one, there are culls in all breeds, lines, and litters.

EXPOSER TO EVERYTHING!!! A dog that is shy or easyly rattled will not make a bear dog, I have seen few shy or timid dogs make bear dogs.

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Re: Training Bear Dogs

quote:

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Originally posted by Doug Temple
I think ttrusic and KardinalKennels have hit the nail on the head. People spend too much time on a dog . Most of them at a early age you can tell if a pup has got what it takes. If he'll bay a caged coon at a early age he is worth keeping. If not move on to another pup. I bought four pups and at four months old one was really baying good. One a little and the other two none. At nine months old the same on a hog. At a year old only the one is left . He will bay tree and trail a little. Could have saved myself some time but wanted to give them a chance. This has happen often. A lot of the time you can tell at eight weeks old a lot about a pup. They have got to have brains to be a outstanding dog. Watching them around the pen will tell you a lot. To get a good dog go to a good hunter. Work with them early and often. If he has got it in him all you need to do is take him hunting. Just a thought are males or females better. I raise a lot of pups and have got a better percent of females that will work for me. But the best dogs I ever own were males.

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Re: Re: Re: Training bear dogs

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Originally posted by chevrolet
I don't post on here much but...

I agree with a lot of what you say. However, I have a few "shy" dogs here. One is healing up from broken ribs and a punctured chest cavity. There was a day he could only be caught by those that fed him. The other can find a bear as good as any dog I know of. She has a nose that would give the best a run for their money. She is shy on the chain. That line produce a few stand-offish dogs, but they are far from short on grit, nose, brains, or abilities. I am willing to bet you would feed them.

I hear it often the dog growling in the box is gritty. Quite often it is the dog in the corner relaxed that is gritty. I have had many mean dogs hit the road the second they smell one.

I have so many, that the young dogs don't get hunted until around ten months to a year old. They are handled a little, but mostly allowed to mature. I do not fool with a hide, caged coon, or other off game. I have been to far too many coon trees from coon jumping up in front of dogs. . It is honestly simple, turn them loose with the broke dogs a few times. Turn them loose the young dogs on a hot one. The good ones will break themselves. They either make it or they don't. Hunting a natural stock tends to make starting them very easy. Not all will make it

John told me several simple things a few years back that stuck with me, but three in particular-

1) if you find someone that has better dogs than you, try to get some.
2) either the dog is where it should be, or not.
3) a dog is like an athlete, they need to be hunted several times a week.

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Wild Spirit Big Game Hounds
English Big Game, is the only language we speak in our country!!
Dan and Jonathan Kirschner
906-250-0089
Upper MI