Registered: Jan 2006
Location: minnesota
Posts: 621
Treeing On Squirrels Problem
I got this 4 yr old dog that's extremely tree minded! I think he'd probably tree anything that climbs. He's treed on trees w/ sguirrel holes & nests plus other smaller trees that are completely empty. He is treeing on scent Not checking a treeout completely even if it's a coon. He does a better job of treeing coon if I take him out after midnight & cut him a couple 100 yards from the woods. Would it be ok to take him out in the daytime & cut him loose on squirrels that I see running in the woods & use the shocking collar? Switches don't seem to get the message? Thanks, Charlie Radtke
He is probably treeing flying squirrels if you have them in your area. I have had more hounds have this problem and it took me years to figure out what they were doing. I fixed some some I couldn't. I would check to see if you have them. They are nocturnal and make a hight pitch noise that's distinked. I had one that had I bad problem one time. I found away to break him and he was deadly accurate after that.
Registered: Dec 2010
Location: Georgetown, Ohio.
Posts: 1928
The day light will tell alot on dog. add a dusting of snow and you should be able to have a good idea on what he is doing, if he doesn't tree squirrels then you have a different varmint to figure out what he is messing with, could be mink, weasel or flying squirrels. or another kind in your area. I don't think the e-collor will hurt him, but brake him off the track not just the tree.
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it's nice to have a tree dog but the name of the game is to have a coon in the tree.
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Doug Terrell
Phone # 937-213-1779
I think I have one with the same problem treeing flying squirrels! I can see them and hear them but never had a problem with a dog treeing them until now so I'm wondering the same thing. I hope you get some good advice....I'm reluctant to use the e collar right now but its looking like it's going to be the only way to get the point across! Good luck.
Registered: Oct 2013
Location: Maryland
Posts: 2633
I like to hunt my dogs during the day, and as posted, if you got snow you can sure learn a lot....snow doesn't lie. The only problem with flying squirrels is that they are very nocturnal so you wont see them out in the daylight. They are a hard thing to deal with because again, as posted, they make a really high pitched chirp that drives most dogs crazy. Then they see them glide from one tree to the other and it really does set a dog crazy. The squirrel has to glide down some and then the dog sees it run up the trunk to get higher. Not too many especially young dogs can stand too much of that.
Unfortunately, the e-collar is about the only answer. Just make sure it's squirrels and not a coon they are messing with when you do it. If you are pretty sure it's a squirrel then don't hesitate to stop the dog with the collar. A lot of guys regard treeing as some sacred act that cant be interfered with...you cant let a dog bark at squirrels any more than you would a deer or fox so push the button. How else will they learn???
Light shocks repeated do more than one big blast. The dog gets the idea that messing with the squirrel is bad easier than if you just all of a sudden shock him senseless. You might have to go up a little in power until he starts to get it, but usually most of them have been lit before and they will know pretty quick that "this aint for me"!!!
Registered: Oct 2013
Location: Maryland
Posts: 2633
quote:Originally posted by Aldo nova how far /long of a track do these flying squirrels leave and does a hound run them fast and hot or pick around on them?
The times I have had dogs mess with them it seemed like it was one of those strange nights when you would expect to hit a good coon track but don't. The coons just don't seem to be moving. The dogs don't really run a track and go anywhere. They kind of act more like there is a lay up and they cant quite nail it down, hitting trees back and forth. When they finally settle you wont see anything unless you are lucky. I have had a flying squirrel land on a tree trunk 3 feet away from me at eye level, strange looking little animal. Dogs can run a track on the ground though but usually not very far at all. I have seen the flying squirrels run on the ground. They spend more time in the air though, they make longer hops than a gray squirrel. The dogs kind of have to work at running them, they don't leave a lot of scent. I had several as pets and they are very clean little animals.
Registered: Jan 2013
Location: Marietta
Posts: 10790
We used to have problems here with what we call ring tailed cats I haven't seen any in a long time I shot one out one night just to get a good look at it boy do they stink !
quote:Originally posted by msinc The times I have had dogs mess with them it seemed like it was one of those strange nights when you would expect to hit a good coon track but don't. The coons just don't seem to be moving. The dogs don't really run a track and go anywhere. They kind of act more like there is a lay up and they cant quite nail it down, hitting trees back and forth. When they finally settle you wont see anything unless you are lucky. I have had a flying squirrel land on a tree trunk 3 feet away from me at eye level, strange looking little animal. Dogs can run a track on the ground though but usually not very far at all. I have seen the flying squirrels run on the ground. They spend more time in the air though, they make longer hops than a gray squirrel. The dogs kind of have to work at running them, they don't leave a lot of scent. I had several as pets and they are very clean little animals.
Sounds almost identical to my experience with them. Very frustrating when they are moving around! I think I'm going to give the fellow a call that has had success with breaking his off them.
quote:Originally posted by yadkintar We used to have problems here with what we call ring tailed cats I haven't seen any in a long time I shot one out one night just to get a good look at it boy do they stink !
what is a ring tailed cat ? what family of critters are they from and how far did they range as what states could they be found in ?
If he is fooling with squirrels and minks and other small animals and he is 4 years old it may be hard to break him off them,thin coon or not hunted enough when they are younger will cause them to get scent happy sometimes along with other dogs teaching them,the daytime is your best bet at seeing if its squirrel scent he is treeing and if you plain on using a e-collar it is best to do it when you see the squirrel on the ground and he opens on track and not at the tree,you know something a dog smells everyday they are less likely to fool with and if you get a hard head you can take and skin what ever animal you don't want them running or treeing and tie it around their neck and let them smell that scent for a few weeks or maybe longer and a lot of times it will help or break them.
Registered: Jan 2006
Location: minnesota
Posts: 621
Moleman
You pretty much describe this dog to a T ---- wasn't hunting much tell he was about 3 yrs. old. I mean a power house tree w/ toe nails digging on the lumber but he just goes thru the woods smelling on trees looking to get wooded. Hardly ever gives any track mouth unless it's a red hot coon track; specially around water. Switching don't help at all. I personally belive he'd make a better squirrel dog than a coondog but I don't hunt squirrels. You hunt him w/ a powerhouse get thru the country coondog & he will be with them every step of the way & I've seen him get first tree on these dog but by himself you'd never know it was the same dog. Thank all you guys for the replys, I'm going to try & find this dog a new home, not my style. Charlie Radtke
Registered: Feb 2007
Location: Pomeroy, Ohio
Posts: 2843
quote:Originally posted by mr taylor what is a ring tailed cat ? what family of critters are they from and how far did they range as what states could they be found in ?
I am from Ohio but lived in Texas for a short time in the late 80's. Made a tree one night and shined it and there was something that looked like a coon in the face but it had a long ringed tail like a cat. I thought I had lost my mind as I had never heard of or seen such a creature! Lol.
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John Smith
Ohio Valley Bluetick Kennel
Registered: Jan 2013
Location: Marietta
Posts: 10790
I lived in cleburne tx for a while the sewer creek we called it ole foamey it had a bunch of them on it they would drive a dog crazy they were hard to shoot they were all over the tree !! They had a weasel look to them a long white tail with black rings and they stink I have seen them hear in southern okla to !!
Registered: Oct 2013
Location: Maryland
Posts: 2633
This is a ringtailed cat...they are actually not a cat at all, they are in fact a member of the raccoon family. They are sometimes incorrectly referred to as a "civet cat".
Registered: Dec 2012
Location: Pennsylvania
Posts: 2027
If it's a small hole,slick, or nest. Slowly back out, turn your light off, and Nick the dog till it is no longer interested. Repeat. Generally it's a short track, much like a possum.
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"If you pick up a starving dog and make him prosperous, he will not bite you; that is the principal difference between a dog and a man."
Mark Twain
11-25-2015 01:22 PM
