Ron Ashbaugh
UKC Forum Member
Registered: Dec 2003
Location: Mercer PA
Posts: 4833 |
Re: the biggest problem I see is--
quote: Originally posted by OLD TIMER
not the amount of land to hunt but the way some have bred the hunt out of the hound. I just got in from treeing one in a 5 acre patch of woods maybe a 100 yards from the truck. You ever watch some of these "big time" hounds on YouTube? Have you ever seen them when they are cut loose but their nose to the ground and start to hunt for a track, heck no. It's like you opened the gates at the Kentucky Derby, "AND THEY'RE OFF"
The second problem that I see is the youth don't really learn to enjoy the hound and respect the raccoon. I took a guy out tonight that never has coon hunted with me and he said he really enjoyed the cool fresh air and the way the hound used his mouth from the loud bawl on track to his 3 long dying locates to the change to the steady chop. He said he had a blast and if I go again to be sure to call. So if we would get back to enjoying and forget about the trophy, money or who is better maybe it's still a fun thing to do in the dark following a barking dog.
Totally agree but the type of dog you describe is very rare. They simply aren't bred that way and most folks aren't willing to dedicate 50 years to breeding raising training and culling to develop a line of dogs to then enjoy.
I also went tonight. I cut loose on 250 acres. The dog hit the woods, looped out, came back to the road, ran down it, crossed the road. I got in the truck, drove around. Parked and listened as it worked the track in the new woods, got treed 300 yards behind a half million dollar house.
This dog is never coming back, lives to hunt, and is a good coondog, but as my good buddy Travis said to me...when you turn these kind loose its a commitment. It took me 20 years to find a dog with her talent. It's hard to give that up on a gamble of finding that perfect dog that hunts a 200 yard loop. Also to enjoy that style dog you better have a great coon population or you may never hear a bark.
I'm glad you have what you enjoy, but it is literally one in a million and I know you have spent a lifetime getting it. Most of us don't have a lifetime of hunting or desire in us to get there
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The fun is over once you pull the trigger
Ron Ashbaugh
CROOKED FOOT KENNELS
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