Registered: Jan 2010
Location:
Posts: 62

Was doing a little thinking today and I'm curious as to what other houndsmen think about this: Why is it that in hounds, especially big game hounds, you don't see guys with really set up kennel operations? Now, I don't think houndsmen don't have some slick setups but coming from the horse world you see barn after barn of multimillion dollar setups where there is NO MONEY BEING MADE. They just love horses and spend all kinds of $$ on them from truck to trailer, tack, real estate etc. People that are dyed in the wool "horse people'....How come many of us are only weekenders and not dyed in the wool "dog people"?

Also, I ran into a bird dog guy today at the gas station. They are all over the place here and I see them all the time. These guys are all rolling in super nice rigs, full body dog boxes on back...Like the kind you take the bed of the truck off for....$20k+ dog boxes (plus the cost of the truck on top of that). They always look sharp too...I mean they are "ready" to meet the public and promote a good name for bird dogs... I'm sure they all love their individual lines and breeds but they sure as heck seem to pull together as a group and put a good foot forward. Do you think this is because there is more $$ in it as a whole? More accessible to the public or "less work" for the average joe? Food for thought....

So, why don't we see more of this with hounds? I'm not looking for BS thoughts like "all houndsmen are rednecks!" cause we all know that's not the case....At least I think...LOL. In competition coon dogs you see guys with better kennel names and they sure enough promote a line or a certain dog a lot more than we do. Do you think it's because there is no real competition for big game hounds? I sometimes wonder if the competition hounds the game does the talking for them? We get so bowed up on here about who's dog can out hunt anothers that we all get thread after thread trashed and thrown in the cage....Do you think we all have a stigma that if a guy produces multiple litters then he is a "puppy mill"? Or do you think it is because of hunting laws, areas being limited and the idea that our sport is dieing? Other thoughts? I have my own but I'd be curious to hear your guys' thoughts. Hope this isn't too long and a million questions....

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Registered: Aug 2008
Location: NM
Posts: 20

Ok, Ill give a go at some reasons why I think you dont see as much of the hounds in the big set ups as say, bird dogs. Well for one, there is a lot more of them than hounds. Plus, how many people are just buying labs and retrievers just for family pets. The rest of my family has been into bird dogs and had the same line for something like 9 generations. They only have one or two, how many houndsman have only one or two dogs? Dogs cost money and hounds take a lot more tracking, training, gps, shocking, no barking etc...equipment than say labs, all they need is a whistle and some petting. Hound dog owners gotta spend more money to buy some land in the country to get away from the others to have these awesome sounding dogs, and maybe some horses. Its easy to keep a bird dog in the city. I know a guy who has a way nicer box than me for his one lab that he only takes a few times a year pheasant hunting. Basically I think there are a ton more expenses for keeping hounds, also the location you need to have them. Im trying to get my ass out of the city now. Plus, who wants a box or trailer or whatever thats so nice, you cant even hunt with it? I beat my stuff up all year round my truck has so many dents it looks like a golf ball. Just from the people Ive met, houndsmen arent the kind of people to go so far over the top for the dogs. I think the time we spend with them chasing bears, cats whatever is the real time we take care of them and the real sacrifice that we make. Try to pay them back for hard work by always making it to the tree...Sorry, kinda rambling, its real early in the morning at work here, and I cant say much about the horses.

Ryan

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Registered: Nov 2009
Location: NW Iowa
Posts: 280

Its simple they have more money to blow my dogs fed my family
and helped pay bills not a hobby my work.

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Regans Blackland Black&Tans

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Registered: Nov 2009
Location: NW Iowa
Posts: 280

Ed Able buildt a 6500.00 dallor kennel 15 or 20 years ago

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Regans Blackland Black&Tans

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Registered: Jan 2007
Location: Al
Posts: 3069

quote:

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Originally posted by Regan H
Ed Able buildt a 6500.00 dallor kennel 15 or 20 years ago

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Hes also a Lawyer from what i understand so he can afford to burn some bills

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Well Stanley,this looks like another fine mess you've gotten us into

Ray Hudson

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Registered: Nov 2009
Location: NW Iowa
Posts: 280

You got it .

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Regans Blackland Black&Tans

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Registered: Jan 2010
Location:
Posts: 62

Ed Able had probably the nicest hound setup I have ever seen. I visited years ago and was very impressed! Too bad they are not still running. It'll be interesting to see if anyone builds something comparable in the future.

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We put up 2 kennels at my brothers house and his taxes got raised $600.00 a year. It costs alot of money to raise and hunt bear hounds. Alot of hunters buy older used trucks because they do take a beating in the woods. I have a 2005 F150 with 40,000 and its starting to look real bad.

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Registered: Jun 2007
Location: jacksonville, nc
Posts: 2856

one can't compare horses and that community to coonhounding. but bird dogs can be compared. i believe the whole birddog and retriever dog community is more socially acceptable because people don't identify so much with birds and ducks as they do with warm furry animals like bears, deer, rabbits and such. the same thing applies to fishing. look at any bulletin put out by the chamber of commerce for any area and they will brag about all the area has to offer, including fishing, but they almost never mention hunting, expecially mammal hunting. it's one thing to kill a chicken but a whole nother thing to kill bambe. also, coon hunting was never high on the social ladder but was a part of the poor county folk life.

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happiness is: being saved by the grace of GOD! i'm happy and hope you are too!

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Registered: Nov 2009
Location: NW Iowa
Posts: 280

quote:

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Originally posted by croatankid
one can't compare horses and that community to coonhounding. but bird dogs can be compared. i believe the whole birddog and retriever dog community is more socially acceptable because people don't identify so much with birds and ducks as they do with warm furry animals like bears, deer, rabbits and such. the same thing applies to fishing. look at any bulletin put out by the chamber of commerce for any area and they will brag about all the area has to offer, including fishing, but they almost never mention hunting, expecially mammal hunting. it's one thing to kill a chicken but a whole nother thing to kill bambe. also, coon hunting was never high on the social ladder but was a part of the poor county folk life.

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Regans Blackland Black&Tans

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Registered: Mar 2009
Location: s.c.
Posts: 6961

If I had alot of money to blow I'd probably get into horses and bird dogs and buy a plantation etc. It is more socially acceptable. But then again I wonder about "horse people". I see lots of old girls buy an auction horse and within a year she and hubby are riding all over the country in a brand new dually with a silver trailor buying up registered horses to bring home to the brand new barn. Pretty quick, they're cutting out an acre of the farm and selling the rest.

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