Registered: Oct 2004
Location: Clarksville, AR
Posts: 1077

Finally got the kid in bed at a decent hour and decided to to boat hunt a little. First coon was a giant boar that didn't wanna climb and the young dogs ran him half a mile before they caught him on a rock jetty. They had a running fight but finally stretched him before I got there and that's where things got sketchy...
When I handled the dogs, one gyp was missing her tracking collar. The Garmin showed it to be 5-6 feet off the bank, in what I found out was about chin deep water. I put up the dogs, peeled off and eased in. Took about twenty minutes feeling around with my toes before I touched the collar strap.
It occurred to me when I went under to gather my collar that swimming naked, in October, alone, in the Arkansas River, might not be the wisest thing I've ever done...

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Registered: Jul 2008
Location: USA
Posts: 1650

that is fricking awesome and hilarious!!! i hunt almost every way possible but never boat hunted, sounds like fun (aside from cold swim)....

how cold tonight? was 45 degrees for low i seen in northern nebraska hunting tonight.

assuming your dogs strike off boat, im wondering how travelling slow like affects how well dogs strike but im sure a lot of tracks are coon that came to water.

i rig hunt a lot from truck or utv and always hear guys bragging about driving so fast and have dogs strike a track. in my experiences dogs that can strike, do better at decent rate of speed. i know vehicle moving fast swirls scent around and good strike dogs can pick it up even from great distance from road.

congrats on catch but remember a dang tracking collar isnt worth drowning over!!!

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Registered: Jul 2011
Location: tennessee
Posts: 2441

cory i feel your pain buddy,i went under water tonight with my tracker on my back and got it soaking wet.i dont know how i got out of that deep water cause i cant swim,but i started tharshing around until i got to the bank. ive had that tracker for over 20 years but i could care less if its messed up,iam just proud iam able to sit here and type, and my dog is somewhere out there right now so in the morning iam going back and see if i can call him out.

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Registered: Feb 2014
Location: Derry Twp. Pennsylvania
Posts: 100

Boat hunting huh? How true is it about when you hear the stories about boar coon intentionally drowning dogs? I've had people swear to me stories that they lost dogs that way.

That the coon lures the dog into the water and climbs on its back and drowns it.

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Lone Pine Hammer

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Registered: Oct 2004
Location: Clarksville, AR
Posts: 1077

Boat hunting is the only way to travel! Especially with a young dog. Hunting islands where you have absolute control of the dog's whereabouts is worth a lot these days when everyone seems to shoot first and asks questions later.

It wasn't too cold, air temp was about 70, water was probably low-mid 60s.
Don't know about intentionally luring a dog to water, but a coon that they've run down knows his chances are better in the water. The dogs were fighting this one in the water and that's how she lost her collar. Seen them take to water pretty regular when boat hunting.

As far as striking out of the boat, I've had a few dogs with a real talent for it. Seems like if you're not careful though, you'll get a box-barking habit started. With young dogs, I'll usually cruise the bank and spot a coon, then back down the bank a ways and send toward it. As the pups get older, I'll send them farther and farther from where I've spotted the coon. Seems like it really helps a pup to fire off the chain. Dogs I hunt this way start looking for water (streams, creeks, etc.) when cast on dry ground too.

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Registered: Jun 2003
Location: Morrison TN
Posts: 4927

I remember one night a dog named Trudy had a coon treed across the creek, over chest deep and below zero. I had to strip off and swim the creek to get the dog. Then I dried off with a shirt and put the rest of my cloths on. The shirt froze in about two minutes LOL.

It was cold but we got the dogs back.

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Registered: Apr 2015
Location: church hill tn
Posts: 5738

Rip-Just checking to see if you are the doctor who went to school at ETSU? II kinda lost track of your location. If this is the hunting doctor I am glad to see you are still hunting. Sorry about highjacking your post Cory-I just wanted to check on Rip.

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Dave Richards Treeing Walkers Reg American Saddlebred and Registered Rocky Mt. Show Horses

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Registered: Jul 2014
Location:
Posts: 45

quote:

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Originally posted by Rip
I remember one night a dog named Trudy had a coon treed across the creek, over chest deep and below zero. I had to strip off and swim the creek to get the dog. Then I dried off with a shirt and put the rest of my cloths on. The shirt froze in about two minutes LOL.

It was cold but we got the dogs back.

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blue are true

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

quote:

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Originally posted by skeets
cory i feel your pain buddy,i went under water tonight with my tracker on my back and got it soaking wet.i dont know how i got out of that deep water cause i cant swim,but i started tharshing around until i got to the bank. ive had that tracker for over 20 years but i could care less if its messed up,iam just proud iam able to sit here and type, and my dog is somewhere out there right now so in the morning iam going back and see if i can call him out.

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Registered: Apr 2011
Location: ohio
Posts: 144

When the dog is in deep water coon gets on the only thing above water and can drown your dog.

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Registered: May 2015
Location: IN
Posts: 2760

I had a stupid adventure 4 yr ago when the dogs crossed a frozen creek and were working a nasty track on the road, I got nervous and thought the ice would hold me, it didn't and I went in up to my neck, was able to use rifle to help get out. It was around 15*, when I got around dogs were treed and cloths were frozen solid.

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Registered: Oct 2004
Location: Clarksville, AR
Posts: 1077

If you hunt a great deal, and have sense enough to realize it, you put your life on the line pretty regularly. I have what most would call a pretty dangerous job, but almost all of my brushes with the hearafter have came while coonhunting. Almost hung myself via a squaller lanyard one night climbing a tree. Went in a stump hole one night and would still be there if I hadn't had a buddy there to pull me out. I've fallen off bluffs, been in scrapes with hogs, got dogs shot, been attacked by a meth-head, had a tree nearly fall on me, fell out of trees, crashed canoes, and even got hit by a truck while coonhunting.

I should write a book sometime.

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

It's one thing to do something risky you're alone, that's dangerous. If you have someone with you, you can afford to be a little more careless.

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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: Jun 2013
Location: PA 16646
Posts: 1120

quote:

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Originally posted by stlavsa
Boat hunting huh? How true is it about when you hear the stories about boar coon intentionally drowning dogs? I've had people swear to me stories that they lost dogs that way.

That the coon lures the dog into the water and climbs on its back and drowns it.

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Bryan Link
814-691-5732

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Registered: Jun 2003
Location: Morrison TN
Posts: 4927

quote:

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Originally posted by jockobluetick
Chess deap water freeze at zero dagrees

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Registered: Jun 2003
Location: Morrison TN
Posts: 4927

quote:

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Originally posted by Dave Richards
Rip-Just checking to see if you are the doctor who went to school at ETSU? II kinda lost track of your location. If this is the hunting doctor I am glad to see you are still hunting. Sorry about highjacking your post Cory-I just wanted to check on Rip.

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