Registered: Jan 2014
Location:
Posts: 15

Hello all,
I am interested in getting in to competition hunting. I've been as a spectator twice and both times there was a bunch of arguing amongst the cast. I've got the feeling that the best dog doesn't always win, but the handler who can best use the rules to his advantage does. I could be way wrong. Anyway...all that aside...what is best advice to someone who has never comp hunted but wants to get into it?

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Registered: Jun 2014
Location: Louisiana
Posts: 3468

Know the rules perfectly and stand up for yourself.

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Registered: Jun 2003
Location: Dog House
Posts: 4112

For the most part, you reap what you sew.
If you treat everyone with respect and honesty, you will have many friends and have a lot of fun.
If you try to bend the rules and always vote however it benefits you and basicly are a pain in the butt, that's the way you will be treated and it wont be much fun.

Just be honest.

also, if you feel you weren't treated fairly, question it and move on. Don't go back to the clubhouse and complain to anyone about the hunt. move on.

Last edited by elvis on 09-13-2016 at 11:42 PM

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Registered: Jan 2016
Location: Bois d'Arc, MO.
Posts: 1823

Know the rules, know your dog,take your minus like a man if you got it comin. If you get with someone who likes to argue don't argue back.keep your cool and bring a dog that trees coon.

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Registered: Jan 2005
Location:
Posts: 593

Know the rules, don't enter your dog until he's ready

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Registered: Feb 2015
Location: Eastern Shore Originally, Western Maryland now
Posts: 1256

Alot of good advice here. Id like to add find a good local club to you that you fit in wit. U can do some buddy hunts wit em and get em to show u the ropes. Take a card and do some moc hunts. Get involved wit em. And its better to lose earnestly and be respected then to win and be hated

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Last edited by AppalachianBlue on 09-14-2016 at 02:03 AM

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Registered: Jan 2012
Location: Indiana
Posts: 879

I can't count the number of Nt hunts I've been in this year and not one issue. This is not the norm. Did you by chance spectate with the same individual.

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Registered: Dec 2013
Location: Nichols Ny
Posts: 1566

Only question I have is do you have a dog that's competition ready?

If you have a couple different clubs to try them. If you join a club talk to a couple other guys about doing some buddy hunts. They might already have some set up. But they might not. But I bet there will be guys willing to give you advice. I've seen some guys hunting dogs that were not ready to be put in a hunt. That's the only reason I asked the question. Then because their dog wasn't ready they felt cheated. And no not always best dog wins. But be honest about your dog. Call it for what it does. Strike it when it strikes and tree it when it trees. Read the rules. And read the rules before you go to a hunt. That way everything is still fresh in your mind. There's a lot to take in. The buddy hunts gives you actual practice on calling your dog and figuring out if the dog does different stuff in a cast.

Last edited by novicane65 on 09-14-2016 at 03:37 AM

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Registered: Jan 2014
Location:
Posts: 15

Thanks for all the good advice. Yes I was a spectator with same guy both times but he certainly was not the problem. I have several friends that have lots of good experiences and tell me it's really a lot of fun (and addicting). I'm really laid back so I like to think that's a good thing but also don't want to be taken advantage of. Sounds like the biggest thing is really know the rules. As for my dog...he's only 8 months old so I don't know if I will even have a dog worth competing with. I will have to do some research on local clubs. I don't really even know what my options are. I'm located near Orangeburg SC (I'm sure many of you are familiar with the area). Thanks again!

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Registered: Jan 2012
Location: Goshen,Ohio
Posts: 2679

Here's my 2 cents.Some will disagree.You having a young dog that's not finished is a good thing.Train your young dog to fit the rules of the hunts.Its easier to do it now then to wait until he's 2 or 3.Having a coon treer does not seal the deal.Some of the toughest coontreers I know of have a hard time winning a cast.Why?Cause they were trained to tree coons and not win hunts.You need a dog that can ignore 3 other wild crazy trash running slick treeing dogs.If your dog can't do that.Keep training.I have met several good guys thru the hunts that became my friends and I enjoy hunting with them.Good luck with that young dog.

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Registered: Feb 2012
Location:
Posts: 198

Is there one document that covers all the comp. rules?

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Registered: Feb 2015
Location: Eastern Shore Originally, Western Maryland now
Posts: 1256

That lil red rule book they give out. Or on the back of scorecard

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CH PR Walkin After Midnight
GRFCH GRCH NITECH PR Appalachian Blue Catfish HTX ( ACHA SC CHT TC )
- 2015 Qualified for World Show
- 2016 Performance Sire
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- 2017 Performance Sire
NCH CH Pr Appalachian Blue Luna
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Registered: Mar 2015
Location: Mi.
Posts: 1954

quote:

---

Originally posted by Kreg Krenzull
Hello all,
I am interested in getting in to competition hunting. I've been as a spectator twice and both times there was a bunch of arguing amongst the cast. I've got the feeling that the best dog doesn't always win, but the handler who can best use the rules to his advantage does. I could be way wrong. Anyway...all that aside...what is best advice to someone who has never comp hunted but wants to get into it?

---

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Registered: Nov 2015
Location:
Posts: 2941

Its been a couple of yrs, but we've been to 2 night hunts. Didn't have good experience at either one. First one we took a lot of minuses because r dog wouldn't go to the tree with other dogs. Never saw a coon up those trees. Finally, she got her own..first strike, first tree. But with all the minuses, we thought we were out. At the last drop, a guy's dog took off and him another guy took off after it while we went to the vehicles. The guide was figuring out the pts so it could be signed and told us since we didn't see coon in the other trees, we won the cast. The other guys came back and pitched a fit. We left. About yr later we tried another, those guys seemed ok, but my husband said on the way out from one of the trees a guy kept kicking his dog. He said he'd never go back again.
We enjoy the bench shows and are going to try a HTX.
Good luck with ur dog.

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Registered: Apr 2014
Location: Pike county, ky
Posts: 867

Said it the best. You choose

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