Registered: Sep 2003
Location: indiana
Posts: 560

Pocahontas Plotts
Hunted with them last week, drive a cold track like a jumped one

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Registered: Jun 2007
Location: Menard,TX
Posts: 1158

What were you hunting and what were the trailing conditions? I have not hunted around many Plotts as there are not many in this part of the world. White Deer Plantation is about 80 miles SE of here and raises a lot of Plott dogs but I don't think that his are known for a cold nose.
Adios,
Gary

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Registered: Sep 2003
Location: indiana
Posts: 560

was hunting bear. conditions ranged from dry to wet typical winter type in Wv. Rigging struck a bear behind a truck full of walkers and in front of truck full of English. The guy with English even waited till we got out of sight and tried to run the track but couldn't. Now I have no idea what breeding those dogs where but we treed 10 bear in 6 days.

Several guys run these plots on cat and some on coyote. I typically run mine on coon

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Registered: Mar 2011
Location: michigan
Posts: 260

Problem is 1 mans cold trailer is a pack dog in another man's pack n 1 mans track driver couldn't stay in a chase with another man's hounds . unless u hunt in places that u have to trail tracks that many hrs old or even couple days old (conditions mean a lot)then probably have seen cold nose. If guys haven't hunted with lots of different lines n breeds of hounds that run to catch game to compare then never know . There's packs of hounds that catch tons of game n are very successful in there element but couldn't earn a spot in another man's kennel. Just some thought. Different parts of the country require different types of hounds to b successful . 1 thing is for sure ..Better to have it and not need it then need it and not have it. Jmo

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TNT KENNELS
RAY Bred Blues

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Registered: May 2010
Location: ontario
Posts: 314

Excellent post from TBBLUE , well written !!
The only way to assess your hounds is running with other houndsmen and their dogs . And if you find yourself making excuses why your dogs came in late at the tree or could not cold trail a certain track then you need to adjust your breeding program accordingly .
If you can't beat them --- join them !
Just my two cents and Canadian money is not worth much these days LOL!!

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J Gagne
613-931-1125

www.raisinriverredbonekennel.com

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Registered: Sep 2003
Location: indiana
Posts: 560

yes a lot of that is true, Ive hunted with many different breeds/ lines of hounds in different states/ times of the year. Some good some not so but to each his own. I did personally see dogs run a track we knew was made in middle of night and had 4-5 inches of snow added after it was made. Yes snow will hold scent at times and the new snow was fluffy but the track was several hours old and turned into a jumped bear.

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Registered: Oct 2015
Location: Maine
Posts: 16

Cold nose in one part of the country is not in another part. My Danny Luke Plott can take a 48 hour old cat track on good snow, but can only take an 8-10 hour old bear track on bare ground. I know they use their eyes as an aid on snow, but they have to smell it also. I call her cold nose. I've got a John Ray Bluetick(20 months old) That is showing a good nose. John says "she'll be my coldest nose hound" Hope so...Paul in Maine

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Registered: Mar 2005
Location: Boise, Idaho
Posts: 87

Anyone running Ray bred bluedogs out west ?

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Registered: Jun 2007
Location: Menard,TX
Posts: 1158

There is no one running them in Texas, NM or AZ that I am aware of but then I don't know the bloodlines on everyone's dogs.
All of mine have a heavy dose of Smokey River JBS Chief, Upson's Blue Boy II and Clear River Diamond Jim. I don't run bears, just a few coons, bobcats and lions.
Adios,
Gary

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Registered: Dec 2005
Location:
Posts: 24

I know a guy out west that tried a few and wasn't impressed. But not all of them make it

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Registered: Mar 2011
Location: michigan
Posts: 260

There's a few youngins out there catchin game. NM ,UT.

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TNT KENNELS
RAY Bred Blues

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Registered: Jun 2007
Location: Menard,TX
Posts: 1158

Who has the dogs in NM? I hunt out there quite a bit and know a few of the hunters.
Thanks,
Gary

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Registered: Feb 2012
Location: Powers Michigan
Posts: 121

My dogs are all at least half Ray except for one and I hunt Wy cats a lot. Not that it takes a ton of nose for most snow lions, but these have plenty. But.what I've found to be even more important in hunting Rockie cliff country is brains and good feet. I've never had one with poor feet in over 13 years of Ray blood.I have trailed and caught lions out there on frozen ground without snow too.

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Wild Spirit Big Game Hounds
English Big Game, is the only language we speak in our country!!
Dan and Jonathan Kirschner
906-250-0089
Upper MI

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Registered: Mar 2005
Location: Boise, Idaho
Posts: 87

How are those Ray dogs in the speed and endurance department. I hate getting out ran by a hard runnin bear. I hunt pretty hard for bears (5 or 6 days a week) and have hunted many different dogs over the years but I have yet to find a line of dogs that consistently puts out dogs that have what it takes to really put the pressure on those kinds of bears out here in the west. I have come across a few in my time, but only a few.

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Registered: Mar 2011
Location: michigan
Posts: 260

I'd put the blue mutts down with anything anywhere in the country. Sure am glad I found them n was able to get my hands on em. Ole Ray with the influence of a couple other ole boys has put together a line of hound that just flat catches game.
I look at it this way, I don't worry bout competition much ( not bein able to start tracks or catch game others couldn't) but if Ray or the few guys that have packs of his hounds came to town , mite wanna pay attention cuz shits gonna die . I sure am glad I was able to jump on this train a decade ago. There's nothing perfect n everything has a hole somewhere but there's a pretty high percentage off success with this line of hound.

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TNT KENNELS
RAY Bred Blues

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Registered: Feb 2012
Location: Powers Michigan
Posts: 121

Trev covers it pretty well. They stack up as well as anything you will find out there. I have seen dogs of all kinds that will get it done, but these consistently reproduce good ones and are pleasant to work with. That being said of course not everyone of them is a super star, but most are very consistent. Mountain hunting is very tough on dogs and it is very difficult to find hounds that you can hunt day after day in those elements. Most of the dogs of this line I've had before or now will give you three or four days in the Rockies, once they are hardened up, and will need a day or two break. Out here that same dog will give you 6 or 7. But from here to the Idaho rockies is a world a part.

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Wild Spirit Big Game Hounds
English Big Game, is the only language we speak in our country!!
Dan and Jonathan Kirschner
906-250-0089
Upper MI

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Registered: Nov 2015
Location:
Posts: 8

I've been very impressed with the pocahontas plotts the last couple years on cold tracks...seen em run six hour old track heads up....saw em strike tracks off truck that other guys were walking the track trying to get his dogs to smell it....my youngest male is 14 months old and taking tracks that my old black and tan can't run

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Registered: Oct 2013
Location:
Posts: 35

Where are you located I've been looking at the Pocahontas breed really interested.

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My hounds

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Registered: Nov 2015
Location:
Posts: 8

Covington VA

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Registered: Feb 2012
Location: Powers Michigan
Posts: 121

A Buddy of mine just lost a female plott that was half Jonet bred and something else from WI. In average conditions up here she would take and get going tracks in that 10 hour range. We.run baits and cameras so it.takes most of the guess work of how old they are. I'd seen her move tracks 3-4 miles before jumping. I had an 11 month old and a 2 year old take a 13 hour plus track off a bait this sept and get it jumped. We killed the bear but did lose the 2 year old in the process. The 11 month old is Oney and Briar Creek. Just bred her to my sons Jagger that is mostly Ray bred.

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Wild Spirit Big Game Hounds
English Big Game, is the only language we speak in our country!!
Dan and Jonathan Kirschner
906-250-0089
Upper MI

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Registered: Oct 2015
Location: Maine
Posts: 16

This is a picture of my full Ray female" Peanut" She's a Mose/Witch cross...Moose/Cherry are the grandparents. Paul

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Registered: Feb 2012
Location: Powers Michigan
Posts: 121

That's a nice looking one Paul. We bred our Dixie to Moose once and got several good ones and my sons Jagger came out of that cross. Hes a great one. I hunted with Moose a lot he was a dandy!!!

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Wild Spirit Big Game Hounds
English Big Game, is the only language we speak in our country!!
Dan and Jonathan Kirschner
906-250-0089
Upper MI

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Registered: Mar 2013
Location: va
Posts: 3

I've also been impressed with those Pocahontas dogs driving a cold track.

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Registered: Jan 2012
Location: Eastern NC
Posts: 137

Checking in from the ole swampy coast of North Carolina to 2nd the statements of both tbblue and ole kirschner. The ray dogs have been by far the best line of dogs ive hunted to date. The noses excel tremendously, lots of heart, speed, and enough grit to put the nastiest of bears in a bind. Had the pleasure of going up and hunting with old man Ray himself for a few days 2 years ago and let me tell you the hounds that i came into contact with the time i was there was absolutely astonishing. From tbblues booker and raider to johns witch and mose dogs ive never seen more nose and track driving ability. We ended up with every kind of condition you could think of those 11 days except snow and nothing seemed to hinder these dogs one bit. I now own six of these fine hounds and would like 6 more lol. From trailing in swamps, snow, dirt, or rock ive seen everything i wanted in this line. Ive caught alot of bear in my few season as a bear hunter/dog trainer but never have i caught bear like i do now. If you know like I know you better find a list somewhere and get you some. Have heard good things about kirschners hounds as well as he stated in the previous replies. I like em 100% ray but whatever makes you happy go for it. Wouldnt be scared to cross these dogs to any breed other then them crappy walker dogs lol God Bless and Happy Hunting

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Run em' mutt style

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Registered: Mar 2010
Location: maine
Posts: 213

the only reason there are good hounds in all breeds today is because some walker male cleared a 6 foot plus fence and bred the good traits in to all the other lines at some point in time .walkers are just not dominant in color so the other breeds take credit for doing it on there own.walker in the woodpile lol.all joking aside alot of crossed dogs make for some good ones even though we like to call them a certain breed.the ray dogs are a perfect example of that from what everyone is saying.thunder valley dont forget that 48 hour cat cold trailer danny luke plott is half walker out of some good walker dogs lol.

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