Registered: Dec 2012
Location: Pennsylvania
Posts: 2027

Got out a few times this week. A couple things I noticed, he often shows the least amount of drive and effort on the first drop, and often only seems to be getting in gear, about the time I'm ready to go home.

First drop He often will only hunt out about a 100 yds, then will come back in and stand around. If I stand around long enough he will get back to hunting eventually. But its like he doesn't think there is any coon in the woods. If I load him and go drop him elsewhere, he will hunt out better, further and longer, usually 300 or so.

Also noticed after he trees a coon, and I go to recast him, he will stand around and Lilly gag, till he is done panting?

I'm starting to think he is lazy or just slow to get focused, or a little of both? He has shown some signs of improvement.

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Registered: Dec 2012
Location: Pennsylvania
Posts: 2027

Last night, went over to some thin coon country.

Hayes was acting like he should, he was howling and carrying on in the box, the whole way there, which he is never done.

He kicked dirt in my face when I let him go, which is rare (unless he smells a coon).

He hunted well, didn't range too far, but stayed out and hunted. Which I guess is all I want from him. I'm not really looking for a deep ranging dog.

After a while he started to peter out, we then bumped some deer, so he pursued I lit him up. Then we went home. In hind sight I wondered if I should have just verbally corrected him since, My main overall goal right now is to develop more hunt in him?

Not sure why he look better, the only thing I did differently was alter his feeding schedule, till after we got done hunting.

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Registered: Dec 2012
Location: Pennsylvania
Posts: 2027

Hayes has been hunting much better now that the conditions are better. It is has been dry here, for sometime. Last week we got a bunch of rain, and it seems like since then he has been hunting like he should.
I also changed his feeding schedule, not sure if they made a difference at all.

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