Registered: Dec 2005
Location: wakarusa, indiana
Posts: 3304

being tight on the ground is partially genetic but i also think it is a "self taught" trait also. Especially in a very smart dog that has alot of miles and coon under its belt alone. Ive seen quite a few nice hounds that with age and a lot of hunting alone will tighten up; have even seen them turn semi-silent.Seen it in pups too.

id rather have a smart , tight mouthed dog. then i would a mouthy stupid dog. it just makes sense in my book. But i do like a dog to show me where that coon has gone.

One thing i might add is out of all the years ive hunted , I have yet to see a dog thats 100% stone silent. Ive never seen the issue even arise in a cast. And if it ever gets down to it that a dog that is usually striking for 25 and obviously has the disadvantage and is still whipping me .. well id be pretty ashamed of trying to scratch of what obviously is the better coon treer that night...And that is what competition hunting is all about right ? not striking the most coon or opening first but treeing the most coon right? By reading some of the comments you wouldn't think so!

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Registered: Jun 2003
Location: Los Angeles, MN
Posts: 4236

quote:

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Originally posted by Dwils
being tight on the ground is partially genetic but i also think it is a "self taught" trait also. Especially in a very smart dog that has alot of miles and coon under its belt alone. Ive seen quite a few nice hounds that with age and a lot of hunting alone will tighten up; have even seen them turn semi-silent.Seen it in pups too.

id rather have a smart , tight mouthed dog. then i would a mouthy stupid dog. it just makes sense in my book. But i do like a dog to show me where that coon has gone.

One thing i might add is out of all the years ive hunted , I have yet to see a dog thats 100% stone silent. Ive never seen the issue even arise in a cast. And if it ever gets down to it that a dog that is usually striking for 25 and obviously has the disadvantage and is still whipping me .. well id be pretty ashamed of trying to scratch of what obviously is the better coon treer that night...And that is what competition hunting is all about right ? not striking the most coon or opening first but treeing the most coon right? By reading some of the comments you wouldn't think so!

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Registered: Mar 2008
Location: Western N.Y.
Posts: 3995

quote:

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Originally posted by Dwils
being tight on the ground is partially genetic but i also think it is a "self taught" trait also. Especially in a very smart dog that has alot of miles and coon under its belt alone. Ive seen quite a few nice hounds that with age and a lot of hunting alone will tighten up; have even seen them turn semi-silent.Seen it in pups too.

id rather have a smart , tight mouthed dog. then i would a mouthy stupid dog. it just makes sense in my book. But i do like a dog to show me where that coon has gone.

One thing i might add is out of all the years ive hunted , I have yet to see a dog thats 100% stone silent. Ive never seen the issue even arise in a cast. And if it ever gets down to it that a dog that is usually striking for 25 and obviously has the disadvantage and is still whipping me .. well id be pretty ashamed of trying to scratch of what obviously is the better coon treer that night...And that is what competition hunting is all about right ? not striking the most coon or opening first but treeing the most coon right? By reading some of the comments you wouldn't think so!

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Registered: Oct 2012
Location: burnt district MO/KS border
Posts: 787

quote:

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Originally posted by josh
Agree 100%

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x2


imo the reason we still even HAVE strike points is that the old guard handlers still in the sport KNOW that it puts there.......um experence in question. these look at strike points as wild cards they can play to help overcome the dog there leadings short comings or to overcome the other handlers and just plain right place and the right time luck.

when we pleasure hunt around here, there is only 1 place on the card............first tree...and its plus or minus.......circle points dont exist.

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Registered: Nov 2008
Location: London, KY
Posts: 2117

still think there should be a rule reinstated that a dog has to hunt alone and tree a coon to be a ch of any kind a hitch hiker burns me more than anything. if a silent dog was beating me with last strike and first tree i would be changing dogs instead of crying but a babbler is a different story he automatically gets half the points for being stupid at least a silent dog has got braines enough to win honestly.

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Registered: Dec 2012
Location: Ward, Arkansas
Posts: 300

I have seen some dogs get tighter the older they got but what I am seeing is puppies that I am starting being tight right from the get go. I am hunting a just turned 3 yr old right now that is bad tight on the ground. I like to hear how a dog is moving a coon and they can be open trailers without being babblers.

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Registered: Dec 2012
Location: Ward, Arkansas
Posts: 300

quote:

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Originally posted by blackflagginit
x2


imo the reason we still even HAVE strike points is that the old guard handlers still in the sport KNOW that it puts there.......um experence in question. these look at strike points as wild cards they can play to help overcome the dog there leadings short comings or to overcome the other handlers and just plain right place and the right time luck.

when we pleasure hunt around here, there is only 1 place on the card............first tree...and its plus or minus.......circle points dont exist.

---

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Registered: Feb 2010
Location: Steedman,missouri
Posts: 286

quote:

---

Originally posted by Dwils
being tight on the ground is partially genetic but i also think it is a "self taught" trait also. Especially in a very smart dog that has alot of miles and coon under its belt alone. Ive seen quite a few nice hounds that with age and a lot of hunting alone will tighten up; have even seen them turn semi-silent.Seen it in pups too.

id rather have a smart , tight mouthed dog. then i would a mouthy stupid dog. it just makes sense in my book. But i do like a dog to show me where that coon has gone.

One thing i might add is out of all the years ive hunted , I have yet to see a dog thats 100% stone silent. Ive never seen the issue even arise in a cast. And if it ever gets down to it that a dog that is usually striking for 25 and obviously has the disadvantage and is still whipping me .. well id be pretty ashamed of trying to scratch of what obviously is the better coon treer that night...And that is what competition hunting is all about right ? not striking the most coon or opening first but treeing the most coon right? By reading some of the comments you wouldn't think so!

---

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Registered: Dec 2012
Location:
Posts: 44

I would think that when a hound barks on a track,tree or from out of truck that would be the strike on coon if they are honest bark.I have seen very few good coon dogs that doesnt get to their self on a regular bases and tree a coon (tight or open)my garmin makes a difference in either type.just for a pleasure hunter i like walking to a tree and looking at a coon,and there is so many out there that just misses to many.you have to be smarter than the dog to overcome that problem for sure

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Registered: Oct 2012
Location: burnt district MO/KS border
Posts: 787

I think theres something to the idea that silent is sometimes genetic and sometimes self taught......there are alot of dogs who get quieter with time in the woods and age. Ive also noticed over the years that alot, if not most, silent dogs tend to be more of the loner type or at least more independant.


babblers on the other hand seem to be a little self concious and not too bright.....just sitting here i cant remember a babbler who wasnt a mee too dog, at least to the point it was irritating....none who could hold alot of pressure when i think about it anyway.

I also cant think of a dog i labeled "silent" who didnt open at least once in a great while....... rarely yes, not one NEVER.....


I personaly never kept one for long that i labeled silent, but i never realy had anything agianst them. I only kept what I thought was worth using in the breeding pen, and I would have never bred a silent dog. not because i was agianst them, but because its a fault under the breed standerds.

I will say though if i had only 3 dogs to chose from and had to hunt 1....a silent dog, a babbler, and a chop mouthed track dog.......the silent dog would win out.

other than babbling, my biggest pet peeves were slick trees ( like not having the coon at least 90% of the time), chop mouthed track dogs, and bawl mouthed tree dogs. those kinds just didnt come home. there feedin dandy lions or such

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Registered: Jan 2008
Location: alabama
Posts: 351

I know one dog that won the world hunt that barked off the leash every drop and was by himself nearly every time and had a coon. He is not a me to dog by no means. That is the kind that is hard to beat. 100 strike every drop........

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