Registered: Nov 2016
Location: Bath, NC
Posts: 49

I've heard some mention starting dogs on squirrel then switching over to coon, what are thoughts and opinions on this??

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Registered: Oct 2004
Location: NJ
Posts: 102

They are smart enough to do both.

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Gloria

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Registered: Jan 2004
Location: North MO
Posts: 2347

I don't want my coon dogs treeing squirrels.

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Registered: Mar 2016
Location: Central,illinois
Posts: 569

I started the dog I'm hunting now in the day on squirrel,she wasn't doing anything and I don't have another tree dog, why? I got to watch her actions and see what she was doing,corrected her on trash quicker,finished her collar training in the outdoors , see if I was wasting my time. As soon as she started checking trees and barking up I went to hunting her at nite. Has she messed with squirrel at nite? Yes but I belive she will quit she has treed a few coon so far....I would do it again if the circumstance were the same

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Registered: May 2006
Location:
Posts: 347

quote:

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Originally posted by Josh Michaelis
I don't want my coon dogs treeing squirrels.

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Registered: Jun 2004
Location:
Posts: 400

Had one that started on squirrel, would tree a pile of squirrel and the occasional coon in the day time. Never ever had one problem with her messing with squirrel at night. Most accurate coon dog I have unsnapped. Maybe just lucky, couldn't imagine she knew the difference from day to night. But you can bet when she got treed with the sun down you were going to see a raccoon.

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Registered: Nov 2016
Location: Bath, NC
Posts: 49

quote:

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Originally posted by Josh Michaelis
I don't want my coon dogs treeing squirrels.

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Registered: Mar 2016
Location: Central,illinois
Posts: 569

I'm not a genius but I see no disadvantage to starting a dog on squirrel,some do both pretty well, about treeing slick at nite the difference is not hard to figure out,I always thought I needed to get one started before I could get one broke.....

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Registered: Sep 2004
Location: ohio
Posts: 772

years ago it was common to start them on squirrel as hounds as a rule didn't have that much tree in them so anything to get them to stop and look up was a plus. Todays dogs have way to much tree power in them to take the chance in my opinion.

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Registered: Nov 2016
Location: Bath, NC
Posts: 49

Would the type of dog we're talking about starting make a difference then? Competition blood vs. Cold nose trail blood? Walker vs plott?

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Registered: Jul 2015
Location: mo
Posts: 749

Last night
Oops. Seen a coon cross the road, cut a pup loose. He didn't open, worked around smellin. I got back in the truck. I'd say 30 min later, bam treed. Treeing hard. Walked in only thing up there was a big nest. Pow out came a big red squirrel. Hmmm. Not sure why or how but yep it happens. If that ruined him than oops.

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Registered: Jan 2004
Location: North MO
Posts: 2347

quote:

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Originally posted by nextcoonhunters
Last night
Oops. Seen a coon cross the road, cut a pup loose. He didn't open, worked around smellin. I got back in the truck. I'd say 30 min later, bam treed. Treeing hard. Walked in only thing up there was a big nest. Pow out came a big red squirrel. Hmmm. Not sure why or how but yep it happens. If that ruined him than oops.

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Registered: Jan 2013
Location: Marietta
Posts: 10790

I don’t hunt my older dogs on them but I think it helps pups with their layup accuracy. And I like to eat squirrels.



Tar

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Registered: Feb 2012
Location: airville,pa
Posts: 2072

quote:

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Originally posted by Josh Michaelis
I don't want my coon dogs treeing squirrels.

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Registered: May 2015
Location: IN
Posts: 2760

I start taking my pups on woods walks at 10 to 12 weeks old and would be discouraged if they didn't run and tree a few squirrels before 4 months old. I don't encourage or discourage. Haven't had one yet that after a few coon and a couple "NO's" kept messing with them. Squirrels as a general rule don't get a dogs blood up to much after a coon or two in my experience

Last edited by sleepy head on 01-16-2020 at 03:50 PM

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Registered: Mar 2009
Location: OKLA
Posts: 1132

Since most pups any more are raised in a pen, you don't know what they would do if running loose. lots of pups have started naturally on squirrel, some hunters let their pups run loose with a squirrel dog. I won some pretty good hunts with a dog that was started on squirrel.

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Registered: Apr 2005
Location: Barnesville, Ga.
Posts: 409

I have a squirrel training pen. I start all of my pups in there.

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Registered: Jul 2015
Location: mo
Posts: 749

I started some on squirrel, but don't have any around the house. However the kids have cats, like most farms. Been a many a hound that the first thing they tracked wasn't no coon. I've heard lots of different ones say that top hound would run the hair off anything with hair when it was young. Again tracking is tracking. If they can run a squirrel or cat and tree it with time and opportunity to they'll tree coons.

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Registered: Feb 2005
Location:
Posts: 1739

Treeing squirrels is now acceptable in UKC nite hunts ....!
Soooo it's ok.....lol...dual purpose dog.

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Registered: Sep 2015
Location:
Posts: 201

I have hunted a few times with some lion hunters that say they start their pups on coons.

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