Registered: Dec 2003
Location: Mercer PA
Posts: 4821

Once I find a dog that can tree a coon, I often find myself wondering how much hunting does this dog need to be as good as it can be? Does it really need a bunch of woods hours to maximize its ability or will it be as good with a few hunts a week? We are talking about young dogs here, say 12 to 24 months old.

Just curious what you guys have seen.

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Registered: Jan 2012
Location: Shepherdsville, KY
Posts: 610

That’s definitely a question on most competition Coon hunters minds. How much time do you take away from sleep, family, work and other things you like to do so a dog can excel. For me, I notice dogs dog through a lot of changes from 1-3 years old. Some mature sooner some not so depends on the dog for me but at 1-2 I say gotta hunt them as much as possible. Sorry that was vague!

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Registered: Jan 2013
Location: Marietta
Posts: 10790

I always try and end a hunt on a positive note. It took me till 2:00 this morning to accomplish that lol.



Tar

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Registered: Aug 2004
Location: Chattanooga, Tn
Posts: 22462

quote:

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Originally posted by KYHoundDawg
That’s definitely a question on most competition Coon hunters mind. How much time do you take away from sleep, family, work and other things you like to do so a dog can excel......

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Every dog is different but you balance "excel" with time. The more time, the more "excel".
The question on my mind was always, how much time do I take away from coonhunting for work, sleep and family. But that sure got me in a lot of trouble with my boss and wife. I guess that is why I went through several jobs and several wives.

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Registered: Aug 2004
Location: Chattanooga, Tn
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Tarbaby, if your dog runs out and jams a coon in 5 min at 100 yds, do you load him up and go home?

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Registered: Feb 2010
Location: off the res.
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quote:

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Originally posted by yadkintar
I always try and end a hunt on a positive note. It took me till 2:00 this morning to accomplish that lol.



Tar

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Registered: Jan 2013
Location: Marietta
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quote:

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Originally posted by Richard Lambert
Tarbaby, if your dog runs out and jams a coon in 5 min at 100 yds, do you load him up and go home?

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Registered: Aug 2004
Location: Chattanooga, Tn
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I left home at 8 Mon night and got back home at 9. I got to see the last half of the Voice.

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Registered: Jan 2004
Location: North MO
Posts: 2347

quote:

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Originally posted by yadkintar
I always try and end a hunt on a positive note. It took me till 2:00 this morning to accomplish that lol.



Tar

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Registered: Jan 2013
Location: Marietta
Posts: 10790

quote:

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Originally posted by Josh Michaelis
I prefer the opposite. Especially with an older dog.

Last thing that dog should want is put in a kennel. Hate to punish them after they do a good job.

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Registered: Feb 2015
Location: NW Arkansas
Posts: 1108

quote:

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Originally posted by Josh Michaelis
I prefer the opposite. Especially with an older dog.

Last thing that dog should want is put in a kennel. Hate to punish them after they do a good job.

---

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Registered: Jan 2013
Location: Marietta
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I hunt for fun depends on how much fun I am having as to how long I hunt lol.


Tar

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Registered: Aug 2004
Location: Chattanooga, Tn
Posts: 22462

quote:

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Originally posted by yadkintar
I hunt for fun depends on how much fun I am having as to how long I hunt lol.
Tar

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Finally, a post that makes sense and I can agree with.
And it sure is hard to get motivated to go if you don't think that you are going to have fun.

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Registered: Jan 2005
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Hunt the hair off of him. You’ll know when enough is enough . Your dog will tell you.

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Yadkintar I drove by your house 3 times you were in there on the computer hunting

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Registered: Jun 2012
Location: McRae Ar
Posts: 3701

Its something that takes time and learning that particular dog. With a young dog it's worked better for me to hunt as many nights as I can for a couple of hours a night. If the dog starts going backwards then slack off. What I have found is if a dog is being hunted regularly and starts screwing up, more hunting has never fixed them. Sometimes they need a break.

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Registered: Mar 2016
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Dogs cannot tell time, it's the outcome of the hunt that makes the difference,a 3 hour poor hunt or a 30 minute great hunt you tell me when you would rather put a lead on your hound......

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Registered: Nov 2011
Location: north ala.
Posts: 902

Always felt like quitting on a good note seems to keep their mind right when they were younger.

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Registered: Dec 2013
Location: Nichols Ny
Posts: 1565

Okay if you're talking about a young and not so experienced pup, then quality over quantity. But at 18+ months and its had a decent amount of time hunting then it should be pushed pretty hard, like 5-7 nights a week for a few months. My way doesn't always work for everyone but it works for me.

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Registered: Nov 2011
Location: Freeport,TX
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quote:

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Originally posted by novicane65
Okay if you're talking about a young and not so experienced pup, then quality over quantity. But at 18+ months and its had a decent amount of time hunting then it should be pushed pretty hard, like 5-7 nights a week for a few months. My way doesn't always work for everyone but it works for me.

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Registered: Aug 2008
Location: SE Ohio, Glouster
Posts: 2244

How much hunting really depends on just what exactly you are trying to prepare for.

If your trying to hunt just enough to keep your dog from getting completely bored and start chewing up their dog box, probably 1 night per week 3-4 hours per night

If you are preparing for an upcoming pleasure hunt, probably 1-2 nights per week, 3 to 4 hours per night.

If you are preparing for a local ukc hunt, probably 3-4 nights per week, 3-4 hours per night, for a minimum of 3 weeks

If you are preparing a world Qualifier, probably 3-4 nights per week, for 8 weeks, 4-6 hours per night

If you are preparing for the zones, probably 4-5 nights per week, for 8-12 weeks, 6-8 hours per night.

I bet every hound that made the top 16 of the UKC world hunt, hunted harder than the hours mentioned above.

but to own a top notch hound, you MUST prepare at a top notch pace, to expect TOP NOTCH results.

I remember Drawing Goose Creek Slugger and Mr. Mark Jones a few times and the commitment he explained to me that he was giving to that hound left me in Awe of what it actually took to compete in the Purina circuit for Purina Outstanding Coonhound of the Year.

these numbers I have mentioned above are only a drop in the bucket of what the truly successful competition hunters are committing.

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Registered: Jan 2013
Location: Marietta
Posts: 10790

So if you are a die hard , hard core , big daddy ,super coonhunter , getting your dog ready for competition would you hunt your dog in :

1. In a blizzard ?
2. In an ice storm ?
3.in 90+ degree heat early in the night when the coons don’t move till late ?
4. In hunted out woods that you probly wouldn’t tree a coon in on a good night ?

Any old doggie that’s been in this game a while knows three quality nights hunting is better than 6 bad ones especially down here where it’s rough and I ain’t in no coon zoo.

Without a coon in the woods it’s just woods.

Tar

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

Tar the dog doesn't mind those conditions nearly as much as the handler. But quality over quantity is generally best.

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Registered: Jun 2009
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A dog is like an athlete practice makes perfect so the nights it hot muggy and miserable get up and go and it should pay off

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Registered: Jan 2004
Location: North MO
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Some dogs don't take hard hunting well. Some thrive on it.

Most are not given the best opportunity to succeed because the handler can't recognize which one they actually need.

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