Registered: Dec 2012
Location: Pennsylvania
Posts: 2027

Hi guys, I'm newer to the sport, and have had some questions dealing with slick treeing.

My pup is out of tequila cane who is out of sunrise, and he is 10 months old. He was never singled out till I got him. He progressed pretty quickly and in little over a week treed his own coon.

He has a couple things I need to address. The first is possum, kill season is closed here. Other wise I would shoot out the possum, and shock him when he mouths it. I'm hunting all state land so that is not an option, I would shake one out and shock him, yet that opportunity hasn't come up yet. I have shocked him after pulling him off the tree and releasing him shortly away from it, when he headed back into the tree, but that hasn't been enough to break him. I am hesitant to discipline him under the tree at this point, but it might come to this. He has treed, 5 or 6 since I have had him.
I'm worried the longer this goes on the more likely this may become a habit. Any tips?


The second issue of concern is I've found he will work up a cold track(mostly a boar), if he gets bogged down sometimes, he will locate and begin to tree, then leave the tree run around in circles maybe go ten yards and locate on that tree. Sometimes he will settle down on a tree and begin treeing. If I find him slick treeing I understand that I am supposed to walk him off the tree.

I assume that I shine the tree down first? Even if he is treeing with a lack of intensity? I assume I should with hold all praise until a coon is seen? When walking him off the tree, I assume I need to put him on the lead, and how far do I walk him off? Should I walk him in circles, or in the general direction, the track has been heading? What do I do if he goes back to the same tree? The line of walkers he is from is supposed to throw a lot of accuracy, so I assume this is just a phase for him, I just want to make sure, Im handling these situations properly.

When he does tree a coon, how much praise should I be offering, knowing that he has a tendency to slick tree. Do I need to reduce the amount of praise, I have been giving him plenty, If I know for a fact there is a coon up there. If I am supposed to reduce the amount of praise, how I am supposed to reward him for treeing a coon, if shooting one out of kill season, is something I am not willing to do.

Finally, the other night he got bogged down on a particular hot track, I was starting to wonder if he back tracked because he really seem to quiet down the further he ran it. I then looked up and seen 3 coon in a tree in the area he was bogged down in. He seemed to being making no apparent progress, so I called him over and tapped the tree, he smelled it and begin to tree. Did I handle this situation properly or should I have let him, try to figure it out on his own? I figured with 3 coon up there, it was probably confusing the crap out of him, and figured I would help him out. Would you have done the same.

I realize I have a lot of questions in here, I just thought the more specific I was the easier it would be for you guys to address the specific situations I have found myself in.

Overall I am pleased with his progress, and realize a lot of this is just puppy stuff, I have been light with the discipline, just because he is young, and am starting to think, I may need to begin to raise my expectations.

Not to mention it sucks walking all the way up the mountain side to see a slick.

Last edited by Fisher13 on 03-04-2013 at 06:36 PM

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Registered: Dec 2003
Location: Mercer PA
Posts: 4837

First thing, I would never and I mean never shoot a grinner down to him. It sounds like your dog is a treedog first and foremost and getting on him on the tree for either slick treeing or possum treeing isn't likely to hurt him. The longer you let him go with those bad habits the harder they will be to break.

Your dog is started and rolling, now the job is up to you to punish the bad and praise the good. With a treedog like that I wouldn't pour it on to much at the tree as this can lead to jealousy problems later on. When he does good and trees a coon, lead him away and pet him away from the tree. When he is slick, send him on to finish the track, when he trees off game, start with a good scolding and work your way up depending on his temperment.

IF he keeps after the possums get one in a live cage and work on breaking him at home.

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Registered: Dec 2012
Location: Pennsylvania
Posts: 2027

Ok that answers most of my questions.

I still don't understand how to lead him on from the slick?

Does this mean to take him in the general direction of the track, and then let him go?

What do I do if he returns to the same tree?

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Registered: Mar 2008
Location: Western N.Y.
Posts: 4005

Just tell him sternly no coon and make him leave, I stand right at the tree so they cant return, after a couple times that pup will learn from your tone that he screwed up and he will take the track on.
Like Ron said never shoot or shake a possum, turn one loose and let your pup find it on the ground then push the button.

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Registered: Dec 2012
Location: Pennsylvania
Posts: 2027

Ok I think I am a little more prepared to address the situations.

I'm going to try to keep the praise until after I have him off the tree with a coon in.

And will begin to discipline on the slicks, pushing him to figure out the track. I plan on starting with verbal, this shows no response, I will begin to apply pressure with a few nicks.

Thanks for the reply guys, I had done quite a bit a reading on the subject, but found most threads to become derailed pretty quickly on this subject.

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Registered: Dec 2003
Location: Mercer PA
Posts: 4837

One thing I always do with a young dog is keep a live trap set and anytime I get a coon I give them a gimme just to give them confidence and be able to praise them in a controlled situation. You don't show it to them, just turn it loose and let them tree it. It just always helped me keep things rolling in the right direction.

As far as scolding on the slicks, I wouldn't go to crazy but make sure you get your point across. This is a great time of year to do it since you can see in the trees. Come 3 months from now, it will be hard to correct like you need to for a long time so take advantage of the time now.

Sounds like you are going a good job wiht you dog. The most important thing is getting him in the woods 4-5 nights a week for short hour or so hunts. As he gets older make the hunts longer. If he starts to slide on your or is lazy to go hunting don't be afraid to take a night or two off. He will be ready to go full out with a nights rest.

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Registered: Dec 2008
Location: central east indiana
Posts: 271

i agree with most of the comments you dont need to worry about the grinners yet i wouldn't try to break him on them till you know he knows what he is supposed to do. then i have had better luck breaking them off opossums in my back yard then in the woods. sounds like he likes to get treed i would not shoot all the coon to him make the reward for treeing your praise (i always pet them up off the tree 20 ft or so after i walk them off never on the tree causes to many problems) if he slick trees just send him packing right off that tree. sounds like for 10 months old he is doing a good job ill bet as you hunt him he will just stop treeing opossums on his own and he will get more accurate. just remember he is 10 months not 4 years old he will make mistakes. and leave that **** shocker at the house for now.

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Marc Mcwhorter
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Registered: Dec 2012
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FIND YOU A ROAD KILL GRINNER ,PUT DOG IN BOX,THROW GRINNER IN BOX WITH DOG.MAKE SURE YOU HAVE A SHOCK COLLAR ON THE DOG RIDE AROUND FOR A HOUR OR SO SHOCK THE DOG ABOUT EVERY 5 TO 10 MIN AND HIT HIM HARD NOT JUST A TINGLE,GRINNER PROBLEM SOLVED...... SLICK TREE THERE IS SOMETHING CALLED A GOOD OLD SWITCHING,1ST SLICK LIGHT SWITCH AND SEND HIM ON HIS WAS 2ND TREE LAY A GOOD HARD SWITCHING ON HIM AND SEND HIM ON HIS WAY AGAIN,3 SLICK TREE WE ARE GOING TO HAVE US A JESUS MEETING.IF THAT DON'T WORK TIE ANOTHER DOG UP TO A TREE AND LET IT START BARKING,TURN HIM LOOSE WHEN HE START'S TREEING ON THE TREE YOU KNOW IS SLICK HIT THE BUTTOM AND LIGHT HIM UP LIKE A LIGHT BULB.NOT BEING SMART JUST TELLING YOU HOW I DEAL WITH A DOG DOING THAT CRAP,I AM NOT WALKING TO THE TOP OF A MOUNTAIN 2 SEE A GRINNER OR A SLICK TREE CAN LOOK OUT MY HOUSE WINDOW AND SEE A SLICK TREE.AGAIN NOT BEING SMART,BET WHEN YOU WAS A KID YOUR PARENT'S WIPPED YOUR AZZ WHEN YOU DID SOMETHING WRONG,A DOG IS NO DIFFRENT THAN A KID.A GOOD AZZ WHIPPING NEVER HURT ANYONE. JMO...I WOULD NEVER TAP ON A TREE WITH A COON IN IT IF HE CAN'T FIGURE IT OUT JUST MOVE ON.

Last edited by Nova70 on 03-05-2013 at 12:00 AM

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Registered: Dec 2012
Location: Pennsylvania
Posts: 2027

Yup guys, I think he will turn out just fine. I was mainly posting to make sure I'm doing things right. From the sounds, I need to stop petting him up at the tree so much. I had a feeling this may be having an effect on him being a little tree happy, and start being a little more firm on the slicks.
Thanks a lot I enjoy hearing the different approaches people take.

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Registered: Dec 2012
Location: Pennsylvania
Posts: 2027

All right guys... He is making progress!!!

I laid off on the praise on the tree, I however am finding this difficult today, just because I got excited my self.

I had to nick a him a few times in the past week, but this seems to show no signs of decreasing his drive or willingness to tree. He has started to locate on several trees this week while on track, but then moved on, so I think he is beginning to understand, the difference between a slick and the real thing.

I have however begun to notice especially early in the night, when he first strikes a coon, he wants to tree right at the start of the track. He will ck trees, and locate on them, acting like a puppy. I believe this is due from being over excited. This seems to be a pattern with him. When he first starts to track, he would get over excited and overrun the track. I realize this normal stuff, but I was wondering if you guys have any tips on dealing with this sorda thing. Obv I want it to be exciting for him, but not to the point where he acts like a dummy. I'm assuming he will grow out of all this stuff, I'm just unsure when I need to correct him and when to ignore things.

Here's a short clip, on the a coon he treed this week, where he looked pretty good, tracking and trailing, obv you don't see that in the video.

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Registered: Dec 2003
Location: Mercer PA
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He looks great and good for you!!! If he is that ready to hunt each night I would just be pounding that dog till he slows down. Once he gets a little of that energy out of him I am betting some of that puppy stuff will work itself out!! Congrats on the progress and keep it rolling!!

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Registered: Feb 2012
Location: west virginia
Posts: 721

Your pup maybe treeing squirrels early in the night probley why he's getting treed fast on the first couple drops possums are considered a varmit hear and can be killed year round but wouldn't kill any possums to him catch one in a live trap and break him off the track imo

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Registered: Dec 2012
Location: Pennsylvania
Posts: 2027

Thanks Ron! I appreciate the kind words.

Walkerdog1 I was able to shake a possum out to him, and lit him up pretty good. Hasn't Treed one since, so hopefully he is done with those. Squirrels could be a possibility. He slicked on a tree the other night that a really low squirrel nest in it.

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Registered: Apr 2006
Location: DEEP FORK VALLEY, OKLAHOMA
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1. Im gonna go with walkerdog1 on this. drive around and fins a possum and turn him loose on it and as soon as you see him trailing it (dont even have to open on it) zap him back to the truck with the shocker. a few times of this will break him fron it and all he will need is a refresher now and again.

2. I watched you video and honestly he is not a REAL HARD treedog even for his age, so I wouldnt knock any possums out and shock him at all at the tree (imo) just yet, just say NO loud and let him know your not happy. Go make a drop somewhere else.

3. Slick Trees: Try to never encourage your dog on your way into the tree. catch him and tie him close to the tree ALLWAYS. Shine the tree and if it is slick then just lead him on about 30-40 ft. and make him look for the coon again. If he does have it I would personally still be praising yours up pretty good at the tree as I allready stated, he isnt that hard of a treedog.

You are doing right by asking questions but just use common sence also and think about it a bit. Here in another couple of months he will start looking pretty good I bet. allways try to end on a good note even if that means one drop.

btw: .22 cb caps are no louder then a co2 pellet gun. just a FYI

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Registered: Dec 2012
Location: Pennsylvania
Posts: 2027

Tom thanks for the great tips!

I do think he is more tree oriented as for now. Hard to tell at his age. Here is another clip of him treeing. He was pretty out of breath on the previous clip, Im hunting some pretty rugged terrain, pry a little to rough for a pup.

http://m1300.photobucket.com/albumv...=1&newest=1

Also thanks for the fyi...
Along those line, what signs will you begin to see when a pup needs a coon shot out to him. What are the main reasons for doing this? Outside the obv ones that it is a reward and increases drive. It seems that there are a couple different schools of thought on this matter.

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Registered: Apr 2006
Location: DEEP FORK VALLEY, OKLAHOMA
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imo a pup thats just startin needs the first 7-10 coon they tree. It installs confidence (not just gettin a atta-boy) plus it helps the pup know what you want! now he trees a possum and gets hollered at and ran off the tree, knock the next coon out to him and pet him. after he gets to going the choice is yours but you should start makin wise decision on which ones to give him according to how well of a job he done. you will be fine its hard to run a natraul if he happens to be one and a good hound will teach you more then any website or buddy who knows it all.

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Registered: Dec 2012
Location: Pennsylvania
Posts: 2027

That pry explains why he is doing well then, with no coon shot out to him. My buddy that started him, back in kill season and had shot a few out to him. It seems like not shooting any out to him has made him want it more.

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Registered: Dec 2012
Location: Pennsylvania
Posts: 2027

Had him out last night, he looked terriable. He would run the track about 50 yds get hung up, I'd let him work it for a while, go in and move him on, he would run it 50 yds or so get hunt up. I talked to a local buddy, and he said the coon, lately have been moving really early, and I did get out pretty late last night, so I think they may have had something to do with it

I noticed it seemed like when he gets hung up, he has a tendency to stay in that little area, instead of circling out wider to pick it back up.

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Registered: Feb 2012
Location: west virginia
Posts: 721

He's young give him some time to find the track and keep helping him if he going to make it he'll get better at at moveing the tracks

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