Coon hound/ Bloodhound

[sam84]

Coons (raccoons). I ran Treeing Walkers, another buddy had Blueticks, and another friend had Black and Tans.
The other major breeds were redbones, plotts, and English.

The other aspect that does not endear them to deer tracking is they really are a pack animal. A single dog will never do as well as that same dog running with at least 2-3 other dogs.

My buddies in North Carolina that run bears consider a pack to be at least 6, and sometimes as many as a dozen.

I would definitely like to see a pack in action, that’s for sure

 

[dobber]

I was "gifted" a big ole Black and Tan hound years back, had a few dogs so wasn't an issue, well a couple of months later that dog dropped 7 pups on me lol, my sister wanted one, told her no, please, no, come on, you sure? yes. Well she ended up with one of the pups and she regretted it.
Dumb as a stump, all legs and ears, and when the wind blew from any direction he would bark, the kid of bark that shook the very foundation the house was on, neighbours didn't care for it. Even took it to puppy classes and they just aren't meant for house pets.
Now on a track, it was an awesome adventure, could hear them dogs miles away

 

[mchughcb]

I've hunted with Bloodhounds for Deer and blue tick coonhounds for foxes. The later wasn't much good but was okay on hares.

 

[Brittany boy]

A friend has a coonhound, and his father a beagle , when they let the dogs off they just run , they have tried training them but to no avail. When the coonhound finds deer slots she’s off, no stopping her and she will cover huge blocks of timber in no time. Would hate to see her near sheep. Get a lab , I’ve got a GWP and love him but not the easiest dog I’ve had.

 

[Skinny78]

For a first working dog get a lab.
Not sexy, not fashionable but easy to train, easy to get hold of and above all it’ll do whatever you want from emotional support to deer tracking and retrieving.
I have no doubt that a coon hound could be trained to to perform eventually, but why make life difficult for both of you?

Good luck trying to train a hound not to trail bark. It's in thier dna. It is why they use them, trail barking and baying. Extensively used for treeing bears and large cats.

 

[rickydiver]

I think there is enough info on this thread to have put you off having a Coon hound but I am surprised no one has suggested that a Bavarian Mountain Hound may be suitable for you though. Great temperament, great drive, fantastic nose for tracking, will indicate deer for you, loyal and a fantastically friendly pet hound....stubborn f*****s though BMHS-GB has plenty info on them. Great dogs, but I am a bit biased. GWP and Vizsla are also good shout.

 

[Skinny78]

Does anyone on here have any experience with Coon hounds?
Was looking at getting one of them or a bloodhound for stalking.
It would be my first working dog so I have no experience so an agreeable breed would be preferred.
Any advice would be appreciated

 

[Skinny78]

Does anyone on here have any experience with Coon hounds?
Was looking at getting one of them or a bloodhound for stalking.
It would be my first working dog so I have no experience so an agreeable breed would be preferred.
Any advice would be appreciated
Thanks

Getting advice on what is the best dog for a certain purpose can recieve so many variable answers it can often leave the information seeker with more questions than suggestions, in my opinion someting along the breed line of a lab or chesapeake/retriever will give you the best chance of success, they are generally good all-rounders
in the field, in water, upland bird or bush hunting for large game. They work well in NZ as we strive for an allrounder.

 

[alberta boy]

Coons (raccoons). I ran Treeing Walkers, another buddy had Blueticks, and another friend had Black and Tans.
The other major breeds were redbones, plotts, and English.

The other aspect that does not endear them to deer tracking is they really are a pack animal. A single dog will never do as well as that same dog running with at least 2-3 other dogs.

My buddies in North Carolina that run bears consider a pack to be at least 6, and sometimes as many as a dozen.

Both of your posts mirror my experience . I love hounds , but most don't really need them . An old friend of mine runs a pack of six dogs for Cougars . They are dedicated cat dogs . He has one Bluetick that's phenomenal on a cold trail , she's almost always the first to pick up a scent . The other five are Plotts and Redbones . Great dogs , but they are scrappers , especially the Plott Hounds . They will not back off of anything in a fight , including bears . Paul has lost a few dogs over the years to bears and cougars . Sometimes bears will get sick of running and turn to fight , especially the big boars . He lost two dogs in one fight with a big Tom that wouldn't tree , he found a good spot under a creek bank and waited for the dogs . By the time Paul caught up with them , there were two dead dogs and the rest of the pack was shredded up pretty badly . As I said before , I love hounds , but if I were the OP , I'd find a good Lab from a reputable breeder , they'll do most things you need done .

AB

 

[dogone]

I had a Pudelpointer, a cousin to the GWP , versatile dogs. After having a dozen labs I thought he would be a great alternative.
Hardest dog I ever met. Smart as a whip but tough to train. He knew what I wanted but would usually do what he pleased. He would sound off for hours at a porcupine up tree. Loved him dearly but went back to lab’s after he was gone.

 

[Skinny78]

Both of your posts mirror my experience . I love hounds , but most don't really need them . An old friend of mine runs a pack of six dogs for Cougars . They are dedicated cat dogs . He has one Bluetick that's phenomenal on a cold trail , she's almost always the first to pick up a scent . The other five are Plotts and Redbones . Great dogs , but they are scrappers , especially the Plott Hounds . They will not back off of anything in a fight , including bears . Paul has lost a few dogs over the years to bears and cougars . Sometimes bears will get sick of running and turn to fight , especially the big boars . He lost two dogs in one fight with a big Tom that wouldn't tree , he found a good spot under a creek bank and waited for the dogs . By the time Paul caught up with them , there were two dead dogs and the rest of the pack was shredded up pretty badly . As I said before , I love hounds , but if I were the OP , I'd find a good Lab from a reputable breeder , they'll do most things you need done .

AB

Those Plotts look like they have the hungry dog with a bone attitude about them when it comes to a scrap! Have you had much to do with them AB? I think they would make a good pig dog but with the way they are it seems that would only be until they killed. They look like awesome dogs though.

 

[alberta boy]

Those Plotts look like they have the hungry dog with a bone attitude about them when it comes to a scrap! Have you had much to do with them AB? I think they would make a good pig dog but with the way they are it seems that would only be until they killed. They look like awesome dogs though.

They do have that look to them , and they are fighters . They are used for pigs in the states , but like you say , they will take some casualties . I've been around them , off and on , for about 40 years . Mostly when out with guys who hunt cats on a regular basis . The above mentioned friend , Paul , has had a pack for over 40 years . He does a lot of control work for the provincial Fish & Wildlife Office , mostly on Cougars that have developed a taste for livestock or problem bears . Paul brought his dogs out to a buddy of mine's place a few years back when we were having a problem with a big Tom . He'd followed me a few times and had killed a couple of Hereford calves that belonged to a neighbor . The final straw came when he took a run at Toms , the same neighbor , two daughters when they were playing in the yard . Luckily , their dog got to the cat before he managed to get hold of the kids . Unfortunately , the dog , who was just an old farm mutt , didn't survive the attack . After that , his number was up and he had to go . There's a pic on here somewhere of him , I believe Muir posted it for me . He weighed a hair over two hundred pounds and stopped to fight twice on the ground before he finally treed . That's where Plotts and Redbones come in , they won't back off and will push the cat into treeing , you'd never get close to them otherwise . They're a great dog , as long as they have something to chase and fight . They are loyal to a fault , but not tolerant of strangers or other dogs in my experience . To be honest , they're about as game as most Staffs and Pit Bulls I've known over the years . In short , not a dog for someone who doesn't know what he's doing . On a side note , there are Kevlar vests available that will cut down on injuries when using dogs on pigs . Whether they're effective or not , I can't say .

AB

 

[alberta boy]

Those Plotts look like they have the hungry dog with a bone attitude about them when it comes to a scrap! Have you had much to do with them AB? I think they would make a good pig dog but with the way they are it seems that would only be until they killed. They look like awesome dogs though.

On a side note , one dog that doesn't get much attention worldwide is the Catahoula . It's also called the Catahoula Leopard or the Catahoula Catch Dog . I've been around them a couple of times , once in Florida and once in Louisiana , they are an impressive animal . The odds of seeing one in your part of the world are pretty slim to say the least though . Take a look if you're interested .

AB

 

[Skinny78]

On a side note , one dog that doesn't get much attention worldwide is the Catahoula . It's also called the Catahoula Leopard or the Catahoula Catch Dog . I've been around them a couple of times , once in Florida and once in Louisiana , they are an impressive animal . The odds of seeing one in your part of the world are pretty slim to say the least though . Take a look if you're interested .

AB

I did have a look and no I hadn't heard of them but as it turns out there is an NZ facebook page dedicated for Catahoula owners. There are quite a few in New Zealand as it turns out!

 

[stalker.308]

They do have that look to them , and they are fighters . They are used for pigs in the states , but like you say , they will take some casualties . I've been around them , off and on , for about 40 years . Mostly when out with guys who hunt cats on a regular basis . The above mentioned friend , Paul , has had a pack for over 40 years . He does a lot of control work for the provincial Fish & Wildlife Office , mostly on Cougars that have developed a taste for livestock or problem bears . Paul brought his dogs out to a buddy of mine's place a few years back when we were having a problem with a big Tom . He'd followed me a few times and had killed a couple of Hereford calves that belonged to a neighbor . The final straw came when he took a run at Toms , the same neighbor , two daughters when they were playing in the yard . Luckily , their dog got to the cat before he managed to get hold of the kids . Unfortunately , the dog , who was just an old farm mutt , didn't survive the attack . After that , his number was up and he had to go . There's a pic on here somewhere of him , I believe Muir posted it for me . He weighed a hair over two hundred pounds and stopped to fight twice on the ground before he finally treed . That's where Plotts and Redbones come in , they won't back off and will push the cat into treeing , you'd never get close to them otherwise . They're a great dog , as long as they have something to chase and fight . They are loyal to a fault , but not tolerant of strangers or other dogs in my experience . To be honest , they're about as game as most Staffs and Pit Bulls I've known over the years . In short , not a dog for someone who doesn't know what he's doing . On a side note , there are Kevlar vests available that will cut down on injuries when using dogs on pigs . Whether they're effective or not , I can't say .

AB

You mean this photo?

 

[alberta boy]

You mean this photo?

Ha , yes . I forgot you had it . For some reference , Perry , the guy holding the cat is about 6 foot and weighs about 225 pounds . That's a big ass Tom. Thanks for posting Slim , I'll give you a call today .

Smee

 

[mchughcb]

Plotthunds are good for bears. I've hunted with them in Sweden.

 

[Sanglier 857]

You sound like you want a challenge-,German Wire Haired Pointer can be very challenging depending on how high the prey drive is- personally they are my go to breed but they do not suit Everyone and they can all vary in character so much in the same litter.
But if you like the hound breed, I was once given a jack Russel x beagle that my sister bought at a show, now that had a hell of a nose on him, I ran him with my terriers for a while, but would of made a good deer dog, but he was still very vocal in kennels, some friends had him for the shooting pack in the end.

Does anyone on here have any experience with Coon hounds?
Was looking at getting one of them or a bloodhound for stalking.
It would be my first working dog so I have no experience so an agreeable breed would be preferred.
Any advice would be appreciated
Thanks

Get a Labrador, especially if you’ve never had a dog before.

 

[Morkai]

On a side note , one dog that doesn't get much attention worldwide is the Catahoula . It's also called the Catahoula Leopard or the Catahoula Catch Dog . I've been around them a couple of times , once in Florida and once in Louisiana , they are an impressive animal . The odds of seeing one in your part of the world are pretty slim to say the least though . Take a look if you're interested .

AB

I'd love a Catahoula, pretty hard to get over here (I always look for one), some in Germany but very few in the UK.

 

[Morkai]

I did have a look and no I hadn't heard of them but as it turns out there is an NZ facebook page dedicated for Catahoula owners. There are quite a few in New Zealand as it turns out!

They'll work cattle all day if you need, they'll hunt or they can be lazy as sh*t and lounge on your sofa. They do need a lot of excerise or stimulation to stop them being destructive.

Lovely looking animals and some of them have hell of a bark, some almost rumble like a tiger.