BigGameHunt.net Hunting Forums

Sam Seipp · Joined: 05 Jan 2003 Posts: 2

I'm considering training my Cur pup to hunt hog but am completely new to it. Would appreciate some advice on how to get him started (he's 10 weeks old). Also, I realize there is danger to the dog but to what degree? I have one dog and it will take a while before he's trained and mature. I can't afford to just go out and get an adult replacement if he gets killed. How many dogs get killed hunting boar? 1 out of 10? 1 out of 100? Thanks for the help.

Pops · Joined: 14 Feb 2003 Posts: 2 Location: MCAS Cherry Point NC

best way is to run him with older dogs that hunt the way you want him to. since that sounds like it is not an option, find out if he has any nose at all. get some training scent (any brand will do), put it on a rag and hang it up in the wind. walk him on a lead across the wind about 50 yds downwind. he should drag you in the direction of the rag. try again but drag the rag on the ground to where you hang it. then walk him across the track where you started at. if he doesn't show an interest then you need to get him interested. get a hollow kong type toy, stuff the scented rag into the middle and play with him using the toy when you're done put the toy away where he can't get to it. also put the scent on his food bowl and put the food bowl up when he is done eating. he will begin to link the smell of hogs & bears with food & fun and will show more interest in the smell for winding & tracking. once this starts working start switching brands and working the wind farther away & lengthening the tracks. when your happy with his winding & tracking start him on real hogs (farm pigs will work). since you also want him to work bear don't let him get catchy, it will get him killed on bear. also invest in a good cut collar, staple gun &/or suture kit. yes dogs get killed it comes with the game. you canget away with one dog on boar especially if you are going to be a pig shooter (this is an insult in some parts of the south). i don't fault pig shooting with just one dog. bear is a different story, even a small bear might decide to take his chances against one dog.

pyrokrazy · Joined: 05 Dec 2003 Posts: 15 Location: S.E. Oklahoma

ive seen alot of good dogs get killed from hunting bOars. in my opinion you dont want to do it with less than a pack of 7. i personaly dont use dogs.

ncstedo · Joined: 23 Dec 2004 Posts: 10 Location: Western NC

If you need 7 dogs to bay a hog, I would suggest you try some curs. I prefer Black Mouths but Lepoards have the grit too. Running them with dogs is 90% of the thrill of hog huntin'. Still huntin them over bait like some of these high dollar ranches do is like shootin carp in a barrell. If your gonna hunt, hunt. If your gonna just kill one, go down to the grocery and pick up a pound of bacon. This way you dont get your finger nails dirty.

tnhoundsman · Joined: 28 Dec 2004 Posts: 474 Location: northeast tn

pyrokrazy wrote: ive seen alot of good dogs get killed from hunting bOars. in my opinion you dont want to do it with less than a pack of 7. i personaly dont use dogs.

i've bayed and killed hogs with as few as 2 dogs on the hog. usually have 4 or 5 dogs per hog though.

TedH71 · Joined: 11 Jul 2006 Posts: 24 Location: Wichita, KS

Best rati is 2-3 bay dogs and 2-4 catch dogs depending on breed. You will need more catch dogs than bay dogs. Best way to start bay dogs is in a bay pen maybe 2-5 times with an experienced dog then after they prove that they're fired up on hogs. Go tie up a shoat in the woods and praise the heck outta them and go from there.

Blacktailer805 · Joined: 01 Oct 2007 Posts: 44 Location: Paso Robles

Dont forget to gun train the dog if your going to be rifle hunting. In hawaii they usally use a pack of 5-10 dogs but thats usally for dog&knife hunting. Lots of dogs get killed and seriously injured in this way of hunting.

TedH71 · Joined: 11 Jul 2006 Posts: 24 Location: Wichita, KS

Blacktailer,

It depends on what type of bay dog you have. If you have really rough, gritty dogs, then yes, they will not live long. If you hunt in huge packs, then yes, you'll get many dogs killed because they can't get out of the way fast enough. If you hunt loose baying dogs, they live a lot longer or hunt either 2-3 dogs together...it will work better. I also have been told if you hunt terriers with the big dogs..the kill rate is much lower because the terrier keeps the hog being so distracted, that the said hog can't catch the big dogs. Also run protection on your dogs will help big time. Cut collars and vests help a big deal. Vests might not be a good idea where it's hot.

Blacktailer805 · Joined: 01 Oct 2007 Posts: 44 Location: Paso Robles

Ted,
Here we have what are called grab dogs, these are the ones that actually grab the pig usally by the ear or snout. I dont think were talking about the same kind of pigs either. Mostly russian influenced hogs over here with 3+inch cutters. Not farrell hogs. You probibly hunt with a pistol or rifle also so dogs just hunt the pig for you and you shoot it right?

TedH71 · Joined: 11 Jul 2006 Posts: 24 Location: Wichita, KS

No sir, it's actually safer to use a knife than a gun because many times you may accidently shoot your dogs or if your friend's dogs come along and they're not trained to call off on a hog then you have to have a catch dog go grab an ear then tie up the hog then decide if you wanna bring it out alive or not. I'm from Texas where there is a vast majority of a mixture of hogs from heavily Russian influence or not...but I wager most of them have a trace of Russian in 'em somewhere.

If you want your dogs to be gun broke then you have to work with them on it. Very easy to do but not too many people take the effort to gun break their dogs which is stupid because once in a while there will be a hog that the dogs can't stop or turn and is a dog killer and possibly a human killer then you have no choice but to shoot the hog. My preference is .45 Mag.

I moved to KS where I think there is a huge escaped/released domestic hog problem near Wichita which should make for some good eating! Not sure about other areas in KS but heard that they were carrying lots of Russian influence in 'em. I know of a herd 20 minutes south of me that were released by a farmer when hog prices tanked a few years ago. Now they're running around in 5-10 acreage places where rich people live and now they're griping about it.

CSAhunter · Joined: 31 Oct 2007 Posts: 4

Having hunted hogs all over the southern united states with my own dogs and lodges and outfitters dogs I can honestly say that a good dog is going to meet his match one day in the woods on a bad hog. It is just a given. The good one are naturals. You cant train a dog to bay or track a hog.

It is either natural or it isnt.