Hunting Sense

Ok, last time we looked at the six officially recognized breeds of coon hounds. Now, there are other things to take into consideration when trying to decide on a dog. We’ll take a quick look at them below. I’ve listed them first to last, but you can re-arrange them however you want. Most of them are inter-connected with other points on the list as well.

First, you should decide whether you’re interested in competition hunting or just pleasure hunting. Then second, no matter which decision you made about on the first point, is how much money you’re willing/able to spend. Third, you should take bloodlines into consideration and the quality of dogs they have produced. Fourth, you should take into consideration the areas that you’re going to be hunting most often (I’ll explain the reasoning later). Lastly, you need to decide on whether you want a pup, a started dog, or a finished dog. We’ll look at each point more in-depth below.

1. If you’re interested in competition hunting, then you may want to consider dogs from a proven bloodline, as the odds of competition calibre dogs is greater when you go that route. That isn’t to say there isn’t great dogs capable of winning with less well known bloodlines, this just stacks the deck in your favor. If you just want to pleasure hunt, then this doesn’t matter as much depending on the hunter.

This point ties in with the points two, three. and five.

2. The amount of money you’re willing you able to spend may affect your decision greatly. Hounds can range from a small amount to thousands of dollars depending on the bloodline, whether they are pups, started, or finished dogs, and other such factors. Remember though, the price of the dog has no direct effect on the quality of dog.

This point ties in directly with points one, two, three, and five.

3. As mentioned in point one, bloodlines can be a good indication of the quality of dog you get. It isn’t always correct, and lesser known bloodlines can be just as good, but sticking with a proven track record can be a good way to hedge your bet on how good a dog you get.

This point ties into all four of the other points.

4. Taking into consideration the characteristics of the breed and the bloodline, you may want to consider your hunting area. If a certain breed or bloodline has a history of going long and deep, and you only have small areas to hunt, you may want to reconsider. This one isn’t a drastic consideration, but with the loss of hunting area and the chances of ending up on private property where you don’t have permission to hunt, I feel it’s worth mentioning.

This point ties in with breed, point one, point three, and point five to an extent.

5. Deciding on whether you want a pup, a started dog, or a finished dog has a lot to do with whether you want to hunt now or later. You also have to take into consideration training and if you have other hunters and dogs to hunt with. Each has it’s positive and negative sides, so it is something to consider carefully.

This point ties in with all four of the other points.

Ok, maybe not the most comprehensive list, and definitely not the authorative one either, but it gives you a place to start and some things to consider when picking a dog. Hopefully some of you will find it useful.

If you have any other questions on something I didn’t mention, don’t hesitate asking. I’ll try to answer to the best of my ability.

Hunting, coon hunting, coon dogs, coonhounds, picking a coon dog