Dear Puzzled,
Happy New Year to you Josh. I think this is a great question. Thanks
for asking my opinion. And as you read my answer, understand that it is
only my opinion. Also understand that people hunt in different ways and
methods in different parts of the country. Your question basically is
"What should I do if I'm invited or I invite someone to go hog hunting in
regards to bringing your own dogs?"
First off, before I begin, let me say this.. I know exactly how you feel.
Its not a problem thats felt just in Louisiana, I think its everywhere.
Its kind of a empty and defensive feeling isn't it? Or you get kind of a
chip on your shoulder if ole "so & so" comes on the hunt with yall. I
have
experienced this exact feeling several times in my hog hunting life. Thank
goodness most of the time it was back when I first started. Im having to
assume that this is your case. But, it had been a number of years since I
felt that way until one night this past June of 98. It all came back for
that one night.
There is a simple answer to your question, which I will give you in a bit.
But I think this is a question and a problem that most every hog hunter
runs into with other hog hunters they hunt with even if they are family. So
Im going to answer it the long version so maybe people reading this will
understand the importance of the answer.
So here goes:
Once upon a time there was a hog hunter named Bo. He liked to hunt
hogs. Every time he saw a hog, his buddy would say "Bo, there's a hog", Bo
would say "what?" His partner getting aggravated finally would just point,
and say with authority "BO,,,,HOG!!". That's how he got the name Bo
Hog....haha Naw, just kidding. Just a little joke.
But, the same thing kinda happens when you invite people to go hunting
with you, or when you are invited to go with someone else. Somebody gets
aggravated. I've mentioned many times in my writings that I only hunt with
about 3 or 4 different people. And that's it. Its not because I don't
know other hog hunters, its not because I don't get invited, and its not
because my dogs wont work. Its because I go for the love of the hunt, to
watch good dogs work or young ones start and above all, to have a good
time. I don't like to have to worry if the fella Im taking is going to turn
around and back stab me by hunting my spot. I don't go hunting to get
hollared at, or get cussed at. I know my dogs are not being judged like it
was some kind of life or death contest of who has the best dogs. And last,
the thing that tears me up the worst is I know my dogs are not going to get
talked bad about all over the county if they happen to have a bad night.
There's all sorts of reasons that hunting partners get crossways with one
another. A dog barks on track, a dog runs a deer or catches the ranchers
cow, a dog is turned loose when he shouldn't be and makes the hog break, a
catch dog you brought doesnt catch or catches another dog instead, not
running to the bay fast enough and helping get the dogs off, jealousy that
your dog did better than his or visa versa, (a biggy) bragging on dogs
(people who know me personally, know that I cant stand a person who brags
constantly on their dogs), bringing a dog that the inviter cant stand, to
many people came along on the hunt, always having to borrow equipment,
bringing to many dogs, bringing someone else along with you when you didn't
ask if it was ok, and the number one reason that hunting partners get upset
with one another is YOU COULDN'T READ THE OTHER GUYS MIND!. haha
I
laugh about it, but its so true.
I mentioned that it had been along time since I had problems that came to
a head like this until this past summer. Im not going to mention his name,
but before I start, I want to say he's a good fella, I still like him even
tho he wont talk to me anymore and he was alot of help to me numerous times
and I thought we were getting along and starting to understand one anothers
hunting habits before the water came to boil.
The problem was this...there were three of us hunting my spot, the land
owner was with us. All of us had dogs. I brought 3 and they brought a
total of about 8 to 10 (they knew better than to bring that many). Bottom
line without going into a long story, he got upset because he couldn't hunt
his dogs all the time and just packed up and left before we were thru
hunting which made my main partner have to leave also since they came
together in the same truck... And to top it all off, this tantrum he thru
happened in front of my land owner who was along on the trip. This was not
good at all. Thank goodness the land owner had been hunting with me and my
main partner many many times before and knew how we did it and this other
one was not following the rules of MY HUNT.
So I guess this leads me to the answer you have been waiting to hear. When
you are asked to go hunting with someone else, YOU MUST call or talk to the
inviter and discuss the starting times, where to meet etc., AND MOST
IMPORTANTLY, YOU MUST ASK QUESTIONS ..."How many dogs do you want me to
bring?". Normally they will tell you. If he says "I don't care"
don't
take that as a sign to load the back of the truck up with dogs. Ask him
how many he is going to bring and if anyone else is bringing any dogs and
go from there. THE NEXT QUESTION YOU SHOULD ASK IS "Do I need to bring a
catch dog?" Its been my experience that if these questions aren't asked,
you end up with to many dogs on the hunt because you load your truck as if
you were going hunting on your on property with no other peoples dogs, and
this is wrong to do. If there is two people bringing dogs, your only
responsible for half at most unless told otherwise, if three people are
bringing dogs, your only responsible for 1/3 of the pack. Another
question that I ask if I need to is, "I have a dog I'm wanting to try (or a
young dog), would you mind if I brought her along?" If he says he doesnt
mind, and he told you to bring 3, don't let the young one make 4. Because
the first thing a person does when you drive up is count the number of dogs
in the back of your truck. And if he told you to bring 3 and you have 4 or
more, he's already upset weither he tells you outloud or not.
Right or wrong, this is the way it is on my hunts on my spots.
1. Im in charge
2. Everyone hunts the way I want to hunt the place or the way we agree on
or they don't get to turn their dogs loose
3. I will hunt my dogs first or I might let you hunt yours first, or a
combination of the two, but I will tell you either way and ask you if you
want to turn a dog loose.
4. If we catch a hog, he's mine unless I tell you different and I want to
catch him alive if at all possible. I usually furnish the tie ropes.
5. Im not in the equipment business so bring your own leashes, cut
collars, vest, tracking collars, medical kit etc... (of course I will help
if I have extra and especially if its medical, but, if your gonna own dogs,
you need to breakdown and buy your on stuff)
6. We don't drink beer on my hunts and leave no trash anywhere. In not
against drinking, but, hog hunting with dogs is to dangerous for man and
beast to have someone not sharp in their senses. Kinda like drinkin and
driving,
7. If you have a dog that I don't want you to bring on the hunt or a dog
that's on the hunt and screws up real bad, I will tell you to put him up.
8. We turn the catch dog in when I say to if Im there at the bay, if I'm
not they use their own judgement
9. All catch dogs are on leashes until we are ready to catch the hog.
10. When the hog is caught, I expect everyone to help. If I'm in water
waist deep wrestlin the hog and the dogs, I expect them to be waist high in
the water with me and not standing on the bank watching not wanting to get
wet.
11. We put 1 to a max of 3 dogs on the ground to find a hog not 15.
12. Talk softly so we can listen for the dogs
That's about it as far as my rules to follow. I call them the dirty
dozen. I don't really like for people to bring guns, I usually have one in
the 4 wheeler if we need one. I don't ask for them to be memorized or
anything like that, because they are basically common sense rules anyway.
As far as what I supply to them is I usually bring a trailer behind my four
wheeler with a chain where they can snap their dogs, Everyone who can fit
can ride with me. I usually bring and furnish an ice chest full of drinks
for the guys and water for the dogs. I don't horde all the hunting by
using only my dogs, most of the time on the first one I will turn one or
two of my dogs loose or one of mine and one of my partners or I might hold
mine back and let them hunt theirs first. If we get separated, of course
they can hunt their dogs. When the dogs bay up they can send their dogs,
but I don't want ten dogs on a hog. For one its not needed and the other
is the more dogs you have on a bad boar-the more dogs that get hurt and the
hogs survival rate is lessened.
I cant stand rules especially on hunts, but yet, you must have them.
Some people get their feelings hurt and some get upset when I tell them to
only bring 3 dogs and a catch dog. But, when I'm bringing 4 dogs that will
make 8, and 8 dogs on a hog is just to many 99.9% of the time. I went on
an invite hunt the day after Christmas and I was told only to bring one
dog, so all I brought was one young started dog. Or they might not like
it when I ask them not to bring ole Blue (because he's a trash running
idiot, or way to open mouthed, or breaks bays etc) But the bottom line is,
its better to get all the questions and strategies out in the open as much
as possible BEFORE A SINGLE DOG IS EVER TURNED LOOSE and there will be less
hard feelings later.
I've had fellas tell me "I'm going to bring what ever amount of dogs I
want when I load up to go hunting!" That statement is very true, but they
wont hunt with me. If someone's got a good dog or does something good, I
tell them he did good. If they have a dog that is doing something like
growling at other dogs or treeing coons or baying cows, I try and give them
some kind of suggestion to correct it. I want all of us to have a good
time. And the only way I've ever found for things to run smoothly is for
everyone to be on the same side of the road going the same direction, if
you know what I mean.
I guess the bottom line to answer your question is to ask how many dogs to
bring and ask if you need to bring a catch dog. This will solve lots and
lots of heart aches and built up resentments from ever taking place. Just
communicate with one another. And the last cardinal rule is to never
bring a guest on an invited hunt unless you ask first.
These have been just my opinions and how I do it.
When I go hunting with you, I follow what ever rules that YOU have. I will
ask you how many dogs do I need to bring and if I need to bring a catch
dog. And when we get to the hunting spot, I will ask you "how do you want
to do this". I will hunt the way you want to hunt.
Everyone has different hunting strategies, styles and ways. Not all
hunters are willing to adjust to your style. Therefore, that becomes your
conflict. Find someone to hunt with that hunts like you think it should be
done and the way you like it. A person that wont back stab you and come
back and hunt your spot or try and steal permission from your land owner
for himself, that wont cut down or talk behind your back about your pride
and joys which are your dogs. No dog is perfect, the young ones have to
learn somewhere and no dog hunts his best every single time especially on
new terrain. The name of the game is COMMUNICATION, you have to
communicate your wishes with your hunting partners, they cant and you can't
read each others minds.
Jim