hawgs, dawgs, & huntin'

Well, in regards to coon hunting, please understand I dont have any claim at all to being a coon hunter even tho I have gone numerous times with friends and on some Association hunts. I just cant get into coon hunting, but I love to see good coon dogs at work. This is the way Im going to answer it. I know both breeds have dogs that are good coon dogs along with the other 5 or so hound breeds. Ive never hunted with a blackmouth cur coon dog, but have hunted with several hound breeds. Im sure both have good un's. But I cant remember seeing or reading where a cur dog breed has ever won the AKC or UKC or PKC world champion coon dog. If one has won one of these "Big Three" I'm unaware of it, and apoligize ahead of time if I'm wrong.

Some people swear by plotts, some swear by Walkers, Red Ticks, Black and Tans, Blue Ticks or any other hound breed. And some people swear by one of the various cur breeds for coon hunting. So I guess the bottom line is its up to the person who hunts that particular dog as to which one is the best coon dog. Ive always kinda looked at it like this, hes the best if the owner feels hes the best for how he hunts and if he satisfys him. Since hes spending the time and money in hunting the dog, he should have to argue with no one as to which he feels is the best.

Next, baying a hog. The same thing basically applies with this question too. Personally the best hog baying dog I feel I have ever seen bay a hog in a pen was a plott dog that was owned by Orval Roberts by the name of Roberts Beaucoup "Sam", his name was later changed after being sold to Jarmans Beaucoup Sam. Hes dead now. He was killed on a Bear hunt. He was beautiful to watch in my opinion. He had sort of a roll in his bay or when a hog charged that was something to see. But in the same breath, there might have been others that didnt like the way he bayed at all. Thats why they have judges. The best pen baying dog I personally have ever had the pleasure to own was a spaded blackmouth cur gyp by the name of Sadie. She was shot along with another dog of mine while baying a hog on someone elses property along with the hog it self.

Ive seen lots of great ones of all breeds, ones that come to mind immediately are Bubba-catahoula, Sam-Plott, Susie-catahoula, Edie-catahoula, red bob-red cur, coushatta-blackmouth cur, Bo-blackmouth cur, Jed-plott, Cutter-catahoula, Spot-catahoula, Dixie-catahoula, Sheba-catahoula, these are just a few who come to mind that stand out in my memory. Im sure there are alot more out there I havent seen since I dont go to baying much anymore after Sadie was killed. So to answer your question, I dont swear by any one breed as the best of anything, Im not breed or color blind. I judge the dog for what he/she is and does.

I guess your next statement means being rough or can stop a hog. Eiether breed weither it be plott, blackmouth cur or heinz 57 has dogs that can be rough, can stop, or even can catch a hog. As far as the pure breeds, I feel its in the breeding genes as to how he/she is going to be. Just as all plotts aren't open on track, neither is all blackmouth silent on the track. Just as all plotts arent rough, neither are all blackmouths rough. I could go on and own. Just because a person has a plott, cur or any other breed doesnt mean he will bay a hog eiether. I have come to the conclusion that each dog that does have hunt in him/her will develope a favorite game to run. Some like to run hogs over all others, some like bears, mountain lions, coons, deer, possums, or even armidillos.

Over the years, Ive been lucky to take someone elses TRASH and make it my treasure. What I mean by that, is anytime I meet a coon hunter or a bear hunter, before I leave and go my marry way, I always ask two questions. 1. Do you ever run across a dog that you cant break off hog or likes to run hogs better than coons/bears? (I want one who loves hogs over any other animal) and 2. Do you ever have any silent running hounds? You see, most coon hunters cant stand it if one of their prize hounds breaks off a coon track and runs hogs, Its a mess for them to deal with. Next, most coon hound hunters or even bear hunters for that matter dont like a dog that is silent on track. (I love a hound that silent on track). I have a catahoula looking gyp outside, that I bought last year that was bred to the hilt to be a bear dog. Well, she would run bear alright, was fast and would even tree, but her problem was she was a silent track runner, which the bear hunter owner couldnt stand. So I dont have to worry about bears where I live, and now shes doing fine on hogs for me. Shes half running walker, 1/4 airdale and 1/4 catahoula. Now was she easy to get, well, she was running bears in North Carolina and I live in Texas, thats about 1900 miles one way. I went and picked up another plott dog, that fell victum to an alligator a year or so ago that was bred to the gills to be a champion coon dog. He had bench points, coon hunting points and was about one win from being a night champion and was fast as lighting, but the owner moved from an area in Texas that had only coons to an area near Bentonville Arkansas that had bears and hogs. The dog got his first sent of hogs and bears and forgot all about the coons. I had to drive 1500 miles round trip to get him, but he was worth it with what he loved to do and how he hunted.