Hunting with Hounds

Dog Boxes

2011-10-22T20:08:00.000-07:00

As many of you know I have started a line of dog boxes called Rim Rock. Like many of my buddies, I started out with wooden boxes because the were the most economical to make. I had to put them behind the cab so I could get my snowmobile skis under them. I have since built large boxes that take up the entire truck box, boxes on trailers, boxes for atvs and more. Over the years I have learned that there are a few characteristics of a good dog box.

Old Wooden Bear Box

The box should be light weight. I have struggled to lift boxes full of straw, padding, wool blankets and more into the truck for many years. My back still hurts thinking about it! The ideal designed enables one person to load and unloaded it alone. This is what makes aluminum the material of choice. You won't find many steel boxes out there;
The box also has to be safe for the dog and secure in the truck. I have used plastic kennels which slide around the truck box and had a large aluminum box which flew out during an accident. Luckily the dogs were not hurt. The box you purchase or make should be either bolted down or attached with canopy clamps or straps;
The box must also be comfortable for the dog to prevent injury, stiffness and cramping. Uncomfortable dogs won't settle and there is an increased chance of dog fights and excessive barking in the box;
Last, The box should have good ventilation. If the box does not have sufficient air flow the dogs could succumb to heat related injuries or become asphyxiated from the vehicle exhaust. This is one of the most important considerations when buying or manufacturing a good box. I have heard stories of hunters losing the entire pack while from warming up their truck without venting the box.

In addition to the basic features, a strike platform is also useful. It not only allows you to put the dog up to indicate on fresh scent, it also doubles as a cargo rack when packing for overnight trips. I often carry gear on mine when traveling to bear camp in the spring and fall. Other considerations include is the number of hounds you plan to transport. Most boxes which fit in a short box truck will accommodate up to four hounds comfortably. If you want each dog separated or a divider in the middle. Divided compartments cut down on noise and prevent dog fights. An open design will accommodate more animals.

Price is also a factor. Previously, supplies and a little sweat equity were the more economical solution. Now, if you factor in your time and labour to build a box, a decent box with the features I mentioned are not much more. In the end the box has to fit your specific needs and has to be practical and functional. There are many styles and options to choose from. I suggest taking your time and doing your homework and it will pay off in the end.

Preventing Heat Stroke or Heat Related Injury to Your Dog

2011-10-21T12:26:00.000-07:00

Overheating and Heat Stroke are silent killers. Protecting your canine from heat stroke and other heat related illnesses is easy as long as you pay attention to your dog. Symptoms of overheating and heat related stress include excessive panting, erratic movements, or in severe cases, complete collapse. If your dog exhibits one or more of these symptoms, stop hunting and get your dog veterinary care immediately.
Here are some tips to prevent heat related illnesses:　

1.Park your car or truck in the shade and keep your dogs cool when they are in the dog box and make sure your box has adequate ventilation.

2.Use a plastic kennel bottom or tote which you can fill with water for your dog to lay down and cool off

3.Keep plenty of drinking water for your hound and add electrolytes such as a baby electrolyte drink called Pedialyte or a specially formulated dog product. I carry this on my bear hunts and has allowed me to get overheated dogs back on their feet.

5.If hunting more than one dog, make sure you separate them to reduce radiant body heat.

6. Allow each dog plenty of time to cool off before calling on them to work again.

If you keep a close eye on your dogs panting and movements, you should be able to prevent heat related issues from causing problems with your hunt.

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Tying Your Dogs at the Tree

2011-10-15T21:11:00.000-07:00

Over the years I have seen many dogs injured on bear and lion hunts. Almost everyone has been preventable. One rule I have adopted has resulted in a substantial decrease in the number of hound injuries on my hunts. I tie my dogs at the tree.
A few years ago I was bear hunting in central BC with friends. After a long and exhausting chase we caught a large brown bear. As we gathered around the tree, I tied up my dogs and asked my buddy if he wanted me to grab his dogs. He stated that he wanted to watch his dogs tree for a while and take some more photos. I kept all but one of my dogs tied and watched him perform. I then tied that dog back and let another tree for a while. I alternated the dogs and watched each with pride. After about 20 minutes, the bear had enough and nothing was going to keep him up there any longer. He climbed down the tree and waded into my buddy's dogs. We grabbed as many of his dogs as we could but there were too many. In the middle of the fight, his female plott was unable to back away in time and was killed. A terrible and a preventable incident.
I have seen other instances such as dog fights over a shot lion, young dogs wandering and hit by a vehicle and jumping dogs impaled by sharp objects. All of which would not have happened if the dog was tied.

Treeing
In my experience, tying an inexperienced hound will increase their level of engagement and focus. If you let them tree for short intervals they will become better tree dogs. They will be less likely to become distracted by other dogs and more likely to see the animal move in the tree. I have also lost valuable learning opportunities where a lion was harvested or jumped and my
dog was distracted and missed the cat come out of the tree. After it disappeared in the cloud of snow, the dog became disoriented and missed the outgoing trail.

Working out Problem Areas
I have also found this practise valuable when I encountered an older kill location. Quite often the lion has been in and out of the kill site numerous times and the abundance of tracks can delay your progress. I make a habit of tying my dogs back so they don't contribute to the problem and have an experienced hound and their apprentice work it out.
I know that cooler heads don't always prevail in the heat of battle but I hope that this one simple step will make your hunts more enjoyable and prevent unnecessary injury to your hounds.

Hound Hunting Success - 5 essential pieces of equipment you will need to succeed in the woods

2011-09-28T20:56:00.000-07:00

Hound hunting is by all accounts an extreme sport. It is very demanding physically and mentally. That is why houndsmen need to be prepared for all situations. I have found that through the years there has been five essential pieces of equipment that have saved me time, frustration and long cold nights in the woods.

#1 Protective Clothing
The most important equipment I have are the clothes on my back and the boots on my feet. I have slogged through the mountains in cheap boots and wool pants and learned the hard way that this is one area not to cut corners. I now wear Rivers West Hunting & Outdoor Gear. I find this to be the best product for the price. The garments are light weight but durable. When lion hunting in the deep snow I wear the fleece lined jacket and pants. I now wear the Meindl Canadian boot for footwear. It is 100% waterproof and has a 11" upper so my feet stay dry in deep snow or if I have to walk through a shallow creek. I have owned these boots for five years and they have never let me down. The are also many other geat boots which have similar features

#2 Daypack
A good daypack is essential. I have the Badlands Superday. It is a 1920 ci pack that has both shoulder and waist suspension. The reason I chose this particular style of pack is due to the positioning of the pockets on the waist and the smaller pockets on the exterior. I affords easy access to ammunition, fire starter, GPS and lens cloth for my camera or binoculars.

#3 GPS
I have always relied on Garmin. I started out with an etrex and have upgraded severval times but have always gone back to Garmin. I now rely on my Astro for hound hunting and the 60Csx for other trips into the back country.

#4 Survival Kit
I have been criticized in the past for being over prepared. My pack is often a burden but it has saved me on more than one occasion when I had an unexpected overnight stay in poor weather. Everyone has their own idea of what to pack in case of an emergency but the important thing is you take something. A lighter in your pocket and some tissue may save your life if you become wet and lost in the winter months. I never go anywhere without something to start a fire and good headlamp.

#5 Spot
I have recently purchased a Spot GPS Satellite Messenger. This item is possibly the best investment I have made aside from my old bluetick Gunner! With a push of the button, this device will send a message to your family telling them you are OK or call the calvary if you have been hurt or have gotten lost.

I know there are many other useful items which make your hunting experience an enjoyable one. I often change up my equipment to fit the area I am headed into and the species I am after. Over the years, the items listed above have proven to be essential and are always with me. If anyone has any questions or suggestions about hunting equipment please share it with us in the comments section below. I always look forward to hearing from others about their experience.

For more information and great videos, photographs and more visit www.houndpoundn.com.

Bear Hunting

2011-06-10T13:57:00.000-07:00

I just returned from a week chasing bears at our bear camp. This year in our group there were three new bear hunters who were relatively inexperienced. They each shot a bear over 5 feet in length and wanted to take the hide to a taxidermist for rugs and half mounts. None of the hunters knew how to prepare the hide for taxidermy and how to preserve it. I thought I would give you a few tips about hide preperation.

First, there are three essential pieces of equipment. A carpet knife and spare blades, bag of course salt, and a thermo-cell to keep the bugs off! Also, It is better to skin the bear right after it was shot as the hide will be much easier to remove.

1) Take your bear and lay it on his back with legs spread out. Make a cut from the bottom of the pad on the front paw down to the elbow and accross to the center of the chest. Repeat with the other front leg so the cuts meet in the center of the chest.

2) Make a cut from the base of the chin to the base of the tail, directly down the middle of the body

3) Make a cut from the base of the hind foot down the back of the leg to the base of the tail. Repeat with the other hind leg jointing the two cuts at the tail

4) Skin the hide starting at the hind end and working to the head

5) When you get to an ankle, skin the hide off the paw to the 2nd knuckle where it attaches to the claw.

NOTE: If it is for a rug you can remove the large pad or split it down the middle to make it easier. If it's for a shoulder mount or life size mount make a cut alongside the large pad leaving a small amount of hair still attached to the pad

6) When you reach the head skin it off until you can feel the ear cartilage then cut through the ear canal on both sides of the head

7) Stick your finger inside the eye lid from the outside and carefully skin it off the skull being careful not to cut yourself or make a hole.

8) Skin off the remainder of the hide from the skull

NOTE: If you are able to get to a freezer or taxidermist within 1-2 days, roll the hide up and put it in a garbage bag and keep cool.

If not..
9) Split the lips open from the inside, skinning them down so they are completely inverted

10) Completely invert both ears

11) Spread the hide out on the ground leaving the head inverted (hair side in)

12) Apply a liberal amount of salt to the hide ensuring you fill all of the toes and every crease. Add a large amount of salt to the head and fold it back onto the hide

13) Roll the hide up, put it in a garbage bag or tote and keep in a cool place or freezer until you can get it to a taxidermist

NOTE: If you are not comfortable skinning the paws and head leave them attached to the hide and have the taxidermist remove them.

For more information and great videos, photographs and more visit www.houndpoundn.com.

Trash Breaking Hounds

2011-04-11T13:38:00.000-07:00

I have the misfortune of owning some of the most head strong, trashy hounds that I have ever seen. I have also had dogs that you couldn't get to chase a deer or moose. The problem was they wouldn't chase anything else either. The biggest misconception is that a hound will instinctively know what to hunt and what not to. The hard truth is that hounds will instinctively hunt anything that will run. It is up to you to mould the dog and focus them on what you want to pursue. This will be an ongoing process and may never have to perfect results you had hoped for.
I have hunted lion without snow but the majority of my time is spent in the fresh stuff. I know that when hunting in absence of good tracking conditions I pay extra attention to how my dogs are behaving and reacting to scent. I use this base of experience to analyze and correct unwanted behaviour in the field.
I was talking with a fellow houndsmen from Colorado about a possible hunting trip in the fall. This guy is very experienced and hunts primarily on dry ground in arid desert country. We spoke about breaking hounds off of "trash" and the amount of time spent keeping a hound clean. I estimate that I spend at least 15 minutes exposing my hounds to unwanted scent for every hour out, on the ground, hunting. This includes exercising my dogs where there are large concentrations of deer and moose, letting them out of the box after observing wildlife and various other methods.
I recently read my Walk with Wick books again. John Wick was no doubt a pioneer in the field of hunting with hounds. His methods were, in my opinion harsh at times but effective. He didn't have access to today’s technology which allows the houndsmen to establish what the dog is doing and correct a hounds behaviour from several hundred yards or miles away so he did what he could. When I started with hounds I didn't have this luxury either. I tried my best to head off a deer and moose chase and scold the dogs so they wouldn't repeat the behaviour. More often than not they did and the scolding only taught them not to mind me when off the leash. As a result, I put down some hounds that had great potential.
Your best investment is the time teaching your hounds what is acceptable and what isn't. When the time comes to utilize the talents of your pack on the lion, hog, bear or coon of a lifetime you want to know how your dogs will react and what to do if they stray. So when you get the itch to go out and hunt, plan a trip into the field getting to know your pack and educating them on unwanted game.

East Kootenay Trail Hound Association

2011-04-10T22:00:00.000-07:00

Well the East Kootenay Trail Hound Association (EKTHA) is kicking off the Spring Classic Field Trials. This non-profit association has raised money for great causes like the Schleppe family who were victims of a motor vehicle accident. The trials run from April 15th -17th and includes drags, treeing contests, kids bench shows and other great events. Please show your support and contact Terry Lode for more details (250) 421-7737

Houndsmen and Technology

2011-03-30T08:07:00.000-07:00

I am often amazed at the number of houndsmen on facebook. Every time I log in there are two or three new friend requests. For the first time in history houndsmen and women have a virtual home to network, share ideas, pictures, video and tell our friends about our achievements and that of our hounds. We can now instantly text each other from a tree or a field trial when we are successful or have fallen short. I cherish every contact I make in the hound community for your efforts in the field, the experiences you share and what you contribute to our sport. I love hearing about your hunts, successful or not. I used to read about them in American Cooner or Full Cry. Now I can keep in touch instantly.
I see how our sport has evolved with technology and am amazed at our ability to adapt to this ever changing social environment. Historically, when the areas we hunted became crowded by mountain bikers, hikers, and others who look down their noses at a camouflage clad hunter with his pack of dogs we moved elsewhere. We found new areas where we could run the woods in peace. Now with facebook, myspace, twitter, forums, and youtube we are on display for all to see. These social sites didn't exist ten years ago. We kept to ourselves and showed home video to a few friends and family with little fear of judgment. Now I always look at videos I am posting as if it were to appear on the six o'clock news. Would I be proud of the footage or ashamed.
It's a new era for us. Like many of you, back when I started I didn't have access to tracking devices or ecollars. It was old school. Now I can bounce a signal off a satilite in space and have it tell me where my dogs are, what they are doing and even how fast they are doing it. Some who oppose hunting with hounds would say that it isn't fair chase and technology gives the hunters an upper hand. I would tell them that we owe it to our hounds to take advantage of this technology. We can now prevent the pursuit of unwanted game, prevent losing our dogs for several long nights, hit by vehicles or straying onto private land where they may get shot. To me it would be unethical not to embrace it.
I believe we need to take full advantage of the new technology, continue to be proud of our sport, our passion and our heritage and never stop being tenacious when defending your ability to hunt and enjoy our hounds.

Houndsmen in BC

2011-02-18T09:18:00.000-08:00

Well I am no means an expert when it comes to the use of dogs to catch wildlife and there isn't much on the net about the history of hounds in BC. I know guys like, Jack Lay, Steve Mohr, Jim Dewer, Norm Dougan and Carl Gill were some of the first in BC. Some were hired by the Game Department to hunt lions to prevent conflicts but others hunted for the shear enjoyment of it. My father talked about getting one of his first hounds from a guy named Moonie who lived in a remote ranch on the west side of the Fraser River. The only way into their homestead was by horseback. Moonie had papered blueticks which he used to catch martin in the Chilcotin. Moonie packed the pup out in a gunny sack in his saddlebag. My father had that dog for many years. Toad caught him lots of cats and was eventually killed near Dog Creek by a small female. I am doing more research on the subject and will up date this as I learn more

Well not much progress here! still researching this subject....stay tuned.

HoundpoundN

2011-02-09T15:26:00.000-08:00

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