# Dogs for hunting Mountian Lion



## JackandAllie (Sep 29, 2010)

I recently went on a Mountain Lion hunt and had a great time. I am considering getting some dogs and getting into the hunting some more on my own. Does anyone have any recomendations on where to start with dogs? What kind of dogs are good and why? Do I need to get one that is already trained or are they easy to train. I really dont know anything about hound dogs, so any info would help.


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## Pops2 (Jul 28, 2010)

coonhound bred for cat, foxhounds & mixes of the two are what most people use. the very best cat dogs are worth ten grand or more. if you stay involved w/ the community you'll be given better dogs than you can buy.
for reading to get you started get a book called "walk with wick"
dogging any game is a lot of work year round, a lot of heartache, & a lot of money but if you're a real dogger you'll never want to hunt any other way. i'd pay premium LE price if i could run deer, elk or antelope w/ my greyX. & i'm a cheap SOB.


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## leviwin (Dec 7, 2011)

Most people I know hunt with tennesse walker hounds. They like them because they are fast and a little smaller than other breeds. A few of them have a black and tan hound running with their walkers. I also know a few people who use redtick and blue tick hounds. I think it is mostly a matter of personal opinion on what breed is best. I would suggest that what ever dog you do end up getting come from someone you know had good lion dogs. Then I would try and get you dog out with some experienced dog so the dog can know what a lion actually is. Then I would get the dog on as many cat tracks as you can. The people I know with the best dogs get them out all the time and work with their dogs all the time. Hounds are a lot more work than you think. You can not just take them out a few times a year and expect them to get the cats althought it is still possible.


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## Kevin D (Sep 15, 2007)

Starting into hounds takes one of two things, money or time. You can buy a pack of lion dogs that already know what they are doing, or you can start from scratch and try to raise up and train your own. No matter what method you do, there are pitfalls in each.

To buy hounds already trained you have to beware, there is no objective way to measure the value of a dog. Horror stories abound about dog deals gone bad. Some dog jockeys will intentially misrepresent a dogs ability to make a quick buck, but most of the time it is just a difference of opinion on a dogs capabilities and potential that comes into dispute. Either way, I wouldn't spend a lot of money on a dog without a written guarantee from the seller. Ask the seller to give you a trial period before the deal becomes final. If he won't, run, don't walk away from the deal.

Be aware also that asking price is not really indicative of a hounds ability or potential. Because the price of a dog is subjective, a $1,500 dog by one seller may be an overall better dog than the $5,000 dog of another. Don't let asking price be the gauge of a hound's true hunting ability.

To start from scratch requires a lot of time investment. The hardest thing about training hound pups is to keep them focused on tracking and treeing. You are going to have to walk out a lot of tracks because the dog gets stumped or loses interest in the track, or come across the scent trail of an off game animal the dog finds more exciting to chase instead.

Hounds must also be taught to look up when the game is finally treed. Oft times a pup will trail game to a tree where the trail ends, become confused, then turn around and start backtrailing. A good dog will eventually start figuring things out and begin catching on it's own. But some dogs never will and you loose all the time and money you invested in them. Training hounds can be a frustrating undertaking and takes a lot of time and patience.

As far as breed of hound, take your pick. There are good and bad dogs in each, and one can't predict a hounds ability or potential based on breed. I'm color blind when it comes to dogs and personally don't care what breed a hound is, as long as it can catch game. I've owned about every breed of hound and I think bloodline is a better predictor of how a dog is going to turn out than actual breed.....and even that is an inexact science.

The best advise I can give you is to buddy up with someone that already has hounds. Learn from them and let your dogs learn from their dogs. As already mentioned, running hounds is a year round commitment to keep them sharp and focused.....most houndsmen wash out after 4 or 5 years. But if it is something your serious about go for it!


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## bigred (Mar 5, 2012)

have a copy of Walk With Wick if you happen to live close to Brigham City and want to borrow it. It's out of print now so the copies that come up for sale are pricey. I bought it because I got a Black Mouth Cur pup that I intend on training to hunt *****. I say intend because I'm not certain I'll be successful, as has been said, it takes a tremendous investment of time and I have a new baby on the way.


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