the Oldest and Purest Form of Hunting

[Tacti_Steve]

Just read one of the best articles I've read in a long time "Nothing But a Hound Dog: A Photo Essay Celebrating Man's Best Hunting Partner" By Brad Fitzpatrick. I couldn't have said it better. Although he did start to lose me at "But viewing our dogs as tools diminishes the true nature of our bond." I disagree with that one statement. Hounds are hunting tools. Like any tool you need to use it as it was intended for. If you don't the tool goes bad and you've disrespected the tool. I say hunting with your hound (using your tool) displays and strengthens the nature of our bond. All-in-all a good article. Especially for those that don't hunt with hounds.

http://www.outdoorlife.com/articles/hunting/2016/0...

[airedale]

Speaking for myself it has also been some of the most fun!

 

Al

[diplomat019]

Don't have a hound dog, but I do have a hunting dog.  I love watching him work.  Ive heard the "dog is a tool" and I respect that opinion, but its not mine.  Mine is a couch potato lol.  Great read tho!

 

We should have a upland section or hunting dog section added to the forum.

[BizCT]

I love watching hounds work tracks and figure out what's hot and what's not.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Tacti_Steve]

Don't have a hound dog, but I do have a hunting dog.  I love watching him work.  Ive heard the "dog is a tool" and I respect that opinion, but its not mine.  Mine is a couch potato lol.  Great read tho!

 

We should have a upland section or hunting dog section added to the forum.

My hound is a house dog too. Though not allowed on the couch. I don't want anyone to think I'm one of those guys that doesn't respect their dogs. They are alive, they deserve respect, there is a bond, they are pets (some more than others). But they are a tool for hunting just like your gun or the correct size wrench. 

[Pygmy]

There are few things more enjoyable to me than hunting with a good dog, whether it's a hound, a retriever, or a pointing or flushing bird dog.  It adds so much to the hunt.

 

Yesterday a friend and I spent the morning hunting rabbits with his two beagles and had a truly memorable rabbit hunt.

 

 

[Pygmy]

Tacti_Steve, on 01 Mar 2016 - 7:07 PM, said:

My hound is a house dog too. Though not allowed on the couch. I don't want anyone to think I'm one of those guys that doesn't respect their dogs. They are alive, they deserve respect, there is a bond, they are pets (some more than others). But they are a tool for hunting just like your gun or the correct size wrench. 

Some oldtimers used to say that a house pet could not be a good hunting dog.

 

More BS passed down through the years !

 

The absolute best beagle I ever saw was an OBNOXIOUSLY spoiled house pet, but she was a rabbit running machine. Damn seldom did I ever get a rabbit cleaned before she started the next one.  The best coonhound my Dad ever had was a yard dawg/housepet. The best lab I ever hunted over was a pizza eating house pet.  She was outstanding both on waterfowl and upland birds.

[Tacti_Steve]

Some oldtimers used to say that a house pet could not be a good hunting dog.

 

More BS passed down through the years !

 

The absolute best beagle I ever saw was an OBNOXIOUSLY spoiled house pet, but she was a rabbit running machine. Damn seldom did I ever get a rabbit cleaned before she started the next one.  The best coonhound my Dad ever had was a yard dawg/housepet. The best lab I ever hunted over was a pizza eating house pet.  She was outstanding both on waterfowl and upland birds.

I completely agree that dogs can be both great hunting dogs and house pets. I will say though that there is merit to the argument. I believe that it takes longer to get a pup going really well as a hunter when also training them to be pets. I call it over training them. I have problems with them running off to hunt at first because my wife is teaching them to stay at her side when she goes running. Or the difference between stay in the yard and when to run off hunting. When to use their nose to track but not get into the garbage. Nothing that can't be overcome but I do think it takes the edge off of that out of the gate hard on track competition dog. Competition dogs need to be at the top of the pack and force their way into the tree. That's hard to teach when also teaching them their at the bottom of the pack in the house. Especially when you start getting up to 10+ hounds. Giving them that extra training at both aspects is much more difficult. That is where I think the tool mentality comes much more into play. Being able to separate that bond with the house pet and the you're here to do a job when hunting. 

[NFA-ADK]

Like the article but I would argue the fact that man first hunted solo and stalked or ambushed as the oldest form.

[Tacti_Steve]

Like the article but I would argue the fact that man first hunted solo and stalked or ambushed as the oldest form.

Arguably yes. Devils-advocate argues that hunting with your hands or spear has died out a long time ago. At least in scale.

[Doc]

Yeah, perhaps it is more the title of the thread that I disagree with than the content of the artile. Actually hound hunting is quite far along the time scale of hunting.