NoDinks Report post Posted October 19, 2011 I have been hunting bears for the past 9 years and have never used dogs. I would like to know if people still consider you a sportsman/hunter when u shoot a treed bear or do you think it is just a shooter without hunting skills? I personally believe it takes the sport out of it but would like to gather other opinions. And if dogs are your thing would u think bait should be legal? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
yotebuster Report post Posted October 19, 2011 Don't knock it till you try it! I've never run bears, but I have run lions and coons and it's a riot! VERY physically challenging, and mentally as well. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Chef Report post Posted October 19, 2011 Anyone who thinks running dogs is just a "shoot" has never tried it. Probably one of the toughest ways to hunt IMO considering the toll it has on your body. Trying to keep up with dogs in bear country requires a lot of mental/physical conditioning. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
NoDinks Report post Posted October 19, 2011 I'm not gonna say it's not physically/mentally tough, it just appears as tho it's more of a exercise than a sport? I'm not knocking it bc I have never tried it, but I do know a few people who would be partially responsible for the law change in dog running, (due to the fact that they would tree bears n cats and call people at work to drive up at lunch and shoot them) n that seams less sportlike than anything! I have been rather successful/lucky with bears, so I have never considered dogs. I just don't know what it is that draws people to hire dogs, is it lack of time to hunt or lack of skill in finding bears? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
youngbuck Report post Posted October 19, 2011 A dog's nose is a a lot better than my eyes for finding bears. Good dogs can find more bears sniffing than I can glassing. Its anything but "hey the dogs got a bear lets go get him". Take your dog to a park and play fetch with him, only run as fast and as far as he does every time you throw the ball. If the guys who like to run dogs get run out of the hills, they won't be around when the antis want to take what ever you like, rifles, bows, tree seats, cameras, ect. There are plenty of "outdoors-men" who choose to do things differently than me. I don't let it separate us. I'm sure I do things different than some others too. I like rifles that shoot a long ways and cameras to play with in the summer time. I'll back up the hound guys, or who ever else needs it, whenever they need a bigger group of guys making their point. That way when someone wants to get rid of my trail cams, rangefinders or .30+ calibers for hunting, I'll have guys to back me up. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Chef Report post Posted October 19, 2011 It's the love of the chase more than the kill. The love of the howl of a good dog that you've spent hours training. Not lack of skill, sit behind glass in bear country and you'll find bear. Predator call for a while in bear country and you'll eventually find bear. Sit water for an indefinite amount of time after getting bear on your cam and you'll find bear. Different strokes for different folks. I love em all. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
NoDinks Report post Posted October 19, 2011 I totally will back dogs over non-hunters! And totally agree with te thrill of the chase if u were to chase them then let em go! My only bad perception comes from when a guy doesn't go out and find bears/lions on his own but pays a guy to tree them then go shoot em! Like when a guy comes up to me and says "hey I need the afternoon off I gotta run up to sunflower bc my buddy has a lion treed and I paid to come shoot it". My stroke is finding bears miles away and working to get to them! If anyone thinks glassin up bears and lions is easy show me what I'm doing wrong! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
kninebirddog Report post Posted October 19, 2011 I am looking forward to the day I can listen and watch some dogs work on Bear and Cat...Nothing like good dog work...it is more fun then the kill itself I upland hunt more for watching the dog then the hunt...same for why I guide on the preserve...I get to watch my dog run and do what it loves to do...doesn't get any better then that... Every one enjoys things differently. Doesn't make HOW someone else enjoys to spend their time any worse then what you do Over in texas we can hunt out of a truck for varmints or exotics it is perfectly LEGAL and you know what it is a blast hunting over bait ...just because you put something out there doesn't mean the monster will come in much less if you have the steadiness to shoot it if it does...Isn't about shooting the first thing that comes in it is what You make of it all this petty bickering of who is better on what they do only serves as an open door for the Antis to shove a wedge in to hunting period and if we don't all pull out heads out of our back ends we will all loose HSUS PETA I have been saying this for years we need band to stop them and stop their legislation and lobbying Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
COOSEFAN Report post Posted October 19, 2011 I totally will back dogs over non-hunters! And totally agree with te thrill of the chase if u were to chase them then let em go! My only bad perception comes from when a guy doesn't go out and find bears/lions on his own but pays a guy to tree them then go shoot em! Like when a guy comes up to me and says "hey I need the afternoon off I gotta run up to sunflower bc my buddy has a lion treed and I paid to come shoot it". My stroke is finding bears miles away and working to get to them! If anyone thinks glassin up bears and lions is easy show me what I'm doing wrong! The problem here is that you have based your opinion off of the illegal actions of others! The right and legal way is for that hunter/client to be present before the dogs are even let out! In doing it legally, the hunter is going to get the full experience of looking for tracks, seeing the dogs work and most likely getting some serious excercise! The other thing is that it's never a sure thing! The biggest misconception I usually hear about is everyone thinks it's a sure thing with dogs and that if you have em' you're automatically going to kill your animal, and that aint the case! I've been on a lot of lion hunts and have only seen 1 lion treed, and there have been some SERIOUS miles put in collectively to just see that 1 lion! JIM> Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
25-06 Report post Posted October 19, 2011 This useing dogs to hunt bear sure is sounding fun. Heck I might just give it a try someday Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
kninebirddog Report post Posted October 19, 2011 I was able to go one day for dogs on cats ..we cut a weak trail which lead to nothing and then hunt was cut short because of weather and we were not able to make it back after it snowed But what was a super last was a night hunt in texas Dogs on Hogs..that is not for the weak hearted.... then over in Ohio the coon dogs are fun to listen to and the beagles on a rabbit you can hear them cut through the woods like a times watch they keep going and going Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
NoDinks Report post Posted October 19, 2011 I can respect dogs with lions! They are tough to find and are always on the move unless on a kill! The law changed within the past ten yrs or so to make that illegal, before that the client didn't have to be present, so nobody was breaking the law! Let's face it! Dogs drastically increase ur odds especially in bear country! Also when ur odds go up so does everyones! And if we all shoot a treed bear on the opening morning of spring hunt, then the annual sow limit will keep 99% of u from ever getting a chance to hunt! Treed bears are too easy. I have treed two younger ( 4yrs old?) bears in the past year with nothing but a human chase. I get it's fun! But it's there natural instinct to tree to avoid danger n not come down till it's gone,(a prime reason why bears die in forest fires)! I'm not saying it should be illegal, bc it takes work to train the dogs. But I just wouldn't respect anyone who used dogs other than their own trained dogs! If u need to hire dogs u should stick to hunting javalina bc u probably don't deserve a bear! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
kninebirddog Report post Posted October 19, 2011 I can respect dogs with lions! They are tough to find and are always on the move unless on a kill! The law changed within the past ten yrs or so to make that illegal, before that the client didn't have to be present, so nobody was breaking the law! Let's face it! Dogs drastically increase ur odds especially in bear country! Also when ur odds go up so does everyones! And if we all shoot a treed bear on the opening morning of spring hunt, then the annual sow limit will keep 99% of u from ever getting a chance to hunt! Treed bears are too easy. I have treed two younger ( 4yrs old?) bears in the past year with nothing but a human chase. I get it's fun! But it's there natural instinct to tree to avoid danger n not come down till it's gone,(a prime reason why bears die in forest fires)! I'm not saying it should be illegal, bc it takes work to train the dogs. But I just wouldn't respect anyone who used dogs other than their own trained dogs! If u need to hire dogs u should stick to hunting javalina bc u probably don't deserve a bear! I hunt with my Bird dogs I devote a lot of time to their breeding and training and trialing and what ever I elect to do with them adding another breed would be selfish at best as I do not have the resources nor the time to devote to it to do it properly so I should be denied the fun of watching good dog work because I would need to hire someone that has worked hard to train their dog to hunt bears Wow Lets face it there is FAR more into just getting a dog to go chase the right quarry then you will ever have a concept of ...there is getting a dog that has been bred for it ..just because a pup has papers saying it is a certain breed doesn't mean it was bred properly to have the right instincts trust me on that I see some bird dogs brought in for training that make mediocre hunting dogs at best then the training Way more into it and then wow you go hunt once and that poor dog is now just supposed to sit on the couch not to be used again because heaven forbid it get hired out for someone else to enoy a bear hunt becxause that person should raise and get their own dog to do their own hunt... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
kninebirddog Report post Posted October 19, 2011 I can respect dogs with lions! They are tough to find and are always on the move unless on a kill! The law changed within the past ten yrs or so to make that illegal, before that the client didn't have to be present, so nobody was breaking the law! Let's face it! Dogs drastically increase ur odds especially in bear country! Also when ur odds go up so does everyones! And if we all shoot a treed bear on the opening morning of spring hunt, then the annual sow limit will keep 99% of u from ever getting a chance to hunt! Treed bears are too easy. I have treed two younger ( 4yrs old?) bears in the past year with nothing but a human chase. I get it's fun! But it's there natural instinct to tree to avoid danger n not come down till it's gone,(a prime reason why bears die in forest fires)! I'm not saying it should be illegal, bc it takes work to train the dogs. But I just wouldn't respect anyone who used dogs other than their own trained dogs! If u need to hire dogs u should stick to hunting javalina bc u probably don't deserve a bear! I hunt with my Bird dogs I devote a lot of time to their breeding and training and trialing and what ever I elect to do with them adding another breed would be selfish at best as I do not have the resources nor the time to devote to it to do it properly so I should be denied the fun of watching good dog work because I would need to hire someone that has worked hard to train their dog to hunt bears Wow Lets face it there is FAR more into just getting a dog to go chase the right quarry then you will ever have a concept of ...there is getting a dog that has been bred for it ..just because a pup has papers saying it is a certain breed doesn't mean it was bred properly to have the right instincts trust me on that I see some bird dogs brought in for training that make mediocre hunting dogs at best then the training Way more into it and then you go hunt once and that Wow what is that poor dog supposed after that one hunt you expect it to sit on the couch not to be used again because heaven forbid it get hired out for someone else to enoy a bear hunt becxause that person should raise and get their own dog to do their own hunt... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
NoDinks Report post Posted October 20, 2011 Ur talking to a guy who has 4 dogs used to hunt birds and small game! 2 GSP, 1 Vizsla, 1 Weimaraner. They are great for birds! And I have put many of hours to training them! I understand that! But if I rent them out for use that doesn't make the user a good hunter or dog trainer! How do u explain to your kids that you spent $2000 to run up a hill and shoot a bear out of a tree that had been up there a half hour because someones dogs had chased it there! It's not hunting it's just shooting bc that's all the trigger puller is doing! He doesnt put in the leg work! In that case u might as well jog around the zoo for a couple hours then get u a whole trophy room of game and call yourself Ted! I respect a guy who puts in the time and effort to shoot an animal! Just like a guy who puts in time and effort to save hunting by doing it right and all legal! I am totally in understanding that dog hunting is physically tough for the client, but a true hunter has three aspects, physical toughness, mental toughness, and skill/knowledge in my book! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
