multitude of lost hounds...

[Guest akaspecials]

Let me start by saying that I don't mean to criticize and I mean no offense by this post. I am completely uneducated when it comes to hounds and hunting behind them and I am just curious.

 

However, it seems as though there are a lot of hounds that go "missing" or have been misplaced during hunts since I joined this site years ago. I've even helped houndsmen find their dogs on a few occasions in 23N. But why does this happen and why is it so acceptable? Do radio collars fail? Do houndsmen not care? Do the dogs just have a mind of their own?

 

Once again, I want to reiterate that I mean no offense and I'm not trying to incite the wrath of CWT as I'm used to retrievers and pointers and have not worked hounds. I'm just curious why so many hounds go missing on such a regular basis and why it seems acceptable.

 

Thanks in advance.

[LovinthehuntAz]

We care. Sometimes sh*! Happens!! Electronics fail! Young dogs trash! Long races!

[bonecollector777]

I don't have hounds but have many friends that do. First off I don't think they think it's acceptable. They love their dogs just as much as anyone else and with some dogs being worth thousands of dollars I doubt any of them would just accept the fact their dog was gone and not try their hardest to find it.

People lose their dogs out of their backyards during the middle of the day so why do you find it so strange a dog might go missing while they run for miles through the forest in who knows what direction. They could break off from the pack and go chase an elk or deer, they could get hurt, they could lose their collar, their collar battery could die or the collar could malfunction.

Losing a dog doesn't happen often but I promise every time I have been with friends when they lost a dog they spend hours looking for them into the night and next days and they nearly always find them. If they don't find them ssomeone else will and will call them.

Just curious where you saw or got it from that made you think they just accept losing their dogs like it's nothing? If you saw it on this site they are most likely telling people to help out and look so I would take that as them doing everything they can to find the dog.

[ready2hunt]

I don't know of any houndsman who finds it acceptable.

 

I actually don't know of any who waste their time asking the internet for help. They are usually still out in the unit trying to find the dog. Dogs do get lost and die though...just like some of us....its just the sad part of the sport.

[WHT_MTNMAN]

Hounds are a different breed for sure. You can not train them (most of them) the same way you can other hunting breeds. They don't listen to basic commands real well without some serious training. Unlike your upland or waterfowl dogs they spend the majority of their time far away from their handlers, they tend to split up regularly looking for older tracks. Even a good pack of hounds will sometimes split and trail two different animals running together. Pretty common to "lose" a few dogs and like has been said before most houndsman will spend nights and days on end gathering dogs.

One of biggest problems hounds have are well intentioned passerby's picking up hounds because they think they are "lost". Most hounds will willingly jump into any vehicle that offers them a ride when the owners are driving the road a mile or so a way.

[Guest akaspecials]

Thanks wht_mtnman. That answer makes a lot more sense especially in regards to the breed characteristics.

[lonne]

My brother in law uses dogs in Hawaii. Every once in awhile when one "disappears", he'll leave his t-shirt out and come back the next day, and the dog will be there waiting.

[wildwoody]

hopefully most of them get found, but i here of more pets up here get lost more the hounds, it happens

[LovinthehuntAz]

They always come back to the houndsmans sent!

[Camofreak]

Let me start by saying that I don't mean to criticize and I mean no offense by this post. I am completely uneducated when it comes to hounds and hunting behind them and I am just curious.

 

However, it seems as though there are a lot of hounds that go "missing" or have been misplaced during hunts since I joined this site years ago. I've even helped houndsmen find their dogs on a few occasions in 23N. But why does this happen and why is it so acceptable? Do radio collars fail? Do houndsmen not care? Do the dogs just have a mind of their own?

 

Once again, I want to reiterate that I mean no offense and I'm not trying to incite the wrath of CWT as I'm used to retrievers and pointers and have not worked hounds. I'm just curious why so many hounds go missing on such a regular basis and why it seems acceptable.

 

Thanks in advance.

 

Well....they do have a mind of their own...

 

[rossislider]

Hounds are a different breed for sure. You can not train them (most of them) the same way you can other hunting breeds. They don't listen to basic commands real well without some serious training. Unlike your upland or waterfowl dogs they spend the majority of their time far away from their handlers, they tend to split up regularly looking for older tracks. Even a good pack of hounds will sometimes split and trail two different animals running together. Pretty common to "lose" a few dogs and like has been said before most houndsman will spend nights and days on end gathering dogs.

One of biggest problems hounds have are well intentioned passerby's picking up hounds because they think they are "lost". Most hounds will willingly jump into any vehicle that offers them a ride when the owners are driving the road a mile or so a way.

I was chasing lions with a houndsman behind dogs one time and we noticed that one of the dogs started moving way to fast on the GPS tracker. We full out ran to the truck and began pursuit before the signal was out of range. Eventually we caught up to a guy that had the dog in the back of his truck. He claimed he had found the dog and assumed it was lost. Maybe, maybe not. Seems odd to me that someone would pick up a hound with a tracker on its neck in prime lion country and just "assume" the dog was lost. A well trained hound can be worth a lot of money.

[WHT_MTNMAN]

Most hunters will not pick them up with collars etc.....but not every one driving roads are hunters...actually most are not..

[Critter]

My wife, dogs, and I were shed hunt'n in 8 and came across a dog with collar that appeared lost but had a good feeling all was well. We made friends with it and got close enough to get the ph# off the dogs collar (it wasn't chasing anything.. just walking around and couldn't hear the other dogs or anyone nearby). It was clear the collar was working as the timer was going on it still so we figured a houndsman was close but called the ph# anyway and got ahold of his wife who gave us his cell#. Called him on his cell and within 20 min. he worked his way to us on foot. We just wanted to make sure the dog found his way back to the owner so we hung out with the dog until the guy got to us. Houndsman out of kingman area... forget the name but nice guy.

[MattMan]

If I lost a dog out of my yard, in the woods, camping, etc., and was unable to find/catch him before dark or within a few hours or whatever, first thing I'd do is get the word out, in case someone found him and picked him up. Same if I found a dog and picked him up if he had no contact info or a collar. Prior to technology this happened at the local coffe joint, through word of mouth, local radio trading post, and putting up signs on every telephone pole a guy could find.

 

Technology makes it VERY easy to get the word out... forums ARE technology and timely spread of lost dog info might make the difference between getting my dog back, or getting a dog back to his owner, as quickly as possible.

 

Simple as that.