Advice I give everyone is to hook up with a dog crew for a season or two and see if you really enjoy it. Help them with their dog feed which has almost doubled the last few years. When I started 27 years ago I rode with my buddy for a few seasons until his son was born,then I started driving my own rig. I learned a lot from him that way.
Hounds need to be run every weekend not left if the pens.Be prepared to stay out late at night trying to catch them,the heartbreak of a hog killing them if you hog hunt,or even spending a lot of time and money on a dog and it ends up being useless.
First, I'm a deer hunter.
how many dogs ? I keep 4 running dogs and 2 or so pups. Not all pups make the cut as I'm hard to please. No need to keep more dogs as everyone I hunt with has WAY too many dogs and along with collars( telemetry, gps, shockers) there's no need for more than a small pack.
whats a proven good dog/dogs gonna cost ? from $200-5,000. Depends on what you want and how deep you want in it! Also depends on age and ability. trail/track dog are the most expensive by far. cast dogs are cheaper, pack dogs are cheapest. started puppies in the rabbit pen are $200-300 depending on bloodline and amount of promise it shows.
then what breed /breeds ? I prefer beagle/walkers or walkers.
radio vs gps collars ? I run both along with shock collars
4wd a must ? in my woods it is..
do the dogs always bark / do the neighbors complain ? I have mine on 140 acres of nothing but timberland. Most of the neighbors own deer dogs though so they're cool with the barking. I cannot stand barking dogs near my house and I raise a few pups at my house only.
how much $ a year do ya have/average a year per dog for vet bills? All prices yearly- $700 in food or more. Ivomec, intestinal wormer, vaccines, meds- $150. Vet bills really depend. The vet is the last ditch option if I cannot fix the dog. You'd be surprised what farm use medicines will cure- I've only been to the vet once with a hunting dog in the past 7 years and should've gone 1 more time.
any of em actually house pets and hunters ? No. Most act like pets though as I treat them like they are until the dog box opens then it's business time.
It takes along time for alot of hunters to build up what i considered a decent pack. I have been through alot of dogs in 7 years just to have the pack I have today. It is a lifestyle and takes up alot of free time. I have to feed up and clean kennels every day or every other day. Constantly checking dogs and keeping them up and healthy. I wonder often if it's evern worth it myself with the soaring costs involved.
My suggestion is find a crew to hunt with and see if you really want all the hassle of dog huntin. If it's really about only killing deer, then stick to stand hunting my friend lol
thanks very much for the answers fellas
I need to find some body to tag and help for a while too learn a bit / see if it fits :toast :pow
