Hound Guys,Please Chime In !!!!!!
- Thread starter 88 man
- Start date
We went through the same issue at our camp. What it boiled down to (myself included) was that most members were ambivalent about cost vs benefits of using hounds when it was required to support the costs of 6-8 hounds annually, plus all the other related canine issues.
The solution was to "pool" with another camp that was using hounds. That way we were able to reduce the number of hounds in inventory, down to about 4 between the two camps. Also, this allowed us to:
- organize larger hunts with more parties on watch - which proved to be quite beneficial during pushes.
- hunt with alternative, less organized, methods when we were "dogged out", hung-over, etc.
- spend a lot less time chasing down lost hounds with the radio receiver.
Regardless of the situation, its difficult to get a decent "payback" if you use/raise hounds the way you do. If the season was longer, or the hounds had other uses.... In the end, it becomes a labor of love.
The solution was to "pool" with another camp that was using hounds. That way we were able to reduce the number of hounds in inventory, down to about 4 between the two camps. Also, this allowed us to:
- organize larger hunts with more parties on watch - which proved to be quite beneficial during pushes.
- hunt with alternative, less organized, methods when we were "dogged out", hung-over, etc.
- spend a lot less time chasing down lost hounds with the radio receiver.
Regardless of the situation, its difficult to get a decent "payback" if you use/raise hounds the way you do. If the season was longer, or the hounds had other uses.... In the end, it becomes a labor of love.
I dont have my own hounds, but a couple friends do. But, the guys who have the hounds, don't have retrievers, but myself and another buddy do...so it all works out for our small group. Everyone just has their own dogs, and the right dog for the right application is brought.
We dont have a "camp" tho...we just have access to properties and also crown land. If I was the one looking after 9 dogs, I would want some compensation for sure!!! Your whole camp gets to enjoy the dogs, they should pay for them...beyond just food and vet bills. You are putting in the time training, everyone else should be covering the bills.
We dont have a "camp" tho...we just have access to properties and also crown land. If I was the one looking after 9 dogs, I would want some compensation for sure!!! Your whole camp gets to enjoy the dogs, they should pay for them...beyond just food and vet bills. You are putting in the time training, everyone else should be covering the bills.
canadian hunter312
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Brant County
i got a pup off 88 man a couple years ago (thanks again
) and she is programmed for deer and does pretty good with rabbit. ever since she was a pup she'd start going nuts when she hit deer scent so i can only imagine how well his trained dogs do. i have enough trouble with this one stubborn mutt. you must be going loony having 9 of them around
figure out a yearly total and let the others know what it is. if they don't pay then they don't go hunting with you guys...
) and she is programmed for deer and does pretty good with rabbit. ever since she was a pup she'd start going nuts when she hit deer scent so i can only imagine how well his trained dogs do. i have enough trouble with this one stubborn mutt. you must be going loony having 9 of them around figure out a yearly total and let the others know what it is. if they don't pay then they don't go hunting with you guys...
Like others have said, we pool all our camp bills for the year, hydro, insurance, taxes, dog maintenance etc, and everyone pays their share. It's nonnegotiable, we are a hound gang, if you don't want to pay for dogs, you're welcome to find a crew that doesn't use them. We have dozens of guys who'd give their left nut to get into our group and take their place. If someone takes the hounds on to keep them, the gang will even pay for materials and show up to build the kennel for them. There should be ZERO additional cost to the guy who is good enough to have them.
After emails to and from all camp members I'm using the camp kitty to look after what I've spent already and extra $'s coming as well to keep things going and balance out what I've spent.My guys are great and knew they would come through but was just asking here what you all did and everything is working out fine !.At this falls hunt the dog food issue will be looked at and taken care of so everyone is putting $'s in and not just me.This takes a BIG load of my shoulders !!!.
Just to let all know that about 1/2 the members came from this great web site ( and me not knowing who they were or anything about them ) and the other's are long timers like me with about 20yrs or so in the camp.All in all I'm VERY pleased with the outcome of what I'm dealing with and hope all the guys stay in camp !!!!!!!!
88
Just to let all know that about 1/2 the members came from this great web site ( and me not knowing who they were or anything about them ) and the other's are long timers like me with about 20yrs or so in the camp.All in all I'm VERY pleased with the outcome of what I'm dealing with and hope all the guys stay in camp !!!!!!!!
88
wheelin_ca
CGN Regular
- Location
- Simcoe County Ontario Canada
tell the camp that you cant afford to keep the dogs anymore, so its either help, or the dogs go
I hear ya there duber !!!.They tie ya down big time and can get a little noisey sometimes if other dogs or critters are lurking around.I've thought a few ( more like alot ) what the hell am I doing this for and it all boils down to the love of the hunt with hounds.Like my saying says,nothing better than the sound of hounds and smell of spent gun powder !!!!!!
madtrapper143
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Steep Rock Lake NWO
My labs retrieved countless hundreds of ducks, pheasants etc for my hunting friends over the years. Only ONE of these guys offered to pay for food my dogs used up on a week long waterfowl hunt. I declined the offer as it would have been unfair to have one guy pay. 3 others were present at the time and made no offer to assist in any way. Last fall after one of my labs died and the other got too old to hunt did the others realize how valuable the dogs were in recovering downed birds. I did enjoy watching the cheap b******* wading around sloughs looking for wounded birds.
Darryl
Darryl
