Bogardi

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What are the best hunting dogs for taking hogs with a knife or spear?
 

TRey

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What? No website about dog hunting in your tag line?
Just kidding...I do believe the dog of choice is a black mouth cur. Google the bayed solid magazine. Just about any hunting dog will do the job but the BMC seems very popular for an all around dog as is the Dogo Argentino. Rhodesian Ridgebacks do well as strike and bay dogs, pit bulls for catch dogs, american bull terriers for catch dogs. Just be careful of them when you go to stick them with your spear!
Actually check the hound section here as well.
 

STEVE IN SOCAL

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<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Bogardi @ Dec 17 2008, 05:59 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div>
What are the best hunting dogs for taking hogs with a knife or spear?[/b]


One that will go with you again after it knows you don't have a gun....breed unimportant.
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Bogardi

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I read that you usually need around 3 dogs, is this correct?
 

EvBouret

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If I was hunting with a spear and dogs....Again, I can't stress enough how dangerous it is for your dogs using a spear. Any blade that is able to go through the pig has a chance of stabbing your dogs on the other side. Watch a few youtube videos, it's not a neat and orderly affair. There are dogs flying all over the place, on top, and underneath each other etc...The chance for error is just too large, use a knife and learn how to use it right.

I would use running catchdogs. These can be anything from akc bred pitbulls to backyard bred black labs. The main thing is that your dog holds the pig still by the ears, jaw and head but is smart enough to know when to back up and bark to keep the pig in place until you get there.. Most people here in Hawai'i use random line bred mutts. Each hunter has his own line and that's what they stick with. Most of the lines have 1/8-1/4 pitbull and the rest is a mix of airedale, hound, bird dog, herding dog, cur etc.... What you get is a dog that doesn't need to be led on a leash to the pig, has a decent enough nose to find the pigs, barks very little usually only when first find the pig and holds on tight until you get there. The smart dogs will back up on any boar over 150lbs and yap in his face. But they will all most likely pile on as soon as they catch sight of you and know backup has arrived. You will catch more pigs with these dogs than with baydogs.

In texas most people use 2-3 baydogs which can be blackmouth cur, mountain cur, blue lacy, catahoula, bird dogs, ridgebacks etc...I just named a few but the list goes on and on. These dogs corner and keep the pig at bay until you get within 100 yards with 1-2 catchdogs on a leash(pitbull, dogo, american bull., stafordshire etc..). These catchdogs are let go and they make a beeline for the bay and plow into the pig grabbing an ear, jaw or neck in the process. Your job is to finish the pig as quick as possible once the dogs all pile on. This usually involves grabbing a backleg to control the pig and then knifing it in the heart, either through the armpit or in the front of the neck/chest (australian style). The bigger boars are usually still very mobile even with 2-3 dogs holding on. They are able to spin around, swing their head etc...any of these movements can throw your aim off with a spear.

It's doable and some people do choose to use spears but I'd say 99% of dog hunters use knives as they're much safer for the dogs. If you're interested in getting dogs I would get 2 baydogs (one dog that has been trained and knows how to track pigs and one younger dog) and one catchdog. If your catchdog ever lets go once hes locked on, whether its to change his mouthful of ear or turn around to look at you, get a new catchdog! I would want my catchdog to lock on and stay locked until the pig has expired.

Every time you hunt with dogs they are laying their lives on the line for us. The last thing you would want to do is slice your own dog open.
 

MJB

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Don't forget to look at the Jagdterrier. They are real quick, great nose and are real popular in texas for hogs.
Plus if you get more than one dog the food bill is low. They are also small enough to get into the thick stuff, 15''- 22'' tall.
Great with families very loving, great hunters they use their nose, ears and eyes to find game.

Have fun what ever you choose.
 

upper

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Here here on the Jagd.MJB haven't lost yours yet?........Upper
 

gundogs

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Hogs can tear up the ground like John Deere himself, just imagine what they can do to a good dog.
This topic belongs in the hog hunting forum, not the pointers, retrievers and versatile breeds. These breeds are more suited to upland game and waterfowl. I am happy to see that your question was answered however.
Bryce
 

qaz

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Evbouret, gave good advice.
If you want to do this with the fewest dogs, you will need 2 running catchdogs( Curs) and one bulldog. Don't under estimate the power of a good bulldog, he is the match for any two dogs on a catch.
Forget the Jag terrier suggestion. They have the right attitude, but not enough butt!! I have seen probably a hundred of these dogs bay hogs, and the only ones that are good for hogs are mean little SOB's and worthless as a family pet!
 

upper

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quz,you say 100 Jagds?Jagds are not always family pets,but they have no quit....Upper
 

Flatbroke

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I like the Jagg terrier and have run one before.

I am curious about what is being referred to as a running catch dog. The description used in the above posts about what it does is what we call a gritty bay dog . Running catchdogs that I have hunted with but never owned usually consist of a mix of Breed X with a pit, American bulldog, dogo etc but they all just catch and don't let go. A fellow by the Name of Doug Mason breeds running Catch dogs that he calls Catdoos. They are a Catahoula Crossed with a Dogo. He has been doing it successfully for about a Decade if memory serves me correct.

A catchdog running, walked in, or turned in to the bay, in my hunting group is just that all catch or its time to find a replacement.
 

EvBouret

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A running catchdog in my definition is a dog that will find, trail and stop the hog usually by grabbing the back hams or nuts, then grab the hog once more dogs or you arrive. I guess it could be considered a gritty baydog. But there is usually little to no baying involved.

The dogs we hunt here in Hawaii for the most part I consider running catchdogs. They will strike the hog and usually open up when they first see or tangle with the pig, then go silent during the chase or bark very little. When the action heats up again and the dog is fighting the pig the dog will bay a little and grab the pig should it try to escape. Once more than one or two dogs gets there they will grab the pig and you better get there quick.
 

Flatbroke

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We have a couple like that, sure makes it hard sometimes when they are the only two dogs on a hog unless the hog squeals we are hard pressed to find them without an occasional lone bark or a tracking system. Do you guys run a tracking system and if so has anybody used the Garmin Astro?
 

EvBouret

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It can get confusing sometimes out there. For years we would lose the dogs while we were sure they were catching a pig.

My friends just got the gps trackers. Things are pretty amazing. If I was running dogs I would start saving for one right now. They work really well even in the thick stuff and you can look at your dog's paths on a topo map relative to where you are. Only lose signal when the dogs go over a big ridge.
 

bayedsolid

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Hey Ev-- I have heard the collars on the gps trackers don't hold up well but they might have improved them now. I've heard a couple of stories of them breaking down after just a couple of times out so I would be interested in hearing how your buddy's system holds up after a while. I don't think they are legal for us in California anyway but I'm not totally sure.
I run a Tracker Maxima system. You can program any frequency collars into it so you are not just stuck to one frequency. You can also buy new collars without having to match what you already have or program a buddies collars in if you hunt together. It's really small too and you don't have to deal with the big Yagi antenna either.
 

EvBouret

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Last time I went hunting with them I noticed one of the antennaes dangling, so I'm not sure how well they hold up. But I do know they sell shorter antennaes you can put on the collar. I also saw something on a New Zealand forum where some guys modified the antennaes to lay flat along the collar. Looked like it was the goods. I think it was the Monteria site if you want to look for it.

They used to have this older tracker with an antennae about 3 ft long. Was a royal p.i.t.a. to carry it through the bushes.
 

Flatbroke

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Bayedsolid,

Do you have any problems using the Maxima. I have the Classic two collar system and don't care for it that much. Big worm has the Blue box and it works a lot better. Seems to be more user friendly. I have a hard time being consistent with the classic.

The GPS system is not legal for use in CA while hog hunting. The bird guys can use them. I hope the law is changed allowing it to be used for hogs but I dont imagine it will be.
 

bigworm

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<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (bayedsolid @ Jan 19 2009, 11:48 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div>
Hey Ev-- I have heard the collars on the gps trackers don't hold up well but they might have improved them now. I've heard a couple of stories of them breaking down after just a couple of times out so I would be interested in hearing how your buddy's system holds up after a while. I don't think they are legal for us in California anyway but I'm not totally sure.
I run a Tracker Maxima system. You can program any frequency collars into it so you are not just stuck to one frequency. You can also buy new collars without having to match what you already have or program a buddies collars in if you hunt together. It's really small too and you don't have to deal with the big Yagi antenna either.[/b]


The old antenna's mounted on the dogs back with a harness. These broke and had problems. The new one's are collars, and look just like what you are using now. We have a friend that runs one in Texas and liked it a lot.
 

bayedsolid

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<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div>
The new one's are collars, and look just like what you are using now. We have a friend that runs one in Texas and liked it a lot.[/b]
That's good to know. Too bad we can't use them here. Pretty cool concept.
Flatbroke--I love my Maxima. No problems at all. I would take it over any other system I've tried. Not just for the size either, it works just as good or better too. I have a buddy that has a little older on that only runs one frequency and I seem to be able to pick up signals a little stronger than his does. I don't know if age affects them at all or not either.
 
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