Hunting Tree Dogs on Squirrel & Coon

Haven't been hunting much due to the heat and humidity. It has cooled off some, with the temps still in the low 90's, so I let the old dogs run. Day before yesterday was Sherlocks turn. He hit the woods like a streak and it didn't take long for him to strike up a track. Unfortunately, it did take him awhile to work it out, and he ended up over a half mile from where I was watching on the garmin. It was showing him treed across the paved road so I walked back to the truck and drove around. Got...

Storm is coming along really well. She has gotten the condfidence to jump up on the tailgate recently. She has also started hunting harder and using her nose more. We have plenty of squirrels here, so she is getting lots of experience working their scent.

The leaves are thick here now, and since summer has arrived, the hot, humid weather is making it hard to hunt. I will continue to take Storm on short hunts in the mornings when it is cool.

Took Nosey down to Lawley, Al to hunt with Clif Robinson (marsupialmarshal). He hunted  his dogs Pontiac and Seeker. We had not been turned loose long when Seeker opened with Nosey soon to follow, then the race was on. Dogs in full cry and steadily moving deeper into the swamp. Clif thought briefly it was trash but I doubted it because Nosey doesn't normally run deer. Even when she has it was dead silent. But Clif sure was doubting it, the way they were going. They go 600 yards and lock ...

I have been hunting her some, and letting her run loose some. Letting her run loose is helping to increase her range. Today she hunted out of sight most of the time. She is developing more and more confidence each time in the woods. Just going to be patient with her and let her keep going her own pace.

I have heard lots of people recommend putting a feeder for squirrels near your pup’s kennel. The reason they do this is to make it easy for the pup to see squirrels. Before long the squirrels are coming and going and the pup is barking his head off every time he sees them. Now this is where the problems start. All the pup is learning from this is what squirrels look like and that it is fun to bark at them (think caged game). They don't learn how to hunt them or how to use their nose.

Well today was the 5th day in a row that I have hunted Storm.  She has had her ups and downs, like all young dogs do, but her overall progress has been steady.  When we hit the woods this morning she was hunting the hardest I have seen yet.  Her confidence has built to the point were she is letting her instincts take over and it is showing in her hunting style.

Storm hunts on the run, and she bounces through the thick stuff like a deer.  I hunted with a h...

Yesterday I wrote about being patient with a pup because my young dog Storm is testing mine.  She is just over 8 months old and doing great, but has yet to start hunting like I want.  Since turkey season went out I have been hunting her hard.  This morning is the first sign that the effort is starting to pay off.

When I cut Storm loose for this mornings hunt she started hunting harder than she ever has before.  I don't know what happened last night but th...