[stewartcal]

For those of you that trial or have seen a variety of hounds what’s the hardest hunting dog or line of dogs you’ve seen?

 

[TJRANGER]

Your going to get All kinds of different answers but out of the lines I have personally ran/ owned/ hunted with I will list in no particular order!
1) Skullfork
2) Branko/Satsuma/Gay
3)Indian Hills
4) Otis/Stubby/Pro
5) Chicken
2 very true statements an old man told me years ago:Lots of good hunt lines out there but not all lines hunt!!

 

[richard lafon]

The hardest hunting that I have seen was the Red River Bruce line

 

[LtELmer]

Most lines of Weir Creek

 

[stewartcal]

Your going to get All kinds of different answers but out of the lines I have personally ran/ owned/ hunted with I will list in no particular order!
1) Skullfork
2) Branko/Satsuma/Gay
3)Indian Hills
4) Otis/Stubby/Pro
5) Chicken
2 very true statements an old man told me years ago:Lots of good hunt lines out there but not all lines hunt!!

I know everyone has a style they like best! I’ve seen a little bit of the Otis and skullfork on video but haven’t run with any of those. The best part of rabbit hunting to me is seeing a good hound run the fire out of one. Out of the hounds I’ve seen it seems like the heart and grit has dwindled over time. I’m trying to add that back in my pack now.

 

[stewartcal]

Most lines of Weir Creek

I’ve heard that but haven’t ran with any to see it. I have seen some hounds that have weircreek as an outcross though and they seemed to have it in them.

 

[Huntsman]

The hardest hunting (searching) line I have experienced was the Gay line from Frank Reese, especially those directly by or close to Gay Baker. They were awesome little rabbit dogs. Unfortunately they were very trashy, and this was in the days before we had shock collars to stop/break them off deer.

 

[Running La. biares]

The hardest hunting that I have seen was the Red River Bruce line

Yeap,
Seen some grand pups of Bruce hard all day no quit hunt for sure

And a couple of shorts/ black creek/ bluetick cross that never stop moving

Some in-line black jack and wier creek are tuff as nails

 

[stewartcal]

The hardest hunting (searching) line I have experienced was the Gay line from Frank Reese, especially those directly by or close to Gay Baker. They were awesome little rabbit dogs. Unfortunately they were very trashy, and this was in the days before we had shock collars to stop/break them off deer.

Shock collars are definitely a game changer! Before we had shock collars the dogs we had with more hunt seemed to be more stubborn than their counter parts.

 

[will messer]

Blackcreek/Skullfork---hands down hardest hunting day in day out----Stubby---hard hunt--extrene----most SPO dogs are influenced by a line of hard hunting dogs----stubby ect

 

[stewartcal]

Blackcreek/Skullfork---hands down hardest hunting day in day out----Stubby---hard hunt--extrene----most SPO dogs are influenced by a line of hard hunting dogs----stubby ect

Are there any particular hounds you look for in a blackcreek or skullfork line?

 

[mitch huguet]

Go look before you buy. Go find some rabbit hunters and look at what they have.

 

[stewartcal]

Go look before you buy. Go find some rabbit hunters and look at what they have.

Yes sir, true hard hunt in briars is hard to find.

 

[duke1]

Ran Satsuma for years. Didnt have the space to let them stretch so i slowed down. Now, Otis/pro, Stubby. Many,many hard hunting lines

 

[5 Solas]

I would add, a dog that is all over the place moving quickly through the briars before the rabbit is up isn’t necessarily hunting harder. I have seen dogs that run crazy in circles all full of life and appear to be hitting hard until you look and they aren’t hunting, they are just running. A dog that has his nose at work and searching industriously that heads straight for the briars and is dead set on finding a rabbit is hunting hard. A dog that is all over the place as fast as possible is not necessarily a hard hunter

 

[Gene Fedor]

For me , it was the northway x branko line back in the 1990s. I haven't seen anything yet to match the hunt,grit, all day power . But, I have to say they where way to wild, loose, reaching out 50, 75, feet in a check/loss! That's the only reason why I moved to flatcreek line, kalagha, very good hunt and tighter on the line then I was running.

I'll be dabbling soon in wiercreek/blackcreek/lizard creek tadpole stuff in the near future. Hoping for extreme hunt grit etc with decent line control

 

[John Taylor]

I have to agree with 5 solas post above!!! Just because one seems to look at it is hunting hard doesn't mean it is and probably won't be the best jump dog out there. I would love to have the old stuff I had years ago that would drag themselves under the cover and if they came out you could burn it down. No rabbit was to be found.

With above said, it is hard for me to say one line hunts better then others. I have bought pups out of dogs that I knew had decent hunt. Dogs that I was running with their owners a couple times a week. I felt I surely was going to have the same type that their parents showed me weekly. In the same litter, one of the pups turned out to be a really hard hunting dog, probably more then his parents had showed me. He was a very nice dog, never gave up on a rabbit. I ended up giving him away because of his desire to run. I don't move as quick as I use to and as he wouldn't quit hunting I wasn't quick enough to catch him. Dogs with his hunt, that knew how to search and jump one are hard to find he cannot be bought from his new owner. I am glad I found the right home for him. NOW!! His littermate was a totally different dog. LAZY, LAZY, LAZY!!! He ran well when he ran, but it was nothing for you to suddenly notice him out of the race and in a few minutes laying down next to you. The pack could come within feet of you and the rabbit even seen if he didn't feel like joining in he wouldn't then a couple minutes later could hear his voice in the pack driving and doing a good job. I put up with it longer then I should of, but thought he would get out of it. I gave him to a kid that wanted a dog but his parents said they couldn't afford one. He and his parents came pick him up, The boy was very excited. I saw him about a year later and asked if he still had his Beagle and he told me yes. I asked if he liked him and yes again. I am happy I found the right home for this dog also.

EVEN IN THE SAME LITTER, NOT ALL ARE CREATED EQUAL !!!

 

[marshall dillon]

I will just speak for my Blackcreek’s . They lack on some things , but hunt is not one of them . Getting them to stop is almost impossible without a collar .

 

[will messer]

I got BC/SF dogs in my kennel that cast like bird-dogs with their head up---if you see one whirl and head for the briars or brushpile---get ready--if they pass up a brushpile without going in----ant no rabbit in it---you can take it to the bank

 

[WVBeagleMan]

I got BC/SF dogs in my kennel that cast like bird-dogs with their head up---if you see one whirl and head for the briars or brushpile---get ready--if they pass up a brushpile without going in----ant no rabbit in it---you can take it to the bank

What is BC/SF? I probably know, just can't get my mind around it right now.