Post by tnwalkers on Jan 22, 2014 0:34:44 GMT -5
Would be very interesting to run a poll of members of this site to see the percentages of pleasure only to those who seriously comp hunt. Reason I'm wondering is because of the bloodline craze that has taken over our sport. Not telling my age, but I can remember when a good coon hound was what was sought after. Now it's the hounds bloodlines that is the all important to everyone. Now please, not trying to start any arguments, nor am I down on the folks who buy, and sell registered hounds. I have reg Walker hounds that have the "names" in the bloodline. I have a very nice gyp advertised on this site. I'm simply curious as to what drives most buyers to seek out "bloodlines". Can readily understand serious breeder's requirements. If your brood stock does not have those recognizable names for your breed and those titles, your feed bill is going to get expensive. What I can't understand is why bloodlines are so important to beginners or those who only pleasure hunt.
What brought all this up is a recent conversation I had with a young man who called because someone had given him our name and number. He called to ask what we had for sale. My first question to him was... "What do you want the hound for?". Was a polite, well spoken young man and I readily recognized he was a beginner. He'd gone with some friends and really enjoyed it, now wanted his own hound. I'd experienced what I knew was coming so I took some time and TRIED to help him out. Explained we had different hounds at vastly different price ranges because of their age/ability and so on. Was about to suggest he start with....and he interrupted me. He rattled off a few well known Walker bloodlines. That's what he wanted in a puppy to train. I honestly felt sorry for him. A beginner, with a puppy? A beginner who knew nothing about coon hunting, but he was asking for such and such bloodlines? I explained we did not have a recent litter, but we did have a few young started hounds. I quickly added..."Will you take some advice from someone who has been around hounds and coon hunting all her life?". His reply made me smile.."Yes um." My advice was from experience and really wanting to help a beginner.
Find an old finished hound. Registered or not. Hunt with him and if you like him...BUY HIM! Don't let someone jack up the price over bloodlines, buy him/her for the hounds ability. Then, if you want to train a puppy, find what you want and let the old hound help you. Once you've been coon hunting for awhile then make up your mind what kind of coon hunting suits you. Go to some competitions. You may want to Comp hunt, or maybe just Pleasure hunt. Be smarter than the average beginner. We talked for over an hour about hounds, differences in Comp and Pleasure, this and that. I felt really good when I hung up the phone. Did I help him? Don't know, but I tried. I guess it is the prestige thing. "My hound's out of........" Run's trash, slick trees, chews bark off the tree, fights other hounds....but he's out of..............
What brought all this up is a recent conversation I had with a young man who called because someone had given him our name and number. He called to ask what we had for sale. My first question to him was... "What do you want the hound for?". Was a polite, well spoken young man and I readily recognized he was a beginner. He'd gone with some friends and really enjoyed it, now wanted his own hound. I'd experienced what I knew was coming so I took some time and TRIED to help him out. Explained we had different hounds at vastly different price ranges because of their age/ability and so on. Was about to suggest he start with....and he interrupted me. He rattled off a few well known Walker bloodlines. That's what he wanted in a puppy to train. I honestly felt sorry for him. A beginner, with a puppy? A beginner who knew nothing about coon hunting, but he was asking for such and such bloodlines? I explained we did not have a recent litter, but we did have a few young started hounds. I quickly added..."Will you take some advice from someone who has been around hounds and coon hunting all her life?". His reply made me smile.."Yes um." My advice was from experience and really wanting to help a beginner.
Find an old finished hound. Registered or not. Hunt with him and if you like him...BUY HIM! Don't let someone jack up the price over bloodlines, buy him/her for the hounds ability. Then, if you want to train a puppy, find what you want and let the old hound help you. Once you've been coon hunting for awhile then make up your mind what kind of coon hunting suits you. Go to some competitions. You may want to Comp hunt, or maybe just Pleasure hunt. Be smarter than the average beginner. We talked for over an hour about hounds, differences in Comp and Pleasure, this and that. I felt really good when I hung up the phone. Did I help him? Don't know, but I tried. I guess it is the prestige thing. "My hound's out of........" Run's trash, slick trees, chews bark off the tree, fights other hounds....but he's out of..............
