Disappointing night

[Machias]

Went coon hunting last night, saw a coon, could have shot a coon.  I had a dog going good a couple of years ago, Leopard Cur, named Bo.  He's in my photo album, anyways when I got out of dogs a year and a half ago, I sold Bo to a older fella in Oregon.  When I got drawn for my Idaho Hound Permit I called him and just let him know that if he ever wanted to get rid of Bo, I'd be interested.  He was actually thinking of retiring from dogs as he can't get around very good.  So on Sat I drove down to Salem, OR to buy a new horse trailer and he met me there and I got Bo back.  A little bit out of shape but looking good none the less.  So I took Bo and the pup, Rip out.  Down to Revere to hunt along Rock Creek. I left the house at 7 pm.  Honey I'll be home around 11 pm.....yea right.  Got down to Revere, the road in was a little sloppy but not too bad.  Rock Creek was rolling.  Fog was moving in and out and it was fairly warm for this time of the year.  I was pretty excited.  Got the dogs collared up with their new Garmin Astros and off we went.  Left the truck at 8 pm.  About a half mile in the pup starts working a track, opens up and is GONE.  I lose his signal after a mile.  I figure he's running some fast game due to the way he was working the track and the direction they were heading.  Headed off after him and never caught up with him.  The Garmin is a god send!!  It was pretty foggy, but I was able to navigate to a unpaved road on the topo map and ended up at the falls.  Hit Rock Creek and started working the edge.  Bo never got more than 80 yards from me.  I figure some of that was due to being slightly out of shape.  So we're walking Rock Creek and walk right up on a big coons standing in the water.  We're about 6 feet from this coon and I'm waiting for Bo to open up and have some fun......nothing.  Bo walks past him and the coon runs up the bank and walks past me at 6 feet.  I had the .22 pistol on him but I don't like shooting unless the dogs have treed it.  I was wishing the pup was there.  Ok, so the coon was below us and the water is rolling and loud so I figure Bo didn't see him and didn't hear him run through the water on the edge and maybe didn't smell him due to wind currents, but I called him over and figured once he hit this smoking hot track we'd have him treed in no time.  There was no doubt he smelled where the coon came up the bank, walked about 10 yards down the trail and came back and looked at me like yea, what do you want me to do about it.      Very disappointing.  Ended up walking about 6 miles and as we're heading back to the truck I get a signal on the Garmin, Rip is back on the screen, yea!  Oh, he's at the truck.     Get back there and he is in the dog box, wore out but happy to see us.  I got home and in bed at 2 am this morning. 

[quadrafire]

Sounds fun though!

[WAcoyotehunter]

haha- that sounds about right!  Too bad that pup wasn't there to run that coon!

[Machias]

I was thinking the same thing about the pup!  One thing, about a half a mile into it, Bo fell off a 10 to 12 foot drop and down onto some rocks, It was a pretty hard landing and he was smarting for a bit.  I thought for sure he broke something, but he was up and at em right away and other than snorting several times never showed any ill effects.  I am hoping it had more to do with him being out of shape and worn out, but we'll see!

[daddysprad]

Just think about all the good exercise you got.     Your still lucky, if it was me, I'd have to sleep out in the barn. 

[Machias]

 

[mulehunter]

This so funny. Dang close. Next time bo will learn. Always a time to help trainning.  Sound like fun.


Mulehunter

[Rooster1981]

Maybe bo just needs to get his teeth on to one and he will snap out of it.

[Hornseeker]

Never know Fred... Bo could click on the next one, but I've seen very few dogs that would do that then be good later... But...it does and has happened...

Kiddo found him a deer or yote huh???

[Machias]

Bo's been run on nothing but bear the last two years, does a very good job.  So I call the guy I got Bo from back and low and behold no wonder ol Bo didn't run the coon.  He's been broke off coons.  The guy doesn't want to hike in a few miles to find Bo treed on a coon.  Understandable.  He didn't mention it and I didn't ask when I went down and got him back.  No biggie, bear season is just a couple of months away.  I'm going to see if he likes bobcat this weekend over in Idaho.

The pup did not make it. He was doing REALLY well and I had high hopes but after his first encounter with a shot out coon he tried fighting everything at the tree.  Got him calmed down and tied back and 10 minutes later a dog walked by and he launched into him.  He did not come home with me that night.  That is the one trait I have NO tolerance for.  Some dogs have faults a guy can live with, some dogs have faults that they can be sent down the road, as long as you make the new owner fully aware of those faults and it's something they can live with.  Fighting other dogs is not one of those traits.

[Machias]

P.S.  Treed 6 coons this past week, they are moving well right now.  Going out tonight for a late nighter!!

[Hornseeker]

I hear ya on the fighting... I'm glad you made that decision... I've seen some BAD chit go down at the tree when just one dog is a fighter and the rest aren't... cannot be tolerated...

You still have Bo then? Its funny... I got rid of a dog back in 91 named BO... to a guy in Oregon!

[Machias]

I have two Bo's right now, the one from Montana is now called Montana Bo (very original, huh!)  This dog is turning out excellent, at least on coons.  Oregon Bo is going with me tonight, if nothing else he can get some exercise, he's broke off trash so, unless there are bears running through the sagebrush country tonight he's be hanging out with me mostly. 

[Hornseeker]

If he sees that you are into runnin coons... he may just go for it!! I know it wouldn't take MUCH to get a good broke dog to go wrong...... generally...

[merlo105]

Cant wait for my redbone to put some age on him and start on live coons. Almost four months old now... Few more months... Will be ready by next season...