Whether you run bird dogs, retrievers, or fur dogs, Walkers, Plotts, or Redbones, at the end of the day, all hunting dogs matter. (Chris Ingram photo)
If you’ve been in the hound game long enough, you’ve probably heard it all. An exhaustive list of bad names, rumors, and flat out lies putting down hounds and hound hunters. If you’re new to the sport like me, you’ve seen and heard a lot of things said—some pretty nasty things you wouldn’t repeat to your grandmother. All the misinformation and misconceptions just can’t possibly be true, can it? As I spend more time around hounds, I have come to realize that you can’t simply go by what someone says or what you read about online. If you want to get to the truth of any matter in life, you have got to dig a little deeper and experience it for yourself, or at least hear it straight from the source.
I’ve asked around and spent some time trying to come up with a list of the top five hound hunting myths and gathered some important information to try to set the record straight.
Myth #1 – Hunting with Hounds Is Easy
Ask any hound hunter, “Is it easy?” and I bet you’ll get an earful of amusing and insightful responses. Whether you own a single hound or keep a pack, you’ve got a ton of time, money, and energy into this lifestyle—some may say this hobby borders on obsession. There is the day-to-day upkeep and there are days, weeks, and months of summer training and preseason scouting missions. Come hunting season, everything in life revolves around running dogs. And many committed hunters are also volunteers with local hound clubs or conservation associations that eat up the rest of their free time. Ask any spouse or significant other of a hounder about how much time and money they spend and if it comes easy, I bet you’ll discover it is a labor of love and not one part of it is “easy”.
Myth #2 – Hounds Always Win
I’ll be the first to admit, before I knew any different, I had no idea what it meant to hunt with hounds. I assumed that once the tailgate dropped there was a quick chase that ALWAYS ended up with some sort of furbearing animal being killed by hounds. I later realized the dogs were not directly doing the killing, they are there to track an animal and run it up a tree or otherwise provide hunters with an opportunity to take that animal with a firearm.
Hunters and hounds are visitors to the woods and the critters who live there always have the upper hand. They know the best ways to elude and escape from predators and they are masters of survival. There are some very cunning cats that can easily dupe even the strongest-nosed dog on a backtrack and there are some track star bears who seem to be able to run all day and have no desire to climb a tree. No, most certainly every chase does not end up with a kill—or even an animal at bay or up a tree.
Myth #3 – Hounds Are Vicious and Treated Poorly
You can’t judge a book by its cover or a dog by its bark, although I can understand why someone would be nervous when hearing hounds on track or coming upon a pack under a treed animal. Having worked as a veterinary technician and running doggy daycare, I have seen problem dogs come from all breeds—even toy poodles and golden retrievers. Bad behaviors are enabled and tolerated, dogs are not genetically predisposed to be mean and aggressive. It’s all in how you raise them. Many people grossly misunderstand dog behavior and how dogs interact and communicate. Take a quick visit to any local dog park and you will see what I mean. What sounds menacing and sends some owners into a tearful, frenzied panic is just playful canine chatter and completely acceptable in the dog world.
Of course, there are a few bad apples but from what I have seen, hound owners love their dogs and many hounds live in our homes and even sleep in our beds. Most hounds are biddable and display a willingness to work for their owners. All the hounds I have met have been completely approachable and enjoyed a pat on the head and a scratch behind the ear. But don’t let their gentle side fool you, cut ‘em loose on a hot track and they are all business.
Myth #4 – Hound Hunting is Not Sustainable
We know wild game is not taken each and every time the dogs hit the ground. Hunting with hounds is no different than any other form of big game or small game hunting. Wildlife managers are constantly monitoring populations and setting appropriate season dates and bag limits to ensure there is a sustainable population of wildlife for everyone to enjoy. The influence of harvest from game taken by hounds has not been determined to have a detrimental impact on the overall populations of these furbearing animals. Even if it did, hound hunters would be some of the first to recognize a problem in the woods.
Another point worth addressing, is the selective harvesting that hound hunters practice. With an animal safely resting in a tree, a hunter can carefully determine whether or not they wish to shoot the animal—something still hunters often don’t have time for. For example, bear hound hunters can quickly observe if they are looking at a sow or a young male that can be easily and harmlessly released.
Myth #5 – Hound Hunting is a Man’s Game
Hound hunting, like every other form of hunting, may be decreasing in numbers, but new people are coming into the sport each year. The stereotypical older white male hound hunter is evolving as more women, kids, people of color, and other non-traditional hunters take up the sport. If you share a common love for dogs and the outdoors, you are welcome in this community. It may be difficult to find a hound hunter in your area, but multiple groups and organizations are helping to break those barriers to entry. Many clubs and organization are active on social media and host youth hunts and other public-facing events with an open invitation to come check things out for yourself, leaving you with no more excuses.
Cora Parker of North Carolina is a leading advocate for women and other new entrants to the hound game. She created Girls With Hounds (GWH), a lifestyle brand to help break down the barriers that hunters (women in particular) often find in the outdoors—having someone or an opportunity to be introduced in a positive way. GWH is active on social media and growing their outreach efforts. “It’s ok to want to do this and you’re not the only one,” said Parker. The mission of GWH is also to set the record straight about women who hunt with hounds. “We are not out in daisy dukes and cowboy boots. We are in jeans and hoodies, sweating and running through the woods. Come join us and watch us work. We may be a little slower, but we do it just like the men,” she added.
Delvin Terry of Ohio has been hunting behind hounds since age 5. His passion for dogs and the outdoors would eventually translate into his lifestyle apparel brand, Just Hounds, where messages of community and common tradition resonate loudly. As a hunter of color, he has become an advocate for a unified sporting community, not just for people from underrepresented backgrounds, but inviting of people from all walks of life. In his professional life in the education field, Terry works with youth from urban areas, in particular young men, and uses dogs and hunting to introduce them to the outdoors. “Many of these kids would never have these opportunities otherwise,” said Terry. “We’re changing the narrative and changing lives. We hope to connect kids with good mentors and lead by example.”
Hunting with hounds is a passion, a tradition, and a lifestyle. It may not be for the faint of heart and some hound hunters may be a little rough around the edges and somewhat guarded about their lifestyle—perhaps for good reason. From what I can see, it all revolves around spending time with dogs and with each other. From the outside looking in, you may not understand it and you may not like it, but this community is very proud of what they do and they’re doing everything they can to protect it. For anyone curious enough, do yourself a favor and check it out for yourself. I have no doubt there is an open invitation to anyone who wants to ride along and make an informed decision for themselves. If you keep hounds, consider inviting your friends, family, and anyone else who wants to see what things are really about, or otherwise consider engaging in a civil conversation with a curious mind. This entire community could benefit from just one person speaking truth to just one unsettled hound myth.
Text and Images by On Track Media Group
