Hunting with hounds can be as challenging as it is rewarding, if not more! There are many factors that go into maintaining a pack of healthy and happy hunting hounds, not to mention all of the time and effort that goes into training them to be successful. Vet bills and poop-scooping aside - one of the biggest challenges definitely has to be getting them through the off season. Training is a no-brainer when you can pursue game legally with your hounds. What better way for them to learn than from experience, right? Having a good finished hound to show the up-and-comers the ropes is a great way to get them started, but closed seasons and filled quotas can sometimes make that impossible. Here are 5 tips for keeping your pack at the top of their game when hunting them isn’t an option:
Tip One: Get out
One of the best things you could do for yourself and your hounds is to simply get out. Get out of the house, get them out of the kennel - just get out! Being cooped up all day isn’t good for our mental or physical health, and it definitely isn’t good for high energy dog breeds like hounds. Providing your hound with variety in their day to day life can help boost their mood and stimulate their senses. Get your pack excited to load up and go for a drive; to a field to the water, or anywhere that you feel comfortable; then turn them loose. Spending time with your hounds will help build or strengthen your bond and can provide you with an opportunity to train, socialize, and promote their physical and mental activity. Daily or frequent outings can make a huge difference when the time comes to put the tracking collars on and hunt!
Tip Two: Ground work
Modern day dog tracking and training devices are great tools to utilize when out with your hounds. But, what good are they if your hound doesn’t understand what the tones and vibrations mean, or where they are coming from? Getting on the ground to work with your hounds and incorporating these tools into your training routine allows you to teach/reinforce important commands, or break any bad habits. This way they’ll know what you’re asking when you’re asking of them, and you can communicate with your pack from a distance. Like a well oiled machine things will run much more smoothly when you are working with a pack of well handled hounds!
Tip Three: Condition
Keeping active during the off season will ensure your pack is physically prepared for long days of trailing come game time. Teaching them to run alongside you as you drive an ATV or pickup is a great way to gradually bring them to peak performance and keep them conditioned. A steady routine of ”roading” can build your hounds’ stamina, endurance, and durability. Regular physical activity will help maintain your hounds weight without you having to think about reducing their food intake.
Tip Four: Diet
Feeding a high protein diet supports your hounds active lifestyle by maintaining muscle mass and minimizing fat gain. The extra calories can also start to weigh on them with off season inactivity. Active or not, keeping an eye on their weight is important - but fluctuations can easily go unnoticed when you see them everyday. Making sure their ribs aren’t extremely prominent, yet can still be felt without having to press hard is a good way to tell if your hound is fit in between vet visits. It’s much easier to maintain their weight in the off season than it is to reduce or increase come hunting time.
Tip Five: Practice drills
Keeping their mind active can boost your hounds’ focus and drive to hunt. Practice drills help their senses stay in tune when they aren’t able to pursue live game. Mimicking a race scenario using scent drags can improve a finished hounds agility and offers beginners a chance to gain experience trailing/treeing. You can assess your hounds’ performance and dial up the difficulty as their skill set broadens.
No matter what you do, putting as much effort into working your hounds out of season as you do during season will help ensure they stay on top of their game. While filled quotas and season closures are never fun, they are out of our control. Focus on the things you can control so your hounds are mentally and physically prepared come hunting time!
