Getting the kid out for some digging

[joh 77]

Got out with Morgan (13 already) and Irish Ray today. As is often the case, Ray showed up with a gift.Some binoculars that'll be well useful later in the season.

We dropped Token and went off to scout a new bit of land Ray just got. First hole and we were on. A good 4 foot dig in real clay like soil got us to Token doing her thing well. One down.

Morgan had bet me a 30 minute backrub we wouldn't get 3 hogs today....I'd have stayed out till midnight to beat her.

Next spot is a field I have. It's full of hogs.

Token again, and she's to ground battling a hogand pushing it closer to a bolt hole, that Sniper's watching, frozen. We hear the hogs war cry (whistle) and it charged the lurcher. You know when you throw a biscuit to a dog..That's kind of what it looked like.

2 done.

Next was one we saw abouve ground, so we knew we wouldn't get it. Token went anyway and we dug her twice, as the first time she was still digging through backfill..She dug through 8 or 10 feet before she engaged, and then she went nuts.

3 done.

On the way back to the trucks token went again, and was straight on. It was shallow so I broke through to find her trying to draw a hog that had easy 3 pounds on her..She forgets..

In the spirit of sport I let this one go for another day..Trying to adopt a 75% rule..The lurchers don't like the new plan, but what can you do?

[long dogs 580]

well done mate

[Tally Ho Hunter 60]

not bad pal

[mudd dog 128]

Good stuff joh. would the hogs give a hard terrier a good going over ? or have you ever dug to one that a terrier has killed in the hole ? Nice pics. Atb....MUDD

[joh 77]

Mudd, the hogs can work over dogs. Their teeth are long and they can gash a dog up pretty well..I had a very good dog retire early due to a well place bite from a hog. Size matters, and only small terriers can work them where i am, as the hogs dig away if the dog doesn't get to it and engage it quickly, and even a determined terrier cannot keep up with a hog wanting to collapse a tunnel and dig on. They're hard to kill in the ground, (but I have seen it done)again, due in part to the size of the dogs needed to hunt them. I'll dig up to 16 plus pound hogs with a 9 or 10 lb dog, and a hog is built like a mini brock- low to the ground, all neck etc (I know....nothing is like brock lol)- they give a very good account of themselves.We can dig more than a hundred a year, and often dogs need a rest... Fox are easier to kill in the ground then hogs.

Take care.

[mudd dog 128]

Mudd, the hogs can work over dogs. Their teeth are long and they can gash a dog up pretty well..I had a very good dog retire early due to a well place bite from a hog. Size matters, and only small terriers can work them where i am, as the hogs dig away if the dog doesn't get to it and engage it quickly, and even a determined terrier cannot keep up with a hog wanting to collapse a tunnel and dig on. They're hard to kill in the ground, (but I have seen it done)again, due in part to the size of the dogs needed to hunt them. I'll dig up to 16 plus pound hogs with a 9 or 10 lb dog, and a hog is built like a mini brock- low to the ground, all neck etc (I know....nothing is like brock lol)- they give a very good account of themselves.We can dig more than a hundred a year, and often dogs need a rest... Fox are easier to kill in the ground then hogs.

Take care.

Thanks for the good reply joh. A good interesting post. Good hunting. Atb

[bigbarnett 33]

pritty good going there. atb

[digger. 615]

good job mate

[Irish Lurcher 1,013]

Good read pal, keep at them