Just Puppy Training 
A few years back, I took a buddy out bear chasing to see his first bear. He had several yearling hounds, and it was time to put them on bear. We went up a canyon and got a pretty good rig with my old strike dogs on top of the box, so I stopped, dropped the tailgate and started to ship them.
“I’d like to see the track before I send a dog,” remarked my hunting partner.
“Sure thing,” I said…..let’s go look see.
We both went over across a wash on the east side of that canyon and started poking around. We did eventually find one nice boar track in the dust coming up from a stream, approximately a hundred yards or so from the road.
“You satisfied,” I asked?
Upon arriving back at the truck, I unsnapped all five of my hounds and they went out on a roar, crossed the creek and struck, turned the track to the south and continued on up the mountain. The race went to our right, up the hill, then back to our left. That’s about when they jumped the bear. With blinding speed, the race went back to out right and stopped near the top of that mountain.
“Let’s go,” I remarked. And away we went with cameras to see my hunting partner’s first bear in the tree. Several hundred yards below the tree we stumbled into his young dogs cold-trailing. Their direction was toward the bear tree and they made the tree just ahead of us. We found a nice chocolate boar in a huge fur tree. No reason for him to leave.
Getting under the tree, I threw my backpack on the ground and started to get the camera out. About then, that old boar started down the tree head first. I guess he’d been treed before and didn’t like dogs pulling hair. When he got just above the dogs, he took a huge jump and tried pretty hard to clear them, but my five hounds were on the wood heavy to meet him and rolled over backwards latching onto his belly and butt.
Down the hill that pile of bear and hound went which appeared to be one unit, through and over the blow down and snags, until it was only a memory for each of us. I explained, hurry, let us climb out--quick. So we did. The race went clear back down by the road and south nearly two canyons before turning back our way.
That boar stopped to suck air near the top in a stand of timber and you could hear the dogs just roar. Then he busted the brush and climbed out through the pinyon trees over the top which allowed us to watch the whole thing at about 800 yards. What a hoot for a guy’s first bear.
The Wolf Pack blew the air out of him again on the next ridge, less than a mile over the top. Upon our arrival, the mature boar was more willing to accept our presents. We did take a few shots for the photo album and then snapped all eight dogs for the long trip out.
I don’t suppose there is anything like taking a newbie after bear and having things work out so well.
Yall Keep'em Treed!
Ike
A few years back, I took a buddy out bear chasing to see his first bear. He had several yearling hounds, and it was time to put them on bear. We went up a canyon and got a pretty good rig with my old strike dogs on top of the box, so I stopped, dropped the tailgate and started to ship them.
“I’d like to see the track before I send a dog,” remarked my hunting partner.
“Sure thing,” I said…..let’s go look see.
We both went over across a wash on the east side of that canyon and started poking around. We did eventually find one nice boar track in the dust coming up from a stream, approximately a hundred yards or so from the road.
“You satisfied,” I asked?
Upon arriving back at the truck, I unsnapped all five of my hounds and they went out on a roar, crossed the creek and struck, turned the track to the south and continued on up the mountain. The race went to our right, up the hill, then back to our left. That’s about when they jumped the bear. With blinding speed, the race went back to out right and stopped near the top of that mountain.
“Let’s go,” I remarked. And away we went with cameras to see my hunting partner’s first bear in the tree. Several hundred yards below the tree we stumbled into his young dogs cold-trailing. Their direction was toward the bear tree and they made the tree just ahead of us. We found a nice chocolate boar in a huge fur tree. No reason for him to leave.
Getting under the tree, I threw my backpack on the ground and started to get the camera out. About then, that old boar started down the tree head first. I guess he’d been treed before and didn’t like dogs pulling hair. When he got just above the dogs, he took a huge jump and tried pretty hard to clear them, but my five hounds were on the wood heavy to meet him and rolled over backwards latching onto his belly and butt.
Down the hill that pile of bear and hound went which appeared to be one unit, through and over the blow down and snags, until it was only a memory for each of us. I explained, hurry, let us climb out--quick. So we did. The race went clear back down by the road and south nearly two canyons before turning back our way.
That boar stopped to suck air near the top in a stand of timber and you could hear the dogs just roar. Then he busted the brush and climbed out through the pinyon trees over the top which allowed us to watch the whole thing at about 800 yards. What a hoot for a guy’s first bear.
The Wolf Pack blew the air out of him again on the next ridge, less than a mile over the top. Upon our arrival, the mature boar was more willing to accept our presents. We did take a few shots for the photo album and then snapped all eight dogs for the long trip out.
I don’t suppose there is anything like taking a newbie after bear and having things work out so well.
Yall Keep'em Treed!
Ike
