I live in Va, and I keep a pack of fox dogs. We try to run mostly greys because they circle tighter and you enjoy more of the chase and see more crossings. We do have about 50/50 red to grey population in the part of va I live in so we run reds too. I keep a bigger pack than 4 dogs. I have always felt that while 4 dogs may sound good running together, fourteen make prettier music. I currently have 18 total between retirees, running dogs, started dogs and pups ready to go.Shooting fox in my area is a cardinal sin, the only way a fox should be killed is when the dogs catch it, in my opinion. I like hounds that run to catch, if they start the track im only happy when they run him in or sink tooth in his butt. I like dogs that will tree/bay at the hole, handle well. I very rarely ever use my tracking box when hunting. I try to hunt 3-5 days a week during the summer and when other hunting seasons come in I hunt 1-2 days a week still, weather permitting. I only hunt in the daylight, nver have turned mine loose at night, and am very particular who I hunt my hounds with, I have 3 guys which have hounds that we hunt together alot, but I hunt my own by myself alot too.
I would suggest a running hound. Most I hunt with are Walkers, I have 2 half triggs/walkers I raised. I have hunted with several july or july/walker cross.
Most julys lack the nose it takes to hammer a grey constitanly, they tend to be more red fox dogs and tend to have smaller voices. Triggs tend to have a decent nose, maybe a shade slower, and big mouths, most walkers are a little in between, some cold nosed some hot nosed, some fast some not as fast. agian these are just what I have seen, not a rule.
A potlicker is a term in the foxhunting world that is given to a dog of unknown backgrounds, a grade dog. Which most of mine are grade dogs.
When I go hunting I normally pull up to the area I am going to hunt and turn loose part or all of my pack loose. Sometimes I hold dogs that may range to far while hunting in order to strike a track right where Im at. Others I may hold because Im with someone who is turning loose some as well. Some times I hold my deer chargers (young dogs not yet broke) until a fox chase is going or a fox has been struck. Then I can immediatly pack them to the race. sometimes I hold a few just to pack to dogs that jump if im in an area where foxes are scares and dogs get scattered before the jump.
I then normally bust my but on foot to see as many crossings as I can see in the chase. This is a great way to learn a hounds voice when you have a pack, I dont own a hound I cannot call in a 30-40 dog race. A when i see the fox I begin to holler at the top of my lungs in a very excited manner, the dogs hear me and pull to me because they know I have a better track than they do, and you dont catch game unless your up on it. I hate a dog that doesnt hark to me, a good smart hound will shut up and get to you when he hears you holler. I holler clap my hands and walk right to where I saw the fox and the dogs know they deal they are right on him.
When then run him in a hole I like a few to bay and dig and the rest to just sit around and wait for me, if too many tree at the hole you can havea dog fight.
All of my dogs when i let the out the pen at home go straight and load on my truck, when im in the woods and finished huntingand I tell them get on the truck they trot ahead of me and load themselves, I rarely use a dog leash to lead a dog.
I use shock collars to try to break a dog and also to train him to come when i call or not bark in the truck, collars are normally for correcting other behaviors than running deer. I handle that problem by using ratshot in a .22 pistol.
Red foxes tend to run large circles, which could cover hundreds or thousands of acres, unless your running young reds in june and july, they run tight circles for about 15-20 min before holing up. Greys can run on anything from 100 acres to 2 acres. Here they will go up a tree but a hole is the most common place. The chases very in length, I feel a red fox if pressured normally only runs 1/2 hr- 1 hrs before holing up in the daylight, greys normally 1/2 hr to 2 hrs. if they get too hott from running they normally wont go in a hole, they start to dart duck and squat, this is when it takes a good track dog to root him up keep him going and catch him. Alot of foxes escape lesser packs of dogs by just sitting still in a breir patch. At night foxes can run you for 8-12 hours. Chases also very by area, i am in the foothills of va, i know that toward the flat beach land the grey fox chases last less amounts of time on average, and very few red foxes are there.
You should be able to find fox dogs in tennesee, unfortunately most will be Pen dogs, used in fox pens, but I have had several of that kind of breeding work for me. i would say if i was looking for registered foxhounds you find what your looking for in any of the following breedings: Hills(in kentucky, look for old breeding, not field trial), Purvis, Barefoot, Fields (all from NC), Grindstone (va) or Burbon Liqour breeding (down Ga way). You can find some of these bloodlines in your state im sure. I like grade dogs out of old time fox dog stock, but if I wanted registered it would be the Grindstone, or burbon liquor or old hills breeding as I have some of that in my pens, have tried all the others I listed some have suited some didnt. Alot of what my buddies and I hunt have old hills in the breeding, just been crossed on old grade stock throughout the years.
Go to
www.speeddogs.net and make a post about outside fox hounds and eastern tennessee, you should get some response of names where you can start.
although I dont use only 4 dogs hope this has been insightful/helpful
Perk
