Hi there,
I have two black and tans as pets, and I kind of fell into all this after I was given a 12 year old, retired hunting bluetick hound. She still had a lot of go in her so I took her to some field trials to do treeing contests (she couldn't safely hunt as she was going deaf, and blind in one eye). I got bit by the bug through that and can't stop thinking about getting another coonhound pup to train up.
My bluetick passed away last year, so I don't have access to any dogs who know what's up either, and her breeder doesn't hunt anymore.
There are a few field trials in driving distance (5-7 hours) a couple times a year. I live in the desert, and I've never seen a raccoon dead on the road local to me. Basically I've got a bunch of challenges, limited access to hunters to learn from, limited legal hunting, no access to roadkill raccoons or being able to trap a live one on my property.
Is it possible to train up a pup with just scents and drags? I'd imagine they're likely to get bored without any real contact with a raccoon, or not know what to do. I'm thinking my best bet is to probably buy a finished dog and learn from them, but I've got a coonhound pup coming in September (if all goes well) and would like to give it an honest try. Thanks all.
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