Hunting with Dog

The African Hunting Dog (Lycaon Pictus) is a mammal of the Canidae family so it is related to the domestic dog. It is the only species in its genus – Lycaon. As their name indicates, they can only be found in Africa, mostly in scrub savanna as well as other lightly wooded areas. These dogs hunt in packs and their main pray are the impala and other similar medium-sized ungulates. These dogs are quite popular for their stamina as well as for being very clever hunters.

These dogs have been observed hunting prey in relays, or even blocking, a what might be a potential escape route for the unfortunate prey. Their voice is quite unique as it is characterized by an unusual chirping/squeaking sound. The reason why today this breed is almost extinct is their need for a large territory. Also, they are quite vulnerable to attacks by their direct competitors, hyenas and lions mainly because of their relatively small physique. Unlike other members of the dog family, the African Hunting Dog is difficult to tame.

These dogs are known for having a highly complex social system, within which related adult members cooperate to produce a single litter of pups annually. Most of the remaining populations have more males than females because more male dogs appear in litters (it is quite unusual among mammals to have this kind of gender bias). The dog will often regurgitate meat to other members of the group: the young, older dogs as well as adults that have stayed behind in order to guard the young during hunting sojourns.

The approximate number of the remaining African Hunting Dogs is about 5,600. The majority of this number live in the two remaining large populations associated with the Selous Game Reserve in Tanzania and the population found in Northern Botswana and Eastern Namibia. There are isolated populations that live in Kenya, South Africa, Zimbabwe and Zambia.

These dogs reproduce at any time of the year, although their mating peaks between March & June. The litters can contain from two up to 19 pups. The time elapsed between birth is usually 12 to 14 months although cases in which the period was only 6 months have been found. The average gestation period is about 70 days and the pups are born in most cases in an abandoned den bug by other animals such as those of the Aardvark.

Weaning takes place at approximately 10 weeks and after 3 months the den is abandoned and the pups are starting to run with the pack. At the age of 8 months, they have the ability to kill small-sized prey but they reach full efficiency at 14 months or so (at this point, they can feed themselves). Sexual maturity is reached at the age of 14-18 months.

In conclusion, the African Hunting Dog is quite an interesting hunting breed but unfortunately at the verge of extinction. We strongly hope that this breed (as well as other breeds in this dangerous position) will save itself from extermination.

Have you ever wondered which dog breeds are the most popular in hunting activities? This article will briefly present the most popular hunting dogs used by millions of hunters from all corners of the world. Several breeds of hunting dogs are collectively called hound dogs. The reason why these dogs are used for hunting is that they are strong, very fast, top-notch eyesights and a very developed sense of smell. These dogs assist their owners by tracking or chasing the prey being hunted. For this reason, hunting dogs are divided into two types, as follows:

Sight Hounds – intelligent dogs also known as gaze hounds. They are very good runners and have the capability to catch and kill prey like haves, deer, gazelles and others. A very good example of a sight hound is the Whippet dog, which was developed back in the 19th century by mixing the Grey Hound, Italian Grey Hound and the Terrier. These dogs are quite active and playful but quite hardy. They are known to be very good racers and sometimes when they are chasing their pray, they can reach speeds up to 60 km/h. They look quite similar with the Grey Hound – elegant look with a long and slender muzzle, rose shaped ears, a deep chest and a pointed tail.

Scent Hounds – they are not the best runners but they do have the best sense of smell. Some very good examples of scent hounds would be the Blood Hounds and the Basset Hounds. The first ones are quite large and are often used by police and other security personal for tracing the missing persons or escaped prisoners. The Basset Hounds are short-legged dogs that were specially developed for hunting animals like rabbits. Their sense of smell tracing is second only to that of Blood Hound.

The German Short-Haired Pointer is one of the few dog breeds that can work in water and rough terrains alike. This is a very versatile gun dog that can be used as a pointer, upland dog, water dog or a retriever. The dog is capable of chasing & killing even the most large and dangerous animals. The dog can be easily trained but it needs plenty of vigorous activities for its physical fitness. The Poodle is an athletic and agile dog, very popular for its water abilities. Hunters usually use them as water retrievers to fetch waterfowl out of water.

The Feists are small-sized hunting dogs that were developed in the rural Southern USA. Unlike hounds they act silently; they are used to chase small preys. The Lakeland Terrier is a very intelligent hunting dog, quite confident as well as bold that was developed in the Lake District of Cumberland, England. The dog was exclusively created for eliminating foxes, which attacked (and killed) the lambs, raiding farmer’s seep fold.

All in all, these are only just a couple of the most popular hunting dogs in the world. Each one of them was developed for excelling in various hunting activities. Depending on which type of hunting you prefer, the choice is up to you and luckily, the options are quite generous.

Coon hunting is considered one of the most popular sports and this popularity is rising every day. The main reasons for this increasing awareness are: this a great hunting activity for both beginners and experienced hunters and the second reason is that many people hunt these animals for their fur. Of course, there are other reasons too, take for example that many people consider these animals as being a very good meal while other people ( especially farmers ) don’t have to worry about the fact that these animals can become a nuisance and get in their crops, thus destroying them.

It does not really matter how good a hunter you are as a raccoon will offer you the challenge of your life, as they are excellent swimmers and tree climbers. Given the fact that these little animals sleep during the day and are active through the night, a good hunter knows that it will require a good and reliable hunting dog in order to spot coons. A hunting dog for such an activity must be fast and have a very developed sense of smell. Why is a hunting dog so important? Simple, when a raccoon climbs a tree during the night, the only way you can spot it is by using a hunting dog. Training a dog for such an intense activity is rather time-consuming. Teaming a young dog with one already trained is the ideal method. Some dog trainers use a “lead coon” or lay a commercial scent trail. Another method to get a dog started on chasing coon is to get the dog on a hot track. For example, one crosses the road or someone is having problems with raccoon on their property.

Finding raccoons is not a very difficult thing to do if you know what these animals are eating (fish, frogs, acorns, field corn, sweet corn); you just have to go to a feeding area and most likely, you will spot them. Due to the reason that most hunts are conducted during the night, hunting lights are also important and hunters should pick only high quality and reliable products.

We almost forgot about the most important aspect of coon hunting – the area. A hunter must know very well the area in which the raccoons will hide. It is very hard to hunt them during the day when you do not know the area; but think about hunting them in the middle of the night when it is almost impossible to catch them. The most important areas are the feeding ones, where they live, favorite trees and other similar yet important issues. Make sure that you get the permission of the owner of the land if you will be hunting in a private area.

Many U.S. inhabitants consider the coon meat a delicacy so this hunting activity could give you some dinner solutions. The ideal time for raccoon hunting is during late winter as the raccoon spurs the heaviest. The fur is utilized for hats, coats, winter gloves and collars.

As you might have guessed, coon hunting is popular for good reasons: it offers a great hunting experience, good meat, high quality fur and a unique thrill. If you have not tried it already, give it a go and we assure you that you will not regret it.

There are different people around the world who are fond of keeping pet dogs in their houses for different purposes. It is essential for all the dog lovers to know about varied dog breeds and the reason of their popularity among the lot. You must know that with the increasing craze of people for keeping pets there are different pet houses opened up for them. Before approaching to these houses you must know something about the specialty of their breeds. There are different breeds discussed below-

Yorkshire Terrier- Yorkshire Terrier is supposed to be a renowned breed of dogs that is quite helpful for making dog shows successful. People mainly prefer this breed to organize a dog show and it is also liked by rich lot due to its small size.

German Shepherd- It is a breed of dog which is usually liked by the policemen because German shepherd has strong image in the eyes of service people. It can also be kept as a family pet and a watch dog for the safety of family members in day and night. It is very sharp and traceable breed which makes it more popular among the masses.

Labrador Retriever- It is supposed to be the most popular dog in America because of its looks that can be available in varied colors from brown to black. You can also consider it as a family pet and a hunting dog moreover it is kept as a bird dog. The preference of parents behind keeping it as pet is that it is very friendly to children and you can train it easily.

Boxer- It is a strong, powerful dog breed that was being originated in Germany. All the German dogs possess some attractive qualities that lure the mind of masters and they prefer to keep them as their pet dogs.