And while previous leadership in the organization tried to push an anti-hunting agenda, the official stance on hunting remained fairly neutral.  Unfortunately, that doesn’t seem to be the case now, as the Sierra Club has jumped into the fray regarding an expanded CA bear season.  More specifically, they are calling for a ban on hunting bears with hounds, calling the practice inhumane to both dogs and bears. 

I haven’t seen the press release directly, but there’s a pretty clean write-up in the Mt Shasta Herald.  Check it out, and let us know what you think.

California Fish and Game Commission
1416 Ninth St.
P.O. Box 944209
Sacramento, CA 94244-2090

Phone (916) 653-4894 fax (916) 653-5040
to email, go to www.fgc.ca.gov. Click on contact tab, scroll down & click on ” Submit comments to proposed regulations” link.

To view the text of the regulations changes: http://www.fgc. ca.gov/regulations/new/2010/ proposed regs10.asp.

Thanks,
KZ

OK, here is the link for this proposal : http://www.sheepusa.org/user_files/file_608.pdf PERMISSION TO CROSS POST

And here are just a few of my objections to this path they are taking which is really seemingly a fearful reaction to recent publicity of a rare hiker versus guardian dog incident:

1. You don’t give away what you already have because it will be twice as hard to get it back once you realize
you just became the sacrificial lamb (no pun intended).

2. Livestock Guardian/Protection Dogs think on their own. Their intelligence is among the highest in the dog kingdom.
Trying to tell them what to do when they can see/hear a predator or intruder far before you do speaks volumes on ignorance of
how these noble dogs work, and have worked for 1000s of years with herders. And they are still working while YOU are asleep!

3. What happens when a really good dog fails a part of the test? It becomes useless? a rescue? discarded?

4. What happens when the rancher/herder de-certifies3 times for whatever reason (health, personal, finances), they can no longer
apply for re-certification? Is that the American way? Even those convicted of drunk driving usually get to drive again. How can
this program cause such a restriction on a rancher’s ability to do his work? his business? Support his family and his ranch? Is that American?

5. Who gains from the AVID chip promotion? the low-cost mandatory insurance offered? The usual suspects?

6. Herders will have to have cell phones? Where do they plug them in to charge them IF THEY COULD get reception in the middle of nowhere?

7. The adequate water and food mandate is also ignorant. Even on small operations, where does one put the food while the dog follows the grazing animals?? On a robotis food tray? And what will eat it? The dog? varmints? or predators?
And IF that is not done to the “inspectors” or “animal rights activists” liking, will the dog owner be a BAD ABUSIVE dog owner?

8.Intact dogs become “inadvisable” even prohibited? ALL THESE 1000s of years these dogs have performed their services in the NATURAL STATE WITH All THEIR ORGANS
How is it that suddenly everything will be better if they are sterilized? JUST WHO IS BEHIND THAT IDEA? And there are studies PROVING aggression issues in sterilized dogs, reduced immune system function, and
a myriad of other growth issues since removal of the reproductive organs means removal of critical hormones for growth. What about the reduced stamina and drive seen in sterilzed working dogs?

9. Mandating shearing or clipping of livestock dogs is also IGNORANT. Nearly all these breeds have developed special coats for all seasons. Often clipping a coat causes the natural guard hairs to never return and the coat
no longer functions as nature intended. So, if one does not clip down their dog, THAT WILL BE ABUSE?????

10. And finally the coup de gras (definition: means a death blow intended to end the suffering of a wounded creature. …) :
LPD owners should not breed unless…… .

sounds like someone wants an end to LPD more than to protect these magnificent dogs.

Please write to mary@usasheep. org and ask just HOW placating to AR agendas will protect ranchers and their dogs?

Thank you,

Diane Amble
CAVA – California Animal Voters Alliance

Written By:  Diane Amble

Seems you get these sometimes, and all “dog men” have struck the “one that got away”.  I struck one with my catahoula (Bubbles) yesterday morning, about 5 to 6 hundred yards out from where we cut her loose.  She opened up in the bottom of a creek area down in some nasty, steep, Sonoma County country.  Within about 30 seconds it sounded as if she was in solid bay as she had her back up, my 9 month old McNabb(Cornbread) with her.  With sound of solid bay ringing through the canyon I sent in the calvary, ie. the Bulldogs.  I thought we had a good solid bead on this bugger, down in the creek, standard operating procedures dictate sending in Gus and Honeybunch (APBT’s) to seal the deal.

Well shortly after they were sent in, and about the time I figured they should be at the bay, the barking went from the solid bay bark to a running bark.  The old up and over a hill into another canyon kind, and finally out of hearing range.  The only thing to do was to get up high and listen.  You guessed it, way over the abyss!  The Bulldogs were back to me, for they are seasoned and seem to know when its a lost cause.  We waited out Bubbles and Cornbread, and they finally came back with tongues draggin’.  Yup, a Runner!

Good fun, however, but its always sweeter to seal the deal.  We went back to the initial crime scene and found the tracks of where the bay started, the hoof print indicated about a 150lber, a typical runner.  I believe he broke when he saw the Bulldogs charging down at the bay, and he picked up a head of steam and did not stop.  In this scenario, the dogs did all they could do, hard to blame them.  In turn, they ate well last night, and Gus and H.B. got a good rub down for there effort!  Like old T. Michael used to tell me, “the big hogs don’t get big from being stupid!

“cut em loose”

It was within this book that I started reading about the exploits and adventures of whom I consider the greatest big game hunter ever to walk the face of this earth:  Alexander “Sasha” Siemel

Mr. Siemel  was employed by South American Cattle Ranchers down in Pantanal to help keep the Jaguar numbers down (depredation to us Americans) and to keep their stock numbers from suffering too greatly from the big cats which number very high in that particular area. Now this in itself  does not sound like such a great feat until you read about HOW he achieved his nickname: EL TIGRERO’

You see Sasha only hunted the big cats with a single Spear, and a pack of trained Hound’s!  And he is credited for killing over 300 of the beast’s in this very fashion.  I am not saying that killing big cats with a rifle is not challenging and as a matter of fact I have killed several big cats myself using a rifle or my 44 mag. pistol, and some of those situations were very up close and very personal if you get my drift concerning the, shall we say “moisture factor”!

But, a spear and dog’s?  Now that is an entirely different situation altogether and although I have done my fair share of “Live Catching” wild boar armed with nothing more than my  dogs and a roll of duct tape, skewering a ferociously maddened Jaguar with a only a 7′ spear and a few baying hounds as “protection?”  I would have to think long and hard before embarking upon that adventure!

Click upon this link and go read about the Greatest Hunter of  our recently past century:  Alexander “Sasha” Siemel

The hunting here has been great this winter, we have been hunting every weekend since early November, and have only struck out a few times.  My group of hunting buddies have done extremely well with lots of pork to put in the freezer.  Reports of other people have been good as well, both on private and the public hunt at Lake Sonoma, which is open to Archers.  Reports of downed hogs including tuskers have been floating around.

Dogs have done well, our younger stock, including a few pups at 8 mos. old are striking and baying.  The winter “heat” has passed and a few of us have bred some dogs.  A nice batch of Mcnabb/Kelpies are coming soon, as well as a liter of APBT’s from my “Honeybunch” bitch will hit the ground in late March.  The dogs are in their best shape right now, for they are running hard up to twice a week.

We have a few more months of runnin’ dogs left before it starts to warm up and get real “snakey” up here!  Gonna be runnin’ ‘em as much as possible until then, with a few big weekends coming up with friends.  Those are the best, when a bunch of serious dog guys get together and run the hills, then sit back after and tell about the hunt.  So that is my late winter, rained in, report on Hawg Doggin’.  Would love to hear some stories and see some pictures if any of ya’ll could send ‘em. Send ‘em to catchdogfarmer@gmail.com!

“cut ‘em loose”

Another thing to consider as a “Hog Dogman” is protecting your dog in the way of “cut protection”, ie. cutvests and cut collars. The various styles, which I have touched on in previous writings, should be considered here. If your dog is a gritty dog, then with out question should be vested up. Nothing troubles me more than seeing, or hearing of a dog getting injured when all precautions were not taken. People argue a dog loses mobility with a vest, this is true to an extent, but vet bills are expensive, and dogs being down on injury is a burden too. I have also heard, “I want my dog to respect the hog, a vest is a false sense of security”, true, but all it takes is once!
I do not vest up my strike dogs, I am comfortable with their style, and their ability, however when running with Bulldogs I do vest or collar them up. And I do ALWAYS vest and collar up my bulldogs. Many of my close buddies have their own views and takes and have some damn good dogs, they run vestless and get it done without recourse. I however, know first hand vests save dogs!

There are many of manufacturers out there with various sizes, materials, and styles of vests and collars. They range in price from fifty dollars anywhere up to one hundred and fifty dollars. Ask around and keep in my the style of dog you have. I stress the importance of knowing a bit on field first aid as well, from simple to advance, this could save time and unnecessary vet bills and even save a dogs life. Have a field kit with some basic items such as sterile water, gauze, betadine, benedryl, wraps and tape. Be able to stabalize the dog and get him to the vet if needed.

If all bases are covered and you keep your dog in working shape, you should be able to have a long healthy hunting relationship with your dog. Take all precautions, keep up on his health and be prepared in the case of field injury and you will be amazed. You and your best friend will bring home plenty of bacon!

“cut ‘em loose”

Riddle’s barron was what you would call the classic “American Bandog”.  A Bandog is actually a hybrid breed, rare and only a few can produce this breed correctly.  A Bandog is produced when a full blooded American Pit Bull Terrier (not an Amstaff, or Staffy, or bluenose this or that) is bred into a Dane/Mastiff bitch.  The resulting litter is the Bandog.  A dog originally concieved by the late Dr. Swineford DVM in the early 70’s.  Although traces of this type of breeding can be dated back further, Swineford perfected it and created a working dog like none other.

Barron was out of a litter sired by Riddle’s Frankie.  To back up for a second, Frankie was a top notch Pit Bull by all means, and has become a foundation blood line for Pit Bull stock used by many hunters today!  The blood in these dogs run deep and strong, and have made some of the finest hog dogs around- BAR NONE!  So, Frankie was bred into a Dane/Mastiff bitch and the result was the Baron, owned by Mike.  Mike ran with his Bull dog Barron and Frankie for years, just the three of them and many of hogs met their demise.

I guided under Mike for several years, running behind Barron.  This dog was the complete package, he had a nose for hogs, he had the speed of a cheetah, the strength of a bear, and the wits of Einstein.  He always knew how to avoid trouble while on a hog, and when T. Michael approached the scene, Barron turned up the heat, he always had a presence of where Mike was.  It was like those two were brothers, man and dog!  When we had young dogs out hunting, Barron could sense the situation under control and let them bay.  Barron made me look good numerous times as well, we killed hogs for clients in the dead heat of summer and the pitch black rain of winter.  Around camp in between hunts, or at the fire pit at night, Barron was always there with us, just one of the guys.  He was a big baby, and loved attention, and many of clients wanted their picture with that old dog.

Mike still has pups occasionally from the Old Barron bloodline, but I think he has a tough time parting with them.  He talks of Barron still, and you immediately sense the bond those two had, as he speaks real soft and with passion.  Barron passed away in 2007 of old age, the week after his last hunt.  We killed a big one on his last hunt, and Barron was like a pup.  I still remember the night Barron passed, we all shed a tear and told our favorite Barron story around the fire.  I think about that old dog every now and again, and am proud to say I got to work with him!  So heres to Barron, runnin’ hogs up in Heaven!

-”cut ‘em loose”

The fact of the matter is, a lot of hymin’ and hawin’ goes on in the mind of a “Dog Man” before, during, and after every hunt.  The process starts at home in the kennels with what dogs are going out today.  This decision starts with, where you are hunting, then with who, and how are his dogs.  If your going out alone, its “is this to many for me to handle, or not enough to stop a raging boar hog?”

This mornings dilema was whether or not to bring my “bull dogs”, and I opted out of doing so because we were going to work some young (second string) “bay dogs”.  I immediately knew I was making the wrong choice as soon as I left home, naturally.  We wound up running a boar, with out stopping him, but none the less the “bench” got some playing time.  Its always about trying to make the right moves, “doggin” is like a game of chess.

We do our research, I stay up on dog nutrition, I talk to “dog men” damn near every day, I plan breedings, and so on and so on!  Simply put, there is good days and bad days.  There are days the dogs seem as if they would rather be any where but the woods.  There are days where your dogs should make the evening news too!  But, you won’t know unless your out there doing it.  The next time your out with your dogs, your buddies dogs, or a guides dogs, take a minute to think about was goes into it!  But don’t think to long, you might change your mind!

-”Cut ‘em loose!”

I have been a serious “Dogman” for about 10 years now and am always eager to learn!  I have ran with some of what I consider, the best, in the state when it comes to “runnin’ dogs”.  I believe in this time and day we all need to stand strong and stick together and fight for our rights to run and breed our beloved dogs (what ever breed that suits you).  The willingness to learn from and treat your dogs with the utmost love, care and respect helps make you a respected “handler”, and hunter!

I look forward to this opurtunity to share and hear from Hawg Doggers from around the country!  Feel free to send feedback, comments, tips, suggestions, etc.  Comments are welcomed on the blog and you can contact me at catchdogfarmer@gmail.com!  “Cut ‘em loose”