Originally Posted By: ditchandgullyriderThanks for the info! I guess I'll just try and see how it goes, if they don't want to work the dog I'll just bring him along and have him sit by me and help find dead ones and cripples.
Btech is that you on YouTube with freepe and that merle colored dog looks like a catahoula?
Sorry for the slow response, I dont do much social media type stuff anymore, and post about dogs less and less every day.
If you want to take a dog all winter I dont blame you a bit. I use to want too as well. Now a days when September rolls around Im tired of messing with mine and ready to kill some coyotes. I sure dont mean to discourage you as once and a while they will work, but like I mentioned, Im tired of seeing coyote butts roll over the hill and out of my life come winter time.
That being said: I like to video, I dont kill summer coyotes unless they work. Im a rec hunter plain and simple. I dont claim to do control work and offer no warranties to the people I hunt on. Im there to watch the dogs and nothing else. I will kill relentlessly if I am asked, but for the most part my landowners could care less if I kill any coyotes or not.
I reckon winter time dog work could depend on how far you can see. In my country one or two hops and they are gone. In Colorado, Arizona, New Mexico etc where you can see a good ways I reckon a soft dog would get a coyote to stop out there at 200 or 300 hundred yards, so I can see possible benefit of a dog in that situation.
Another point is what do you consider dog work? What tickles some wouldnt work for me.
The types of sounds you play could also have some bearing on the situation as well. I have called in some males during breeding season that I feel would have worked a dog. No way to be sure, but they sure were pissy acting. I kilt em anyway so who knows.
The bottom line for me is the averages I have personally seen do not justify messing with a dog during the winter. I never carry a dog to increase my numbers. Some would argue they will help you kill more multiples and I wouldnt disagree once and a while during the summer. That being said, most of my quads have been the end of Sept and first of October without a dog.
If you want to take your dog then take it. I wouldnt keep it beside me, just let him run around like normal. Many times you can get the coyote kilt before the dog sees it. If it engages then let it play out. Just have fun with your dog. Let it find your dead and cripples. I use to love having my dogs around all the time, now there is a time to watch em work and a time to just kill what comes. Both are fun.