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I think we've all gone crazy!!!

Hope ya'll dont take this wrong. If you've been this sport for long ya know we're all crazy anyway but this is on a different matter. Money. I read a few posts here as of lately on the classifieds side of the forum and one in particular kinda got me fired up. Ya no, I'm not a 30, 40 of 50 year vet of this sport more like 17. But one thing that I have noticed is most of us think our dogs must be gold plated. They are dogs folks. Lets be real our first dog we may have put some time into. After that the dogs do the training for us. I have the money to buy high dollar dogs. It's not that. The fact is I would bet most of us at one time or another have whined about the rising cost of this or that and here we are doing the same thing. Folks they're DOGS. They have a job they do it but at the end of the day they're dogs. Not sayin they should be free. But we pay the same amount for a dog that you used to be able to buy a new car or a house for that matter. I found it funny I posted on a topic a couple days ago a little rant actually, noone has posted after kinda funny really. Maybe I made someone think. I guess after 2 or 3 years of feeding and vetting a dog I just don't see the 3000.00 price tag. Some may come back and say well I just paid for the vet to sew him or her up. Heck thats part of the game you hunt long enough and your dogs are worth their salt it will happen. After the time I've spent in the woods I've only had to take them in twice. Take that for what its worth I'm lucky or dont have really gritty dogs. Make your choice. I put plenty of game in trees and I love what I hunt but I ask you this when did the dogs become gold plated???
Folks I'm really not tryin to anger anybody. I just want people to sit down and think about it. Before you throw me to the wolves with comments think about what I've said. THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS. Hmmm made me think. Obviously. Good day

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IINVNO1

i totally agree with you.in my opinion people are trying to commercialize the sport and make a living selling puppies and so called started dogs.what makes a year old to year and a half old dog worth 1500 or 2000 dollars thats said to be started.to me thats a finished dog price and he better be a sharp ol hound for that kind of money.i can tell you this....if i have dogs that are treeing bear they aint for sale period.we raise and train our own hounds and wear out alot of boot leather.thats the way it should be done.i have more pride in a dog that i raised and trained myself.

agreed, ive seen hounds on here between 4 to 6 years old for 1000 to 2000 that when the faults were listed they were doing no better than a started hound. the kicker is I seen with my own eyes a 10 year old hound that was fixed for over 2 thousand. because it was a cold trailer and rig dog. I have a male in my yard right now that is 2 years old that rigs cold trails jumps and will tree all by himself or with company. he's not for sale but if he was i wouldn't price him for even half of that.

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Listen to your hounds they will tell you what you need to know!

I agree with you guys. It seems every young dog out there is going for $2K. I can't really give a full report on how a dog finishes out until it's 3rd full hunting season. By that time I've put it into enough situations get a handle on it's strengths and limitations. Just because it will follow other dogs to a tree and bark, doesn't mean it's worth a grand and started.

For a dog to be worth $2,500 to me (as a bear dog) it better be able to be a high percentage start dog (alone) and be able to run by itself or always be where it should be on an average track. If that dog can handle tough, old, junk tracks or stick with rough bear that send the others out of the woods, well then the price is going up. And it should because those level of dogs aren't a dime a dozen. There a difference between the price on a good dog, vs the best dog, vs the best you've ever seen dog. If I bought finished dogs, I know I can't afford the last two but might be able to buy a good dog. Now if by some strange reason I had a young dog that showed all the signs of being a special dog at a young age and I had to get rid of it, well then it's going to be worth a bit. I'd most likely try to sell/give it to someone I know who is going to do right by it and let it reach it's full potential and enjoy it. Some year down the road as I'm sitting in a rocker it's worth more to me hear that dog did amazing things than a few bucks in my pocket at the time. Now that could all change if I really "needed" the money for something important for my life/family. That is a different situation to me, but the problem is guys will use a manufactured situation like that to pump up how good a dog is.

I really didn't think that I was alone here but I know someone will tear me a new for for it. Thanks fellas it's nice to know I'm not alone. I just don't get it??? I too have a few good dogs and none of them are for sale but if they were I think there is more joy in letting another person get their dogs trained and horse swaping than to be a commercialized sport. Look @ the gps units and such anything associated with this sport is crazy. People "manufactures" look @ the price of dogs and then they get the idea that we as sportsmen can all afford this stuff. Wow crazy I tell ya. I heard of a dog goin for 10,000 not too long ago. Was he a good dog? Yeah I hunted with him a few years back was he worth a year and a half of car payments or house payments?? Not hardly. Again we've all gone crazy!!!

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IINVNO1

I agree. I put a dog on here for free to someone who would hunt him. all I got were a bunch of people quizzing about the dog.I had videos of the dog treeing and told the truth was not a perfect dog but a decent tough dog. I ended giving him to a local guy that got me started hunting with dogs.he's going fine. I bet if I would have put 500 on him and told a bunch of lies on him he would be in someones truck being bragged on and maybe never hunted.

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RIP....ROSCO ,BO ,JACK ,EMMA, AND SMILEY
YALL MADE ME LOVE TO BEAR HUNT !!!!

I personally can see both sides of the spectrum....One mans junk is another mans treasure! With Gas prices rise'n,feed rise'n,vet costs up,ect....By the time some young dogs are a year old if take'n care of properly,and hunted up,it could have quite a bit invested! Then depending on the dogs ability,the price is only going to rise........
On the other hand....Dog Jockeys taken pray to young folks trying to break into this sport get taken advantage of,because they believe everything they're told.....
I guess the price tag on hounds are so differant due to the deversity of folks hunting.Some dont want the headaches of training,and others enjoy it! I also think people put a value on thier time invested more then what the dog is acually doing...."If I have that much time into him/her, they must be worth this much"....
Great topic! Look forward to what others have to say!

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i agree some

think about this guys. What would you pay for a freezer full of meat. then think of what the wife would pay for a lap dog like a yorkie or something. i agree that the prices are high but a lap dog does nothing but cost more money.

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Dean Woods
828-200-0069
Go yunder walkers

Sorry fail to understand your compairison??? Please explain

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IINVNO1

ok if a 3 year old dog has eatin a thousand dollars worth of dog food and 1500 in gas hauling him around that doesnt make him worth 2500 dollars to me.if i was buying a dog i would want $2500 worth of bear dog! a sorry dog that wont hunt eats the same and costs the same in gas as a top notch bear dog.so the price shouldnt reflect whats invested but what abilities the dog has or doesnt have.

Is there really a price on a good 100% broke BEAR dog. The ones people say when it barks it's a bear. If I had one it wouldn't be for sale. I've been told a bear hunter is not going to get rid of a bear dog.

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RIP....ROSCO ,BO ,JACK ,EMMA, AND SMILEY
YALL MADE ME LOVE TO BEAR HUNT !!!!

true

if i had one that was doing what i wanted i wouldnt get rid of it.my comparison was simple. although i wouldnt and couldnt i have herd of dogs going for way more than 3000. but what would be a reasonable price. and says who the buyer or saler.

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Dean Woods
828-200-0069
Go yunder walkers

Ya know I'm sure in some case's there is some legitimate cases of I'm training a puppy and thats what some like to do and thats why I'm selling my proven died in the wool bear or cat chasin fool. On the whole people are sellin average dogs for above average price's. I spoke to a fella in Id and he really likes to train puppys. So his proof is that most of the dogs that he has been trainin are for sale. Not just one most of them so in this case I believed him. I wish I could say this all the time. Ya know folks its just my opinion. But like I say they are just dogs. I personally love I mean really love my black dogs. I started with bnt's and 17 years or so later I still run them. If they work I keep them if not Doggie heaven. I have dogs to hunt them period. Not to sell I feed dogs to hunt them I vet dogs so they can be hunted again and the obvious reasons. So I can't for the life of me understand why folks raise a perfectly good dog and then sell it?? kinda makes me wonder.

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IINVNO1

quote:

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Originally posted by blacktandog
I agree. I put a dog on here for free to someone who would hunt him. all I got were a bunch of people quizzing about the dog.I had videos of the dog treeing and told the truth was not a perfect dog but a decent tough dog. I ended giving him to a local guy that got me started hunting with dogs.he's going fine. I bet if I would have put 500 on him and told a bunch of lies on him he would be in someones truck being bragged on and maybe never hunted.

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Ill be honest here that was part of my reasoning for starting this thread and now after you explained it my dumb but feels a lil embarassed. So I will offer my appology. However it was your post that really got me thinkin? Are these DOGS really worth the money people are askin?? Nope dont think so. I guess all and all it could be said if ya dont like the price dont buy it. Yes this is true but look at other things that myself and others have mentioned. The price of these dogs does not only affect the buyer of the dogs it indirectly affects us all. Like I said before when these big name brand people or companies look at some of these prices is gives them the idea that we can afford big money for simple things. Anything that has to do with hunting is **** spendy. I know that dog prices are not the only thing driving the prices of other things but dont think for a moment that it doesnt affect it. Besides when things are so blasted spendy how do we really expect the youngsters to get into the sport and keep it alive when you have to take out a dang loan to get started. Its all relative folks so next time we advertise a dog for thousands of dollars think to yourself is he or she really worth the price im asking and if the prices continue to grow how many people that would otherwise have joined are not able to because of the thousands of dollars it would take to get into the sport while possibly raising the next generation of lil houndsmen or women. Take a kid hunting and see those little faces lite up. Man if we keep it up are numbers are bound to drop. When they do thats when we loose our hunting rights. There is alot more to it than just chargin 3 grand for a dog. Keep that in mind folks. Thanks again.

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IINVNO1

We all know how much it costs to have/train a dog. That amount shouldn't be rolled into the price when selling a dog. The price should just reflect the dog's ability and what it's supposed to do. The buyer didn't have a say in whether you shipped in a $300 puppy from across the country to add in another $200 to the price.

All the dog owning stuff is just maintenance on having dogs. Just like a truck it costs the same to put gas in, change the oil and put tires on a $1K truck vs one that is $20K. At the end of the day you still only have a $1k or $20K truck.

I understand some guys that want to buy a nice finished dog. They either are lacking one or don't have the time to train one. If they have the ability to do it that way, more power to them. Some guys would rather get them as a little shaver and then see if they can get them to that level. It's all the same but it just depends on one's preference.

Looks to me that lots of people have read this thread. Which is what I wanted I hope that it will make a difference. Like I said if the youngsters cant afford to get into the sport we will lose it. Ya know at the end of the day the joy that we can give to a newby by cutting them a good deal or giving a puppy away is really worth it. Someone said it just perfect when they said that the money will only last a short time but years down the road when that youngster comes to your door with a pack of hounds and a big ol smile folks thats where its at its not about the money but the comradery we have while building this sport. Its about the joy we bring to the lil people of this sport. Its a passion that I for one want to see our younger generation enjoy. Lets help to make it a little easier for people to enjoy what we've been enjoying for years. Dont gold plate your dogs.

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IINVNO1

when I started hound hunting, I was rabbit hunting with beagles. my dad told me a few stories about when he coon hunted and I thought interesting enough ile try it. I started asking around for a coon hound. not knowing anything really about coon hunting a guy offered me a "started coonhound" for free. i was excited to say the least, i started reading everything i could trying to gain all the knowledge i could that and listening to everyones opinions on the sport. i drove around and walked her around lakes night after night trying to find tracks off the leash but she hung close, I didnt have tracking equipment at the time just a 6volt flashlight and my 22. atleast 3 nights a week id hit the woods. a friend of mine came up to visit and he knew another friend that coon hunted so they brought his dog and a coon in a live trap. apon seeing the coon in the trap my hound tried to run through me getting away from it. i then called the guy upon finding this out and I'll never forget the answer upon asking him if he wanted the dog back. nope just shoot it and he hung up the phone. i was so mad i vowed to quit coon hunting right then and there. at that point my friend said ile trade you hounds and had to talk me into trying again but 2 nights later after I agreed to trade dogs due to his relentless peer pressure lol, I treed 2 coons and have been coonhunting and now bear hunting ever since. my rule of thumb in the hound world is that one houndpersons hound trash is not anothers treasure.

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Listen to your hounds they will tell you what you need to know!