Foster Creek Coonhounds

Foster Creek Coonhounds Raising and training high quality c**nhounds

The Partnership with a HoundI think the frustration with hounds comes from a lack of understanding of them and what thei...
05/24/2025

The Partnership with a Hound

I think the frustration with hounds comes from a lack of understanding of them and what their original purpose for being selectively being bred.

Hounds do not believe that they NEED you. You are a lovely part of their day - like a favorite coffee cup or a favorite pair of shoes. If the cup is broken or the shoes are lost, we can get along just fine with another.

Let me explain:

Where other breeds of dogs like Labradors, Shepherds, Border Collies, and a host of others are bred to work WITH man; their original bred temperament is to work alongside man in cooperation to achieve a goal.

The Border Collie follows man's commands to herd the livestock. The Lab follows the hunter's commands to get the quarry - so and so forth. They are a teammates of man. Neither can do their work without the other --- and so they have been bred for eons to have that in their make up --- to be anxious to please. Even the worst behaved Labrador cares when mom and dad are annoyed. It is in their DNA to make man happy.

Hounds... not so much.

Hounds have been bred for eons to be taken out to the edge of the woods or field and be let loose to go out and do what they do with NO INSTRUCTION from the hunter or handler. They go out and do their thing, all on their own. They make their own decisions and do their own work. And when that work is done and they have found their quarry, they command/call the hunter to come to them with those beautiful voices. (Who is working for whom in that scenario?)

Do you see how your hound thinks differently?

Life with a Hound is far more like having a spouse than a dog. It is far more of a "cooperative effort" with all the give and take that implies. Hounds are not going to do what you say just because you have said it. You are secondary to their desire. There has to be something in it for them. There has to be a trade off. If there is no reward or benefit for the Hound, the Hound cares little what you are asking him/her to do. People incorrectly refer to this as being stubborn - or worse, stupid.

Hounds are actually neither of those things - they are just independent and cunning. They prioritize things differently than do other breeds. They prioritize differently and *you* are not always their priority.

And, This is EXACTLY AS THEY SHOULD BE.
They were bred to be this way. It is all necessary to be a Successful hound dog.

When working with a Hound you have to always be thinking:

How do I make myself the priority?
What do I have to give this dog to make me more important than what it smells - or wants?
(and do not expect that anything will ever be 100% successful every time - always be looking for your Hound to act like a Hound.)

We humans always think we are in charge of things. We think that we are top of the chain, the head honcho's...and we naturally approach training our dogs and living with our dogs this way - as though we are in charge.

Your Hound doesn't see it that way.
Your Hound - at best - sees you as a family member or as a sibling (if you are very fortunate - as a parent). Do you walk into your sister or brother's house, start barking orders and they hop to?

Mostly your Hound sees you as a good friend. And what do we do with our friends? When a friend does something for us, we return those favors. There is give and take. When a friendship is out of balance - when one friend takes and takes but does not give - the friendship suffers.

Hounds are happiest when their humans are humble and work with their character. A bond with a hound is not an easy one to create. There is a lot of ground work involved but when it is established and the balance is there, it’s a beautiful thing.

So if you have a hound or want one, love and appreciate them for what they are and not what they aren’t.

04/08/2025

Man it’s nice to see young dogs clicking. Baba with his sire Copper backing him up on this tree.

Grade neutered Bluetick male looking for a new address. PM me if interested and i can help get in-touch with his current...
03/24/2025

Grade neutered Bluetick male looking for a new address. PM me if interested and i can help get in-touch with his current owner Here is the info I have on him:

“4 1/2 year old blue tick c**n hound. Neutered.
Not overweight, well trained and is trainable. I even fenced my yard larger but he needs somewhere to RUN, or even someone to teach him to hunt. He needs to do what he was born to do. I have had him over 3 years. Good with children, cats, and other dogs, will jump with new people but after being commanded not to, he stops. He tests boundaries to see if you will stick to the rules but follows rules when commanded (better with training collar.). Can not leave food on counter/table, he will reach it and steal it. Cannot train that out of him.
He is not food aggressive but if he gets ahold of something he is not supposed to have he will bay loudly and snip if you try to take it away. Best practice is to let him keep stolen food item and kennel afterwards.
He is an escape artist and needs to be tethered in the yard at this time which is why he needs to be on a farm, working or even trained to hunt.
Very snuggly and will hog your bed. I don't even care about a rehoming fee. I just want him to go to a good home.
He comes with a ton of toys, training collar, kennel, food puzzle toy, ear washes & drops in case of an ear infection. Gentle leader & sweater”

I have a redbone female looking for a new address, currently located in Central Iowa. Echo is a 2 year old intact redbon...
03/21/2025

I have a redbone female looking for a new address, currently located in Central Iowa. Echo is a 2 year old intact redbone female, we have decided to re-home her since she is not making it as a competition hunting hound. She’s a typical redbone that barks and bays, she is good with kids and other dogs (unkown how she is with cats, but she does have a high prey drive). She does not hunt and is a lighter color red. No holds, and she will have a small adoption fee to make sure she’s going to a good home.

03/18/2025

Really looking forward to this year with this pup. Baba will be hitting hunts this season, I’ve got done big goals for this red dog!!

Hunting with Hounds and GPS Collars: Understanding Fair Chase and Responsible Wildlife ManagementIn the rich tradition o...
03/13/2025

Hunting with Hounds and GPS Collars: Understanding Fair Chase and Responsible Wildlife Management
In the rich tradition of hunting, few practices evoke as much discussion and debate as hunting with hounds. Central to this conversation is the principle of fair chase, a cornerstone ethic of modern hunting that emphasizes respect for wildlife, conservation, and ethical pursuit. Understanding why hound hunting aligns with fair chase and how GPS collars play a beneficial role can clarify misconceptions and highlight the value of this hunting method.

Why Hunting with Hounds is Fair Chase
The concept of fair chase isn't merely about the advantage hunters have—it's about the inherent ethics, challenges, and effort involved in the hunt. The Boone and Crockett Club, a respected authority on hunting ethics, defines fair chase as the ethical, sportsmanlike, and lawful pursuit of free-ranging wildlife without improper advantage.

Hunting with hounds embodies fair chase through several key elements:

1. Balance of Skills and Effort
Using hounds doesn't guarantee success; it requires deep knowledge, extensive training, and significant physical effort. Hunters must work in tandem with their dogs, covering rugged terrain, navigating challenging conditions, and tracking elusive wildlife. Far from an easy pursuit, it demands endurance, patience, and skillful communication with well-trained hounds.

2. Natural Predation and Instinct
The act of dogs tracking game closely replicates natural predation scenarios. Dogs engage their instinctual behaviors—tracking scent trails, flushing wildlife, and giving chase. This aligns closely with natural predator-prey dynamics, preserving wildlife’s natural responses and behaviors, including evasion, hiding, and escape strategies.

3. Selective and Ethical Harvest
Using hounds allows hunters to be highly selective. They can carefully assess animals before deciding to harvest, ensuring they target mature individuals and avoid younger or non-target animals. This selectivity is integral to responsible wildlife management and conservation.

4. Humane Pursuit
Contrary to misconceptions, hunting with dogs often results in shorter pursuit times, reducing stress on animals. Dogs quickly tree or corner wildlife, allowing hunters a clear evaluation of the animal. This often results in quicker, more humane kills compared to other hunting methods, where wounded animals could otherwise escape and suffer prolonged injury.

Why GPS Collars Are Essential in Modern Hound Hunting
Modern technology, notably GPS collars, enhances the safety, efficiency, and ethical conduct of hunts. Far from compromising fair chase, GPS collars provide critical safeguards and responsible management advantages:

1. Safety and Animal Welfare
GPS technology helps hunters quickly locate and retrieve their dogs, ensuring hounds are not lost, injured, or left vulnerable in harsh terrain. Real-time tracking significantly reduces incidents of lost or abandoned animals, greatly improving canine welfare.

2. Efficient Recovery
Hounds may chase wildlife into remote, difficult-to-access areas. GPS collars allow hunters to locate their dogs rapidly, minimizing potential harm to both the dogs and wildlife and reducing prolonged chases. This technology leads to swift conclusions of hunts and less overall disturbance in wildlife habitats.

3. Conservation and Management
GPS collars record invaluable data, including tracking routes, wildlife patterns, and behavior insights. Hunters and wildlife managers leverage this data to inform conservation strategies, monitor wildlife populations, and ensure sustainable harvest levels. Such data-driven approaches support science-based wildlife management.

4. Community and Public Safety
Tracking collars ensure dogs remain within legally designated hunting areas, reducing conflicts with landowners and non-hunting public users. Accurate monitoring fosters responsible hunting practices, ensuring compliance with regulations, minimizing trespass, and enhancing community relations.

Bridging the Gap: Educating and Informing the Public
Hound hunting and GPS technology are often misunderstood by the non-hunting public, portrayed inaccurately as unfair or unsportsmanlike. Clarifying misconceptions through respectful, thoughtful communication is essential. The reality is that hound hunting represents a deep heritage of conservation ethics, responsible wildlife management, and fair chase. Likewise, GPS technology adds layers of ethical responsibility and accountability that benefit wildlife, hunting dogs, hunters, and the broader community.

Ultimately, fair chase is not about rejecting technology or tradition; it’s about maintaining respect, responsibility, and integrity in pursuit. Hunting with hounds, supported by GPS collars, embodies these principles, offering an ethical, humane, and conservation-driven approach to modern wildlife management.

03/04/2025

Took Baba out tonight after having a month off due to me being gone for work. He looked ok, sounded great….until he got hot on the tree moved very nicely. Now to just tighten him up a bit and put more pressure on him in the hunts!!!

How do you handle adversity, success, or failure?When you're training on a c**ndog, there are two big things he needs to...
02/25/2025

How do you handle adversity, success, or failure?
When you're training on a c**ndog, there are two big things he needs to do to be a winner.
One is that he needs to be able to put that tail back up over his back when he's corrected. When you correct one and he tucks his tail and pouts - that one right there will quit on you when you're depending on him the most. When you correct one, and he throws his tail up over his back and leaves like a rocket - that's the kind you want. He has that FIRE in him!
The second thing he needs to do to be a winner - is that after he trees (good or bad), he needs to go hunting off of that tree just as hard as he did the first time you turned him loose. A lot of dogs aren't focused on finding another c**n because they're still worried about that last one they treed.
Our lives are parallel to that c**ndog in training. There will be tough times that we will go through. There will be times that we will feel like life has whipped us. The way we react to those tough times will make a big impact on determining our future. If we lay down and quit, we miss out on opportunities. It could be an opportunity at forming or repairing a relationship, a job opportunity, being able to help someone else, or countless other things. That one missed opportunity could be the very one that changes your life.
We can be compared to that c**ndog putting that last c**n behind him and trying to find another one in two different ways. One is success. If you're successful in something, don't hang your hat on that accomplishment and lose your fire - stay focused and go be successful again. The other way is failure. Everyone fails and everyone makes mistakes. No matter how big or small it may be - don't ever let a failure define who you are. Put it behind you, because in most cases there's nothing you can do to change what has already been done, but you can change what happens from that point forward.
Every bit of that also applies to our relationship with God. We shouldn't ever be satisfied with where we are spiritually. We need to keep our hearts on fire for God. God tells us that we will face persecution. When we do, we need to be like that c**ndog - "put our tail back up over our back" and not lose our fire. When we fail, we need to put that shame and guilt behind us and change from our ways. Jesus died on that cross so that if we obey Him, we can have our sins forgiven and when our time here is over hear Him say, "Well done my good and faithful servant."

02/16/2025

Getting Baba tuned up and ready…..just need the weather to warm back up so we can push more in the woods!

02/11/2025

No luck down at the Winter Classic but as usually we had a dang good time. Had 2 great casts, treed some c**n and got to catch up with good friends. Got home a decided to let Copper stretch his legs first one he ran the c**n into a hole and then finished the night with a single.

“You know over the years I’ve had many people ask me “what’s so special about c**n Huntin?" So here’s me answer. Have yo...
01/13/2025

“You know over the years I’ve had many people ask me “what’s so special about c**n Huntin?" So here’s me answer.
Have you ever stood on the edge of field, in the dead of night, crickets chirping, frog croaking,whimpers from your faithful four legged partner, because they are excited.
Frost covering the ground, just you and a couple buddies, away from the worlds craziness, and all the stress that comes from day to day life.
Have you ever stood there waiting for your dog to sing the most beautiful song, but why your waiting you look up at the night sky, an you can see the clouds floating in front of the moon, so quiet you can literally hear limbs snap from the cold, hear cars driving down roads from miles away, a yard dog barkin in the distance, whippoorwills whistling, then you hear this majestic long bawl coming from your hound that just send chills from the top of your head to your toes.
Have you ever heard your dogs work a track an the echos from there locate just travels the hills and off into the distance, then that bawl rolls over into this majestic chop, lettin you know they have ol mister ringtail treed.
Walking to yours dog you get to see all of God’s beautiful creations, creeks, rivers, mountains, all different types of hardwoods and terrain. Knowing that all the hard work and dedication and time invested into your hound has paid off. Then the moment of truth, get to the tree and start shining the tree to find mister ringtail sitting in a fort at the top of tree. Feels good knowing your dog has done their job like they were supposed to.
Have you ever snapped the leash to the most loyal companion you’ll ever have, an lead them back to the truck, hearing the leaves crunching under your boots, seeing your breath, toes about froze and Lungs hurting all from the cold night air. To get back to truck to drop the tailgate, open the dog box door, sayin “load up” they get in the box to turn around an they poke their ol head head out, and you can smell the woods and muddy water an cedar shaving on them. To scratch their heads and tell them good job, they lick you hands and you close the door.
See to understand this you have had to experience it to completely understand that c**n Huntin brings us closer to god, and relieves us from our stress. It’s not just about killing c**ns, it’s about being in the good lords outdoors with a couple of buddies listening to dogs. It’s not just a sport, it’s our passion it’s what we are dedicated too. Better yet it’s our life.
If you want to call it’s dumb or stupid have at it, but it’s just something that words can’t describe completely.” - written by Cody Stone

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Cambridge, IA
50046

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