JJ,
Thanks for your reply, I could see 30-40 bear kills with an operation that big over two seasons. That many dogs would sure eat up alot of dog food and meat scraps!
We only have a fall season here in CA, and a dog training season that starts in August. No bait allowed so a great strike dog is a must and a good one will fetch up to several thousand dollars. Some of the good houndsmen do experience a few 2 bear days if the conditions and terrain are right. Most run a 4WD PU with the hounds on a rear platform (and front hood) and cruise the dirt roads until their dogs "strike" a bear (the telltale scent left by a bear).
Its pretty labor and time intensive to maintain a good pack of hounds, not to mention the gas, wear and tear on the 4WD rig. Vet bills too if a good hound suffers a serious injury.
The saddest hound tale I heard was up in Modoc Co. A group of fellas with hounds were running a good bear that bayed up in a cave and by the time the houndsmen got there the bear had killed and ate one of their best hounds. After killing the bear, the houndsmen erected a cross above the cave, hung the hound's collar on it and tearfully said a few good words in honor of their killed hound.
MtnHtr
