Is it common for hunters to write large numbers on dogs?

[Sweet72947]

I've always wondered about this. It is common for hunters to mark their dogs by writing large numbers on them? This is how hunters who use dogs are being potrayed in Virginia, people that treat dogs like a number and get rid of them when they don't hunt, etc.

http://washingtondc.craigslist.org/nva/pet/2780295309.html

 

[Lizmo]

I've never seen nor heard of this. What are they marking them with?

 

[Shai]

From the sound of the craigslist posting these were company-owned dogs with multiple "packs for hire" which should be held distinct from people who know and hunt their own private pack. I've never heard of a private owner painting big numbers on a dog but I'm more familiar with bird dogs.

 

[thehoundgirl]

Uh, I have never heard of it and have never seen it happen around here as we get a lot of hounds in at my shelter and none of them are marked.

 

[Sweet72947]

FOHA had a hound with a number on her side once. People call it "spray-painted" on, but I have no idea if it is actual spray-paint or something else.

 

[Aleron]

I've seen ear tattoos and brands on hunting dogs but never such large writing. It is true some hunting clubs keep dogs but that doesn't really mean the dogs are poorly treated, they are working dogs doing what they were bred to do. One has to wonder if they know where this dog belongs, why he isn't being returned? Our shelter here used to get Foxhounds with pack numbers in their ears and never made any attempt to locating their owners. Rescues seem to always assume if they find a hunting breed dog it was abandoned because it didn't hunt well. It always seems odd to me to just assume a dog that who has a permanent ID is unwanted. I do hope they contacted the club he belongs to and were told he is not wanted.

 

[Fran101]

Seems rather odd to me! Wouldn't collars just be easier?

 

[Emily]

Seems rather odd to me! Wouldn't collars just be easier?

I'm guessing that IF painting large numbers on their sides is practiced, it's to keep them separate from another hunt club's pack should their paths cross. Easily visible, etc.

Collars aren't a good idea for dogs darting through brush. Too much stuff to catch it on.

 

[AdrianneIsabel]

I'm guessing that IF painting large numbers on their sides is practiced, it's to keep them separate from another hunt club's pack should their paths cross. Easily visible, etc.

Collars aren't a good idea for dogs darting through brush. Too much stuff to catch it on.

this.... it's smart imo.

 

[SizzleDog]

I've heard of hunters doing it - saw it discussed on the UKC hunting forums awhile back. Easily visible, easy to figure out who the dog belongs to if it runs off during a hunt... which does happen sometimes. I'm hoping some of our more hunt-savvy members can confirm this.

 

[Kat09Tails]

In my grandfather's day they branded hounds with a hot iron in his neck of the woods. I suppose if you wanted something less permanent a simple spray hair color and some stencils would probably do a fine job. Most of the hounds I see these days with some kind of permanent ID is usually in the form of freeze branding the ear.

Honestly I consider ID a sign that the hunter wants his dog back. Otherwise why would he bother marking it at all?

 

[Lilavati]

I've never seen it or heard of it with regard to fox hounds or beagles. They have ear tattoos (not of the hounds number but a way to id the owner) and sometimes collars. But never anything like that.

 

[Pops2]

big numbers are painted on w/ paint DESIGNED for it at competitive field trials of running hounds (fox, coyote & deer) so that individual dogs can be scored on their performance. competitions are both a solo & pack event. they still wear collars but not tracking or training collars.
for the last several decades the primary method of marking has been freeze branding & tatoos. freeze branding causes the hair to lose color so the brand shows up white. unlike hot iron branding freeze branding doesn't cause deep scarring of the skin & resultant stiffening. it also causes FAR LESS discomfort than hot branding. in fact even w/ livestock it is steadily supplanting hot branding. freeze brands are usually large & in prominant locations to dissuade cutting it out. tattos are usually smaller & commonly cut out when a dog is stolen.

ETA
the brands on the plott & the walkers in Kat09tails' pics are freeze brands as there is neither obvious raised nor depressed scarring.

 

[yoko]

My friend use to take his dog hunting to retrieve birds. His dog was a yellow lab and he used a chalk thing and would mark how many times his dog had done a retrieve. For example before he leaves he checked his little notebook and marks a 15 on his dog. At the end of the day he'll count how many times a retrieve was done and mark it down. It's just something he's always done. Thats prob not the reason the people in those pics did since his was a lot more sloppy looking. But I have heard of someone doing it

 

[Pops2]

I've always wondered about this. It is common for hunters to mark their dogs by writing large numbers on them? This is how hunters who use dogs are being potrayed in Virginia, people that treat dogs like a number and get rid of them when they don't hunt, etc.

http://washingtondc.craigslist.org/nva/pet/2780295309.html

looks like a fox or deer beagle

 

[houlahoops]

I've never seen this, but hunters in our area that use hounds usually brand their animals, as well as tattooing.

It can be useful if your animal is particularly far-ranging (so if you are hogging or going after big cats, usually). And there are areas of the country where the theft of good hunting dogs is far from uncommon. It allows easy, immediate recognition by the owner of the dog.

Unfortunately there are a lot of issues with dog hunting, and there are certainly hunters that see their animals only as producers. A dog that doesn't perform will often be culled or abandoned (or pawned off on another less experienced hunter).

Obviously this isn't true for all hunters: my family hunts recreationally with our dogs, but they are first and foremost considered pets. An animal that doesn't produce will be retired to long runs in the woods and a lot of couch time =)

 

[ravennr]

i grew up in NC. the hunters there, my own family included, did this a LOT.

 

[PlottMom]

^^That's a LOVELY Plott.

And yea, it's pretty common for deer dogs down south, I understand... most coonhunters tattoo ears or freeze-brand like that Plott.

(additionally, any idea whose dog that is?)

 

[Pops2]

some hunt club. i posted information about the add on speed dogs in case it was stolen by petaphiles

 

[Sweet72947]

Thanks guys for the education. We don't see a lot of hounds with numbers on them in this area, just every now and again one pops up, and rescues/shelters always make sure to put out a sob story about the "poor neglected/abandoned ex hunting dog". There is such a negative view of those who hunt with dogs that is very pervasive in the rescue/sheltering world. I'm sure those dogs are happy doing what they are bred to do, and I'm not going to judge those that hunt with dogs. The plott hound in the pic, you can tell she's fed and taken care of and her condition looks awesome, but to me that steel drum wouldn't be adequate shelter and that chain seems awfully big for a lean hound. However, if that setup works for them and the dog isn't suffering from extreme temps, I won't judge.

I'm different from a lot of people in the rescue world. I'm open-minded.