Skirrel dog breeds

[quackaddict]

I know there’s one or two of you tree rat chasers in here that could give some good info, and a lot of people that cant…

Probably going to be looking for a multi-purpose dog in the next year or so. Wanting a dog to be my little boy’s buddy, tree squirrels, and blood trail deer. There seems to be 4 or 5 cur breeds and a couple of feist breeds that would fit the bill? Or possibly a hunting Jack Russell?

Educate me on the squirrel dog breeds, specifically one that could handle blood trailing duties and curl up with a little boy at night.


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[thunderchicken]

You get the boy a good squirrel dog and I can keep y’all busy. The hardwood bottoms on my place are loaded with them.

[theoldblackdog]

Just wait for DuckCutter to come along. Whatever he says go with.

[Duck cutter]

Feists and Curs are your proven, steadfast options.

As far as squirrel killing capabilities go I don’t think one is necessarily better than the other and both could track a deer if needed. Your determining factors will probably come down to physical size differences and temperament.

The history of the original mountain cur is pretty cool. Settlers in early Appalachia depended on them heavily for hunting and protecting the homestead. Supposedly even Daniel Boone bred and raised his own cur dogs.

I started out with feists and have curs now, don’t see that changing back the other way.
Jake is an excellent guard dog around the house and yard. If anybody comes down the drive he lets me know, he even barks when the mail lady stops at the end of the driveway. The only other person that can walk down to the kennels without him barking is my dad. He knows no one else is supposed to be anywhere near there without me around. I think a Cur has more “grit” and can handle themselves better in a fight with a coon or some other varmint. There used to be a game warden down in the lowcountry that had a cur that would pick up his doves in September and fill the tailgate with squirrels in January.

Shoot me a pm if you’d like and we’ll arrange for a hunt after deer season and I’ll have a buddy bring a feist along and you can watch them both in action

[BugBuster]

Mountain cur or Kemmer cur would be my choice.

[crow]

I had Mt. curs and fiests years ago, would give a little edge to fiests for sight hunting and an edge to curs for winding game. I think a Mt cur would be better for blood trailing deer. Mine weren't bad for running deer, but had a few episodes and got them broke from that. Not sure how that combination will work for you.

both will bond to you and your boy and make great companion dogs. Both make good guard dogs to alert you and have grit, mt curs being bigger are more effective and intimidating to strangers. All of mine were would kill groundhogs, but a big one would about wear the fiests out.

My dogs were from Kenneth and Ruby Beatty out of Crossville Tn. Kenneth's family had kept the same bloodlines going from the early 1800's and Ruby's family had kept their family's fiest lines going from the late 1700's. Kenneth passed years ago, not sure what became of all their dogs.

[Black Bart]

Whatever DC says.

[Jaco]

An old timer I know has raised em all, bird dogs and retrievers included, but swears by Laika dogs for squirrels.

[quackaddict]

DC - we can definitely do that. I’ve got a little private with a few squirrels on it, or we can head down to NF and spend a day.

Crow - that was my one concern with getting a dog to blood trail deer but not want to run them when you’re squirrel hunting. I’d think that could be handled with some persistence and an e-collar though.

Just off of looks alone, I’ve kind of leaned towards a mountain / Kenner cur, but I’ve never been around any of these squirrel breeds.


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[Duck cutter]

DC - we can definitely do that. I’ve got a little private with a few squirrels on it, or we can head down to NF and spend a day.

Crow - that was my one concern with getting a dog to blood trail deer but not want to run them when you’re squirrel hunting. I’d think that could be handled with some persistence and an e-collar though.

Just off of looks alone, I’ve kind of leaned towards a mountain / Kenner cur, but I’ve never been around any of these squirrel breeds.


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Jake has found 2-3 deer for me over the years, not something I’ve ever really pushed him on but it can be done for sure.

A kemmer cur is a mountain cur, just a very specific bred/ well known blood line. Excellent dogs

I think a cur has the potential to be a more aggressive, one-person dog if you allow them to be

[quackaddict]

Jake has found 2-3 deer for me over the years, not something I’ve ever really pushed him on but it can be done for sure.

A kemmer cur is a mountain cur, just a very specific bred/ well known blood line. Excellent dogs

I think a cur has the potential to be a more aggressive, one-person dog if you allow them to be

Thanks for the info…I’ll definitely hit you up after deer season.


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[Palmetto Bug]

I did a search for feist and cur squirrel field and bench trials on this site (https://www.ukcdogs.com/hunting-events) and found the closest were in NC. It might be fun and worthwhile to go attend one of these. I went to one in Little Mountain, SC many years ago and came home with a Rat Terrier/Mountain Feist mix that was a great companion dog but not the best squirrel dog I ever had. My two best hunters were very mixed breeds.

[PharmHunter]

If you see the big fella selling Boiled Peanuts at the traffic circle, stop and talk to him.

[CurLee]

Research breeders and look for a dog bred to hunt. My wife "surprised" me years ago with a black mouth/mountain cur. He's absolutely worthless.

[Coastal Woodie]

Whatever DC says.

This is the correct answer.

[Duck cutter]

Research breeders and look for a dog bred to hunt. My wife "surprised" me years ago with a black mouth/mountain cur. He's absolutely worthless.

Old Yeller was a black mouth cur

[BugBuster]

Old Yeller was a black mouth cur

You are correct, most don’t know that.

[Duck cutter]

You are correct, most don’t know that.

I’m a cur dog connoisseur

[JABIII]

You are correct, most don’t know that.

Yep. I have seen him called a yellow lab 10000 times. I had a lab from Bruce Jackson that I think had a little cur in him. Grits was a damned beast...

[2thDoc]

indeed he was