running rabbits with a beagle

[tnbeagleman]

Anybody on here know anything about chasing rabbits with beagle dogs?? Thanks

[gwyoung]

Rabbit in front, dog behind. Lot of folks will try to act like there is a lot more to it and pretend they have it all knowed up, but that is it! The only way you can get it wrong is to have the dog in front, other than that, it is just a bunch of personal preferences!

[tnbeagleman]

I guess things have changed over the years!! Several years ago it sound like a lot of the beagles would run with one on the right , one on the left , and one behind , and they would guide the rabbit back to the gun like border collies herding cows!!

[Alabama John]

Lot of the big packs here still do that. Its called team work! Dogs will be for sale if its from a pack that has too many that only run left or right side. Need to have them equal. LOL

[gwyoung]

tnbeagleman, and Alabama John, A lot of folks still run them that way. And most don't use a big pack to do it, this seems to be their personal preference that I spoke of! But most dogs even though they are out on the side 30 yards are still behind the rabbit. I have seen a lot of dogs run that way and the guys that own them think that is how they should be run, and that it is good hound work. I wouldn't own one of them as my idea of hound work is different than that as I guess yours is also. But that is their personal preference that I spoke about, It's not wrong if they think it is right! Rabbit in front , dog behind, this is all that matters to a lot of folks, and once again if that is all they are looking for and they enjoy it , it isn't wrong! It's ugly to some of us though, too ugly for me to watch! I suspect mine are too ugly at the job for some others to watch as well.

[warddog]

Rabbit in front, dog behind. Lot of folks will try to act like there is a lot more to it and pretend they have it all knowed up, but that is it! The only way you can get it wrong is to have the dog in front, other than that, it is just a bunch of personal preferences!

Right on gw and then you will see ALOT of folks claiming to have trained a beagle to run a rabbit. I find that about the most hilarious thing I have ever read, unless they think that turning them loose in the field is training. I call it allowing them the time in the field to obtain the experience of honing their GOD given skills. Never seen a rabbit dog reading" rabbit running 101" or" how to run rabbits for dummies." I don't know how I would teach a dog to scent chase something that I've only smelled in the frying pan!

[tnbeagleman]

Hello, there Alabama John, been a long time. What is your method of killing rabbits now, bow and arrow, pitol,or blowgun!! I remember you were trying different methods years ago!

[PREACHERS KENNEL]

john just sneaks up on them ...and breaks their neck ....

[PREACHERS KENNEL]

as for the original post . i have heard that it is done ,,,like he said rabbit in front dog behind .. now how far behind is a different matter lol..and how fast the rabbit is moving to stay ahead is too.

[Newt]

If you are a meat hunter its been proven you can kill rabbits with any style. When I was a young boy we couldn't afford Beagles. My brother, Lonnie, who was eleven years older had a couple of Trigg fox hounds. My dad had a couple of bob tailed "Heinz 57" type dogs that couldn't circle a rabbit but would jump them. I remember Lonnie would limit out with those dogs. That was when the limit was ten in Louisiana, and he was the only one with a gun.
When I got out of the Navy , 1969, I could finally afford Beagles. I started with fast,"run to catch" style and had a lot of fun. It was exciting to try and kill a rabbit when he was flying by with the hounds bellowing. The late Jack Sisk, of White Pine Tennessee, and I, ran Beagles almost every weekend, year around. We, along with Guy Hayes, hunted during the season, then Jack and I ran ours every Friday night during the Summer. Our running ground was near what is now Exit 4, on I-81. Then one evening we turned the dogs loose and to our surprise, we could not hear them for the roar of the Trucks. Progress had caught us. I-81 was completed, we had to find another place to run. A huge Truck Stop is now located on our old running grounds. Then Jack had a blood clot in his leg and could no longer handle fast hounds. He turned to traditional brace, and I moved away.
Eventually I turned to a medium speed beagle. I still enjoy a fast pack of dogs that can punish a rabbit. However, most of the beaglers in my area have settled on a medium speed dog compatible with NEBGA and PBGA. Rabbits are scarce, so I seldom carry a gun. Usually a race will last over an hour unless the rabbit goes to a hole. Sometimes they catch the rabbit unless I tone them off at a check, to jump another.
Fast or Medium speed, its all fun.

The rain has moved on and the sun has popped out, I think I will take my buddy's "Blue Bud" pup to the field and see if those wild and crazy dogs can still circle a rabbit. Just kidding! I don't want any threatening posts for the "Blue Bud" gallery. She is a pretty speckled legged pup with a "Rosey" future.

[rabbitatfarm]

" I call it allowing them the time in the field to obtain the experience of honing their GOD given skills. "

Maybe it's giving them time in the field .... But I agree completely. I like to start my pups out on walks as soon as I can, 6-8 weeks. Everything is new: grass, briars, deer poop, etc. I take them into thickets, crops, field edges--anywhere we might jump a rabbit. They won't do much, if anything, at that age but it gives them a foundation and confidence. Some pups tip-toe through dew berry vines; others barely break stride. It's all fun to watch and exciting when the bulb comes on. Two of my dogs started barking track at 13 and 14 weeks respectively. Br'r Rabbit is still teaching them a few tricks but I am very pleased with them.

[Tsa la gi]

That`s funny guys, been around a few years and that`s a first. I was on Drummond one year, the Hare came by and here come the hounds, at least 15 ft up wind. I started to raise holy heck. Reddog1 says,be quite there runnin the drift.??? Some where probably a 1/4 mi out of sight they got back on line. When we got back together he explained the scent flowed up hill towards us and they were Running the DRIFT. SO NOW I tell people instead of cuttin, slashin, swingin they are runnin the DRIFT.
EVEN IF THEY AIN`T NO HILL.
Come Run

[pcable]

This is good stuff!! Keep it comin'!

[44magman]

I run my beagles to hear the run and to shoot a couple hare . I don't care if they are right on the line or drifting a track as long as they stay on the hare and keep on pushing him to the gun. But I want a dog that can also slow it down and keep a track between its legs if that is what is needed to keep the track moving.love to hear six to eight dogs hammering a hare at top speed usually they run big and long when they put the heat on.we don't have a lot of hare so most of the time we run the same hare for hours at a time .

[Newt]

44, I agree there is nothing like a good pack on a hare for excitement. I've been up to New York a couple of times to run hare and it was a blast. Those dogs that are running all out on hare have a bloody time running through the briars of East Tennessee.