Is there a problem with today's beagles?

[chapkosbeagles]

never got to see the older beagles

[scootersjill]

scootersjilli wrote
gotta agree some take it a tad to serious IMO . i believe you would catch more heat for jokin about there hound than you would for cuckling them.

Whats Cuckling?

sorta like a fella thinkin his big 15in. hound is king only to come home early and findin a 13in. beat him to the hole. as dang near to beagle language as i could think of.

[scootersjill]

scootersjilli wrote
gotta agree some take it a tad to serious IMO . i believe you would catch more heat for jokin about there hound than you would for cuckling them.

Whats Cuckling?

they just thought they cuckled somebody they just treaded after them

thats what most would like to think.

[pabstman]

great post earl, i dont normally post on things but this is a good topic. i believe that people need to quit breeding to the flavor of the month so much, and come to realize that just because those fancy LETTERS in front of there name doesnt make them a great dog, not taking anything away from them, but there are a lot of "premanufactured" champions. people need to find what they like, keep a close eye on how they run, and when you think you've run em alot, run em so more. give them time to develope. alot of the breed today isnt the dogs fault, its human error. breed for the sole purpose of bettering the breed. and also the biggest thing i think is, be honest with yourself then the pieces will fall into place.

[Jon Gibeaut]

Yes there is a problem and its called ACCOMPLISHMENT OVER STYLE. Thats gotten way out of hand, the last few trials that i've been to has proven that to me.

[steve688]

I do a lot of hunting with a 64 year young man that lives up the road from me. He's had coon dogs and Beagles his whole life. He shares an idea with me that back in the day, hunters bred better dogs, because hunters only kept dogs around that put meat on the table or fur in the skinning shed. Hunting dogs were a tool of survival, and that meant "pot lickers" cost more to keep alive then they provided, and most of them were taken out back and never heard from again. As harsh as this sounds, only the best survived, and were allowed to breed, making for better dogs. I do agree that there are some good and very good hounds out there today. But from a percentage stand point, I would have to say it was easier to find good hunting dogs in the past.

[mobeagle]

I do a lot of hunting with a 64 year young man that lives up the road from me. He's had coon dogs and Beagles his whole life. He shares an idea with me that back in the day, hunters bred better dogs, because hunters only kept dogs around that put meat on the table or fur in the skinning shed. Hunting dogs were a tool of survival, and that meant "pot lickers" cost more to keep alive then they provided, and most of them were taken out back and never heard from again. As harsh as this sounds, only the best survived, and were allowed to breed, making for better dogs. I do agree that there are some good and very good hounds out there today. But from a percentage stand point, I would have to say it was easier to find good hunting dogs in the past.

Good post steve. I agree with the old man.

[rabbitearl]

Well I don t know but would say I remember alot of guys had an car and the trunk was the dog box and no dog pens, and let the dogs run all the time.I know there was some good dogs back then but more rabbits too.You go were there are lots of rabbit your dogs will look good.I can just remember hearing the dogs running and I kill three rabbits that came out of the woods but the dogs want running none of them but they were running one but not them.Its hard to say.They just had alot more rabbits too.I think we have better dogs at running one and keeping that one rabbit going.But I believe they had better jump power cause of the rabbits.It just keeps the dog more interest in it and hunting harder.I mean I go to the same woods were they went in the 60s and here some say they kill as high as 80 in there in one day.I will be lucky to get 5 in the same woods.It takes rabbits to make it look good.

Did yall know in 1928 there was over 27,000 rabbits catch in rabbit boxes in just the middel of NC.There was a man paying 8 cents for rabbits.He sold them in VA for 15 cents an from VA to NY they got 25 cents.Back then them people from ny love rabbits.

[jcbeagler]

I'll amen this.




I agree. People go hunting with other peoples dogs and they're looking for faults as well. Anything they can find that their dog does better than the next guys to make them feel better about their kennell. I look for the positives in others dogs and if I get my but outrun by a buddies beagles good for him and his dogs its a sport and it should be fun to many jealous and envious hunters nowadays. Givin ur buddy a hard time about his dogs used to be part of the fun now everything is taken so personally.[/quote]

[Alabama John]

Amen Steve

I older than your friend by a long shot and was going to post the same thing. Back a ways, there were only AKC brace trials. Hunters dogs were not registered and had to work or get lost as you said. Had to live off scraps and what they could catch. Always fed the guts of rabbits to the dogs. Ever seen how a beagle loves to eat a rabbits head in one gulp? Ate trash fish whole or what was left after cutting boneless side slabs off catfish.

I wouldn't of had the nerve to ask my Dad for money to buy dog feed. Don't know where I would of found it sold anyway.

People competed but it was sitting on a trail or dirt road and seeing whose dog ran across after the rabbit first. Like a smaller version of old time fox running with Walkers, July's and Triggs.

Too many rules today in trials and people comming long distances, paying big prices for dogs and must win a trophy to justify doing so. Way too much competition. Best thing about trials is the sitting at the clubhouse and shooting the bull with other beaglers.

[mobeagle]

[quote="jcbeagler"]I'll amen this.



Glad someone sees what I see. I think alot of people have lost sight of what hunting now is about. Yesteryear these dogs pulled their weight in a family by providing food and fur. As the commercial world grew we became less dependant on our dogs and hunting to help provide food and income from the fur. The transition was made from necessity to hobby. Trials and clubs were put together for fellowship of men and women who shared the same interest to laugh smile and share stories even if they were sometimes stretched it was all in fun they werent called liars most enjoyed the fellowship and the tall tales that certain hunters brought to the campfire. Unfortunately we've lost perspective as a group that we're all in this for the same thing and thats the love of the sport of hound hunting. Instead trialing and clubs have turned into houndsmen trashing otheres hounds one guy talking down his competitions bloodlines while pumping someone full of about how his is the perfect bloodline if you want to have a fiel champion. Theres no such thing as the right or wrong way to hunt people only the way that makes you happy. Fast dogs, slow dogs, who cares as long as the owners happy with them he's feeding them. I've been a member here for maybe three days and can tell one thing hunting and houndsmen isnt the same. We've become less respectfull of others and their dogs and more jealous and hatefull to the things we cant understand. All I can say is if you're in to hunting to trash others I hope you find another hobby because I've always considered hunters to be some of the most morally adjusted hobby group there is.

Sorry for the rant but I've been around hounds and houndsmen since I was born and I'm very dissappointed in the way fellow hunters speak to and about one another and their dogs.

[TC]

Too many rules today in trials and people comming long distances, paying big prices for dogs and must win a trophy to justify doing so. Way too much competition. Best thing about trials is the sitting at the clubhouse and shooting the bull with other beaglers.

yup ya Said it all there!!!!!

Seen Some BETTER than 10 years ago!!!!!
Seen Some Worse!!!!!
Really Dont think they are any better or any Worse!!! Just a whole lot more of em!!!!!!
And a WHOLE BUNCH more thinkin that it is an EASY WAY to make a buck...
Them folks dont seem to stick around long!!!!!

[jim matuszewski]

Todays beagle compared to what 10, 20 ,50,100 years ago?I would have to say that the beagle of today can't be as good as the first ones here in the states.the 70's brace influence had to do something to set the beagle back a bit.Breeding a dog to walk the track and never skirt the line. at all times.It was said earlyer in post that beagles back in the day had to earn there way to put food on the table. not to many walky talkys around then I bet. Not here to begrudge any style of hound put the point being of you have different styles of hounds can't be as good as the originall.

[Ken Yerian]

This is a very good question. I beleve that it is very easy to forget the negative over time and is much more pleasant to remember the positive. I was lucky to grow up with a grand father and a dad who were avid beaglers. When WWII was over there were a lot of small farms and a big healthy rabbit population that hadn't been hunted much because of the war.I was old enough to start hunting in the late 50's and remember a lot of stories of the old timers. Rabbits were so plentiful that a lot of the hunters hired kids to carry them for them as they harvested them. I think that there was a higher % of good gun dogs back then as ones that didn't measure up were culled. Some of the big changes came about thru the developement of the Nation's Highways. It was very difficult to travel from state to sate before the interstate opened up. A lot of dogs were shipped on trains. to be breed . If there was aStud dog in New York there wasn't going to be very many dogs from the Midwest bred to him. I think dogs are fed and cared for much better today. I do think that it is advantageous to let young dogs run loose around the farm if it is at all possible. I usually like dogs owned by Hunters who also trail. The dogs that I grew up with were solid Blue Cap Bred. I have hunted or trailed with just about every strain of beagle out there and I 've seen good ones and sorry ones in every strain. I do think that a lot of guys are producing some very good dogs and I look forward to running with them this hunting season and the next.

[Jr Walker]

I think the shortage of rabbits has alot to do with hounds now days...I think more rabbit tracks u feed a dog and more time he spends on a track only makes one better...relate it to football-take a man that could be the best tackle one has seen and just born with what it takes to make plays but if u never let him have playing time then he is just another number on the side lines