A general forum for the discussion of hunting with beagles, guns, clothing and other equipment and just talking dawgs! (Tall tales on hunting allowed, but remember, first liar doesn't stand a chance)
Bobby Vest wrote:What I don't understand Joey is if you are gun hunting why aren't the rabbits far enough ahead of the dogs that you all can get to them before the dogs do after the shot. I have had several dogs that will retrieve but I have never had the other dogs to wait on them so they could retrieve.
It all depends bobby. Sometimes the dogs are close sometimes they are further behind the rabbits. It all depends.
Why do i have to go and get the rabbit if I have one that'll do it for me. It's fun for me to let the dog go and get the rabbit and bring it to me. I'm lucky enough to have one that'll do it and I want her to continue.
all of last season I'd just wait. all the dogs would come up to where the rabbit was leah would pick it up bring it to me. only every now and again i'd have my daisy dog growl her away. she'd just stand over it and protect it. taht it when i'd have to go and get the rabbit where he lay. that was the only time. it was when daisy was feeling like she wanted to be a bitch for the day....lol
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Joey most of the dogs out of my stuff that I have bred for years will trail into the dead rabbit
lose interest, and it's off to find a new rabbit to run. Every once in a while I get one that
will want to eat a rabbit, especially when I get a dog or pup from a different line. I quickly
break them from wanting to eat the rabbit. I let them trail into the rabbit and when they
try to eat it I pop them on the nose and tell them dead. I have took some switches to
them telling them dead, or bumped them with the tritronics when they try eating a rabbit.
I let them know they are hunting for me and not themselves. They are run to catch not run
too eat. My dogs will either retrieve the dead rabbit or just trail in and go off to look for
another rabbit to run. I have yet to ruin one or make it rabbit shy by bumping it with the
tritronics or whipping it with switches. If your male dog grabs the rabbit you can try
gripping his muzzle and squeezing his canine teeth into his lip, and he will usually let go.
You have to let them know you are the dominate dog in the pack.
I recommend you get the training to change your ways instead of your dogs.
Easier to adjust you to what you have than to get your pack to retrieve and not eat rabbits.
I don't have a dog that will not eat the rabbit if they get to it before I do, especially the head. I've never seen a dog start from the back. Now, I do see the whole pack grabbing anywhere they can and pulling the rabbit into pieces and all getting some.
If someone brought a dog along that would retrieve, it wouldn't be able to even if it would fight for the rabbit as while it was fighting, one or several of the others would eat the rabbit.
A dog can't do much fighting with a rabbit in its mouth! It'd get its butt beat for sure.
I would suggest you solo hunt this male for his training. Bring a buddy with you. When you shoot the rabbit, start calling your dog to you. If the dog doesn't come to you like he should everytime you call him then bump him with the TT. Get him to you and head off hunting in another direction. Let your buddy grab the rabbit as you go off hunting elsewhere with your male. Repeat this and after awhile all you'll need to do is call the dogs to you when you shoot the rabbit.
You also might try dominating the big males food bowl. Let him start eating and then move in on him and tell him to "Leave it" and make him back away from his food. Once he backs away, tell him "Good boy" then wait a bit and tell him "OK" and let him eat some more. Back him off about three times each time he eats and ALWAYS give the command to "leave it". When in the field he starts going for the dead rabbit, use the command "Leave it" and move towards him just like you do for the food. No TT involved and may even make it easier for you.
You could also train a down command. I use the down command to stop my dogs in their tracks. When I say "Down" they are to plant all four feet and not move. I can train that outside of hunting and once you have it, you can use it if you see the male going to the rabbit.
The idea for each of these is to give the dog something that you want it to do rather than just fight what you don't want it to do.
Greg Wells wrote:Call me crazy, but I want my rabbit dogs to be somewhat eager to catch & eat a rabbit; that's what they are bred to do.
I understand that but to me I think its a big giant pain. I'm out there to rabbit hunt and when I kill the rabbit I don't want him eating it or all the dogs playing tug o war with it. That isn't why i'm there. I want them to leave it. Or in my case i have a really good dog that retrieves and i'd like to see her bring it to me. I do not want them to eat it. its wasting a good rabbit that could of gone in the game bag.
This weekend its on! he's going to leave the rabbit by the time I'm done with him. I don't want to hurt him but he's going to get a taste of TT. I haven't tried shocking him cause i'm afraid it'll turn him off rabbits but i have no choice. its either that or I smack him a couple times I'd rather zap. I'll see what I can do. either way this has got to stop.
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Tim H wrote:I would suggest you solo hunt this male for his training. Bring a buddy with you. When you shoot the rabbit, start calling your dog to you. If the dog doesn't come to you like he should everytime you call him then bump him with the TT. Get him to you and head off hunting in another direction. Let your buddy grab the rabbit as you go off hunting elsewhere with your male. Repeat this and after awhile all you'll need to do is call the dogs to you when you shoot the rabbit.
You also might try dominating the big males food bowl. Let him start eating and then move in on him and tell him to "Leave it" and make him back away from his food. Once he backs away, tell him "Good boy" then wait a bit and tell him "OK" and let him eat some more. Back him off about three times each time he eats and ALWAYS give the command to "leave it". When in the field he starts going for the dead rabbit, use the command "Leave it" and move towards him just like you do for the food. No TT involved and may even make it easier for you.
You could also train a down command. I use the down command to stop my dogs in their tracks. When I say "Down" they are to plant all four feet and not move. I can train that outside of hunting and once you have it, you can use it if you see the male going to the rabbit.
The idea for each of these is to give the dog something that you want it to do rather than just fight what you don't want it to do.
I'm going to try to down him thats a great idea.
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I recommend you get the training to change your ways instead of your dogs.
Easier to adjust you to what you have than to get your pack to retrieve and not eat rabbits.
I don't have a dog that will not eat the rabbit if they get to it before I do, especially the head. I've never seen a dog start from the back. Now, I do see the whole pack grabbing anywhere they can and pulling the rabbit into pieces and all getting some.
If someone brought a dog along that would retrieve, it wouldn't be able to even if it would fight for the rabbit as while it was fighting, one or several of the others would eat the rabbit.
A dog can't do much fighting with a rabbit in its mouth! It'd get its butt beat for sure.
I also like an all female pack.
I don't see how you could put up with that. The dogs should leave the rabbit alone. and Not eat it. that is what I think. everyone likes something different. but if a pack is going to eat or tear up every rabbit shot then what's the point of shooting the rabbit. might as well let it run.
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I'm with Tim H on this one. It looks to me like your one year old male is not so concerned with eating the rabbits for himself, as much as eating them out of spite for the other hounds, and unfortunately you. It looks to me like he is being a game hog, trying in a very immature way to act like a big shot bully, and it sounds like it is taking the fun out of it for you and your hounds. I don't think would blast him though, even though I get a feeling that Leah might like to watch it at this point and would pee herself laughing.I would solo this hound so he would not feel the pressure of having to have the rabbit over the others at all costs, or ate so much of it he would stop or puke. He would have nothing but solo time until he earned his way back into the pack if it were me. The other hounds don't need the harassment. Just my 2 cents.
I think he is just young and trying to be an alpha male and is trying to over compensate.
Peace,
NYH
When my life on earth is ended....this is all I'm gonna say...Lord I've been a hard working pilgrim on the way!
If it were me I would hollar at him first,and if he did not drop the rabbit,I would give him a zap.he will learn in a hurry.I wouldnt worry a bit.You can break him from that easy.I would not give up at only a year old.I prefer females,but you just can not beat the sound of a big male or two in the pack.
Feed what you like, if the dog has a fault that you can't tolerate it's time for him to go. Just be careful using memories of one dog as a benchmark as what you expect from others, at a year old this dog is only a pup most dogs need a couple of seasons of gunning before they are settled in.
The type of dogs i like are competitive, so most also compete over a dead rabbit. A few could care less about a dead rabbit. I very rarely shoot rabbits, therfore my dogs haven't learned that it's my rabbit. Most dogs are smart enough to learn that the rabbit is not to be eaten, but I would not cull a dog that loved a rabbit. Joey, I'm sure a guy who kills as many rabbits as you can teach a dog to not eat a rabbit. It'll just take time. A good gut stompen never hurt either!
Joey sounds to me like it is training time. Teach them the basic comands. When I say down down down in the field... the hounds will lay down and stop what they are doing. If I am putting several hounds on the lead and tell them down.... the rest stay where they are untill I snap them on. gotta remember he is a pup still. Teach him right and he will be fine. Some are natural's some are not.
Bill Woods
276-698-0775. Holla at me!
We still doin' it the MtnWay!
you guys are right. I'm just so use to what I had before. I never worried about the rabbit's getting destroyed. i didn't think twice about it. Now its a whole new ball game. the newer hounds got me worked up over the weekend. i've never had to break one from doing this. like i said it was never an issue. like you guys i have dogs that could care less. they just walk on past it. i show them anyway so they know that the race is over time to look for another. i'm lucky that the other male I have could care less. he's one of those that keeps trying to find where it went. i try to show him and he wants to keep sniffing the ground.
we'll see what I can do this weekend to change his mind. i know he'll do it again first chance he gets. i'm going to hurry up unload the gun set it down so it doesn't fall over that way both my hands are free and we'll see what happens.
I'm really liking the Down command for this job. only I may just shout out Dead Rabbit Dead rabbit instead. I've seen others use that command on hunting videos.
thanks guys for the support on the matter. I knew i could count on you guys.
Missouri rabbits running for their lives!!!!
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