Is there a problem with today's beagles?

[Ohiohntr]

When I started out nearly 20 years ago I can remember how it was a great accomplishment for our hounds to make a complete circle on a rabbit with very few breakdowns. I also remember at every loss the statement was made "it went in a hole". I didn't know what a check was, and really didn't care, I just wanted to kill a rabbit. We jump shot rabbits...killed as many as we could.....only ran the beagles during hunting season....never worried about feed protien....never worried about tracking systems....never dreamed of a shocking system.....ran dogs down off of deer hours later and hoped they wouldn't run another....if we lost the dogs we would just keep busting brush because the "circle" was not a guarentee......etc....etc. BUT, we had a great time everytime out and there were very few things we worried about because we were rabbit hunting.

Fast forward to today....Actually Today

My dad and I are out for the first day of rabbit season.....these were some of the events over a 6hr hunt
- Pup bumped a deer in a standing cornfield after a huge rabbit race and took two other pups with it....the race was stopped within minutes and we were back to hunting but I was very upset because the pup should have been deer broke prior to season.
- Upset when we lost all 5 dogs in the cornfield and with the wind (not handling well) and was able to track them down with the tracker and we were back to "hunting" within minutes.
- I was ticked when the race ended with a breakdown and the rabbit had been cirled MULTIPLE times without a shot...even though we had multiple shots
- We rarely stepped into the brush and only one rabbit in 6 hours was jumped by myself....the rest were jumped by the dogs....I was ticked because the dogs went past the brushpile the rabbit was in that I jumped
- I was yelling at two dogs for using too much mouth
- I was down on at least two of the dogs for over-running the turn
- I passed on several "chip shots" to get another circle in....only to miss on the next
- The day ended with me not happy with 4 out of 5 dogs because of their performance
- I never once thought the rabbit ever went in a hole even though I know in my heart a few did

And to think.....20 years ago I "thought" we had great rabbit dogs....I can still remember a few circles some of those dogs had....It was probably the only time they actually circled one....LOL

Does anyone else notice a HUGE difference......Actually, I am a little embarrased because I know I have better dogs now than I ever had 20 years ago. My expectations are high because I have spent so much time and money on them.......guess what, it is less fun now than ever. Yes, I have lost sight of what it is all supposed to be about.

[jim matuszewski]

Kurt, great post I'm going to go one step farther feild trialing is breeding the nose out of the dogs,way to many fast tracking hot nosed dogs because of it . would like to see one of those hot nosed speedsters come up by me in Jan. I got one here that will take a track from the night before and work it to the stew pot.

[klrconcrete]

Jim, I have been fortunate enough to own a dog like the one you talk of and she is aging fast, she isnt a "perfect" dog but, she awful close to being what I call a "whole" dog. Chances are though the majority of responders to this post wouldnt give her a second look no matter what she did because she doesnt fit the template of what they call a "good one". Kurt

[davidc5936]

Jim, you are right about field trialing breeding the nose out of beagles. How many times have I heard "He won't open his mouth until the rabbit is up". Well, that's great when the running is easy, but when it's dry or hot or just plain poor scenting, that dog that won't open his mouth until the rabbit is up is usually walking around unable to smell anything, and the dog you cuss when he cold tracks early in the morning is keeping the chase going, because he can smell it when nothing else can.

I wish I knew the answer. I have had a few of those "complete" dogs- the ones that can do it anywhere and any time, but I don't have one now. I have dogs that can tear it up on a good scenting day, but I'm looking for the one that that do it any day. I guess that is why I keep starting pups!!

[Casey Harner]

I was hunting my dog, Moe the hound that is in my signature. It was a cold and frosty morning and he was beating around on a track, never really kept it going. I don't like cold trailing much. If I hadn't of toned him off of it, he might have walked up on the rabbit. I've seen a few times hunting with some friends. They had a dog that cold trails a little bit. I remember on a very cold day, when we should have been inside a warm house, it was about 4 degrees or so . That one hound kept the race going, the other dogs didn't do much. But when they jumped a rabbit right in front of them, they couldn't do much with it cause they cold trailed some of the rabbits!!

After I toned Moe and told him to shut up, he finally jumped a rabbit and was fine the rest of the day. Never hitting a cold trail again. I want a hound that can easily smell a rabbit, that might have been bouncing around there and hour or two before we get there, but I want them hounds to be smart enough to keep their mouths shut until they locate them again. A few times he cold trailed, he was a little suspicious about the smell... he didn't know if he should bark or not. But the scent got the best of him....

[jim matuszewski]

Cold nosed to me dosn't mean a dog that babbles around in the woods opening on any old scent it comes across I can't stand that dog.A dog that runs and old track untill it,s up and hot way different dog.If you get yourself a dog like that It is probably going to be the best jump dog that you ever owned and when hunting areas with lower rabbit or hare numbers you will increase your chances of better running.

[Casey Harner]

Cold nosed to me dosn't mean a dog that babbles around in the woods opening on any old scent it comes across I can't stand that dog.A dog that runs and old track untill it,s up and hot way different dog.If you get yourself a dog like that It is probably going to be the best jump dog that you ever owned and when hunting areas with lower rabbit or hare numbers you will increase your chances of better running.

I agree, he's one of the best jump dogs I've ever seen!! He's got the best nose I've ever seen as well.