The American Beagler Forum

Rob Kane


IBGA President


Group:Members
Posts:10
Joined:28-February 11
State/Province:Connecticut


Posted 25 January 2011 - 04:30 PM

Been fortunate to cut my teeth judging and watching in some of the famed snow trials In the mid and early '90s. The following dogs impressed me in my seventeen years of watching hounds in winter conditions, in no particular order:

FC Church's Blue Bawls
York's Little Mtn. Sadie
Spruce Corner Jerry
FC Spruce Corner Millie
Dead Branch Slugger
FC Kane's Irish Mist
FC Kane's Irish Beach Bum II
Honey Hollow's Leann
FC Higher's Winston Cup
IFC Steve's Hare Tracer
FC Timberline Sweet Caroline
FC JD's Roundhill''s Mary
FC JAG's Find Em Up Nemo

2003 Canadian National LPH 15" Bitch Trial Winner" IFC Branko's Dirty Pond Laika (she won the Canadian NLPH by being the only 15" bitch that could run the hare in the conditions) also she was a IBHF Trial of Champions Winner. She was one tough bitch in snow or on sod in 100 degree temps.

IFC Dirty Pond Legacy's Blacky, take your best or your buddies best and run with him in snow.

IFC Cowbay Striker, Excellent hound on snow or anything you could throw him on.

FC South Hill Baxter, Nose power and brains!!!

FC Kemlers After Burner, Very very impressive hound all around leave the check area and he'd burn ya.

IFC Green Bay Shooter(Won every snow trial he was entered in)

Muskie Lake Eli, He was owned by my best buddy and I had the pleasure (which it was) of hunting with him many many times. His style was simply run the hare- as long as you like- in whatever you like. He had no flash to him at all but he could make a top notch hound look silly in rough conditions. He won the Michigan state hunt during the winter of 98-99 Simply the best all around gun dog I have ever seen.

I heard about the Branko's Heli-Prop turn the hare effortlessly.

HOF Andy's Cassidy Rambo

15" male from Colby Hill and Dom's Dougie breeding.

In his earlier years I ran him on snow EVERY weekend.
There was never a time he couldn't run the rabbit.
He was able to adjust his speed and walk if need be.
Sometimes he'd run a hare 3/4 circle before the pack would bark!

At 14 he still wants to go, but a lack of hearing keeps him in the kennel.

LPB

Rob,
I would have to add
IFC Surestart Spencer
and of course
IFC Great Bear Rocky

Many have said IFC Surestart Spencer was best of the best. I wish i could have seen it myself.

I seen some the hounds from Bob Sweets breeding program out of Kieth Whites males Valley View Spinner and Spinner 11 show incredible nose on the sheets of ice we had here and rotten snow- other dogs not ven bark they go right on with it on the smaller cottontails here- smaller feet lol.

jason wrote:Rob,
I would have to add
IFC Surestart Spencer
and of course
IFC Great Bear Rocky

our friend that owned Spencer Wayne Mcdougald of Ny lives here in NC now stays winters here summers there.

which do you think is harder hot dry condtions on sod, or cold ice or rotten snow or combination of the two?

snow and ice

2 foot of dry week old powder clear to the ground with temps not getting above -0 during the day, seen MANY days a cold nosed dog wouldn't even wag his tail on seconds old tracks.

sbeagler wrote:which do you think is harder hot dry condtions on sod, or cold ice or rotten snow or combination of the two?

you got to give the dog time to adjust
a dog from here in indiana needs time to adjust to the temps of mich
and a dog from mich is the same needs time to adjust
i have seen a very good northern dog run all day long in snow and freezing time but bring to heat and humidity couldnt run but 30 min to hr.
and a southern dog can look like a million dollar dog at home take north and look like a pos

I don't doubt a northern bred and hunted hound would fall apart in southern heat & humidity.......but that has nothing to do with nose power.
Could the dog adapt and adjust to said conditions?........Perhaps, but at the extreme end of the spectrum I don't believe the dog will ever be as good as one born and bred for such an environment.

Like wise, the vast majority of hounds bred down south will not have the nose power to run at the extreme end of the spectrum of northern winters.
Now before everyone starts coming unglued at the seams by such a statement, I'll also add that the vast majority of northern bred hounds don't have the nose power to do it either

Best advice when tough winter conditions roll up is to stay inside and wait for better weather. Don't worry, you can still go online and shovel all the b.s. you can muster and no one will be the wiser (unless of course someone rolls up wanting to go hunting)