The American Beagler Forum

We've noticed as spring comes on and the grasses grow and green up or when shrubs leaf out that the dogs have a harder time keeping the track going. Anyone else experiencing similar results? I know woodcock banders claim the chlorophyll affects their birddog's scenting ability. We're running when the temps are in the mid-50s so I don't think it's a heat thing. Thoughts?

I'd yes to a certain point , also alot of little rabbits right now and most hounds will have issue's run'n them as well .

I would have to say in nature there are things we cannot explain and creatures in the wild make the adjustment to conditions. The coyote, fox and every other critter have young to feed in the spring it a time of plenty and they seem to make out. I guess they never show up empty handed and say I cannot smell today because of the flowers and such. Some animals have the brains to adjust to conditions( not saying yours are dumb) and some are a little thinner. Dogs have 50 to 100 times better sniffers than we do most make the adjustment. Some causes such as condition of air moisture, heat, cold, can cause trouble but thats life.

Very pregnant animals and ones with little ones don't give off as much scent. Some little ones don't give off any until they can move about pretty good. Protects the young.

Works the same with domestic but not as much as with wild.

never noticed that the running got toughfer in full vegetation but I have noticed that it is a little toughfer to get the jump for some reason

i had my dogs running a rabbit the other day doing a nice job, we saw rabbit run by garden on grass that had been mowed about 2 hours. the dogs got there and could not smell a thing. watched this about 10 min then got dogs in woods on other side of drive about 70 yards from where rabbit came out and the race was back on. they would not even whimper while on fresh cut grass they couldn't smell a thing.

I second the harder to jump statement. We ran Monday afternoon and it took 30 minutes to get one going but after that i guess all the rabbits got stirred up because they ran the next 2 1/2 hours pretty much non stop.

jim matuszewski wrote:never noticed that the running got toughfer in full vegetation but I have noticed that it is a little toughfer to get the jump for some reason

More cover-they sit tight
More Cover- they run like they are in a big briar patch or thicket.
Dogs have to grub it out. If they don't have the determination and patience its look for another rabbit.

When in full cover they sit tighter and dont usually run in a very straight line. The results are that it takes longer to get a jump and if you have a big running dog without a gear to slow down they will overrun the track alot. I also believe that this early time of year gives the dogs problems due to having so much pollen in the air. I know it messes with my nose and i see my dogs doing alot of sneezing while they are out in the woods this time of year. My wife is a vet tech and says dogs are just like humans some of them get bothered by allergies big time and others dont get bothered at all.

Mine seem to run better when the grass starts to grow up. I hunt on farms where cattle and horses eat it real close between the briar patches. It is hard to run a rabbit around my place when the grass is eat to the dirt. They hammer it in the briars then cant hardly smell it out in the open. When the grass comes they run some of the rabbits like a fox !!!!

We had pretty good running this morning. We got one up in the woods with a lot of understory shrubs--multi flora rose, spice bush, gray dogwood, and aspen sprouts mostly-- with several blow-downs. Would be a tough place to be a judge. We didn't find much they could get up in the grass. Cooler temps and a light rain earlier might have helped too.