Thinking of hanging it up!

[hubertsoutlaw]

Well, this turned out better than expected. Thank you all for the replys. I hope it is just the weather, but I don't have the fire I had. My dogs have accomplished everything I thought and hoped they would. I have ran with the best and my dogs got theres. They won some and lost some but in the end I was proud. I don't have the funds or time to run them anymore, so I would like to see them get the restect they deserve. My only concern is the well being of my hounds when they leave my house, and into anothers hands. My hounds are kind of babied. well, Thanks again. JEREMY

[DarrinG]

Thats exactly why I quit...for now. The last year or so I had hounds, my mind wondered to my kids at home more than it was on the dogs. I wondered if my kids wished I was home playing with them instead of being out somewhere with a pack of dogs. The Man upstairs impressed upon me that my feelings were true so I quit. Quit it all too. Quit field trials, quit beagles period. Havent regretted a single day of it either. Maybe one day I'll get back into it, but for now, no way I'd buy another hound. My kids will only be small once and I wanna be around to see them grow and do their things.

Jeremy, here's a bit of advice. Take it or leave it.
When I made the decision to quit, my best hounds were GIVEN to good friends whom I knew would take as good of care of them as I did. I trust them.

[jonnyringo]

I'd say if you really feel the way I think you do I'd sell all your dogs but two and just run and hunt for fun. I agree that your family should come first. I don't field trial anymore but thought about doing it again. If I do it will be for fun not bragging rights. It will be for the friendships made and dog-talk, etc. When a hobby becomes no fun it is time to make a change.

[Sandy Valley]

I do not trial, but spend time every week afield with my dogs, my mind never wanders to my kids because they are right along with me. I am also fortunate enough to have a wife who loves beagling almost as much as I do. My boys 3 and 4 and my daughter is 7 and ole' dad is never prouder than when I am trying to keep up with hounds pulling along my little ones. They have even made the trip up to Drummond Island twice now with Mom, Dad, Grandma, and Grandpa. But if I was a trialer I'm sure it would be different. Sorry to here about such a tough decision. Hopefully happy beagling is ahead for all of us.

[Jane]

Jeremy, it's never to late to pick it back up at another time.

[hubertsoutlaw]

Its killing me to do it but my hounds are forsale.

[Larry G]

I worked at putting together what I considered the perfect pack for many a year. I finally got what I was after, and guess what I did? Sold them all and quit. I stayed out of beagles for 16 years, had a few bird dogs is all. One day while bird hunting I got close to a pack really puttin' it on a rabbit and got the bug again. You will likely do the same.

[full circle kennel]

hey outlaw, i hear what your saying but i think you'll be really disappointed letting go your hounds. i have a friend that seems to say the same thing every 6months. just do yourself a favor a give it a break for a month or two keep your dogs and they'll be there when your ready to get back at it. pleasure run if that all you want to do ,and try to involve your family with you if possible. DONT make this mistake.

[jmdown]

i went thru a similar situation about 12 years ago. my hobby(life) was bear hunting with plott hounds in northern michigan. it took years of breeding, culling and training to achieve the hound i wanted. and the things we accumulate. c b radios, hand helds, tracking equipment, shocking equipment, kennels, dog boxes, trucks, vet and health equipment, leads, collars, etc etc. i gave some good hounds to friends that i knew would hunt them. sold some good hounds. sold everything, and moved. i should have just taken a break, as was suggested in an eariler post. once these are gone, it takes years to rebuild. the hounds with the bloodlines one likes, all the equipment etc. it is not hard to disperse, but darn hard to start over once its gone.

[Beagled1]

It was that night that I put my priorities in place and made the decision that hunting would be nothing more than a hobby way down on my list of priorities after wife, family, job or anything else that contributed to the well being of any of those things. Now, I hunt when I have the time as it's a hobby and not way of life anymore and I pretty much keep caught up on the honey-do list.

Thank you for posting that ... I enjoyed the read & its also something I need to take into consideration. My health is "iffy" and I've been thinking about getting out of dogs or at least cutting it back, just keeping what I have and no more.

[jonnyringo]

Each man must follow his inner voice. I sold out in 1994 and returned in 2005. Alls it takes is experience and wisdom to rebuild your pack. You'll do it better and faster the second time around. One thing is for sure... you'll be back, trust me on that.

[PLATEAUBEAGLER]

well i'm gonna flip the switch in the other direction for you. my pa and father was trainers of hounds all my young life, which i always had the desire to do so when i got older.
but i got married at 19 with the hopes of still having a pair of beagles which i did buy, but i got to thinking like you and so i got rid of them and went on to be a hard working husband and finally a father of 2 great boys.
after my first child i worked 2 jobs so the wife could be with the boys as they grown up.
all was good for 16 yrs and the family life ended in divorce!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
well today i have my 2 sons 1 is grown and the other is 13yrs old, and for the last 9yrs we have hunted raised beagles, fished, and done everything together and we couldn't be happier.
so just a word of advice from a fellow beagler.
NOTHING is forever and don't look back some day and say i wished i had keep them 2 beagles i first got like i did, cause it really set me back from where i am today and i'm not getting younger.
So i guess i'm trying to say is hang on to them hounds and spend all the time you can with the family to, do what i do now just include them in your time with the hounds like you do at home.
my boys wouldn't have it any other way, we have bonded not only into father and son's but best friends through the good and the bad times.
Hang in there it will all work out.

[hubertsoutlaw]

What is just the thorn in my side is, I have everything I want. The perfect bloodlies and good solid dogs. I have took the time to put in each dog to make them solid. I have soloed my big dogs and working on my Lucy Lou pup which is my up and coming stroker. I really, hate selling them and hope I don't regret it some day. To me I have the perfect pack. JEREMY

[thornie]

Jeremy,
I have had these issues also. It's hard on fathers and mothers, husbands and wife's to make thinks go. But we all think the same when it comes to family. Sometime we sacrifice, something we really love to do for those we really love. But I think one of the most imporant words we forget about is the word Family. Have you set down and talked it over with your family and asked what their opions are. I"m like Jane, my family is grown, but my son,daughter and now my wife own their own beagles. The funny thing about it all is I have to hunt all of them. I wish you the best of luck in what ever decision you make.

[Honey Pot Hounds]

What is just the thorn in my side is, I have everything I want. The perfect bloodlies and good solid dogs. I have took the time to put in each dog to make them solid. I have soloed my big dogs and working on my Lucy Lou pup which is my up and coming stroker. I really, hate selling them and hope I don't regret it some day. To me I have the perfect pack. JEREMY

Why not keep your two best hounds as "family pets" for now? Don't sell all of your stuff so fast. Don't be hasty in totally quitting your beagling hobby because you could have worse habits like drinking fill the void when the beagles are gone. Just phase back a little and please go get a good checkup with bloodwork and all

I want to know how it goes so please post how you are doing in a few weeks. We are all here pulling for you!
Cindy