ARE YOU A BEAGLER ??

[currdogg]

Are you a beagler? Or a rabbit hunter? Or a field trailer? Maybe you’re a rabbit hunter and field trailer. One thing is for sure, you rarely ever see someone who is all three. In fact you don’t see many beaglers at all.
A beagler is someone who is all about the dog, the beagle as breed and wanting it to be the best it can. They like the chase and never shoot on the jump or rabbits that are kick up. A dead rabbit is a rabbit that will never run again. A beagler will rarely kill over a few rabbits for them because they know once there gone….the beagle as we know it, well they will be gone shortly behind them.
A rabbit hunter is someone who hunts rabbits, pretty simple. They go to bag there limit every time they go. Most by any means, jump shooting or kicking them up, but that’s ok because they are rabbit hunter’s. Now some do this and think of there self as beaglers because they own good dogs , or a certain bloodline, go to field trails, go to the world hunt….ect. But they are only rabbit hunters, not beaglers. Some get on to others for shooting on the jump, they say well this is wrong because I’m a beagler and I don’t do it and I kill so many hundreds of rabbit each year without shooting on the jump. Well your not a beagler, you’re a rabbit hunter…if you killing that many each season, don’t let jump shooting bother you because you’re a rabbit hunter also.
Some field trailer’s are people who want to win to bring attention to themselves. When they don’t win they will bicker and whine and say anything to explain why they didn’t win. They will throw sportsman ship and fellow ship away for a win. They cannot take defeat in silence. This type of field trialing has nothing to do with a beagle…its all about the owners ego. Many of them think they are beaglers because they gave x amount of dollars for each dog and they win here or there, but there not.
Now they are cases ( very few ) where you find all three in one. Its not hard to spot either. It’s a person who truly thinks more of his beagles than his ego. He doesn’t need to kill 8 rabbits every time he goes to prove he has the top dog, let alone take pictures of it. He would be ashamed too. He won’t get out and cry and whine and run judges and others dogs down when he doesn’t win. He will take his defeat and it will not bother him because he knows his friend, his beagle done all he could, win, loose or draw. Just making another trip together with a good hound is trophy enough. This same rabbit hunter and field trailer would never breed dogs to make money…there’s no money in it for a honest beagler. You would never find a pup he raised cowering in a pen, his pup would be bold and friendly as he handled it daily with pride. Yes they are a few true rabbit hunters and field trailers out there still…there called beaglers.
Now what are you the old man said too me.

Though of this story as I see some of the post and picture’s and bickering on here. Now what are you? Most people already know. But one of the great things about life is change is always possible.

God bless all and have a safe hunting season and wishing everyone and there families a wonderful holiday season.

[Pike Ridge Beagles]

To hunt and kill for food is a natural biblical right. Personally, I consider myself a beagler more than a hunter; although, I do kill a dozen or so a year but more to let the hounds obtain a little taste of the game that they have been persuing all year and all are eaten. I hunt almost every weekend during rabbit season and usually like to kill at least one per outing. I hunt with a .410 bore pistol 90% of the time and take shots where the game will not be destroyed. I kill most out around 25 yard range. Got to love the Contender pistols. I will brag a bit and say I am an excellent shot.
Jump shooting is OK if you are doing it to feed your family and need the meat for the freezer, but I personally do not practice this style of hunting.
As far as field trialing is concerned, it is a great sport that should be credited for keeping the beagle as a hunting dog and I personally feel it has done more good than harm. I don't trial a lot, but did attend a few this year and had a great time meeting other guys and gals in the sport.
No harm in any of the three choices, as long as the hunters are killing for food and not killing more than they can eat. To kill for just the heck of it or bragging rights is not something I feel is in the direction of goodness.
Bottom line..IMHO...do as you please..it's a free country...for a while anyways.


Pike Ridge Beagles approves of this message.

[BriarCreekBeagles]

I think this a good post and I'll have to be honest, It makes me think. I love to run my hounds as much as possible and never let anybody shoot a rabbit over my dogs on the jump I always tell them to let'em run it. I do Love some fried bunny and taters and gravy though but if it were not for my hounds I wouldn't even hunt rabbits. Never been to a field trial although I would like to someday just not right now so I would like to look at myself and honestly say that I am a beagler cause for me it's all about the hounds first.
Ain't nothing better to me than dumping my ol' soup hounds out and hearing a good chase and see'em just want more

[Gbeagle]

Beagles were bred to pursue game for the hunter to kill and eat. I think you are way off base with your assessments . I can't speak for trialers but I am a Hunter and a Beagler just like alot of other people . It's all about the dogs because without them we wouldn't be to good as hunters. I like a lot of hutners I know spend a ton of money and time with these hounds getting em right and keeping em right.( In the last few years I know I have spent more on their health care than my own) The rabbit lives to run another day during the off season. During the season if he passes in front of the gun then I am going to do my best to escort him to my plate along side some biscuits and gravy. Just because we choose to kill and eat what we hunt(I put as many as I can in the freezer to enjoy during the off season) does not exclude one from being a Beagler.

[TC]

Good post G.....
I Also Consider myself a Beagler
I Hunt When Season is in Kill a few but never on the First Circle!! And NO Jump Shooting around my hounds!! I Trail!! I Could care less about Winning Sure its nice to Win now and again but it aint what its all about to me...I Go to meet Other Folks who just might be of the Same mindset (have met quite a few) We also Compete with our Hounds in the Show ring!!We breed For ourselves To help us to better our Line And will sell a few of the pups and give a few away Also....We Spend more time with our Hounds than we Do other people!!!!!
We Love the breed!!!! their personality's, Dispositions their unequaled devotion and drive to please.
Aint nothin better to me than just hearing them going Full cry after their prey, watching them Work out a hard track getting deep into the briar's Working out a sent line on a hard double So needless to say I listen to a lot of hound music I could really care less about what others think ....... To me they are my Companions and Friends and as long as i have them I am a happy man...

[thornie]

Currdogg, not sure what category, I would fit in on your post. I run my dogs 7 days a week, kill only a few rabbits and love to go to field trials. Since I gave up coonhunting, the beagles have been my new sport, fun and recreation. So, I guess I'll just leave it up to you to put me in the right category, that you think I fit in. Oh and one more thing, you are always welcome to come and run dogs anyway you want, pleasure, kill a rabbit or two, or just sit on the tailgate and listen to the hounds in full cry. Just give me a call.

[Tim H]

Sometimes I'm a hunter, sometimes I'm a beagler, sometimes I'm a trialer, sometimes I'm all 3 at once. All the time I'm a Husband and a Father and don't much care how others might want to categorize me.

Enjoy your hounds whatever category you're in.

Tim

[bigdogpace]

im a runner not agunner my sole purpose is 2 better my line and the breed. i kill afew (1 or2) 4 young dogs but run 3 to 5 days aweak year round ther is no off time 4 me . no trials close 2 me that i can run n would trial if i could. have mid west type hounds. wish i could b all three but u do the best u can do , yours n beagling bigdogpace.

[tommyg]

Just a guy that owns Beagles who loves to run them and hunt them and trial when I can. Never thought as myself as a Houndsman-Beagler-just a man who enjoys a Beagle. If you don't try to improve your hounds what the use of haveing them. I think folks get way to caught up in what to call someone that owns Beagles. Enjoy them run them and kill a few to eat.

[dogfacenh]

Excellent post and excellent answers!!! I'm right there with Thornie...even when I was running coonhounds I'd only kill a couple a year for the dogs. I enjoy getting out with friends, seeing some good dog work and maybe shoot a couple once in awhile. I've been in some big competitions in my day and it just didn't seem worth cutting somebodys throat for a $12.00 trophy and a title that would get me nothing. I enjoy the dogs, enjoy friends and enjoy spending time with my kids in the outdoors. I've never been afraid of showing what I had at the end of my leash and never will, I enjoy hunting with new friends and new hounds whenever I can.

Gotta live hard to be hard!

[PLATEAUBEAGLER]

Well i have to say I'm a beagler. I never done a cross without considering the thought of better my beagles, as for hunter yes I'm a hunter, but also a trainer of hounds for trials, not for me but for my boy's they love the excitement of running and competing in them, but if a hound can not prove itself in the field under the gun i don't feel like you know if you are better your hounds to better the breed or to trial, so i guess I'm a little bit of all cause i think you have to be all to be a true lover of the beagle hounds, if not why bother cause then your just a dog jockey.
Just my 2 cents, call me what ya want but don't call me late for supper.

[modock kennels]

i am a rabbit hunter, i want a dog that can do it all and dont stand at your feet, hard hunt is a must, i run atleast 5 days a week but generally gun hunt on the weekends due to gettin off work at 3 pm..... when we go on hunts on weekend we run hard and long and we RABBIT HUNT... i do like to trail occaisionally but rabbit huntin and gettin some fur in my dogs mouth is a first for sure...

[mike crabtree]

I dont judge anybody for how the use their hounds.

I have always laughed when peolple say under the gun where it counts, or under the gun what they are bred for!!!!!!

I think mine are bred to run a rabbit whether or not i have a gun that day. I gunhunt Pleasure run and trial. If they pee me off in any of my hunting adventures i will send them away. Sometimes a little too quick, but when you are feeding 10 -15 sometimes small things look big.

[bigdogpace]

I LIKE THAT CRABBY I GOT 15DOGS SOMETIMES THE SMALL THINGS LOOK BIG LIKE I MOVE ADOG IF ITS NOT GOT MOUTH ILIKE OR COLOR SHES GONE . AND SEVERAL OTHER THINGS , IM WITH U EVEN SMALL THINGS LOOK BIG. PICK UP PACE BEAGLES

[Jack]

I don't remenber the time I shot a rabbit, but I watch the dogs and want them to show me the Rabbit and doing this I know I could get one If I could hit it. I am in the fame of mind ,that I would rather hear the dogs run than kill the rabbit. I don't mind if you shoot one, but you had better take care of the meat. As kid there would have been many of meals with no meat if it was not for the Cottontail .