Definition of “Hunt”

[Combs Beagles]

I have run across many different, highly subjective, definitions or what someone means by “Hunt”. I have seen many dogs stay active but not find, only to have the hunter kick the rabbit out… labeled “Good Hunt”, to me that poor search. I have also seen dogs spent 10 minutes in one brush pile with no result labeled “Good Hunt.” to me thats a slow dog or bad nose or both....LOL... List goes on and on……we’ve all seen it. Thought it would be interesting to see what everybody thinks.

[Alabama John]

Ever how they do it that results in a rabbit is good hunt. Have one that doesn't show any hunt but just ambles off and then produces a rabbit. Has no HUNT, but jumps many rabbits.

[Mo. Beagler 5000]

Hunt to me is when A dog is actively trying to find its game...

Not standing by you or running along trails, but in the brush finding a rabbit.. Or even in the case of what every says is a jump dog the ability to find a rabbit in walmarts parking lot and run it...

also is not a dog that just plops in a pile and stays there for a month smelling one tiny 3ft place over and over.

Its pretty easy to spot a dog with hunt when you see it

[chapkosbeagles]

Look at the grey scale

[mobeagle]

First of all there's a difference between a dog with good hunt and a good jump dog. I've seen plenty of dogs with alot of heart and would hunt their tails off that just didnt produce as well as others. To me its very simple. A dog with hunt is a dog that actively looks for its game to jump and run. Just because a dog has good hunt doesnt mean it'll be a great jump dog.

[Combs Beagles]

Thanks guys really good feedback. As chapkosbeagles mentioned it was the Gray Scale post that prompted me to post this topic. I kinda see a "Grey" area in that....no pun intended. I agree with everyhting there and have been doing this for some time but I do feel that "Hunt" and "Desire" can be two different things and only sometimes related.

I think "mobeagles" said it very well there are differences in a dog with good hunt and a jump dog. And I think other factors influence each...a jump dog and a dog with good hunt.

I think a dog with strong desire but average or below nose is often described as both, as well as a dog with a great nose and medium desire could be also. I've had both and most of the time they all produced rabbits but in two entirely different ways. The main thing I guess is that they produced the rabbit!

I have just returned to beagling this year after a few year layoff....as I try to rebuild the kennel with "A", "B" and "C" dogs, I run across a lot of different views on....this dog has good "Hunt", often not the same as mine.

Thanks guys keep them coming!

[Mo. Beagler 5000]

Thanks guys really good feedback. As chapkosbeagles mentioned it was the Gray Scale post that prompted me to post this topic. I kinda see a "Grey" area in that....no pun intended. I agree with everyhting there and have been doing this for some time but I do feel that "Hunt" and "Desire" can be two different things and only sometimes related.

I think "mobeagles" said it very well there are differences in a dog with good hunt and a jump dog. And I think other factors influence each...a jump dog and a dog with good hunt.

I think a dog with strong desire but average or below nose is often described as both, as well as a dog with a great nose and medium desire could be also. I've had both and most of the time they all produced rabbits but in two entirely different ways. The main thing I guess is that they produced the rabbit!

I have just returned to beagling this year after a few year layoff....as I try to rebuild the kennel with "A", "B" and "C" dogs, I run across a lot of different views on....this dog has good "Hunt", often not the same as mine.

Thanks guys keep them coming!

Thats because if you are buying a dog it "has the best hunt I've ever seen" and if a guy is talking about his own dog it starts with, "It has the most hunt in a dog I have ever seen"

[pilotknob]

To me hunt and jump are two different things.When working with young dogs I look for the desire to get in the bushes and stay buisy looking for one.They will jump a few by just going into likely places.You never know what kind of nose they are gona end up with untill you get them running real good.Jump ability I think is learned,some dogs just figure out how to do it.I've had dogs that would be bloody in 5 min. after you turned them loose,insane hunt but they didn't jump many more rabbits than the other hounds.I've also seen a few that you would think that they wern't hardley hunting.They would jump one after another make everything else on the ground with them look like rookies.I pay attention to the wind,when you start seeing a young dog going into a thicket downwind and stopping from time to time and wind scenting and looking around.Those are the ones to keep an eye on.

[Hardscrabblehounds]

I have only owned 4 hounds over the course of 6 years, but have seen 3 different types of hunts. To me I feel I have had dogs that had "good hunt", "hunt", and a "cherry picker". I had a pup that I trained to get in the brush piles and thick balsams. Over time she wouldn't walk by one without going into it on her own, I call this "good hunt". I picked up a hound that would constantly be looking for scent but wouldn't get into the thick stuff, I call this a dog with "hunt". I also had a hound that would go out and constantly be listening for other dogs to bark, once they barked she would run off and pack with them, I called this hound a "cherry picker".

I truely love a hound with good hunt, but it takes work as a owner to get a puppy to get in the thick stuff on their own when they are older. Right now I am training a new pup and have to get into the thick stuff with him to show him what I want. It can be a lot of work, a lot of whips in the face and thorns in the legs, but well worth it later!

[bluemouse]

definition of hunt = Desire and brains , not running around like a chicken with its head cut off- a dog that when put down has one thing on his or her mind find a rabbit with the abilities they have.

[Bobby Vest]

A dog with good hunt is one that when you turn him loose everybody says look at that hunting SOB get after it. He looks for cover of any kind to get in such as brier patches, thickets, fence rows, dozer piles etc etc. I have a young one I think is going to be one but I can tell you more a little later on in gun season.

[Combs Beagles]

I tend to agree with Pilotknob....he said.."To me hunt and jump are two different things.When working with young dogs I look for the desire to get in the bushes and stay buisy looking for one.They will jump a few by just going into likely places.You never know what kind of nose they are gona end up with untill you get them running real good.Jump ability I think is learned,some dogs just figure out how to do it." I really do feel the same way here. I guess there is no standard just guidelines with factors....age, ability, brains....etc

But I do think we may have a new standard set by Bobby Vest. If a dog does make you SAY or even THINK......"look at that hunting SOB get after it", then they are doing something right. The reason I think this should be the new standard is that I recently had that thought. Went running with a new group of guys and the very first thoought I had was exactly that.....LOL


again good stuff guys....keep it coming!

[Combs Beagles]

BTT

Keep them coming!

[BCBeagles]

To me it means I better not see them other than flashes of them cutting in and out of rabbit cover. I want them to stay with me, but I expect every dog I have on the ground to be jumping rabbits regularly. We had 15 jumps on Saturday and had several by each dog, at least two per dog. So that to me is pleasing know they are all looking for a rabbit continually, that is all they can do.

I have one that is a jump dog, uses her powerful nose and jumped one once the dogs, all 5 others, had worked thru the area thoroughly. That impressed me. She jumped that rabbit out of super dense cover behind a pack of 5 good hunting hounds. She is special in that respect, they aren't all like that. But again, if I have 3 dogs down I expect ALL of them to jump some because they ALL better be looking contiually.

Lastly, IMO. A jump dog will jump the only rabbit of the day when they are setting tight and not out real good. A good hunting hound should jump a few when rabbits are out and in the cover you expect them to be in. That to me is just common sense. You see the ones that work the hardest at it if you pay attention.

Good running to all!!

[ARUSH70HALF]

I see a lot of dogs with what I call hunt,stay busy moving around looking and searching until you put them on the ground alone.Then you see what there made of,lots of those dog that had hunt with a pack now don't seem to be all that,Ive got a few of those.Ive got a couple that act the same alone or with a pack,these are the ones I look for,But then when it comes to jumping ability there's something I call rabbit smart,some dogs just have it and some don't.I've got one that will go up to a really bad thicket and sometimes he will standup on his back legs trying to wind a rabbit and then go in, he really don't look like he's doing that much at times but if there's a rabbit to be found he will. Had an older Beagler tell me onetime that he looks for one that is wagging it's tail so fast it's a blur,he said those were the best,I think there's something to that as far as hunt/search goes.But not in the rabbit smart department.
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