Opinions on my Beagle

[bishs]

I have had beagles off and on through the years. I had some good, some bad. All were bought after they were a couple years old. I bought the kids a beagle for a pet a year ago. He is 13 months old now. I didn't plan on hunting him. Yesterday I decided to take him out on our annual bunny bowhunt. There are no other dogs, just 10 guys with recurves, longbows and slingshots. Well the dog didn't have a clue what we were doing. Then I dragged one of the shot rabbits for him to chase. Then I tied him by me as they pushed a bunny to me and cut him loose. He went crazy.

He was digging at a pile of timbers, and we poked out a rabbit, that I caught as he tried to squeeze out. I gave him a nose full and another run. He had 3-4 good sight chases.

He hunted very hard all day. He was unable to move the tracks and only yipped a few times. I brought him home at dark, he was so pumped he ran through the buried electric fence, and back for more. I caught him 9:00 at night running track amd yippin. I am sure it was a rabbit. Today I took him back, he ran two and lost them at 40 yards.

Then it looked like something clicked! He jumped a rabbit, cut loose with his loud bawl, and ran that bunny like he knew what he was doing. He ran him hard and fast. He ran the rabbit back in a large circle and had the rabbit run by me. Then ran it another 200 yards and lost it or it holed up.

Prior to that I jumped a deer and to my amazement he walked over the trail and never even took a second look! This dog is 13 months old and this was his second day out. I think I really have something here!
The cover was wet and it was drizzling I assume it was superb scenting conditions for him to run like that.

[Jumpshootin']

Opinion? Sounds like a keeper. Get him out on bunnies as much as you can and he should be running well by the end of the season.

[res]

Opinion? Sounds like a keeper. Get him out on bunnies as much as you can and he should be running well by the end of the season.

:yeahthat:

I totally agree. Put that dog on rabbits every chance you get. It's a keeper. Rick:smile-mad

[Richard6908]

Sounds like you have a hound to work with.The best thing that i think would be best for him/her would be to get him/her out with an older or well expierienced hound and let'em work together.Your hound will catch on alota faster most likely.Good luck with your hound.

[eddiejohn4]

My opinion is you should loan him to me for a trial run :)

Seriously ,he's a keeper.

[bishs]

I took him out again yesterday. The first rabbit he ran a 100 yards or so, lost him or he holed up. The next rabbit he did a fantastic job, ran him all the way around in a large circle. He is really seems to be catching on fast. He has a lot of speed when he straightens them out. :)

[BradU20]

Sounds like you have a hound to work with.The best thing that i think would be best for him/her would be to get him/her out with an older or well expierienced hound and let'em work together.Your hound will catch on alota faster most likely.Good luck with your hound.

Be careful putting him with an older dog too soon. It's tough for a little guy who is still learning to keep up with an experienced hound. I've seen pups become frustrated from being left behind and only getting trampled sent that they begin to shy away from the pack and hunt on their own. Running solo they have to do all the check work on thier own. Seems like he is doing great on his own...keep it up and let him learn.

[fulldraw]

I took my three year old beagle out last year and he did outstanding after he got a noise full of rabbit fur. Hoping this year he will do even better going to try to take him out this weekend.

Good Luck Chasen Bunnies,

fulldraw

[timberdoodle528]

Be careful putting him with an older dog too soon. It's tough for a little guy who is still learning to keep up with an experienced hound. I've seen pups become frustrated from being left behind and only getting trampled sent that they begin to shy away from the pack and hunt on their own. Running solo they have to do all the check work on thier own. Seems like he is doing great on his own...keep it up and let him learn.

:yeahthat:

I've seen that pressure pups too much as well and they get extremely frustrated. But - it can and will work if the more experienced dog is a slower speed than your pup.
Pups eventually loose the track, that's where the experienced dog comes in handy - especially if you're trying to train your pup where you might only jump one rabbit. Pup by itself looses the track and you're done for the day, but if you have an older dog to help out, they will run longer.
Sounds like you've got a pup with a lot of desire and it sounds like he's going to turn into a nice rabbit dog. Good luck.

[bishs]

I am real pleased with how he is doing. He will be hunting solo most of the time. If he was struggling more, I would get him with an older dog. I have many rabbits on my place if he looses a couple tracks. He has a lot of speed, and seems to be getting the hang of finding the track when they make the sharp turns. My land is rabbit/pheasant cover from one end to the other. Its good to see all my work/planting efforts pay off. The 40 acres was all bean stubble 12 years ago. I am going to make more brush piles this winter. The land has brush, young growth forest, prairie grasses, brambles. The land is flat and has a high water table in the spring. I believe this is why it lacks a lot of dens from ground hogs. They burrow into a few ditch banks but thats about it. I am going to lay some 5 foot sections of 8 inch field tiles out and cover them with brush. In the dead of winter, the rabbits disapear. I think its because of a lack of holes.

[Bonz 54]

What are you waiting for?? Get that puppy on somemore BUNNIES.:yikes: FRANK.