Has the peak interest in beagling passed

[Schag]

I will give my opinion on this topic because I see it first hand every day. Growing up my family and friends would be outside playing backyard football, baseball, basketball, etc. or in the woods hunting squirrels, rabbits, or any other small game. MONEY has changed rabbit hunting along with the attitudes of most young men and women of today. Most of the youngsters that I am around are too concerned with video games, facebooking, and texting to even attempt to walk in a briarpatch where they might scratch their hand. Or, they are so caught up with shooting that monster buck that they can make MONEY on with offers from sporting good stores. No one wants to start off small they want instant gratification, and if they don't get it mommy and daddy will surely try their best to produce it. Why waste money, hard work, and time on beagles, when I can sit in my stand all day, text, and maybe shoot a buck worth a lot of money?

With that being said, hunting is becoming more of a rich man's sport, because if you don't have the money to lease or own your own land, you surely won't be running beagles on it. Years ago during bow season I might occasionally run into a bow hunter here and there. Now, I can't find many running spots without seeing trucks parked everywhere, tree stands hanging everywhere, usually with people sitting in them.

Sorry for rambling, but when it comes down to our society today, I get fired up. I will probably die with a hound in the backyard even if I have to fence it in for my only running spot.

[10ACbeagles]

its so true about the Outdoor channels and about hunting being about money these days.Few months back I saw a hunting show with Michael Waddell and he had his bad boy LOADED with robotic lookin decoys that you dont even need to kill a turkey,or if thats the case and you need all that high tech how can you consider yourself a true hunter?you might as well walk into a cage where ones tied to a post and shoot it.Its ridiculous.I'm sorry but that "well if you can afford to have something to help your odds" stuff just dont work with me.Show me a man who can call in birds with something simple and make it look as pretty as the others do with "live" looking decoys and Ill show you a real hunter.If a kid wants to kill a deer thats fine but I have always and will always believe the fundamentals to all hunting are learned while small game hunting.My dogs burnin a rabbit up in the field gets my heart rate going and brings a smile to my face more than any other animal I ever hunted.

[TOBY]

I'll tell u what the problem is. Its the kids these days. All they do is play XBOX/PS3 and play on the internet.
I live in a neighbor hood loaded with kids and i rarely see them playing football,Basketball or even running around shooting squirels with the bb gun.
Im only on my 20's and it wasnt long ago when me and my brother had everyone in our neighborhood hollering at us because we were shooting squirrels and birds out the front yard. I never see a kid running around with a bb gun these days.
If we wernt shooting crap then we were Fishing, playing football,baseball whatever. Never were we sitting inside the house.

Now that i am 25, me and my 24 year old brother are the only guys around here in SOMD that have beagles that are our age We run them hard year around and also Deer,turkey,goose,duck hunt also.

I thank my dad and grandpop for bringing us up the right way. I wouldnt know what i would do with out my beagles.


OBTW i Do put alot of blame on the parents for letting the kids come home from school and play games, internet for hours and hours everyday and not getting them in the outdoors.

[Mo. Beagler 5000]

I'm with you on that... I have all star baseball players who won't play because the new call of duty came out!!!! ANd then the kids I beg to play are so lazy and have never touched a ball so they get hurt and quit or can't stand being told they are doing something incorrectly...

Being a teacher it saddens me how many kids never get outside...or at least if they are inside I wish they were learning something even!!! I guess its a new world..

[bucks better beagles]

This is a good topic. One I am sure we all have interest in. I agree somewhat with Toby. The kids of today have much more to do than just run and deal with dogs. Everyone has much more to do. The computer has opened up a whole new world. Cell phones keep everyone connected. Wide screen TVs hold everyones interest. It is just the way it is.

There is absolutely no question that interest is dwindling and quickly. In my state, the DNR cares nothing for rabbit hunters, or, for that matter, much else other than the deer hunters. There was once dozens of rabbit hunters in my immediate area. Now there is only one that truly is interested.

In addition, in the last 2 years, rabbits have disappeared in the areas I used to hunt. Thus, I have gone more to running fox.

I don't think there is anything that can be done and it will only get worse. The only think keeping us alive is the field trial guys. They spark an interest due to competitiveness of their events. Everything has its day and then is gone. Just the way it is.

[TallPaul]

I posed the question mainly to see what others thought. I have to say the reasonings or observations between some of you and I; are shared. The economy seems to have bitten into a few peoples interest, but you still see fairly high entries ( at least in Norhtern Mi hare assoc) in trials.

Places to hunt or run- thats a big one. I have said it more than once to some of the local guys, on how lucky they were to live in an area, with virtually unlimited spots to run or hunt. Then on top of that, have a local club with running grounds. Granted you now take a chance in losing your hounds to wolves, when your hunting in the wild, but still what a blessing it is to have those resources. Who here would love to have a camp or residence in Maine or the UP.

You know I revived some of that desire for running/hunting with beagles last weekend when I met up with some friends on the east end of the UP. Hope you can too, regardless of the snow depth. Michiganers take advantage of our long season, maybe take a youngster

Thanks
Paul

[Mike Gibeaut]

Dave I agree with you on squirrel hunting.When I was a kid we lived in thr country very seldom saw a car.Opening day of squirrel season looked like we lived on freeway.As far as rabbit hunting goes I think there are as many now as have been.several of my hunting buddies never get on a computer.I am almost 60 and I will say this the younger hunters with kids have their plate full with a balancing act between family and hunting.Remember if momma aint happy nobodies happy.Just my 2 cents worth.

[golden acres]

This is the reason I feel trial. I ran dogs before trialing but while in college 20 years ago I could not find many guys to go out and coon hunt of rabbit hunt so the trials introduced me to a bunch of guys and gals that share the same love for running dogs as I. Through the years I have seen many come and go, but have made a lot of new friends almost like an extended family. Imagine every family party all you talk about is running dogs that is what the trials are to me

[danny vansickle]

i think the economy has a lot to do with it,i myself have seen a lot of beaglers come and go just in the short time i was field trialing heavy,and like with me,i havent ran a dog or been to a trial in almost 2 years or more i think,the last trial i was at was java villiage right after i finished bandit in 09.i havent lost all interest,i plan to get back into it as soon as i can afford to and that goes back to the economy,i cant afford to shut my tattoo shop down for a weekend to go to a trial,nor would i have time to run a dog right,and that is prolly goin on with a lot of people,i know 5 or 6 guys that trialed as much if not more then me,then the economy took a big shizitand they had to change jobs and that messed up thier weekends and times to run dogs,i have a huge kennel system out back of my house and not a single dog in it,i just dont have time to run dogs and i guarantee you there are a lot of people just like me who wish they could trial dogs heavy but until we get out of this recesion,people are to worried about feeding thier families then feeding a kennel full of rabbit dogs.........'''


jmho

[HD Ultra]

Bucky, I was just talking to a buddy of mine, RP (you may know him), we were wondering who that ONE truly interested beagler is in your area? Could it be TC, is he the ONE?

[Shotgun John]

Topics on this board and others, have slowed. Do you think the interest in beagling has slowed also or is it just my perception. Seems like there was a greater interest 4,5 years ago. Topics were about the past great beagles, and everyone had the best breed litter for sale.
Just a thought.

Around here it seems that there is more interest in rabbit hunting and beagles. I think it's because they know that deer doggin is coming to an end shortly and they want to hear dogs run. I have had more calls and emails this year asking about my rabbits also. Alot of the guys said they were getting back in to rabbit beagles and were rebuilding old training pens and needed rabbits. Sure wished I had the rabbits they needed but I just sell what few extras I don't think I will need.

[bucks better beagles]

HD: TC? Hardly. It would depend on who is doing the asking!

[Bunnyblaster]

I agree with all of the above reasons and I also agree that the youth of today are the future of our sport tomorrow.....no doubt. But I have a question for anyone that will complain that all kids do is sit and play video games. Why do they get away with it? Kids are gonna do what kids are gonna do unless you show them another way. Growing up I was never "allowed" to sit and play a video game machine for hours or days on end. The majority of today's grown ups are lazy and it is much easier to let your kid entertain themselves than to put the effort into teaching them about something else in life whether that be rabbit hunting or learning how to sew. Today's kids are lazy as a whole because yesterday's kids were lazy as a whole and so was the generation before that. I'm only 32 years old and it makes me sick to see people from the ages of 5 right up to 40 be completely worthless p.o.s.'s. It's just the way society is headed and the only people that are ever going to make a difference are people like you guys. People that have a passion for something besides technology and people who choose not to take the easy route on everything just because. I have a 3, a 6 and an 8 year old. We grow our own food in the summer and can/freeze it to get us through the winter. Can I afford to buy all of that stuff?? Yep. Then why do I choose to put the work into a garden? The same reason I take my kids out to pick berries to make their own jam and pies with. It gives me time spent with them and teaches them something along the way. I am always surprised how many of their friends have no clue about any of that stuff. But in today's world if you don't "have" to then people just don't do it. And I'm not trying to sound "holier than thou" so I hope I'm not coming off that way. I just always figured it was the way that I was raised and I think I turned out pretty decent so I'm gonna raise my kids the same way.

[littlewoody]

I will give my opinion on this topic because I see it first hand every day. Growing up my family and friends would be outside playing backyard football, baseball, basketball, etc. or in the woods hunting squirrels, rabbits, or any other small game. MONEY has changed rabbit hunting along with the attitudes of most young men and women of today. Most of the youngsters that I am around are too concerned with video games, facebooking, and texting to even attempt to walk in a briarpatch where they might scratch their hand. Or, they are so caught up with shooting that monster buck that they can make MONEY on with offers from sporting good stores. No one wants to start off small they want instant gratification, and if they don't get it mommy and daddy will surely try their best to produce it. Why waste money, hard work, and time on beagles, when I can sit in my stand all day, text, and maybe shoot a buck worth a lot of money?

With that being said, hunting is becoming more of a rich man's sport, because if you don't have the money to lease or own your own land, you surely won't be running beagles on it. Years ago during bow season I might occasionally run into a bow hunter here and there. Now, I can't find many running spots without seeing trucks parked everywhere, tree stands hanging everywhere, usually with people sitting in them.

Sorry for rambling, but when it comes down to our society today, I get fired up. I will probably die with a hound in the backyard even if I have to fence it in for my only running spot.

+1

[HD Ultra]

Bucky, if not TC, then who? Maybe you?