Gearing Down Or Cold Trailing ?

[outrider66]

I did that with a simple question on the first post ! lol If this is a new can ! well it will probably end up being about field trials like most of em do on this board!

[John Way]

The only way a hound knows their rabbit is up, is if it visually saw the fur ball off the jump etc. All other starts are determined by a hounds sensitivity to smell scent and draw a conclusion. They all have different levels. Most folks can determine the level of scent based on the dogs tone, volume or lack there of. As the scent increases , typically the volume /tone and level of excitment increases. Heck, sometimes a jumped rabbit is seen and leaves to little scent for pursuit.Other times rabbits r sight chased and is a reckless screaming riot. It is possible that one owns a hound that would fit the bill as the perfect example of " Proper use of mouth", but he doesn't have psychic powers.
I do enjoy this board on a rainy afternoon.

[outrider66]

I agree I can get a good ideal of what scenting conditions are by my hounds voice same as I could with his dam . I'm not talking about intensity but tone of voice. as most
know there are days when a hound with a good nose appears to be cold trailing but the rabbit is hoppin along just ahead. I believe that a rabbits brain knows more about
scent then a dogs! ( another can opened ??? )

[gwyoung]

.

[outrider66]

OK ! GRAB ME ONE TOO !

[gwyoung]

!

[outrider66]

that's interesting for sure! But what about when a game animal is frightened? seems like dogs lose the trail , what happens to the scent molecules then ??? (another can ? )

[gwyoung]

?

[outrider66]

This subject has come up on this board before and I couldn't believe it wasn't 100% agreement that something happens to an animals scent when frightened ! maybe those in disagreement just don't know what they are seeing ???

[adirondackjoe]

now I feel bad. all this talk, some of it I don't understand and I still love it when my old dog cold trails for an hour before she jumps the hare. to me (and the guys I hunt with) it just adds so much to the hunt. especially on those days when the hares sit so tight you have to step on them to move them.

[likeemfast]

likeem, Aren't you curious as to how your hound knows the rabbit isn't up. Think about it. He won't bark until it's jumped when hitting a track, how does he know? How is it possible, Solve this, You know it happens, your dog does it, the track has to be telling him something there is nowhere else for him to get the info. Solve this for 'em. How does he know?

GW, to be quite honest i am not curious, just a beagler who measures their hounds by "accomplishment". At the end of the day they usually make me a happy guy. Obviously what he smells that sends the signal to his brain tells him nothing should be coming outta his mouth, that's the easy theory.

I have not had the pleasure to drink beer with a Oklahoma professor of dog scenting capabilities, but i did stay at a Holiday Inn last week. Isn't this whole scent thing subjective anyway? I think only the hounds know the answers.

[mybeagles]

gwyoung,

Any way you look at it the AKC FC title is extremely hard to earn. A hound is required to win 3 times and earn 125 pts. One of the wins could possibly come in such a manner but I don't think you could plan on it. While I don't like the idea of placing 4 hounds if they can't circle a rabbit in all my time judging I have never had that happen and only seen it once. The AKC rule book is very good and if its followed will render the proper winner.

As far as the rest of this post...not sure why this is so controversial. Either you like a cold trailing dog or you don't. As far as the dog knowing the rabbit "is up". A freshly jumped rabbit smells much stronger than some feeder tracks that were make earlier. When my dog cold trails you can hear a big change in his voice when the rabbit is jumped. The scent gets real hot and likely floats all through the air. Not sure any of this is worth getting upset about.

Mybeagles

[Rcoff]

gwyoung wrote:
likeem, Aren't you curious as to how your hound knows the rabbit isn't up. Think about it. He won't bark until it's jumped when hitting a track, how does he know? How is it possible, Solve this, You know it happens, your dog does it, the track has to be telling him something there is nowhere else for him to get the info. Solve this for 'em. How does he knowI

gwyoung, sorry to bust in here like this, but this is what I think, not that my opinion matters;
I think it's all in adrenelin. When a rabbit is calm with no adrenalin flowing and lays a track to where ever it is setting, I believe the scent is different then when it is jumped and scared, therefore putting out a "different" smelling track, which some dogs have figured out that this rabbit is now jumped. I have a female that just "knows" where the rabbits are, won't open until the rabbit is up and running, I believe it is in the difference in the smell of the track left behind, also a rabbit will leave dander when they land on the ground, hitting the ground harder when jumped. The strides are longer apart. Big difference between a rabbit just hopping along and if he is running for his life! Every dog is different, has its own personality, we all feed what we like. No sense in arguing about it.

Thanks,
Bob

[gwyoung]

!

[Alabama John]

GW, I'll add something I think we can all agree on about scent.
A female rabbit with little ones in the nest doesn't give off any scent and neither does the ones in the nest. Nature takes care of a lot of these scent questions. If it didn't there wouldn't be any rabbits as all meat eating critters like rabbit to eat.