top ten--in worst conditions--

[SNOWDOGS1]

Hare Chaser, you call it genetically predisposed, I call it brains. I suppose if it was a human it would be called common sense. People without common sense can be book smart, but still do stupid things. My definition of brains leans more toward common sense and yes, it seems it's either there early on or not. If it had nothing to do with brains, then when a pretty solid dog gets old and starts to lose their mind a bit, they suddenly wouldn't get mouthy, pop on old track and rerun old lines like many do. Just my opinion though. Personally, I don't like poodles.

[WELLS WOODS]

Sorry for being a smart AZZ. Human nature is a chore to keep under control.

[SMITTY1233]

I've posted this several times on this board but the best beagle I've ever seen in rough conditions was Stine Time Ivy. Once in a life time dog. I've seen her circle hare in -20 degree blowing and blinding snow. The dog flat out got it done. She wasn't fast enough to foot in the trials she likely was under 12" female. I know she placed in a few and on a couple occasions I was her handler. Her check work, hunt, line control were second to none. Hunted with and watched some pretty well thought of dogs run but when I wanted to go to Northern MI for a gun hunt Ivy was the first dog I wanted in the box. Uncanny nose power but the brains to hold it all together. Enjoyed many days in the field with her....

[Hare Chaser]

Sorry for being a smart AZZ. Human nature is a chore to keep under control.

LOL! As you can see I don't have that problem!

Here is one of the issues I have in labeling it "Brains" that makes the difference between a hound knowing the rabbit/hare is up before they open. Now before I go further, I'm not advocating that we should be looking for or breeding for hounds that cold trail. We all know that there often is baggage associated with that super cold nose that can run in any conditions. I'm always looking for the dog that can run any day I want to go here in the Northeast and I always would prefer one that would not cold trail at all but I sure won't get rid of one that barks early and may cold trail some if they can produce the game most of the time.

Back to the brains thing, so.......if the dog is smart enough to learn when to open and when to keep quiet why is it that they aren't smart enough to learn if they shut up entirely they increase their odds of catching the rabbit/hare?

[WELLS WOODS]

Beagles have been bred over the years to be a trailing hound that work together in a pack. Faults are characteristics or traits that would disrupt the pack's progress. Running mute would be a big problem & so would crying wolf & having nothing. Breeders have to balance nose & brains to fit their hunting area, but a good hound can run well almost anywhere on hare or rabbit without being faulty. We've came a long way turning the hare bred hounds into excellent cottontail dogs.

[Markday]

Wells you seem to be a very smart houndsman I always like what you have to say

[snowshoehareguide]

i LOVE a dog that cold trails a little-- ive been running a bunch of dogs about 5 days a week this summer- all of them can start a hare--- i mean it is possible-- it has happened before , lol - two of them will cold trail a short distance and jump ,, so everyday i give different dogs a chance to jump a hare- and if they dont start in a few minutes i let one of the two go i KNOW will start like right now -- those two dogs jumped 90% of the hare ive run--- more than all the other dogs combined and almost everytime ,they have done it close by ---not 500 yards out - its amazing to me that they can go in and jump a hare consistantly behind the other dogs day after day---- i also have one thats an extreme cold trailer--- loaned him out for the summer-,

[Moore Beagles]

snowshoehareguide I wish there was a like button on Here!

[Hare Chaser]

i LOVE a dog that cold trails a little-- ive been running a bunch of dogs about 5 days a week this summer- all of them can start a hare--- i mean it is possible-- it has happened before , lol - two of them will cold trail a short distance and jump ,, so everyday i give different dogs a chance to jump a hare- and if they dont start in a few minutes i let one of the two go i KNOW will start like right now -- those two dogs jumped 90% of the hare ive run--- more than all the other dogs combined and almost everytime ,they have done it close by ---not 500 yards out - its amazing to me that they can go in and jump a hare consistantly behind the other dogs day after day---- i also have one thats an extreme cold trailer--- loaned him out for the summer-,

Hmmmmm.............sounds to me like you better breed some brains into those couple of dogs. The others evidently were smart enough to let you get the dumb ones out of the box and do all the work.

[WELLS WOODS]

Thank you Markday. I love hounds for some reason. I wish I could afford to do it on a larger scale.

[S.R.Patch]

Putting down hounds that you know can jump a hare doesn't help the others learn to find their own, it only enforces upon them the need to rely on others.
I don't know what age hounds your dealing with but it sounds that quality is not abundant.
Some of the earliest training of my young hounds is that they learn and are required to find game.

[warddog]

If not opening until the rabbit is up is brains what is it when one is running with little mouth until the track is red hot? Notice I said little mouth not NO mouth and quite a bit of mouth when running a pretty hot track. Do folks suppose that dog has the brains to know hot medium and cooler tracks? One thing I noticed about coon hounds is one that shuts up and drifts a track gets up on it's game and many semi to silent hounds pop them right up a tree.

[Hare Chaser]

If not opening until the rabbit is up is brains what is it when one is running with little mouth until the track is red hot?

More often than not its lack of nose.

[mybeagles]

A hound that needs good conditions to run is an "idiot" in my opinion. The reason we think cold trailers are "cold trailing" is because of so many hot nosed idiots that can't smell. Babbling idiot and cold trailer are not synonymous. The reason so many trailers hate a cold trailer is it exposes their dogs lack of nose.

[S.R.Patch]

i like the top ten hounds thread--i recognise a few of the names , ive been running dogs ten days this month---just about ideal conditions-- cool ,wet - ive noticed my best dogs in the winter are ok now but getting outrun by dogs i might leave home most the time in the winter---- so how bout a top ten in worst conditions thread-- - cold n snow here but might be hot and dry for you? - whats the best on the worst days ---

I had a bitch growing up named Penny, lordy she might cold trail 20 min. before a jump. She would chop a cold trail, then scream on a find, then ahrooo... on track. She was very independent and focused. I never hardly faulted her cause she most always found her rabbit. My uncle's hounds would check her often but they never seemed to smell enough to gain their interest, she drove my uncle nuts, but on down cycles or late season cold when rabbit were few, he tolerated her for a find. She was med-slow and ran the back of the pack most often.
My Pop Fannie bitch was my best jumpdawg/checkhound, she never spoke before the rabbit was up and I've killed many rabbits behind others who had hunted the fields out before I arrived. On the worst days if there was a rabbit out the hole, she'd find it. I can't say she had the best nose but her desire, smarts and singleness of mind kept her success rate among the top of what she was put down with. A number of young men killed their first rabbit over Pop Fannie and they learned to carry a lead strap or else quitting time never came when it was time to get home for school the next day...lol

If I had to pick between the two, I'd take Pop Fannie, she made the hunt exciting and her ability to root out a rabbit for a start and work a check gave the boys something to talk about.... jmho