The American Beagler Forum

How did it compare running your big nose dog on snow and ice to let's say dry and rocky conditions. What conditions take the most nose. Not to offend any one, but not looking for theory's but actual experience from guys that have ran all over and seen some stuff.

I haven't been all over, but I have seen my dog track rabbits on snow that the other dogs in the cast couldn't smell until the track got hotter. I've also seen him jump a rabbit "not much bigger than a hamster," according to the judge, in June that the other dogs couldn't smell. He opens too soon but I have watched him open on a track and take it 75 yards before he jumps the rabbit. His nose is an asset and a curse; he pulls his share of minuses. Dry, rocky ground just doesn't hold scent as well as snow or even ice.

I have ran a lot of hot, dry, dusty conditions as well as cold, snow, and Ice. I think living in the mountains of west Virginia kinda gives you some of both, we often have two to three feet of snow on the ground with much below zero temps and windswept snow and ice you can't make a dent in with your boot heel, we also have snowshoe hare in the mountains that you can see from my front porch. In the summer it will get so dry the ground cracks and the dogs will kick up dust as they run if there is no ground cover , kinda like your car does driving down a dirt road, but to a much lesser degree, but we are not as severe in cold and ice as the great north or as hot and dry as the South most of the time but I believe our conditions are equal to either, some of the time and probably for a shorter duration. But I don't have to compare North and South I only have to evaluate the SAME dogs on hot and dry against cold, snow,and Ice. I have seen a lot of hounds that could run in extremely dry conditions that could not run on dry snow powder, or windswept ice . but have never saw a hound that could run on , Dry, powder snow and hard ice that could not run no matter how hot or dry . I really don't have a dog in this fight so to say because I really don't live in the South or the North. But Snow and ice will be more difficult. If I had no experience in this matter I would naturally assume that snow and Ice would be easier to run on as they both contain locked in moisture which we all know is an aid to good scenting, don't let what you may consider as logical be a substitute for actual experience, I believe some are guilty of this in a lot of matters, this is one of those times your logic will let you down! And one more thing , just because your hound can run on 5" of melting snow means absolutely nothing as far as a snow hound goes, some seem to think they have a snow hound if they can run under those very, ,very, favorable conditions! In summation, snow and ice can be much more difficult but some run on 20 degree snow and think snow is easy. The toughest conditions you will run in contain snow and Ice, not heat and dust!

I don t know nothing about snow or ice but doing these tcp trials and a lot of big nose dogs there.No body want to turn out first if there is a big frost.I ve seen dogs get on an old trail and you would think they were on a jump rabbit.or maybe get on a jump rabbit and come to a lost and get on a old trail.These guys just don t like a good frost in the mor. its bad news on them big nose dogs.

I had one with nose so big it couldn't get to the food with its mouth

swing wrote:I had one with nose so big it couldn't get to the food with its mouth

Had this happened anywhere other than Arkansas, I wouldn't believe it. But down there, well we've all heard the stories.

Thanks to all for the replies and pms.

I saw dogs out of otis have big nose. The owner to otis is rick henderson sr. Rick is a nice guy to deal with. I don't have his contact info but he is a member at baydenoc club. He would be a guy with info on big nose dogs.

years ago I would not breed without big nose, but we bread nothing but hunting dogs. med speed big nose, little ex mouth no big deal.when hunting I thought u need it more thin not in Michigan with all the bad weather. Today I breed for a cleaner dog with more speed a akc lp style/Midwest dog. I found that a faster dog with a good nose "BRAINS" (no's when to gear down,) hard hunt and likes to cast deep. dos a better job . and no ex mouth.JMO.