Opinion on bad scent day

[dave404]

Bad scent only way we can prove there is such a thing is if we can smell it. which we cant, but a great hound will. fox, coyotes, fishers, all these can track in any condition. men make excuses...
u hit the nail on the head !!

[eddywilliams]

Superior nose power will cure a lot of that .

[rabbitearl]

I ve seen dogs that can do better in bad scent days than they can in good scent days and I ve seen dog the other way too.This is were a person knows how to put a pack together. I look at it this way.Give me the rabbits and I will take either one. It all comes down to Rabbits. Are there here behind every tree or one within two miles.Rabbits makes all the differents. In bad scent days lots of rabbits you can get off of one and be on another one.But just a rabbit here and way over there and bad scent days. you re in trouble .

[dave404]

Youre right there rabbitearl. putting a pack together to run on bad days. I can put a pack together and cant keep a rabbit going. Ok, I can put another pack together and come behind pack #1 and keep the rabbit going good.
Many hounds shine on good scent and a man says "wow, what great hounds I got" then take em out on bad scent and they look terrible and u end up very disappointed.
What im seeing is so many are using bad scent days as an excuse to defend dogs that just cant do it on bad days.
To have hounds that can do it on bad days, a man has to get off his butt and run on bad days, but anymore we have to many internet beaglers and too many fair weather hunters that wont go unless the weather is just right for them . Fair weather hunters create fair weather dogs.
I have hounds that cant do it on bad days and those that can.
Our opinions will differ and vary but Facts and experience will stand the test of time. !!

[rabbitearl]

Dave,over the years of having these rabbit pens and being open to anyome to run beagles in them. I too have notice the same thing. they will say Bad scenting day.my dogs can t run nothing. But in another pen two hundred yds away were a person know how to put a pack together can run the crap out of one,or a pen full of rabbits were they lose one and then on another one it sounds good.dogs looks good too. there some of these two couple pack guys I know, bring that bad scenting day on.they show you how to run him. I too would always used that to save my hounds for losing the rabbit so much,until one day I ve got tire of it and change my way of looking at dogs running a rabbit. I will agree there are bay scenting days but to some out there that know how to put a pack together, No such thing Bad scenting days. I am not one of them but some can.

[fulcount]

Dave404
Fox coyotes and fisher generally hunt at Night

John O

[dave404]

yes they do fulcount. u can see em in the daytime when foods scarce. theres also bad scent nights as well as days. my dad lived to be 88 and he fox chased all his days. They would run all nite and up into the morning. I remember him killing several thru the yrs.

[pcable]

I've been hunting with dogs my whole life, beagles, coonhounds, and bird dogs as well. There are bad scent days and nights. I think cottonbust misunderstood the man. I have learned a lot about scent conditions from all three types of dogs and one thing is for sure-if you don't take them out in bad conditions they won't know how to handle them!
Dave404 and I have hunted together in good and bad conditions. We have talked extensively about this subject. We both agree that some dogs handle bad days better than others and a really good dog will shine on a bad day! There's a lot of variables when it comes to scent conditions but using it for an excuse is not an option with me. The dogs have to get experience in bad conditions before they can learn from it. A dog with a superior nose and the brains to use it and his or her mouth correctly is sometimes hard to find but are a must on a bad scent day! A working man has to go hunting on his day off! He can't pick and choose his times to go according to weather or scent conditions, so he must have a dog that can do it no matter what!
Get your dogs out when you think scenting is horrible and you'll see what you have! Then hunt them in every type of scent condition and they will get better if it's in them!

[Casey Harner]

I believe Coyotes eat more dead and decaying animals than what they did by catching their prey, foxes included.

[S.R.Patch]

I talked to a man the other day that has been beagling for 30 years and he said there's no such thing as bad scent days,just bad dogs. I highly disagree but I would like everybody's opinion on it so he can see for himself thanks

I watched a fellows little hounds that were some of these "never fault" hounds. They made numerous circles on the hill after their rabbit and look smooth and steady doing it, but bless their little hearts, when the rabbit had had enough, he ran through some dead decayed animal laying on the ground and in their close working manner, they could not bring themselves to reach or gamble forwards to get past the foil and regain the line. Instead, they worked the backtrack over and over circling high and low... and in their final determination to carry on a track, they chose to rerun the old lines that had already been covered. It became more obvious the longer they ran cause they never regained the confidence in their voice and the smooth flow was gone let alone the rabbit ever being seen again. The ghost rabbit had became their prey and as they struggled to convince themselves and us they were right, it became time to take them up for a drink cool water and reminisce what a good morning we'd had.

As far as bad scent days, doesn't there have to be bad scent days before there can be good scent days? Else all days would seemingly be the same.
I've watch foxes hunt a good bit while on deer stand, they usually hunt solo and use their nose, eyes and hearing a great deal but I hate it when hounds run mice and I'd venture a guess sometimes even one of God's own design goes to bed hungry some nights.

Your friend has certainly set the bar high for his hounds, interesting to know after 30 yrs of beagling does he still have good dogs or bad dogs?

[wingmaster_01]

Bad scent days, yep. But a big nose and the brains to use it correctly will certainly make your day more tolerable. FC Whitney Creek Captain Jack opened my eyes. jus sayn
Alan

[sparky]

I talked to a man the other day that has been beagling for 30 years and he said there's no such thing as bad scent days,just bad dogs. I highly disagree but I would like everybody's opinion on it so he can see for himself thanks

Obviously everyday isn't the same,and neither are the scenting conditions,some days are definitely worse than others,the change in Humidity,Barometric Pressure,Dew Point,Weather (rain,snow,ice,wind,dry,heat,) Doe Rabbits,Baby Rabbits,etc etc..All these things affect the scenting conditions,BUT there are some/few dogs that can still get the job done no matter what,some/few dogs have the nose,brains,gears,patience etc etc to slow down an Concentrate on a track in order to move the track forward even if that means Walking it out,it might not be pretty but I've seen dogs walk a track out one step at a time to complete a circle. The worst scenting conditions I've seen is Ice,ice doesn't leave much scent at all,but it's not impossible to get a circle if you have the right dog.

[dave404]

it might not be pretty but I've seen dogs walk a track out one step at a time to complete a circle.

Sparky, that's what im sayin also. im not talking on bad days 100% but you stated it good that it might not be pretty.

Some don't believe it but those that have see them run do, I have a 9yr old and 10 yr old that I raised in the house since pups and ive seen them gear down to a walk, hitting scent every 20 ft or so on bare roads and keep it going when other dogs couldn't smell the track.
Some seem to think if their dogs cant do it, there aint anyone got dogs that can. I admit I got dogs that cant and only a few that can. I have good dogs and not so good dogs and I know in this big ole world, theres a lot out there that would make mine look bad, and I got some would make others look bad.
I don't never want to be kennel blind to where I think I got the best because I'd be a badly disappointed man.
Me and my wife pleasure runs together, day and nite and gunhunt a little. this is my only purpose for having dogs. im not in it for competition and if your dogs are better than mine, you're the guy I want to run with, maybe mine may learn from yours and be better hounds.

[BB Beagles]

I believe the mystery of " scent" will always be a mystery. Yes granted when things are locked up, froze solid, dry as a popcorn fart,etc, it might be harder for hounds to smell, but what about the days that you go run and have major ground pounding, then go the next day and weather, wind, dew points are the exact same and you find yourself trying to help kick a rabbit up? Then when ya do, hounds couldn't caring line worth a flip, or running is real choppy? Your going have guys say, "well you just ain't got enough nose power". Bull snot! Who actually knows why they could smell and perform awesome one day and so poorly the next with weather being exactly same? How many times have you been hunting and say go down a old fence row, never jump a rabbit, make your hunting circle, come back up same fence row and jump 2-3 rabbits out of it? Why didn't smell them on first trip through? My daddy was a big bird hunter, and no telling how many times bird dogs would cover a area and hit nothing but way back in same spot they lock up on covey of birds.

I used to have a hound that did have a big nose. Me and hunting buddy one day watched a rabbit run 70 + yds down a chip and seal rd. When all hounds hit edge of rd they broke down except my male. He hit rd on line and never missed a beat. Also seen him run a line on a rd bed along a field that had ice on it and put a rabbit in a hole. But also seen this same hound have rougher time running when others seem to be running normal. Why? Who knows?

Yes, I think there is some common sense rules to bad scent days, but is there an answer, no. I will say this. I run dogs all year in diff climates, rain, dry, etc, but this winter we got hit with massive amounts of snow and ice. Way way more than usual. I want to applaud you beaglers up north. Some of the roughest hunting/ running I've ever had. I know my hounds aren't use to that kind environment but still. I was glad to see the thaw out. Lol!

[sparky]

Weatherbug.com is a good tool to keep tabs on everything as it changes Hourly,Humidity levels tend to be higher in the mornings and at night,Barometric pressure and Dew point also change throughout the day,as these things change so does the scenting conditions,Example - We pounded in the morning hours,but in the afternoon our running was much tougher,waited until late evening and we pounded again. Again,as the Humidity,Barometric pressure,an Dew point changes throughout the day so does the scenting conditions. Obviously everyday isn't exactly the same,yesterday may have been 80% humidity with a 30.02 Barometric pressure at 6pm and today was 55% humidity with a 29.90 Barometric pressure at 6pm (not to mention the difference in dew point). These things are interesting if you keep a log. Rabbits tend to come out of their places of refuge at different times of the day,like already mentioned working an area without jumping a rabbit,then coming back through the same area later and jumping a couple out,this doesn't necessarily mean they couldn't smell them the first pass through,they just could've been in a hole or some other place of refuge,and on the second pass through they could've been out moving. I've always noticed there's more rabbits out moving at certain times of the day,usually morning an late evening. Doe rabbits and baby rabbits obviously don't put off as much scent especially during their breeding cycles,this is mother natures way of protecting themselves. Having said all this,I still believe by seeing there are some/few dogs that can manage to get the job done,it might be a boring sight by having to walk it out and taking much longer to complete a circle,but it can be done even on the toughest days.

A stinky buck rabbit can make any dog look good