I plan to exercise that same freedom of speech in a letter to their Editor. Here's the first part of the article (thanks Chuck) :
"Take a kennel full of beagles, add a sweltering summer day and perhaps a warm shower from an afternoon thunderstorm and what do you have? A stinking, fly-infested mess you have to clean up everyday. Grab the shovel and the bucket and step into those knee-high rubber boots. Don't forget the clothespin. You''ll need it for your nose.
Add the cost of high-quality dog food and unending vet bills and the daily hassles of caring for those yapping little demons and you have to wonder why anyone bothers hunting rabbits with a pack of beagles. Face it, rabbit dogs are like boats and beach houses: They're great as long as they belong to your best friends."
I think this dredges up nightmares of unfit kennel conditions and applies it to all who own beagles for rabbit hunting, and I don't see a bit of humor in it. Also, I can't help but wonder how the article would have come out had it been about pheasant or duck hunting? I noticed they received an award in design for the cover that featured retrievers
http://www.nra.org/display_content/show ... 51&id=4427
Hmmm, it is nice, but doesn't look that much better than my August cover, but then again I'm prejudiced. To me, that writer's attitude about beagles is just one more reason why we can't get big sponsors or televised coverage for our events, the public doesn't take the sport of beagling seriously.
Excuse me now, I have to go run about six dogs out from under my porch, find my writin' pen and git busy.