Decline in ARHA

[wvduece]

This sport is not the only one that numbers are dwindeling. I shoot registered trap under the ATA. Their numbers have fallen over the last few years as well, there was only 60% of the entires there was 5 years ago. The cost of goods has got everybody scared. To shoot registered trap it cost you about $1 per bird you shoot at, including gas to get to the shoot, gun, ammo, entry fees. We shoot 2-300 birds per day, and sometimes as many as 500 per day. Im 31 years old and I am a minority at these shoots. The average age of a shooter is probably close to 65 years old. There are lots of kids just not many that are motivated to do anything besides sit at home. Look at high school sports and the decline in numbers of kids participating. There used to be 70 guys played high school football at my high school in 2000, now only 40 this year. Still the same number of kids in the school, no body wants to work. Look at society in general, nobody wants to, or has to, work anymore. People seem to just want to sit around and complain that they are not getting something for free. Now if only my wages would keep up with all of my habits!!!!!!

the board of ed consolidated 4 high schools last year one of the reasons was that some of the schools didnt have enough boys to even field a football team a few years ago they were triple A schools now out of 4 schools they have about 35 boys coming out i belive playstations and video games ghave brain washed their minds jb

[dawg182]

i still think gameboys are not the problem, like i said 'AKC and PKC are thriving. ARHA needs overhauling but they are too disconnected to change. no prestige, no cash rewards....ony a trophy or certificate and a few points for hound of the year, where u win another trophy. people outside of ARHA dont give any credit for arha champs or hunt winners. AKC and PKC have more clout, dont know anything about UKC. folks around here would rather just gun hiunt than waste time and money on a trophy and a unrespected title for thier dog. somehow arha has to get some repectability back and find a way to make thier titles as sought after as they may have once been

[Parker7]

Not to offend anybody but these are some of the reasons I feel ARHA is on the down side.

1. ARHA does nothing to advertise their sport. Look at the ad pkc has for their world hunt.
2. ARHA does very little to nothing for the dogs and handlers that win the big hunts. Recognizing
the the winners and handlers a little more would be nice.
3. Not enough youth involved. I don't see the youth hunts like I use to see and when you do have
them, take some pics. And get them in the magazines.
4. To many other formats out their now. Beaglers are spreading out. So everybody's hunts are small.
5. Clubs are not clubs anymore, they are just a place to qualify your dog. Nobody has monthly
meetings. As much as some guys hate them it brings your members together and keeps
the interest going. (this is not all clubs so again don't get offended)

It starts from the top, ARHA needs to step it up a notch before it's to late. I love their judging system the
way it's set up. I feel it's the best scoring system out their but I like a good check dog. Hope ARHA is
listening to this post.

[JCM]

It starts from the top, ARHA needs to step it up a notch before it's to late. I love their judging system the
way it's set up. I feel it's the best scoring system out their but I like a good check dog. Hope ARHA is
listening to this post.

Unfortunately it seems like they are not interested in the ideas and opinions of those who are involved. I know the NKC/ARHA is a business. I am sure there has been declining revenue for the last several years (even with the $8 dog boost for a measurement card). I sure wish they would let the members be involved in decisions like they were originally.

[littlewoody]

I can't say because I haven't trialed in Little Pack in years, but I'm going to guess it's probably a combination of those things - economy, no incentive races (I used to stay glued to the "old" ARHA site to check the standings) and the lack of upcoming young judges. Even back when I trialed Little Pack the knees on folks my age were wearing out. Chip Eisenhut spent all of the World Hunt judging packs. And he's an OLD fart (*snort*)

Unfortunately the design of Little Pack dictates that you have a lot of judges to pull off one trial - even a small one. You need a non-hunting judge per every 5 dogs. When you have a World Hunt like the ones I remember, they were taking out 35 casts at one time. And then doing it all over again ... and again ....and again. For 2 - 3 days. I remember thinking back then 'this can't last forever' as I observed very few younger judges taking the dogs out - certainly not enough to replace the ones who were busting their azzes at the time - who are now in their 50's and 60's. And because they don't score line crosses or call dogs, they score only jump-strike-check points, the judge has to be there to see it. Which means he needs to be able to run like a deer.

I don't know if tweaking a few things in the format would help revive it or not. Lasts year's AKC SPO Nationals had their record crowd. For them, it's a good trade-off to have two judges see all of the dogs in each class. Yes, it subjective judging, but the goal is to find the best dog of the day, and people can enjoy the whole trial without fear of being asked to judge.

Maybe there's some middle ground that could bring LP back.

I AGREE WITH YOUR INTAKE ON THE ARHA.

[toldyouso]

In 1990 at jesmine county ky. AKC midwest there were a 154 big males and 90 big bitches. This was the super bowl of beagling. This year 24 big males and 14 big bitches. The numbers r down every where not just little pack. We the old guys have failed a couple of generations of youth hunters. I am sure it is not just one thing or another it is many things and to fix it we as houndsman need to come together no matter what format we run and try to fix it. The only thing smarter then one mind is alot of minds working together so instead of pointing out all the reasons WHY? I say we start looking at possible solutions for the future. I have a grandson the first boy in my family and i will do and have already started getting him interested and i think if everyone trys to bring a youngman or young lady to what every format you run we could turn it around. This is my challenge to all. We have alot of strong minded people on this board and even at times we dont agree with each other i do believe we all love what we do. Thanks now lets get this thing turned around we r running out of time.

[Alabama John]

Get the computers out of their hands.

Way too much time enjoying looking down at a computer playing games of some kind. One I saw was killing people of some nationality with various weapons and sure real looking. After a while I fear killing someone will be like a game and not seem real.
I worry about our future here in the US.
For our young folks,listening to a bunch of dogs running is pretty boring compared to killing a bunch of people.

[toldyouso]

Listen all joking aside JIM be careful what u say it got be kicked to the curb. lol BUT YOU R RIGHT IT STARTS FROM THE TOP and they dont seem to listen. I will not post names because they will get mad at me. lol

[CLARRYS]

Maybe just maybe it has something to do with the EMPORARER AND QUEEN BEE!!! what ya think Frank RUFF RUFF

[Parker7]

Alabama John games and computers are not the problem. It's parents not wanting to be a parent. My kids only play games when it's bad outside, when it's nice out I kick their tails outside. But I also go with them and it's working because my oldest boy, you almost have to drag him inside. Kids need to find the sport they like but they need to be exposed to all types of hunting luckily my kids are like me they want to do it all. Also I agree with tolyouso we all need to bring a kid to the sport,like I said parents are not being parents so find a kid to take running or to a hunt. Like tolyouso said it will help the sport grow and maybe Mcguire can stop judging lol


ARHA still needs to listen to members and step it up a little or all will be lost.

[CLARRYS]

And no one needs to send me a letter banning me, i have sent one to my self you will never get any of my money ever again you want to promote BUMS and NO accounts you got em and you keep em

[hogbody]

I think all the ARHA guys have been watching Mark Carder videos and are trading their fast dogs for a more conservative line control type of dog

[Pine Mt Beagles]

These are some interesting post's.
And a good topic,
So I guess I will add my 1/2 of a penny's worth,
In my opinion the low entry number's are due to all of the Above,and ,some that these guy's want mention ,because they are still running in trial and hunt's .and fear the pay back that will happen if they tell the real truth.

What I observed the last dozen or so trial's I went to was ,First the Judging ,was pathetic,(( There are Some Very Good Judges out there )) But,There are some crooked as heck judges and Buddy judging is rampant every where,and very obvious as well.
Then you have this happen --You run a hound for week's to condition it buy the best feed ,spend all that time and money -with high expecion's ,you drive 200 mile's get as hotel room go to the hunt,the very first cast ,you end up with either some one like me that is to old and out of shape to keep up with and score the hound's -or-a judge that is young and don't know a check from a jump,or one that is color blind and don't know what color collar the hound has on,or you get a buddy of one of the guy's in our cast ,so in the first hour all your time money and effort is wiped out ,and after a while this get's old and not worth the bother,This is not limited to NKC Or The ARHA hound's The Akc Is just as bad or in my opinion worse .
I have judged some hunt's and trial's and it is A hard and thankless job and no matter what you do some one will not agree with it.
But when you have these obvious judges helping their buddy it's bad .

Then there is another kind of judge -Called a negative judge or a planning judge --this judge pick's out the dog in the pack he know's or think's will beat his or his buddy dog later in the day so he takes it out by,minusing it out or ignoring it so it don't score,You will see this a lot--watch for the judge who want give a dog a jump score -he will most likely say I don't know which dog jumped it if some one say's something like he was the only dog in there he will say the other COULD have jumped it from over there and it ran in here.

I know that every one reading this aready know's whatvI'am saying is true,and there is no reason to bash me for pointing this out,Because I don't run trial's anymore and don't really care one way or the other,But ,I did not quit because of the judging ,I quit because of health reason's,But ,I have scratched my own dog's more than anyone here ,when the judge was named ,before I even turned it loose ,When you draw a judge like this ,it don't matter ,if ,it is in ,the first cast or the winner's pack ,I figure it's best just to scratch my dog,save your me some stress --since I have already spent all that money on conditioning quality feed and time drove 100's of miles got a hotel etc .for what --your dog get's beat by a crooked ,inexpearanced ,or elderly out of shape judge.

NOW REMEMBER -I SAID THERE ARE A FEW VERY GOOD JUDGES OUT THERE -I just hope you get one when you run.

Because sometimes the pleasure jus ain't worth the pain.

Add all these post together and it is not hard to see why entres are down.

On Another note why in the heck ,has breeder's started breeding the Hunt out of these little hound's the last few hunt's I went to you couldn't throw one of them hound's in a briar patch.

Go ahead and pile on ---LOL ---But You Know what I sad is true.........!

[Mapel Valley Kennels LLC.]

[Joeyman]

and thats why i only go to one or two trials per year. its fun to just go once and awhile just to get out and have a little fun.

I'd rather be hunting!