Pros and Cons of these lines?

[mybeagles]

Santa, unlike many guys on here I dont take a faulty dog personal, or view it as an extension of my arm. I have eliminated my share of dogs from the gene pool, and if all continues I will eliminate a great deal more. Most beagles are below average and all bloodlines are included. I, like most other guys am in search of that once in a life time beagle. Not sure I have found such a dog yet, this little male I have just happens to be the best I have found so far! Perhaps you have a line that is fault free and guarenteed to please. If so please give your real name so I can get a good laugh the next time I see you.

[DG TX]

Looked at lots of hounds out of Baker, Blase, Flag, and others of Mr.Reese's kennel in Large Pack and SPO back in the late 70's and early 80's and they pretty much had the complete package of a top rabbit hound. Lots of hunt and you could not run them out of a long race.
Demon was more conservative than the rest and this seemed to hurt him in Large Pack. But he was still a top hound. ALL conformation to hold up. Mr.Reese knew hounds and it showed in his breeding. BUT-He has been dead for a good many years and today the line has drifted off in many directions. Reminds me of the Yellow Creeks, Blue Caps, Patches...
Brankos ALWAYS showed LOTS of SPEED & DRIVE and I will stop there...

[Ed Brown]

I have had beagles for a COUPLE years and have had good and bad in each line I've had or watched run. I have had a good, sound, hard running Branko bred male who finished in 4 months and was gunned the rest of the time. Oh, he had some faults when he was young, like hanging around more than I wanted, but outgrew that. When crossed with Woodstock Grannpy female, I got real good results. I have thought that Branko bred hounds are good snow hounds, start young, conformation?? well, there is room for improvement here, but like others have said, theres good and bad everywhere. Your eyes haven't opened yet if think otherwise. It's important to try to breed these bad features out, not keep it going. Also had a couple good Mr. T lilttermates that crossed well with a Branko bred line.
Just my 3 cents.

[Bev]

My eyes aren't closed to the possibility of good and bad dogs in ANY line. Half of our kennels have Branko breeding behind them. We've had to cull very few and it was for "splitting hairs" reasons. Most of ours won't win too many shows, but they do still look like beagles and they have excellent running gear. It's hard for me to relate to the nightmare stories of these Branko bred hounds because 99% of what I've seen had brains out the wazoo, personality plus, and handle like Cadillacs. Perhaps I run in different circles, but I've found them to be friendly, adaptable, and hard-working on the whole. I'm sure there are exceptions in any line, and you will see a higher number of exceptions from a higher number of dogs produced - that's just simple math.

I've found them to be no gamier than any other line of hounds. Out of 8 Branko/Canadian bred hounds in our kennel, only one has started a deer race, one was pulled in to a fox race, and the other 6 haven't bothered anything off-game yet. The youngest is 18 months old. If they run one, we will break them. There isn't a cottontail line we've ever had that didn't need treatment on deer at least one time in their lives, so no big deal. A beagle is a trailing hound - you need to teach most of them what you want them to trail.

What I like about the Branko (and other Canadian bred) hounds? Endless bottom, unequalled desire, and raw native intelligence. We prefer lines that are heavy Jack/Jiggs bred. What kills me is to hear folks talk about Branko lines that have been crossed into other stuff and when they turn out to be crap, the blame automatically assigned to the Branko portion - or worse yet, blamed on one stud that appears one time in the pedigree!

To "mybeagles" the Krpans are cattle ranchers first. I don't believe they have a sign on the mantlepiece that says "This is the house that Jack (of all Trades) Built".

We are not bloodline blind. We have several descendants of the Gr.Rch. Goose Creek Sam line, a young Blackcreek male I'm willing to invest my time in, a Luci Van Little Man male that will die here, a male out of Paul Abell's kennel that is one of the finest rabbit dogs to ever wear a Cottontail Blues collar, and a medium speed grade male that money couldn't buy. All dogs that live here are judged on an individual basis, but we've learned over the years how to read pedigrees (not just AKC pedigrees, either) and know what to expect the majority of the time.

Ryan, you are wise to ask around, but don't base your decisions soley on what replies you get. Us them only as a place to start looking. Go see some dogs run, and when you see something you like, find out if he's a fluke or good representation of the line. You'll never do it just right all the time, you will always have to cull, but doing this legwork ahead of time will cut by a good amount the percentage of culling you must do.

[Koontzy]

Bev, thanks for the reply. I have been tryign to get in touch with ya. I am in indiana till tormorrow and was gonna bring the wife up today, but I didnt know if you all were too busy, did ya get my email from earlier in the week? Hows the dogs doing, I rem some of them from the little pack and hoy runoff I went with you and ralph to in 2001. it was a blast, and I am hoping to try and get some good dogs of my own to run,

[Bev]

Koontzy, .....wife? Did you get married? Wow! When are you back to Indiana for good? I haven't been good about keeping up with some of the e-mails the last few days - been going crazy trying to get caught up on Christmas. The dogs are fine, we seem to have found ourselves with a boatload of young hounds and pups that need a lot of attention.

[stanimals2]

O.K. I have been following this post for a few days before I answered. I have a couple of males with some Branko blood one heaver than the other and mostly Jack of all trades but they are 3 gens back. Heres my take, just like any breed a big name doesnt make a dog. However having pups out of a big name sells so it seems that some Branko or Patch or what ever dogs are being bred on name alone. That being said to me it only makes since that as the crosses are poorly made the dogs get worse but the name remains the same. Bottom line you can get bad ones in every name and if you want a good one nothing beats luck and research. Just because its a good Gay stud doesnt mean the gyp is worth the 22 shell to put her down, now whats the odds of getting a good one. Just my 2 cents

[tnbeagleman]

The best thing to do is go watch a lot of dogs run and don't even worry about their breeding . Watch the dog do the work, not the pedigree. After you have watched the dog decide if you like the style or not and then look at the pedigree. There are a bunch of you that would be surprised what will wind up with in your kennel if you will go for the best dog and not the pedigree. I only have two dogs out of twenty or so that have been in my kennel for four years or longer neither of them has a pedigree they are both grade twelve or fifteen of the ones that are gone had pedigrees and were dual registered, but paper will not hold water!! it rips!! so if they don't do what I want I let them go. The only thing worst then being kennel blind is being pedigree blind. Find what you like , keep it, feed it, hunt it, be happy with it and don't worry about what others think, ten different people will have ten different ideas and nine of them will be wrong and it will be hard to figure out the one that is right. It took me about fifteen years to figure out that if I was going really enjoy my hounds I only had to please myself, If you want to come run with me you are welcome if you don't like my dogs you are welcome to not come back. They are mine, I raised them,I trained them, I feed them, they only have to please me, I have quit worrying about if they please others. Pedigrees are fine and they do help to tell what type of breedings there are behind a dog but every dog is an individual dog so there will be good ones and bad ones in every litter . If you are breeding, breed the best to the best and it will improve your odds but there are no absolutes. Take what you got, give it your best ,you maybe surprised at the outcome. Do you look at your Childs pedigree and decide it is no good, why waste your time, or do you do your best to train it right . I'm not comparing your child or mine to the dogs but the principal is similar. The hard fact is that a lot of faulty dogs are there because of poor ownership and I have been guilty of it myself, not giving proper training when and where it is needed. If it is not a pleasure you don't need to be doing it. Happy beagling to all I fell like going and hugging my potlickers.

[nc_boldstrokes000]

I really enjoyed what u had to say . This is very true, GO see and get what u like the best what u might like some will not like thanks for the great reply beagle mann from tenn

[rimshot]

Well said.. I always wanted to tell people that, but just couldn't put it in writing.

[beaglebill]

I was fortunate enough to spend a few days with Mr Reese a few years prior to his death. I think that he probably had forgotten more about hounds than most of us will ever learn. I spent that time trying to talk him out of a pup. Looking back i feel so fortunate that i got to spend that time with a legend such as Mr Frank. Gay dogs or just like all the rest good and bad. I like to think as long as Gay Baker is in a pedigree Mr Frank will be hearin them run in the mountains of Hickory North Carolina. He was a keeper. Sorry couldnt help myself.

[TomR]

I have to say Boldstroke hounds are not easily found anywhere. Gill didn't breed the volume of beagles the Krpans have. Branko's hare breeding has infiltrated most medium to fast hound pedigrees more so than George Nixon "Pearson Creek" has in the Brace world.
You will have a better chance of finding others with the same breeding if you would go with a Branko hound. I guess it comes down to the type of hound you prefer.
Gill's hounds were mostly cottontail breeding with Gay Baker foundation stock. Others are line breeding Gay hounds but they are very few also. I've visited with Gill and have a few hounds from him. I even bred a female to his Musket dog four years ago.
I really like a lot of the hounds I've seen from his kennel. But just like Branko hounds, not all were keepers. I also have a female that has Northern Tracker and other hare breeding in her pedigree. She fits in well with my pack of hounds and running a pack "together" is really important to me.
At the trials I get beat by more Branko hounds than Gay and Boldstroke hounds. But at times I beat a couple Branko hounds myself!:) Maybe not often enough though. ha ha. Guess I just gotta be different.
TomR
http://www.homestead.com/rusneckbeagles/main.html

[Koontzy]

Koontzy, .....wife? Did you get married? Wow! When are you back to Indiana for good? I haven't been good about keeping up with some of the e-mails the last few days - been going crazy trying to get caught up on Christmas. The dogs are fine, we seem to have found ourselves with a boatload of young hounds and pups that need a lot of attention.

Bev,

Yeah i got married last february, shes a good un to, and loves beagles, and hunting, so shes a keeper...I got two more years in south carolina before I come back to indiana for good...

Keep in touch

[kris]

I have just recently got into registered beagles in the past two years. I have owned grade dogs most of my life. I have went back through numerous magizenes from the late eighties to early nieties and have drawn the conclusion that the Krapans have had a great deal of success. They have definately left there mark on beagling and anyone willing to argue that is an idiot! I have never spoke with Branko or bought any hound from him. I have currently 2 dogs that were line bred off Jack of All Trades and they seem to suit me just fine. I am a hard hunter and probably will hit some local trials in the upcoming years. As far as the Branko blood line I would say it is the same as most lines. You get some good ones, you get some averages ones, and you get some crap eaters. Just because it has the the Branko name in the pedigree doesn't mean it will run a rabbit. I do beleive by going to a known blood line you up your chances of getting a good rabbit dog and that is why I have chosen to run this line of dogs. You may not hit the right one every time and you will have some culls along the way. As far as the deer running goes I have this to say. The only question on a dog that hasnt or wont run deer is when he is going to start? I have been around beagles most of my life and have seen very few that are natrually broke. I have seen several that are broke easily with a little time and effort and knowing how to handle and treat a dog. This is the case with the two dogs I have now. I run where there are plenty of deer to go around. You may see 50 or 60 deer on a rabbit hunt. I have to young dogs that I believe would have ran deer but I broke them early and right. When someone says the have a line of dogs that are trash proof I invite them to come up and run so I can laugh my a!@ off when they get there first sight chase on a deer. Come on guys lets be realistic there are dogs that wont run deer but I dont know of a whole line that wont. I know what I haved in the past and I know what I have now in the kennel and the two young dogs I have now are far better than anything I have had in the past. Just my two cents

[coyote hunter]

Hi there,My 2 cents lol.As regards to this Branko stuff (him being a rancher first OK) I would would have a different opinion but that is here nor there.I would think that branko and this wife would know more about breeding and crossing lines more then anyone in I would guess the world ,after all when you breed maybe 50 females at least a year of your own and stud out who knows how many breedings a person would have to get good at it shouldn't they??And people can say good and bad about Branko hounds but the truth is they have the best for the simple reason look at what they put on the ground every year and add up the years, in the same sentence I would also say they have the worst look at the numbers of good compared to the numbers of junk don't here much about that,most of us only here of the great this and the great that of this Branko hound.Will in my opinion I think it is people like you and me that make the Branko hound so big,we put lots of time on them make a good hound and then when you look back in the ped. he must be a good dog because Jack of All Trades is in the ped. and the Branko name is still attatched Ya right.I guess what I am trying to say is Paper breedings look good on paper but not always in the bush and that would go to any bloodline I think A hound is alot of what a peson makes it regardless the blood.Thanks