The American Beagler Forum

Guys I'm a pleasure Hunter but I've gone on a few hunts as a spectator and was kind of shocked with the excuses people make for hounds. I've been on registered and champion casts and it was the same in both, excuses after excuses on why hounds were not holding rabbit for no more than 10 minutes or so.the one that got me the best was holes, everytime they would lose a rabbit the first thing out of there mouth, He's Holed! Guys I no they will hole buy there wasn't enough holes in the world that morning all I could do is laugh inside and wonder why? I will also add there were never any holes saw! Why make so many excuses for these hounds when it's obvious for whatever reason they just lost him. I will also say these were UKC HUNTS. Why can't grown men just stop making excuses and hold the dogs responsible for not controlling Mr. Bunny. Just Saying

I agree....dogs fall short....mine do....sometimes I would have to pay someone to take them....other days they do alright.

I don't make excuses for them because they are not machines they are dogs......and wild animals they chase have a drive to live....sometimes the rabbit just wins. Even with exceptional noses....they fail at times.

Good running to all!

BCBeagles wrote:I agree....dogs fall short....mine do....sometimes I would have to pay someone to take them....other days they do alright.

I don't make excuses for them because they are not machines they are dogs......and wild animals they chase have a drive to live....sometimes the rabbit just wins. Even with exceptional noses....they fail at times.

Good running to all!

Can't argue with that. Plus if we leave our egos at home, maybe the excuses would drop.

Well said!

I truly believe that if we could track the rabbit like we can our dogs, we would be surprised how truly foolish a little ole rabbit can make a dog look! What is funny to me is from the few trials that I have attended, that most people in the gallery can give you a step by step account of not only what the dog is doing but also what the rabbit is doing just by listening to the hound. If more dogs were maybe bred to lock on and run a rabbit at the speed conditions permit I believe we would have less holed rabbits! Not saying I have these kind of dogs YET but this is my goal.

I have to agree with everything posted. Just watch some youtube videos of trials. I get a kick when one of the handlers is hounding the judges (pun intended). They ask about 50 questions a minute about the scoring trying to talk their dogs up, asking why something was scored the way it was and giving their "opinion" of how it should be scored. I'm there to listen to one thing, the sound of the dogs. Let the judges do their job and sit back and enjoy a pack of good dogs run. Seems some people are so worried about being better than everyone else and focusing on points they forget why they started running beagles in the first place.

You've got a good one when you know, at a check, that he (or she) will pick it up. You just know inside that they'll pick it up. That's my yardstick.

If the dogs go quiet because the rabbit holed then the dogs should be found at the hole. Thats been my experience. Usually the dogs will get it going again unless it looses them and then leaves the country. But I dont think that is not the norm.

THats why I only buy and run crappy dogs. When they suck, I can just say TOLD YOU SO!!!

You cottontail guys got it made...hare don't hole up so we have to work harder for our excuses.

Down here in Louisiana and Mississippi where I hunt, the briars are so thick that the rabbits almost never hole up with you putting a few bb's in them. If wounded, they hole up quick. I find most of the time, when a fellow claims holed rabbit down here without popping a shell, it is just a plain and simple lost track. Every now and them when running a large pack, a swamper will bust out into the open swamp and they will run him up in a hollow tree without him being shot at but I can count the times that happens as few and far between.

Househounds wrote:If the dogs go quiet because the rabbit holed then the dogs should be found at the hole. Thats been my experience. Usually the dogs will get it going again unless it looses them and then leaves the country. But I dont think that is not the norm.

I would rather my dogs not go into a hole. I lost one a few years ago.
However, If they lose, Its comforting to find clay mud on their shock collar, knowing it was in a hole and they tried to dig it out.

Alot of smart dogs will hole the rabbit make sure it went in then come back to the owner like letting you know it holed my dogs dont do it my budys does and if she comes back it holed up no dought

I've only been in this game couple years but I can tell when my dogs lose the rabbit it's 9 times out of 9 only one time my two adult females were running in June and they ran one for 20 mins straight in the middle of the night and once they quit and loSt it I call them back and my stoney hills gator female had the rabbit in her mouth so I know it didn't hole or they lost it haha

I really don't like a dog that stay's at the hole, it's a waste of time and I'd rather they move on. Most of mine will, if the race ends suddenly and the dogs come back quick I pretty much can figure it holed. On the other hand if it's a loss you won't see any dogs so quick and if you look you'll find em' searching the area.