The American Beagler Forum

If you're looking or planning a trip to the UP for a Hare Hunt, consider Chatham, MI. And staying at the Village Inn in Chatham, great rooms, roomy, clean, a big yard behind the hotel for chaining dogs out. Never hunted there, but have been working in the area looks rabbity west and east of town, and there's plenty of public accessible land in any direction. Wolf numbers increase to the SE.

Very quiet farm town

See any wolves ?

Stay home if you want to keep your hounds !!!!

No I haven't;

saw a yote. Not, that they're not there. I'll ask at the coffee shop this week, but haven't heard a lot of talk. I know there's a big pack south towards Manistique.

No don't stay home, there's risk in every aspect of life. Carpe Diem Good ones will come and go,

and they don't get good by being locked up in the kennel.

Flattop wrote:Stay home if you want to keep your hounds !!!!

+1

Last two trips to the up we lost 13 hounds!!! There is no place in the us better than the up to run are little hounds. Was in the Strongs area this week and lost 4 real nice hounds. We came to the up 3 or 4 times a year from Ohio to run dogs, but no more. We have lost thounds of $$$$ in hounds and electronics. If you have ever seen what your granddaughter,s favorite beagle and playmate looked liked ate from head to tail you might think alittle about leaving your beagles run in Luce, Chippewa and Mackinac counties.

-1

Hey TallPaul why you telling people to go to a "quiet little town" that has had more cattle killed by wolves than people living there. Any doubts read this, especially toward the end of the article where it names Chatham. http://www.mlive.com/news/index.ssf/201 ... _pred.html

Well If you knew what the hell you're talking about!

I know the Kolpacks personally and they live 3.5 hours West. Ontonagon, Baraga and Houghton county have more wolf/livestock problems

I suggest it to give better option, I really don't understand if a party had a bad encounter, why you would go back, Well Stay home than, no skin off my back.

Just leaves more places for me, Man I love my back yard.

We are considering going to New England instead of Michigan..We have to much time and money in dogs to take a chance turning them loose in areas we have been warned about wolves.

Go to Maine....imo....the most quality.

TallPaul wrote:Well If you knew what the hell you're talking about!

I know the Kolpacks personally and they live 3.5 hours West. Ontonagon, Baraga and Houghton county have more wolf/livestock problems

I suggest it to give better option, I really don't understand if a party had a bad encounter, why you would go back, Well Stay home than, no skin off my back.

Just leaves more places for me, Man I love my back yard.

Michigan dnr are warning hunter of the wolves!

We just got back. Had some great running, they pounded over the last week. Our group ran a total of 17 dogs.
We split the dogs up in packs of about 8 . We ran the Rexton , Trout Lake and Eppofette area. Seemed to be plenty of Hare.
Always had one up in no time at all and saw several side hare being pushed out.

Saw Wolf tracks and wolf droppings. Most every year we see a wolf or two crossing logging roads.
I say go and have fun. Use caution but when you consider the 100's of beagles ran in the U.P , less
than 1% are taken by Wolves. I'll take my chances with that. I've been going up for over 15 years and
never lost a dog. Staying home and being afraid to turn out wasn't an option. Some of the best running you will ever
hear.

Be careful and have fun guys.

T Lee I'm glad you had a good trip but make no mistake the threat of wolves is real. I will agree with you there is nothing like a big pack of hounds on a hair and the UP is one of the best places to run them. In my opinion though turning your dog lose in the U P is like playing russian roulette with your dog with 3 barrels loaded. Its not a matter of if you're going to have a wolf encounter it's a matter of when and your beagle will lose. In my opinion its just not worth it. If you go all I can say is good luck.

chop505 wrote:T Lee I'm glad you had a good trip but make no mistake the threat of wolves is real. I will agree with you there is nothing like a big pack of hounds on a hair and the UP is one of the best places to run them. In my opinion though turning your dog lose in the U P is like playing russian roulette with your dog with 3 barrels loaded. Its not a matter of if you're going to have a wolf encounter it's a matter of when and your beagle will lose. In my opinion its just not worth it. If you go all I can say is good luck.

I understand the threat of Wolves and accept it for what it is.

We have risks here at home also. Roads, Traps , Coyote, Snakes, careless members of a hunting party and so on. There are only two options. Use caution while there, We have rules that have helped us a lot but Just like using a condom....it's only a preventive, Nothing is 100% effective. Like I said our group has ran hundreds of beagles in the last 15 years going up with no problem. OR, Never going back to the U.P again and letting the Wolves Win. I'm Not doing that. I would much rather have one of my beagles going on an adventure ( living or being taken away) running rabbit /Hare than passing of old age safe in the pen out back. While wolves are real....Many times guys that would like to keep other hunters away exploit it out of proportion. For every one wolf attack there or hundreds of other hunts that turned out fine with no problems. I'm sure it's about time for a picture to pop up of a half eaten dog to scare the potential hunter from coming up. There are many more stories of great hunts guys have shared over the years. Just my thoughts on it.