Beaglers

[CPA Hunter]

Perrymax, I'm nosy and noticed in the new guys profile you had beagles. What style do you run? You ever run out at Mcnealy Lake--a lot of guys run behind the horse barns. Are there any other new beaglers visiting this site?

Mine are all young--oldest just turned 3, but a few are getting pretty good if you like fast dogs. I run them most of the year but I am trying to end up with 3 good ones but only 2 make the cut out of 5.

[perrymax]

First I've heard about McNealy Lake.I've got 50 acres in Washington co.that's planted in native warm season grass clover and differant food plots.I take the dogs with me just about every time I go.I've never had anything but tri-colors.They're ARHA-NKC dogs.They all do pretty good!I have one pup that beat my other dogs a couple of times this year,she was 5 months old at the time.

[CPA Hunter]

I also registared mine with the ARHA/NKC--though I have only been to a couple of trials--I was not impressed by what I ran against, but I've seen some great NKC hounds so I know they are there. I like em to run tight mouthed a fault to some of those guys--at least my degree of tightness. I also prefer them to go in the right direction--I watched a champ get minued for that and have not been back since. My hound quit honoring them after about 15 minutes and one dog being picked up for too many minues--it was probably just a bad cast. Have you been to many of their trials? I have a male out of a cross between one of Blueback's pups and Big Ben Bruner's hound--he is going to be pretty good and has a mouth like no other beagle I've ever heard--you'd think he was a coon dog. The rest of mine are from a guy down near Cumberland--Eugene Groce and a Illinois dog out of another GRCHRH Powell's Cotton.

A good 5 month old hound is rare--bet it turns out good. Sounds like a nice set up you have. I got to go to a real nice place this year with the natural grasses and it was full of rabbits. If you live in MT Washington MCnealy is not too far from you. It has some super ground to run on. Some real thick stuff in a few fields that have been left for years and no roads--briars galore. It'll make a jump dog out of em at least it did a couple of mine. I used to live right by there, but I moved. Be good and lets talk beagles some more as the season gets nearer. I'd like to hear about the 5 month old.

[perrymax]

That 5 month old pup is Bruner's Big Ben's daughter!!!

[Birdman]

What area of the state are you boys running these dogs? Did the spring rains hurt the young rabbits this year?

[CPA Hunter]

Perry - our dogs are related --par for KY. Ben throws some good pups. Earl offered $600 for one of his littermates. Mine was the best male of 2 litters, but not as good as the one female he offered so much for. Just a better than average dog. Now the good female sits on a couch and has not seen a rabbit in months.

Birdman, I've seen quite a few small rabbits. I really thought there would be few, but they have faired well. It is not like last year where I could not run for the small rabbits, but better than most years.
I run from Cincinatti to Peabody and pretty far east. No where in KY is too far for a good rabbit race. As I say, have beagles, will travel! I like Fort Knox for public ground and a few farms here and there.

[perrymax]

The female I bred Bruner's Big Ben with is a Switcher Hill dog and a good one!I don't have the time to field trial,I got to much on my plate already!!Some day I would like to see how these dogs would compete though.

I live in Mt Washington,in Bullitt co.and my farm is in Washington co.That's the area I hunt.I went to Peabody in Jan.Alot of driving and alot of walking,but not alot of rabbits.I was suprised at the amount of fescue.I would think they would consentrate most of they're efforts on getting rid of it.

[perrymax]

I saw alot of small rabbits this spring,but not anymore than I useally do.My farm has 15 acres of native grass and the dead folage from the previous year makes great cover.It dries out quickly and keeps the wind off the young rabbit and quail,unlike fescue which contributes to the chill.Somebody cut alot of cedars off the farm before I bought it and I spent 2 or 3 weekends piling up branches,it's a rabbit haven untill I turn the dogs loose!!

[Birdman]

That's about how it's going here last year was a bumber crop, I seen a few young rabbits, maybe this next brude will turn out well.

[Multidigits]

Yeah, there's too damn many rabbits. I saw nine yesterday on my farm just walking around. I didn't even get off of the trail that circles my farm. With so many rabbits, the're bound to get some desease and eventually wipe out the whole bunch. Wonder if the Dept. ought to split the state up into 3 zones based on some mailman's sighting reports and then launch a doe rabbit eradication program. Take the limit off of female rabbits in zone 1 counties, which will be most of the state. Extend the season too. We don't want to get in the same trouble we're having with them damn deer!

When you guys are running at McNealy Lake, watch out for a short, chubby guy that looks a lot like Elmer Fudd. His name is Cahlise, but answers to Porky. He's a rabbit hunting fool, and I'd venture to say has killed as many as any man in the state, alive or dead. But, it took him a hell of a lot of ammo to do it.

[Birdman]

Multi do you hunt rabbit and do you run dogs?

[Multidigits]

I've hunted rabbits a bunch, but have slacked off a bit in the last 2 years do to other interests and a couple of other stupid reasons.

I do own one dog, that is kept by Porky, who I mentioned in the previous post. She's getting old now but is still a good one. It's red and white with a red nose. She does anything anyone would want a rabbit dog to do, and has done so many, many times. Porky keeps a logbook, detailing rabbits run, rabbits killed, and who in the party killed them.

[Birdman]

The last bunch are out now. I've seen 11 around my place this week (last 2 days). When the small game season was moved or changed to run through gun season did that hurt deer hunters or do people in your areas hunt small game at that time?

[CPA Hunter]

I know there are a few problems at Peabody with Rabbit Hunters bothering deer hunters. Last year I keep my dogs in the pen while the rifles or ML are out (except on Fort Knox). I do not like to let my beagles out during any gun season for fear they get off the property and make a deer hunter mad. Could be a bad scene if a dog were hurt. I miss the shorter gun season, but I'm learning to live with it.

[yotekiller]

CPA i have a couple of 11 mo. olds but haven't had the time to work with them as much as i wanted to.They are in bad shape,will track,won't strike.

They have never been with any other dogs and i hear that is a double edged sword,but i think that is my only hope.Do you think they are hopeless,or can i still make something out of them?

[CPA Hunter]

Yote you are in good shape. Track and not strike but are 11 months old -- that ain't too bad if they have not been worked much. I've heard of people starting old dogs. I even started our house beagle at 3 years old(she did no good but did start). I think they just need bunnies and yes I would get them with other dogs. Just make sure they are the kind of dogs you like. Solo time is important, but so is training them to work as a pack. I'd wait till scenting conditions got good or run them at night if you ain't afraid of yotes. If they are scenting and will pack than they will open real soon if given time. If they won't pack just stand there with them on a lead and let them listen to the other dogs mouthing on a rabbit - it will drive them crazy and they will at least check out the other hounds and maybe start. They'll start at any age, but they learn better younger.

[yotekiller]

CPA the past holiday week i've been working my dogs some,the male mostly and have been rewarded rather kindly.It seems in my area we are gonna have plenty of rabbits because i have about 2 or 3 in my field or garden everynight.I started leashing both to the spots i seen rabbits and seeing how they done,then i turned them lose and had to start leaving the female out of the evening rituals,all she wanted to do was bite the male.

Anyway last night the male struck,after he entered the woods on the rabbits trail.I was kinda nervous because we have no shortage of deer either,but he wound up at a likely den spot.

About 30 mins. ago i spotted another rabbit,and snuck him as close as possible maybe 30yrds,i threw a stick at the rabbit which focused his attention there i don't think he seen the rabbit but followed the stick and right away began barking,he locked down tight and my female started, i knew she would pull him off so i turned her lose,I THINK THEY MIGHT COME AROUND!!

After they ran the rabbit in a brushpile,the female backtracked barking but the male hung around.He never got the rabbit up again and the female came back early but hey it's alot better than my complaints the other day isn't it?

[CPA Hunter]

Yote, Man that is awesome, there is no sound better than the first time you hear your dog open. That is great, keep at them and lets hear how they turn out for rabbit season. Don't worry about the backtrack yet, but keep a close eye on it. Backtrackers can kill a pack or a race. You'll be getting plenty of bunnies come rabbit season. Thanks for sharing that with us, I get a kick out of it.

[Birdman]

Are you guys seeing any more young rabbits?

[CPA Hunter]

Seeing the ones that are maybe a little over a month out of the nest, but have not seen any real small ones in a couple of weeks and I run at least once or twice a week. We should be seeing another group of the little ones anytime, maybe still in the nest. It'll be a good year, maybe not as good as last year, but good none the less. Snakes get a lot of the later nests now, that is why I think I never see the same numbers of real small ones as you do in April/May, or maybe it is just so thick now.