# Beagle's 1st Hunt



## cdacker (Jan 10, 2011)

Took my 8 month old beagle (Rocky) out yesterday for his first experience in an area with a good population of cottontails. I've had him in the woods on plenty of occasions, but not in real good rabbit habitat, so I was excited when a buddy with lots of rabbits on his property invited me to bring the dog over. Within minutes, he was hot on the trail of a rabbit. Or I hoped it was a rabbit and not a deer anyway ... tough to tell without snow on the ground. When he started making a fairly short circle and was closing the distance between us, I was fairly confident it was a rabbit, and indeed it was. Of course, I wasn't prepared for the furry little bugger when he ran by me at the speed of light and less than 10 yards away, and needless to say, I missed. He holed up shortly after, but I was pretty pumped about the textbook run and track Rocky just put on him. Not long after that, he got on the trail of another, and we weren't able to get a shot at the rabbit before he finely eluded us (and the dog). Came by us a couple times, but in thick brush. Dog did great on that one too. Then, something a bit odd took place, and hoping someone on here can offer some input. We were working some tall grass and brush on the edge of a field when I kicked up a rabbit from the grass ... ran towards my buddy and he popped it. Dog was working another area so I called him over to get him on the track. He ran right over it, several times, with no reaction. This was in the area of tall grass. So, I called him over to the edge of the alfalfa field where the rabbit ran and put him on the trail there .... still no reaction. The rabbit was dead only about 20 yards from him and he ended up finding it, but I'm a bit confused as to why he couldn't pick up the trail? Only a few minutes after this incident, he was howling on the trail of another rabbit, which we ended up shooting, which had me even more confused as to why he apparently could not smell the one previously. Any thoughts?
On a side note, I recently bought a Garmin Alpha tracking/training collar. What a fantastic tool! After having it, I can't imagine hunting over a dog, especially a young and inexperienced dog, without it.


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## Jumpshootin' (Jul 6, 2000)

I've never been able figure out why they sometimes can't pick up on a hot track. I have two mature male hounds that are solid rabbit hounds and I will experience the same thing a time or two each season.
I've seen my 7 yo hound just pound on 4 or 5 rabbits and then jump another and not be able to line it out. They're not going to run them all, that's for sure. If he ends up circling more than not, you'll have a decent hound.


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## cdacker (Jan 10, 2011)

Jumpshootin' said:


> I've never been able figure out why they sometimes can't pick up on a hot track. I have two mature male hounds that are solid rabbit hounds and I will experience the same thing a time or two each season.
> I've seen my 7 yo hound just pound on 4 or 5 rabbits and then jump another and not be able to line it out. They're not going to run them all, that's for sure. If he ends up circling more than not, you'll have a decent hound.


Thanks for the feedback ... good to hear that it happens occasionally and I possibly shouldn't be too concerned. Curious about your comment about circling, and pardon my ignorance (still have a lot to learn). He did circle on both of the tracks he ran (a couple times on one of them) ... but how is that an indicator of a decent hound?


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## FREEPOP (Apr 11, 2002)

My guess and that's about it.

They say female rabbits lose their scent when they have a nest. I doubt they lose it completely but I believe it's reduced. The reason is so that predators can't find the nest. Do you remember if that was a female?
I notice this quite frequently in the spring when the females are pregnant.

I do know that gun powder will mess with a dog's scenting ability. I've seen the run the track a quarter mile or more and not be able to find it in the area it was shot.


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## cdacker (Jan 10, 2011)

FREEPOP said:


> My guess and that's about it.
> 
> They say female rabbits lose their scent when they have a nest. I doubt they lose it completely but I believe it's reduced. The reason is so that predators can't find the nest. Do you remember if that was a female?
> I notice this quite frequently in the spring when the females are pregnant.
> ...


didn't check the sex ... wish I would have. Buddy kept the rabbit so no way to know now. That would certainly make sense though. Interesting about the gun powder.


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## Jumpshootin' (Jul 6, 2000)

cdacker said:


> Thanks for the feedback ... good to hear that it happens occasionally and I possibly shouldn't be too concerned. Curious about your comment about circling, and pardon my ignorance (still have a lot to learn). He did circle on both of the tracks he ran (a couple times on one of them) ... but how is that an indicator of a decent hound?


A good hound will stay on track long enough to circle the rabbit back around to the gun. If a dog can"t keep pushing it you won"t see the rabbit for a shot.


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## cdacker (Jan 10, 2011)

Jumpshootin' said:


> A good hound will stay on track long enough to circle the rabbit back around to the gun. If a dog can"t keep pushing it you won"t see the rabbit for a shot.


That's what I though but wanted to make sure. Thanks!


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## fisheater (Nov 14, 2010)

I see you are in West Branch, so there is a good chance you will get to run hey do not "circle" anything like a private land cottontail. Coyote pressured rabbits do not circle at all, the do a lot of doubling back and squatting, they can make the best of dogs look silly. It has also been my experience that state land rabbits also run big and really do not so much circle, as they come back around on their track. I think that is the key, a rabbit runs back on his track, but not necessarily in the location the chase began. Once a rabbit is back on it's track, then it can begin to do the things a rabbit does to throw predators off it's track.
If you dog can stay on track, and push the rabbit it is doing well. It sounds like you have a nice hound, I really miss having beagles. Just keep hunting them. If you have private land access that is great, in my ten years of running beagle I may have run private land ten times. There is plenty of good state land to be found. Good luck!


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## brownitsdown84 (Jan 19, 2009)

I found my dogs have a harder time finding track where I shoot. They eventually find it but after the "smoke clears" as I call it. Idk if the shot covers scent or not. But that's what happens to me.. Maybe that was part of it


Tight lines and long tines!


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## steve w (Feb 15, 2004)

cdacker sounds like your dog is doing excellent, hope the best for you both. Get ready to scratch your head and wonder why things like the shot fired loss or inability to start the jump shot rabbit happen. Another example is the frightened rabbit, you jump it or run into it while the dog is running it and scare it, you can have a marked line and try to put the dog on the line and he just won't smell it, yet a few yards from where you last seen it the chase can go on. I don't think it's the shot itself as much as the shock the rabbit goes thru because of it. Many guys will blame the dog yet to see it happen over and over again the same way over years with all different dogs I can't help but think there is more to it. I guess it's similar to the pregnant rabbit, dogs can be running fine one rabbit then lousy the next, if you shoot the rabbits usually the ones they run the worse will have baby's in them. This subject has been debated for years and I think the only one who has the real answer is the dogs and rabbits themselves, if they even know. The one thing I do know is there will be good days and bad, and if I'm having more fun than frustrations I guess the dog or dogs are worth feeding.


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## john warren (Jan 25, 2005)

sometimes a scent can get defused, specialy if your walking through it. he can smell it,,, but like a room full of hot girls with a teenage boy in it,,,just doesn't know which way to turn.
just be very happy with the pups work, and give em time to get a little experiance.


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## cdacker (Jan 10, 2011)

thanks to all of those that replied .... greatly appreciated! Love this site for stuff like this


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## Jumpshootin' (Jul 6, 2000)

A few observations from many years of running rabbit hounds:
* female rabbits don't leave much scent during certain times of the year.
* some days they run straight to a hole and other days they don't. If you see fresh coyote tracks in the area they'll likely hole up quick.
* the hounds sometimes have a hard time picking up a rabbit after they have jumped and sight-chased one. Once it's out of sight they can have a tough time.
* bitter cold and dry conditions equal bad scenting. Snow or no snow.
* some patches of ground don't hold scent well. I've seen rabbits come by and run a straight line for 75 yards. Then the hounds come in just pounding on it. There will be a stretch in there for 10 or 15 yards where they'll just peck and poke searching for scent. Then they get back on it just pounding again.
* I have seen rabbits just hunker down letting the hounds run right over and past it. Young dogs lose a chase this way. As they get older they figure that they need to keep coming back and nose around. Once they sight jump a rabbit like this they'll do it every time. 
That's why I like my 7.5 year old Basset so much. He knows just about all the tricks now. Too bad he's starting to get grey and slow down.


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## rainyday (Oct 20, 2011)

FREEPOP said:


> My guess and that's about it.
> 
> They say female rabbits lose their scent when they have a nest. I doubt they lose it completely but I believe it's reduced. The reason is so that predators can't find the nest. Do you remember if that was a female?
> I notice this quite frequently in the spring when the females are pregnant.
> ...


Right on


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## Waif (Oct 27, 2013)

Congrats on some good runs. Your beagle sounds real nice. 
Consider how scent makes it to nose. When your dog ran the others was it open mouthed?
If you or I ran through enough standing corn and it was scraping our ears, pulling them back and cutting or at least giving a taste to tongue, plus our eyes our focus would be off too. Part of the fun is the dog learning the playing field. 
Not all conditions or environments are ideal. I've had them out briefly in below zero windchills and unless they can all most reach a rabbit in cover there is no scenting ability. Dry ground was poor too, some days the soil kind of exhales and others it seems to inhale..
Some days a dog can run just a little down wind of a scent trail effectively for a lot of it. The trail it self may be less enticing. When a beagle can sort out checks itself consistently and doesn't over run many of them and have to sort it out, It gets more interesting. Happy hunting to you both.


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## superposed20ga (Dec 14, 2005)

Good to hear how well the first hunt went. Love hearing the success of a new beagle, like hearing about a kid taking his first steps.

I second what you said about the Garmin Alpha. Got mine this summer and what great tool it is.


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## cdacker (Jan 10, 2011)

superposed20ga said:


> Good to hear how well the first hunt went. Love hearing the success of a new beagle, like hearing about a kid taking his first steps.
> 
> I second what you said about the Garmin Alpha. Got mine this summer and what great tool it is.


The beagle in your avatar looks almost identical to mine.
Regarding the Alpha, what kind of range are you experiencing? That would be my only complaint .... they advertise 9 miles (which I understand is under optimal conditions), but I can't seem to get much more than a mile. Haven't tried the longer antenna on the handheld yet though.


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## superposed20ga (Dec 14, 2005)

I've only had the chance to use it on some summer training runs. The cover was so thick that the dogs/rabbits never ran outside of 500 yards. SO unfortunately I can't comment on the "real world" range yet. I'm hoping that I never find out if it can go out to 9 miles. I hunt only cottontails, so something would be pretty wrong if they get out that far. Good to know that the capability's there though. I've heard that bear and mountain lions hunters get excellent range in the mountains. Maybe once the leaves fall here you'll get better range.


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## beaglet (Nov 22, 2009)

I've had very good hounds that would sometimes not be able to run a rabbit that I jumped. Smoke what THEY jumped but for some reason not be able to take off on what I jumped. Never knew why and eventually gave up on trying to figure it out.


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## Larry45 (Nov 29, 2014)

fisheater said:


> I see you are in West Branch, so there is a good chance you will get to run hey do not "circle" anything like a private land cottontail. Coyote pressured rabbits do not circle at all, the do a lot of doubling back and squatting, they can make the best of dogs look silly. It has also been my experience that state land rabbits also run big and really do not so much circle, as they come back around on their track. I think that is the key, a rabbit runs back on his track, but not necessarily in the location the chase began. Once a rabbit is back on it's track, then it can begin to do the things a rabbit does to throw predators off it's track.
> If you dog can stay on track, and push the rabbit it is doing well. It sounds like you have a nice hound, I really miss having beagles. Just keep hunting them. If you have private land access that is great, in my ten years of running beagle I may have run private land ten times. There is plenty of good state land to be found. Good luck!


Predators have moved into my area (Midland). Where is some public land to run my beagle?


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