# Friday's Experiment



## DecoySlayer (Mar 12, 2016)

My beagle has run a few rabbits, but, does not seem to be very interested in them. She does, however, show a LOT of interest in birds. She started, very early on, jumping doves. Then she started finding doves in cover. THEN she moved onto pheasants. When she jumps birds she tends to wait until I am within a few yards of her before she jumps them. 

SO

Friday some friends, and I, are going to a pheasant preserve to she what she can do. There are a lot of rabbits out there as well. We will have a bird dog along just in case she does not take well to this.

This should be an interesting day.


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## sgc (Oct 21, 2007)

Im not sure they allow beagles at pheasant preserves. I was told i couldnt bring mine years ago, but the preserve was also a club you had to join. Did you ask, just curious?


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## micooner (Dec 20, 2003)

Just curious why you didn't break her off the bird running?


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## sgc (Oct 21, 2007)

I could never understand why the ARHA years ago when they established their field trial rules, disqualified dogs who put up birds. When i was a kid, we used beagles on rabbits, pheasants, quail, woodcock and fox. A bird guy i read once said the best bird hunting he ever did was behind a lab and a beagle combo.


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## micooner (Dec 20, 2003)

sgc said:


> I could never understand why the ARHA years ago when they established their field trial rules, disqualified dogs who put up birds. When i was a kid, we used beagles on rabbits, pheasants, quail, woodcock and fox. A bird guy i read once said the best bird hunting he ever did was behind a lab and a beagle combo.


I guess it depends what you want. My running partner who has since passed would always break our beagles from running off game. When one of our dogs opened it was a jumped rabbit. No questions.


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## hungryhollow (Jan 16, 2013)

My brother had a beagle that had a different bark when she was on pheasant scent. It was the best pheasant hunting I ever had.


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## sgc (Oct 21, 2007)

hungryhollow said:


> My brother had a beagle that had a different bark when she was on pheasant scent. It was the best pheasant hunting I ever had.


Yes, i've had at least 2 that were like that; mine sounded almost like a more excited bark.


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## hungryhollow (Jan 16, 2013)

I had a beagle that would follow grouse tracks. When hunting in grouse cover I would follow him for 50 to 100 yards when he started trailing a scent. sometimes he jumped a grouse.


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## DecoySlayer (Mar 12, 2016)

micooner said:


> Just curious why you didn't break her off the bird running?



Why would I do that?


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## DecoySlayer (Mar 12, 2016)

The owner of the preserve had no problem with her coming out.

She did OK, but did not put up any birds. She ran hard, but did not seem to grasp the concept.


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## Wolverick (Dec 11, 2008)

My beagle showed he was scenting a bird by his body language, he wagged his entire body. He also yipped differently when on a bird so I was prepared for the flush. I always hunted grouse and woodcock country locally in pheasant free terrain. Other hunters would scoff at me until they saw it for themselves. 

Give your dog some time to get used to how it works. You didn`t mention how old she is. My dogs never seemed to grasp what they were supposed to be about until they were in their second of third season. 

My Dad shot a fox over his buddies beagles. He thought they we after a pheasant so he took off after them, when a red popped out of cover he shot it.


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## DecoySlayer (Mar 12, 2016)

She is not yet 2.

The best bird dog I ever had was a beagle. She yipped on birds, bayed on rabbits.


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## Mark4486 (Oct 14, 2015)

I run my beagle on rabbit, grouse, woodcock, and squirrel. He will retrieve rabbit and grouse. Still working on retrieving woodcock. He will find them just not bring them back. I say run them on whatever they will hunt. You can’t train out instinct no matter how hard you try. So if you have a rabbit dog that will find birds he won’t stop running rabbit so enjoy the bonus.


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## Waif (Oct 27, 2013)

A beagle trained and through training and encouragement running only rabbits makes for a great rabbit dog.

Any dog trained/encouraged to a specific task or game or multiple types of game can be celebrated. As long as the dog knows what is desired by the owner in a fair manner.

I had one beagle out of a few that was a "meat dog". If I put him on something , he'd run it.
And on occasion he'd get onto something on his own ,like possum.
Enjoyed the hunts a lot.

It's on the owner / handler what a dog is "used"/ worked with on.
Part of the fun.


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## micooner (Dec 20, 2003)

DecoySlayer said:


> Why would I do that?


Just a matter of preference. Standing on a run in January, waiting on a bunny circling, I don't need to be wondering if ol spot is running a pheasant. Pat, or squirrel. To each his own I guess.


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## DecoySlayer (Mar 12, 2016)

It's all about the fun. I always knew when my one beagle was on a pheasant, she yipped. She bayed on rabbits.


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## sgc (Oct 21, 2007)

Mark4486 said:


> I run my beagle on rabbit, grouse, woodcock, and squirrel. He will retrieve rabbit and grouse. Still working on retrieving woodcock. He will find them just not bring them back. I say run them on whatever they will hunt. You can’t train out instinct no matter how hard you try. So if you have a rabbit dog that will find birds he won’t stop running rabbit so enjoy the bonus.


I wouldnt let the Woodcock retrieving bother me; there are quite a few bird dogs that wont retrieve Woodcock. Its believed to be due to their strong smell.


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## DecoySlayer (Mar 12, 2016)

sgc said:


> I wouldnt let the Woodcock retrieving bother me; there are quite a few bird dogs that wont retrieve Woodcock. Its believed to be due to their strong smell.


I have seen several good dogs that would not retrieve doves. I was told it was because they don't like the feathers coming loose in their mouth.


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## micooner (Dec 20, 2003)

Oh my goodness what in the world is going on? Beagles running Pat's, pheasants, squirrels and even a grinner. Now bird dogs not retrieving stinky birds or ones with loose feathers. Lol I'm done.


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## Mark4486 (Oct 14, 2015)

My dog only bays for rabbit. He will tree squirrels. And during bird season I keep him with in 25-35 yards and I just watch him bump birds in the air. If I could breed real versatile beagles I would. They are great companions and hunters.


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