Hunting Washington Forum

Other Hunting => Bird Dogs => Topic started by: ctwiggs1 on October 13, 2010, 08:34:26 AM

Title: Beagles?
Post by: ctwiggs1 on October 13, 2010, 08:34:26 AM: Hi All,

any tips on beagles? I'd love to get one for bird hunting, and I've heard they're trainable. Any experiences?

Curtis
Title: Re: Beagles?
Post by: WAcoyotehunter on October 13, 2010, 08:36:59 AM: used to run rabbits in the midwest with them. I would be suprised if they could do much with birds, they are track dogs and will line out on one when they get the chance. Fun little hounds, but probably not the best choice for birds, and like most hounds, not long on brains or 'trainablity'.
Title: Re: Beagles?
Post by: Machias on October 13, 2010, 08:47:18 AM: Very mildly disagree with you WAcoyotehunter, they can be trained pretty good. I have taught beagles to heel, load, sit, stay and even fetch to hand shot rabbits. I've never heard of folks using them for birds though.
Title: Re: Beagles?
Post by: Happy Gilmore on October 13, 2010, 10:09:50 AM: like most hounds, beagles are going to want to run/track and sight hunting. Don't take this the wrong way, as most people usually do when I've said this but, dogs have been bred for hundreds if not, thousands of years in some cases to do a specific type of work.

If you want to bird hunt, why get a dog meant for hunting fur?

If you want to duck hunt, why get a pointer?

If you want a pet and don't care about how well your dog really does work in any given situation, get a dog at the pound and give it a good home. I think a lot of hunting dogs end up in pounds because people don't get the right dog for their personality or what they intend on doing with the dog.

I don't understand, if you have a choice and specifically want to bird hunt, why you might be interested or thinking about a beagle?

Why not a springer spaniel, brittany or something like that?
Title: Re: Beagles?
Post by: dawei on October 13, 2010, 11:13:10 AM: Quote from: ctwiggs1 on October 13, 2010, 08:34:26 AM
Hi All,

any tips on beagles? I'd love to get one for bird hunting, and I've heard they're trainable. Any experiences?

Curtis
Quote from: WAcoyotehunter on October 13, 2010, 08:36:59 AM
used to run rabbits in the midwest with them. I would be suprised if they could do much with birds, they are track dogs and will line out on one when they get the chance. Fun little hounds, but probably not the best choice for birds, and like most hounds, not long on brains or 'trainablity'.
I have hunted Pheasants over Beagles for 46 years. They certainly can be trained to hunt birds! They will not point, rather they are flushing dogs; which hunt close. Thus when they flush the birds they are in range. I have shot several pheasants this year over a brace of beagles, just as I have done every year since 1964!

(PM sent to ctwiggs1)
Title: Re: Beagles?
Post by: Happy Gilmore on October 13, 2010, 12:34:40 PM: Quote from: dawei on October 13, 2010, 11:13:10 AM
Quote from: ctwiggs1 on October 13, 2010, 08:34:26 AM
Hi All,

any tips on beagles? I'd love to get one for bird hunting, and I've heard they're trainable. Any experiences?

Curtis
Quote from: WAcoyotehunter on October 13, 2010, 08:36:59 AM
used to run rabbits in the midwest with them. I would be suprised if they could do much with birds, they are track dogs and will line out on one when they get the chance. Fun little hounds, but probably not the best choice for birds, and like most hounds, not long on brains or 'trainablity'.
I have hunted Pheasants over Beagles for 46 years. They certainly can be trained to hunt birds! They will not point, rather they are flushing dogs; which hunt close. Thus when they flush the birds they are in range. I have shot several pheasants this year over a brace of beagles, just as I have done every year since 1964!

(PM sent to ctwiggs1)

That is really cool although, you are in the biggest minority of pheasant hunters anywhere. I think its' great you can do that. Obviously, you have many years of experience.

Do you think it would be more productive for a guy with no experience to buy a german shorthair for a pheasant dog or, try to train a brace of beagles?
Title: Re: Beagles?
Post by: Machias on October 13, 2010, 04:18:29 PM: Quote from: dawei on October 13, 2010, 11:13:10 AM
Quote from: ctwiggs1 on October 13, 2010, 08:34:26 AM
Hi All,

any tips on beagles? I'd love to get one for bird hunting, and I've heard they're trainable. Any experiences?

Curtis
Quote from: WAcoyotehunter on October 13, 2010, 08:36:59 AM
used to run rabbits in the midwest with them. I would be suprised if they could do much with birds, they are track dogs and will line out on one when they get the chance. Fun little hounds, but probably not the best choice for birds, and like most hounds, not long on brains or 'trainablity'.
I have hunted Pheasants over Beagles for 46 years. They certainly can be trained to hunt birds! They will not point, rather they are flushing dogs; which hunt close. Thus when they flush the birds they are in range. I have shot several pheasants this year over a brace of beagles, just as I have done every year since 1964!

(PM sent to ctwiggs1)

That is very interesting and cool, loved to see some photos of them working when you have a chance. I used to train beagles when I was a kid for extra money on cottontails in Missouri. You can get some pretty nice and smart lines of beagles.
Title: Re: Beagles?
Post by: beagledog on October 13, 2010, 04:39:15 PM: I wouldn't worry about what the other guys think . You can get a beagle to do what ever you want it to if you have the time and patince. My friends all told me I was crazy when I bought my first beagle to hunt rabbits in the Yakima valley. why would you go and do a stupid thing like that was something I herd more than once well guess what rabbits are not the only thing that you can shot over a beagle. quail and pheasants both live in the same weed patches that rabbits do. If it runs in the brush a beagle will flush it out. I also figure why hunt for one or two types of birds when i can cover all three with one type of dog. In other words do what makes you happy.
Title: Re: Beagles?
Post by: Hangfire on October 15, 2010, 05:10:59 AM: I hunted pheasants with my Bluetick when I lived at Ringold and at Yakima. My son's first rooster was flushed by my hound after a 400 yard trailing, my son was 9. She would open when they ran, and on one occasion retrieved the bird. She was a very nice, mellow dog, that was very trainable. She was a wonderfull tree dog, loved to hunt coon's and bobcats. Sad day when I had to have her put down at 13 years old.
Title: Re: Beagles?
Post by: thepredator on October 16, 2010, 06:53:35 PM: I have a litter of pups whelped on the 12th. 3 Females. They have over 10 FC's on the dams side and 4 or 5 on the sires. Im not sure if I want to register them yet, and that would effect the price. Both dam and sire hunt and field trial, with the sire getting 2 firsts this year.
Let me know if you would be interested or anyone else for that matter.