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Tips and Tidbits To Make a Fun Hunt

by Darrin Glenn :: Featured: April, 2003

While out running bunnies with my pack of beagles during the off-seasons, I often start thinking about little things that could possibly make life, while hunting rabbits (or training them for that matter), a little more enjoyable.  I often hunt and run dogs with friends and I am quick to pick their minds when I see them have small, often thought of as unimportant, items or tricks they carry or use when hunting or training beagles.  Often, small seemingly minute things can make the difference between having a fun hunt/training session or having a not-so good time.

Once, I was scheduled to meet up with a good friend at a great running area we share, for a day of training and running some older dogs as well.  We met at our usual spot and started unloading a few dogs to cast.  I suddenly noticed one of my buddy's young dogs run by me and she appeared to be dragging something.  Upon looking further, I saw she was dragging a long piece of string.  I questioned my buddy about what the little female was dragging and he told me he had attached a section of weed-eater line to her collar.  He went on to tell me this particular little female was having a handling problem; in that she was not shy or timid at all but did not want to quit hunting when he was ready, and would try to avoid him catching her.  What he would do is when the dog was close to him is simply step on the section of weed-eater line dragging behind her and call for her and slowly reel her in to him!  The weed-eater line is rigid and hard enough not to snag up on cover, even quite heavy cover, allowing the dog to maneuver the brush just as if the line was never attached to her collar.  During the hunt, when no rabbit was being chased, he would simply call her when she was close, step on the line and bring her in, pet her and praise her for "coming in" and then release her again.  After a short period of this training, she now comes in when called great, and is no longer a handling problem in the field.

I have since used the very same trick on several pups, while in the field, with great success.  I cut a section about 10 to 15 ft of line and attach it in a good secure knot to a bolt snap.  I simply snap it to my pup's collar when training for handling.  I also keep a spare line setup in my truck to use whenever necessary.

I also utilize electronic training collars when hunting and training dogs.  Even my broke dogs usually wear an e-collar while out in the field.  I like the assurance that I can stop my dogs at any time; such as if they were about to chase a bunny across a roadway into oncoming traffic.  I feel the e-collar is an invaluable tool for the serious beagler, when used correctly, and I would not leave home on a training or hunting trip without them.  Anyone who has bought a set of electronic collars knows very well that this is not a cheap investment.  Several hundred bucks is not something that can be replaced easily if lost, and believe me, even a "secure" collar, on a dog that is prone to running in heavy cove,r can come off and be lost.

Around 2 years ago a friend and myself were out on a springtime training session.  After several hours of good running for the dogs, we decided it was time to load up and head home.  After calling in the dogs, my buddy found that one of his dogs had lost its e-collar!  Somehow the collar had came off the dog, somewhere in about a 50-acre section of thick vines, briars and multiflora rose bushes.  His collar was lost.  We searched the cover, for several hours, to no avail; attempting to find the collar.  He had accepted the fact that one of the collars on his $700 collar system was forever gone.  To my surprise, two days later, he returned to the same area, cast a couple of veteran hounds and started looking half-heartedly again for his collar.  To his surprise (and mine), he found his missing e-collar in some tall weeds!  This really got me to thinking about a better way to secure an e-collar to my dogs.

I finally found what I think is the best way to attach my collars to my dogs in a way that will be the most comfortable for the dogs and the most secure for me. I always put the e-collar behind the regular collar my dogs wear. The regular collar in front will help keep the e-collar from "rolling" off a dog, over its head.  Then I started using zip-ties to help secure the collar to the dog.  I go to a hardware/home improvement store and buy the 100 count bags of zip-ties for just over a buck or two.  After putting the collar on the dog, I simply slide a zip-tie around the collar near the buckle and pull tight.  The zip-tie will keep the tag end of the collar from coming up and loosing from the buckle and the collar falling off.  When done using the e-collar, simply slice the zip-tie off and toss in the trash.  The price paid for the zip-ties in comparison to the price of a set of e-collars; the zip-ties are well worth investing in!

I also find that not many beaglers use a whistle for commands while training dogs.  Most folks just simply yell and use their voice to call their dogs.  I also use my voice, but have lately began training my pups to the sound of a whistle, just like the ones a referee will use in a ball game.  I start out introducing pups to a whistle at feeding time.  I start blowing my whistle while still out of sight of the kennels and keep blowing in longer tones until I reach the kennels with the food.  It doesn't take long for the dogs to realize that whistling noise is coming from me and that it usually means something good is coming!  Later, I start using it with the pups in the yard, tooting the whistle in long tones to come to me, and reward with a treat and ear scratching.  I later train the pups to go into a certain patch of cover of my choosing by giving several fast, quick chirps on the whistle and pointing where I want them to go or where I saw a rabbit go.  I do this excitedly with the whistle, as to let them know something good and exciting is where I'm pointing.  I have found this to be much better on my vocal cords and the dogs can hear it better and actually understand it better after they realize what the whistles mean.  Bird dog trainers have used whistle commands for years, and I never really understood why more beaglers don't choose to train with a whistle.  So far it is working well for my hounds and me.

Often it is the small details that make the difference in having an enjoyable time while in the field with our dogs.  Any chance to be out in God's great creation is wonderful and enjoyable. Hopefully one or more of these little tidbits and tricks will help you have a grand time enjoying these merry little hounds called beagles!