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What would you do without your hound?

by Mark Betts :: Featured: March, 2003

They're your best hunting buddy.  They'll go anywhere you ask them to; do anything that they think will please you.  They are there when you are up and even when you are down.  You have spent countless hours talking with them, when no one else is around.  They light up like a Christmas tree when you walk in from work, or when you come out to feed them.  They are jealous if you do not pick them to go running with today and cry to let you know.  They have provided an outlet from what, at times, seems like a world not quite sure where it's going.  You know down deep, that no matter what and no matter when you need them, they are gonna be there for you.

With this all being said, we can all answer the question, "What would you do without your hound?"  The answer is, we would be lost.  We should right know, pick up the phone and call that person who got us involved with the sport that we cherish so much and thank them.  Thank them for giving us a way to release ourselves from the normal pressures of everyday life.  We should call the person we bought our dog from and thank them for keeping the population alive with the availability of good dogs.  We should go out right know and give our hounds a treat just because we are thinking of them.

Now picture this: your hounds aren't yours, you would really like to have a Beagle but have no means by which to get one.  Your life seems hectic at times and you really need an outlet.  Someone who will always be there for you, or better yet something that you can relate to, talk to, and love, without ever feeling judged for it.  Better yet, picture all this and you're fourteen.  We all remember how crazy things were at that age; I for one thank, by the grace of God, my grandfather who got me involved in running dogs.  I sit back and think how different my life would be if he hadn't taken the time.  My dad never had any interest in those hounds; to this day I tease him when we drive by a patch of trees.  I always ask him if he's got his cream; you know the cream, the one that will take away the rash he'll get if he goes into the woods.  I poke fun at him, but in all sincerity, I am serious when I say, how would my life be different if I didn't have my dog growing up?

There are 1000's of young boys and girls that need an outlet; need someone to help guide them, and most importantly, would love the opportunity to be involved with Beagling.  Maybe it's their lack of having a father figure, or a dad like mine who is allergic to the outdoors and isn't blessed enough to have someone to introduce them to it.  Maybe they come from a broken home and would benefit from having a new best friend that they could spend time training and running with.  This new best friend will always be there for them just as our hounds are for us, as mine were for me as a young boy.

Our sport is slowly decreasing in number.  We have seemed to have skipped a generation in its popularity or available opportunity.  There is hope though.  There is a group who is devoting their time and resources to providing the opportunity to our American youth through the art and sport of Beagling.

Youth Beagle Camp is providing this opportunity to kids under the age of 17 and need people just like yourself.  Yes, you. They need hunting clubs and individuals to get involved to help make a difference not only in our sport, but in the lives of countless kids that need our help.  Our help to keep them on the straight and narrow, with a hobby that has worked for all of us.  I am not going to go into everything the Youth Beagle Camp does, but I am going to challenge each and every one of you that read this.  Now that you know there are 1000's of kids out there that need your help, I challenge you to get involved; to make a difference just like that person in your lives did for you.  Someone thought you were special enough to introduce this to you; isn't it time to return the favor?  You have received a gift that will last a lifetime.  You have the knowledge to pass on; you now know there is a group who has organized it for you to make that much easier.  I challenge you to stop just talking about the problems with the kids in America today, and their crazy music, and to actually make an effort to do something about it.

This magazine believes this issue is grand enough to publish an article on it, and it's a start, but only a small step in the headway that will come to those who join a cause to help.  You know the answer to the question, "What would you do without your hounds?"  Now let's take that question and rephrase it "What would you do WITH your hound?" That's a lot easier to answer isn't it?  Get involved and make a difference.

To learn more about Youth Beagle Camp's you can contact them at Youth Beagle Camp, 315-691-4637 or take a look at their website located at www.youthbeaglecamp.com