A beagle Question

[23feetupandhappy]

So Bianca has grown up and she's raren to go after some rabbits    

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This is her chair  

[stillhunter]

You could wait for more temperate weather when the rabbits move good but chances are when she gets rabbit fumes in her nose she will be fine. Hunted rabbits with the longbow for 9 years back in the eightys and it was some of my favorite trad memories. The more you hunt her the thicker her skin.

[Pine]

I hunted with a house beagle for years .
Never had a problem except for needing a bath once in awhile .
They don't notice the cold once they realize they are going hunting .
Just check there feet for cuts from ice .

[the rifleman]

Cold has never been an issue.  My best ever hunter lived in the house and would go nuts anytime he saw me grab a gun or put the hunting coat on.  Cold never bothered him, but I usually was not out when it was below 10 or 15 degrees.

[the rifleman]

P.s. Pretty little dog you have!  They are the best companions.

[Michael Arnette]

I love beagles! My childhood dog was a beagle/dashound mix

[macbow]

My cousins beagles are house dogs.
They make terrific hunters. The cold doesn't hurt them.
Some of the best humters are indoor dogs. They follow commands well.

[Bowwild]

When I was in my teens my uncle had two beagles. One was 50:50 beagle and dachshund (female). Her name was Gill.  Her son was called Jack.  Together they were terrific!  Gill lead the charge, slow, determined and could go anywhere a rabbit could. Jack would back her up barking.

Gill disappeared while hunting with us one day. We always assumed she was stolen. Jack was very poor without her.

Both of these were outside dogs and far tougher than me! They ran foxes as well, just larger circuits.

[Keith Zimmerman]

Lots of beagles in my family and friends growing up.  And even now.  Best advice is it gets too cold to hunt with them.  No scent and will freeze up their nose, so to speak.  Other than that, they are bulletproof.

[Orion]

Do you walk her every day?  A half-hour or more daily walk, or at least that amount of time in the yard every day, will help toughen her pads and thicken her coat.  

If you keep her in the house exclusively, she'll have a hard time of it if you just take her out to hunt. If she likes to hunt, she'll probably be game, but she might not be able to handle the weather/conditions.

[indianalongbowshooter]

I had a beagle I kept in the house for 14 years and killed more rabbits with her then any other beagle I've owned, Beagles are as tough as they come but I wouldn't start her out in super frigid weather.. for one its hard on their feet if there's ice on the ground and there's really not very good tracking when the air is dry and frigid..
She will teach herself to hunt just try to take her where she wont be jumping lots of deer until she gets started good on rabbits..encourage her when you or her jumps a rabbit and be careful about yelling at her as female beagles can sometimes be made shy if disciplined too hard, male dogs also but they are usually a little more hard headed..
Best dogs in the world had them for 40 yrs and miss not having them anymore..

[23feetupandhappy]

Thanks all!
Good tips and advice, looking forward to getting her out  

[dagwood64]

Also feed them a good high energy food, and bring high energy snacks while in the field.

[T Sunstone]

Mickey sleeps in bed with us under the first cover and wants to be cover on the couch with a blanket.  Shivers when outside in the yard or fishing in the boat in cooler weather.  But in the bushes looking and chasing bunnies no concern about the cold.  He was running a rabbit tonight right at dark, music to the ears.  
 

[KAZ]

  ....        ....  

[centaur]

Ben, our dogs are related, and seem to have the same love of using human furniture. I bet she will be a rabbit chasing fool, just like our beagle. Mine forgets all about how cold it is when there are rabbits or squirrels around, and I bet yours will, too.

[23feetupandhappy]

Originally posted by T Sunstone:
Mickey sleeps in bed with us under the first cover and wants to be cover on the couch with a blanket.  Shivers when outside in the yard or fishing in the boat in cooler weather.  But in the bushes looking and chasing bunnies no concern about the cold.  He was running a rabbit tonight right at dark, music to the ears.  
     

That's good to hear Terry, I thought I might have a sissy Beagle on my hands  

[23feetupandhappy]

Originally posted by centaur:
Ben, our dogs are related, and seem to have the same love of using human furniture. I bet she will be a rabbit chasing fool, just like our beagle. Mine forgets all about how cold it is when there are rabbits or squirrels around, and I bet yours will, too.

Related, Like 3rd cousins twice removed on her mothers side?  

[23feetupandhappy]

Originally posted by dagwood64:
Also feed them a good high energy food, and bring high energy snacks while in the field.

Do you have examples of a "high energy snack"?

Beef Jerky?

[FlintNSteel]

Originally posted by Orion:
Do you walk her every day?  A half-hour or more daily walk, or at least that amount of time in the yard every day, will help toughen her pads and thicken her coat.  

Good advice.  All my dogs, including a beagle, get a lot of outside time even though they are house dogs and I never have a problem with them in cold Minnesota temps.  I do watch the exposure if it's below zero and with wind chills, but other than that, they are fine.  

Had a very young beagle that got separated from me once and she spent 3 days and nights out lost in sub-zero weather before a farmer called me to say he saw her a couple of times out in a field near his house.  I went over there right away and called and she came running!  Glad to see me, but no worse the wear.  She had apparently been using one of his cattle underpasses for shelter.