Comment to 'LUNCHTIME'
Comment to LUNCHTIME
  • I don't know about that, I use to raise beagles for rabbit hunting. The rabbits were fast but they don't have much endurance at that pace. They try to run in big circles and only run in bursts then wait. Once the dogs catch up they run again. I guess that's why the hare in the tortoise and the hare did. But beagles maintain a steady pace behind them and will eventually catch up. After a couple of circles bet on the rabbit being about 10 yards in front of the dogs. The rabbit is betting on getting out of sight and the dog loosing track of him, or circling back to a hole to hide in. If you don't put yourself in the path of that circle and shoot the rabbit or if the rabbit runs into a place you can't get to him the dogs will eventually run him down and have it half eaten before you can get there. So as long as the dog above can keep a beagles pace long enough, there is nothing for the rabbit to hide under, is persistent and has a good nose there is no reason to think he couldn't catch rabbits consistently. The advantage a beagle has is he's rabbit sized so he can follow the rabbit through brush and under briar patches. That's why beagles are bred with short legs so they can follow the rabbit anywhere and so they don't catch him too quickly. I think the reason poachers preffered sighthounds to scent hounds is a short, fast, quiet chase won't get them caught like a 20 minute chase by a pack of baying hounds.