A lot of people do lose interest over time. If you go back on this Board, for example, and look at posts from 5 years ago, you will see many people who are missing today. I think it’s just natural for people to be interested in different things as they go through life.
I had a great beagling friend back in the 80s who became my first experience with this. We took many trips to hunt, field trial, and to buy hounds. One day I went to his house and he was watching Golf Channel on TV and seemed like he couldn’t take his eyes off it. A month later another friend and I were buying him out of hounds. I never saw him again. The man died a couple of years ago and had never gotten another beagle to my knowledge. People change. And that’s ok.
I always caution young beaglers about burnout. Some feel they have to run every day, maybe to bring out the best in a young hound, to get ready for a trial, or whatever, but too much pressure you put on yourself to do something can kill interest. Too much of a good thing starts to feel like work. Don’t let yourself succumb to that. Run hounds only when YOU want to and you will keep it fun.
Most beaglers do “graduate” from hunt to kill to hunt to chase as they age. I think testosterone plays a role in that. A natural progression.
It is an expensive sport, but what sport isn’t? Frisbee golf? The hounds can tie you down with their daily requirements for food, water, cleaning, etc. Hunting spots are harder to find these days. But some of us will probably always have hounds as long as we can. It becomes who we are. Others come and go.
Good luck with whatever you decide, Russell. Give it plenty of thought. Maybe you just need a vacation from hunting. It’s not always easy to start over after you quit. We all run into people all the time who tell us they used to have beagles years ago. It’s your life and only you can decide what makes life fun.
