[Lemonhead]

I grew up running rabbits with my dad and our dogs. We had 4 in my childhood. 3 beagles and 1 Blue-tic cross. Dogs got old he died.... Now I'm a dad and I bought 2 lemons they just turned 2. I have dragged furs and dropped them in the tracks close to home, for better part of 2 years now. My local beagle club seems unapproachable and stuffy in many ways. I just want my kids to share those days with me like I did with my dad and I want my dogs to have a happy life doing what they are bread for.
My first couple questions of many are;
Does anyone run dogs with out gps and shock collars? My dogs come to call so far but I do not expect them to do that in the future. If not what are some entry level products that are affordable?

Is there a temperature range that is dangerous or unproductive for my dogs?

I have been scouting all season, I spend 200 days a year in the woods hunting and scouting for all game and predators, it seems like the rabbit population has taken a beating since the leaves came off.

I think my post sounds like many others I have read here but I need to start somewhere.

 

[Lemonhead]

Our b-bads

 

[Grizzly creek beagles]

Welcome to the site lots of nice people hear with a ton of knowledge. Also welcome back to the sport of rabbit hunting.
Sportdog 425’s or 425S (stubborn dogs) are about as basic as you can get as an e-collar but it does not have GPS they run around $160 for the first collar & transmitter then you can get the add a collar that will sync to the transmitter for $125.

 

[TJRANGER]

First of all welcome. I’m no expert and sure lots of guys up around your neck of the woods can be more helpful. I have run beagles for over 56 years and I would not run now days without some kind of a collar. The Dogtra training GPS system works off your phone screen and isn’t to bad, the Garmin 100 is a nice system and you can get used ones that aren’t to pricy. I have the sport dog that are not GPS but tone and shock and have served me well but they will be fairly close to the GPS models mentioned above and I would recommend GPS. Peace of mind knowing where exactly your dogs are and what they are doing is priceless. I commend you for getting your kids involved. You will make lifetime memories. I’m sure some of your more local guys will chime in shortly. They know your area more and can help with other specific question. Again welcome. Hope my rambling helps

 

[Bowguy 1]

Hey Kyle, welcome. It’s Mike. Here’s my thoughts on this. You don’t need gps collars imo. Many of us in past , I’m sure your like father ran not even a shock collar. To me though it’s kind of “essential” equipment. Eventually almost all dogs or at least the majority trash on something, or are harked into a bad chase. Certain animals run pretty far and could cross roads. You need to stop that and correct the behavior.
The gps is another really good tool though. Myself being I’m deaf in one ear I can’t triangulate.Helps me see direction. More than once though a dog has had problems and a gps would help save a day or dog even.
A friend of mine in Pa lost a dog. Found it 2 days later dead from snakebite. Perhaps finding it earlier would have helped. Another time I was running, my dogs bounced back near a Fenceline. I looked inside there was a beagle, still alive luckily but head stuck in fence. I got it out, fed, watered and called number on collar. Said it was lost 3 days.
I could go on but road pipes, feeders at clubs, digging into a hole, wells, pits could all keep a dog stuck somewhere it needs help. A gps collar allows that. It can be expensive but the best money you ever spent. The garmin alpha for instance does both. I don’t have experience w the others. Sure someone will chime in

 

[marshall dillon]

Welcome to rabbit dogs lemonhead . Glad to hear that you are getting back into it and involving your kids . I hope you find a good place to run . I don’t use a gps collar on my dogs when I run them at my house . They know how to get home and I don’t see many deer here . One has rode the lighting before , so I don’t think he will run one now because he will come to me if another dog does since his ride . My other dog is young , but he has not run one yet . I use a training collar on them when I run somewhere else though . If he were to run one I want to stop it quick . I don’t run mine when it is above 90 degrees and humid . I don’t run them long when it is near 80 degrees . But I try to run all year long either early in the morning or in the evening .

 

[Lemonhead]

These are my exact concerns. Thank you guys for all you comments!!

 

[duke1]

Welcome lemonhead! I would not turn my dogs loose outside of my yard without a collar on, LOL. I only learned this from loosing the same 2 females 2x's and one turning up dead. A huge difference from me and my dad running dogs is time. We would call until they came back. Now with a family and 7 children, when im ready to go, they better "comeonhere"

 

[Circle4p]

Good looking lemons man. I won’t turn mine loose without a shock collar. I’ve got the garmin pro 70 and love it. I run the 6 dog system.

 

[Foxxy]

Make sure you have name tags on the collars when hunting and all times. Can buy used shock collars, get one that is 1 mile range to hit if they are on off game.
You have pulled hides and whatever, are your dogs running rabbits as of now? If so I missed it in the quick read.
Keep giving the dogs rabbit tracks so your kids have some reward of the dogs running and shooting the rabbit.

Beagle clubs can be pretty game playing, drama and stand offish to the new comers. They put in all of the time on the grounds and the newbie comes in and uses the grounds. They can be cliquish, (sp.) If you join a club, make sure you attend meetings and the work bees to show that you are vested into the club.
Over time you will be accepted. JMO
Good luck

 

[Robster]

Welcome from a fellow Central NY'er
I agree, it seems like since the leaves dropped the predators have put a hurting on the rabbits. Where in CNY are you from? You can PM me if you don't want to post it on the forum.

A great thing taking the kids out hunting. Hopefully it will develop into a lifelong hobby. My son came home from college and couldn't wait to get out and run the cottontails and hare.

 

[T.Hatcher]

Welcome aboard lemonhead! Nice looking dogs you have.