Hello from the Swamps of Western KY

This forum is like a breath of fresh air. I heard about it through Randy's podcast a while back and just recently decided to give it a look. I've been lurking for a week or so just getting a feel for things and I must say I'm glad Randy runs a tight ship. Likewise, there is a wealth of information on here from advocacy to hunting.

I'm foremost a houndsman that runs Beagle hounds on cottontail and swamp rabbits in Western Kentucky. I've been running and hunting Beagles my whole life. I also love to deer hunt and spring turkey hunt and do a bit of dove and squirrel hunting. In March 2014, my whole pespective on our hunting culture and tradition, as well as, our public lands legacy changed when my son was born. I started reevaluating my role as not just a hunter, but what legacy I wanted left for my son and how I could affect that legacy. I also began reevaluating the public image of hunting and hunters. Guys like Randy and Steven Rinella have renewed my faith that there are spokesmen/advocates that hold my same values - hunting, fishing, firearms and public access.

I don't know how much I can contribute to discussions as a public lands hunter from the South/Midwest, but I'll enjoy the knowledge gained nonetheless.

Below is one of my favorite hound quotes I'd like to share from Del Cameron's book "Call of the Hounds".

“To a hound man, hunting with hounds is neither sport nor a business. It is a way of life. Hunting with hounds is something that is in your heart and soul and is something you live every day.”

Welcome aboard!

Welcome! I've been to your neck of the woods and it is a swamp. So many rivers. Reminds me of the Mississippi Delta here. Great deer hunting in W Kentucky.

Southern Elk said:

Welcome! I've been to your neck of the woods and it is a swamp. So many rivers. Reminds me of the Mississippi Delta here. Great deer hunting in W Kentucky.

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So. Elk you're right about the rivers. In 2011, we had a 100 year flood. The power of the rivers was awe-inspiring. And made for one heck of a memorable spring turkey season. The damage would've been worse had the Army Corps not blown levees at East Prairie, Missouri to release water. When they dynamited the levee it rattled the windows at my parent's place in Paducah, KY some 60 miles away.

Howdy, from the great white north.

Welcome from Iowa

KY Swamp Beagler said:

So. Elk you're right about the rivers. In 2011, we had a 100 year flood. The power of the rivers was awe-inspiring. And made for one heck of a memorable spring turkey season. The damage would've been worse had the Army Corps not blown levees at East Prairie, Missouri to release water. When they dynamited the levee it rattled the windows at my parent's place in Paducah, KY some 60 miles away.

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It was bad here too. I'm about 80 miles from the MS River, but the flood was even worse than the record flood of 1927.

Welcome from PA!

Welcome aboard! Growing up my dad and grandpa always had beagles. Following them, following the dogs are my first hunting memories. Changes in farming practices, predators, and deer hunting have all but eliminated rabbit hunting in that part of Indiana today. If I lived someplace where I could justify keeping dogs outside I think I'd have to have a beagle or two. Look forward to seeing some pics of your dogs and rabbits this fall/winter!

Southern Elk said:

It was bad here too. I'm about 80 miles from the MS River, but the flood was even worse than the record flood of 1927.

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Ours wasn't as bad as the 1937 flood. My mamma told me they were putting cows on the second story of buildings in downtown Paducah in 1937 because the water was so high. Luckily, we had KY Lake and Lake Barkley to hold back a tremendous amount of water. I went down to see them letting some of the water out of the dam. They had all of the gates open and the noise and power of that water was something to behold.

In June 2011, I bought a little farm about 35 minutes north of here. My neighbor told me that the whole property was under six feet of water during the flood. My farm is about a mile from the Cumberland River. It's just a little piece of dirt holding the world together - nothing special to anyone, but me and hopefully my little boy when he gets big enough to run around on it.

1_pointer said:

Welcome aboard! Growing up my dad and grandpa always had beagles. Following them, following the dogs are my first hunting memories. Changes in farming practices, predators, and deer hunting have all but eliminated rabbit hunting in that part of Indiana today. If I lived someplace where I could justify keeping dogs outside I think I'd have to have a beagle or two. Look forward to seeing some pics of your dogs and rabbits this fall/winter!

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I'll try to gets some pics up as the year progresses. This will be the first hunting season for a couple pups I got off of a litter out of my brother's hound. They started running cottontails at six months old, but still need a lot of work. Only time will tell how they handle the water and terrain when we run swampers. I'll hold my enthusiasm. I try to keep in mind something John Wick wrote in one of his books. He said it doesn't matter how early they start, but how they finish. Hopefully, I can document their progression with pics.

I hate to hear about the loss of habitat in your area. I see a tremendous loss around here, too. In 2009, we had a hellacious ice storm. I was in line for kerosene (for three hours) during the storm and a Vietnam Vet compared the way trees looked to what it looked like after a bombing. However, that ice storm was the greatest thing I've seen for habitat improvement for small game in all my years of hunting KY. It opened up the canopy allowing sunlight to hit the ground and cover to flourish. Unfortunately, now the canopy is closing back up and shading the undergrowth out.

Then two years ago we had a very harsh winter. Last year I realized that the rabbit population was down and opted to stop shooting rabbits, just run the hounds. Hopefully, numbers will be on the upswing this year. Again, I'll hold my enthusiasm.

Good luck with the pups!! That quote from Mr. Wick is one I'm living right now trying my hand, for the first time, at training a bird dog. I do know a guy or two that still raise beagles for trial dogs. I'm hoping to get one of them to allow my sons and I to tag along a day or so this year. I'd love for them to hear some dogs open up hot on a jumped rabbit!

The two dogs I remember the most that my dad had were Cookie and Suzie, they were sisters. One a ticked black and white and the other a tri-color, but with very little black. Cookie had an amazing nose and it wasn't too often she'd over run or lose a track. Suzie wasn't as good on the track, but being a bit smaller was a monster of a jump dog. Man, we had a lot of fun days following those two...

1_pointer said:

Good luck with the pups!! That quote from Mr. Wick is one I'm living right now trying my hand, for the first time, at training a bird dog. I do know a guy or two that still raise beagles for trial dogs. I'm hoping to get one of them to allow my sons and I to tag along a day or so this year. I'd love for them to hear some dogs open up hot on a jumped rabbit!

The two dogs I remember the most that my dad had were Cookie and Suzie, they were sisters. One a ticked black and white and the other a tri-color, but with very little black. Cookie had an amazing nose and it wasn't too often she'd over run or lose a track. Suzie wasn't as good on the track, but being a bit smaller was a monster of a jump dog. Man, we had a lot of fun days following those two...

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I hope you get your pointer lined out. Since you've been out of the beagle world for a while, I'd suggest that you see the parents run of any beagle pup you are considering. There is a tremendous variation in the style of Beagles nowadays. You said "field trial" which could mean that the hounds in question might not hunt like you remember your grandpa's hounds hunting.

Just like in pointers, there is a tremendous difference in style for some Beagles bred strictly for field trials versus those bred as pleasure hounds. This may not be the case with hounds you are considering, but it is definitely something you should keep in mind if you do journey down the path of beagling. I only urge caution to hopefully curb any frustration you and in turn your sons might experience. Good luck with your bird dog.