Harrier Or Foxhound

[Goliath 4]

well any time i saw them they had no beagle.... u could be right though maybe u know more than i do.... a right dolly mixture going on there so....wouldnt be my cup of tea but each to there own i suppose

[Goliath 4]

 

no beagles in that outfit all harriers or 1st cross harrier beagle.... serious hounds when on but could literally hunt anything an have seen them do so

 

That's not right, they often run full beagles from the RFB ( they get through the tight covers a little quicker) and they'll run some foxhounds too from United, to hold hounds at a mark.

 

what happens when they get out of the cover they must be stretched out for half mile with all that going on

[Bryan 1,361]

what happens when they get out of the cover they must be stretched out for half mile with all that going on

 

 

 

 

 

 

They can be sometimes, but sure you know yourself if you're following on foot that's not always a bad thing. Their hunt country though has very,very little open country. It's mostly steep sided glens with tight cover, old quarries with loads of tight cover again and acres of Forestry. Not much top speed galloping, but some music.

[milliken 790]

Prime example fox digger don't believe all what you read you read what Bryan wrote and went straight on defence of your favourite hound anyway I thought you were bowing out lol . Anyhow how weak are the foxes in Ireland have any of you irish lads been to Wales hunting and how would you class the fox to yours

have nt been to wales hunting myself hopefully one day but the mate in yorkshire has been a few time and says it great hunting country as for how good the foxes are theres good and bad the best hunt we had this season think was round a hour and a half

was at a meet last year and after the days hunting we where in the bar talking for these great long hunts that packs claim to have 3 hours and so on when out for the blue one the terrier lads said listen if your hounds cant put it to ground in less then 45 minute your hounds are to slow and need culled it all went silent

[fox digger 1,086]

thumbs up!!!! Lol

[foxbolter 447]

In Wales pre ban milliken scent is not always great or a fox will hear you below a hillside and and be on the move a long time before hounds get there as you know we have a lot of sheep which interferes with scent which makes the hunt slow on times but can be great to watch the line being worked and these hunts can last well over a hour or 2 . if scent and country will let hounds run fast for 45 mins then Charlie will have to do something or get pulled down but you don't always need good hounds to do that but they have to be good for the 3 hour hunt working the line out I would much rather a good pack of hounds able to hunt for three hours on bad scent than a pack that can only do 20 mins. I was told once a fox can run far a fox can run fast but it can't do both which I think is very true

[foxbolter 447]

Bryan we like to try and keep a even pack which will then give you more of a chance of keeping hounds together and more of a tight unit at least that's what we aim for lol . We don't see point in having hounds strung out across country which the beagle would bring and don't be intimidated by the way a person speaks and dresses

[Hands of Stone 154]

For me, as part of a gun pack I would chose harriers every time. I just like the crazy wee buggers, but for 'proper' hunting I'd rather follow foxhounds instead of everything. And also I think your hounds, whatever type you keep, should all be of the same type. What works for a bobbery pack would be a disaster if you tried it with hounds, your harriers might piss off after a rambler, (on quiet days it happens quite a bit!) your beagles would get left behind, leaving the foxhounds still looking for a fox. And if you are working loose terriers, well just go check the deepest earth by the busiest footpath!

[harrier 46]

I know a few mixed packs of beagles foxhounds and harriers and crosses of each also and they run pretty tightly and account for a lot of foxes by hunting properly. I also know of pure harrier packs and pure foxhound packs that are very uniformed in size but are scattered and stretched every day on their hunts so what im saying is keeping one size of hound doesnt solve everything if the huntsman isnt prepared to cut hounds too far in front or too far behind.

 

And that pack that Bryan is talking about with the harriers, harrier x beagles and pure beagles are top class on fox.

[foxbolter 447]

This must only happen in Ireland harrier it wouldn't happen across the water from you for reasons I have mentioned I suppose there's harriers and harriers for a beagle to keep up with scratching my head when they start slowing down in age how slow it would then become

[harrier 46]

what must only happen in Ireland that doesnt happen across the water ? The stretched out hunts definitely happen, ive been there and seen thatand i know men over there that say it happens regular.

 

maybe theres not too many that mix their packs over there, dont know dont care.

 

You must only be talking about little pocket beagles because a lot of fast harrier types in ireland would be smaller than some of the bigger beagles and the best foxhounds i ever saw were tidy,low, heavy hounds.

 

personally we keep big harriers for mountain and fences but i wouldnt speak bad of beagles, kept right theyre serious animals, as accurate as any hunting hound, the best on a check ,

 

We keep pure hounds but i despise idiots who think any crosses of two different hounds (eg beagle x harrier, harrier x foxhound, ) are no good. They just want to talk up their own type, theyre not hunting men. A good hound is a good hound and a good pack is a good pack, you have to respect that.

[foxbolter 447]

Only beagles are mixed with other breeds of hounds in Ireland don't know how good your foxhounds are but beagles would never keep up with the foxhounds in Wales or England in all parts of country

[Bryan 1,361]

Only beagles are mixed with other breeds of hounds in Ireland don't know how good your foxhounds are but beagles would never keep up with the foxhounds in Wales or England in all parts of country

 

Fox bolter you are talking about theory, we are talking from experience.

 

You think beagles can't keep up on a fox hunt.

 

But some people know from experience that in tight cover beagles are the faster. For many packs where I hunt, the fox is found in cover hunted in cover and might only ever break cover for a 100 yards before getting back into cover, if it ever breaks. You think foxhounds and Harriers are faster than beagles here? Crawling on their bellies for an entire hunt.

 

But you don't know, you've never seen it, you've zero experience of it.

 

But yet you think you know. Welcome to the hunting life.

[foxbolter 447]

I know Bryan there must be a lot of cover in Ireland you want to get off it and see world .

Welcome to the hunting life

[foxbolter 447]

Anyway people have ruined a go on here talking about beagles the thread supposed to be harrier or foxhound if you need to talk about beagles perhaps the bushing section would be more appropriate you can talk about terrier cross beagles then which would be even quicker in the cover for the knew Ireland with no open country