Duck Hunting with a Beagle?

[HukeOKC]

My son has been promised, by his grandmother, a puppy for his 5th birthday in September. I would like to be able to use the dog for hunting as a duck dog. I know that a Lab is the obvious choice but she really wants to get him a beagle.

My question is...Has anyone ever trained, seen or used a Beagle for duck hunting?

 

[HSMITH]

I have seen a beagle work pheasants and do it quite well, I would never be able to take the baying though. The only real problem I see in using a beagle for water work is that their coat is not one that will keep them warm when wet, nor does it hold air for long swims. If a pothole is your usual place it might be fine, I would not try it in open water though. Get the boy a lab IMO.

 

[HukeOKC]

I wondered about their coats. And since they are a hound breed I guess it would be hard to get them to be quiet.

Good points.

 

[DadOfThree]

Another problem you may have with the beagle is that a large mallard may prove to be too big for your beagle to drag and swim at the same time. My brother in law was out hunting pheasant with his german shorthair dog. He kicked up some Canadian Geese on a pond and shot one. He got the German shorthair to go after it but it couldn't lift it up and swim at the same time. He did get it to the shore but it took a lot of effort.

 

[HukeOKC]

Well those are the kind of things I was wondering. If it was even possible for a beagle to handle that type of job. I guess I will have to talk her into getting the boy a lab.

Thanks for the info.

 

[gun-fucious]

why not a chesapeake bay retriever or a poodle?

There are many web toed dogs

 

[HukeOKC]

The poodle is out odf the question, but that chesapeake Bay retriever can be added to the list. I think we are going to get stuck with the beagle and I just won't be able to use him for duck hunting. I am going to look into getting a black lab though.

Thanks for the input GF

 

[Zorro]

Beagles are just not cold water dogs.

Get a Labrador Retriever.

 

[gun-fucious]

i'm not talking a toy poodle

the standard poodles are actually hunting dogs

http://pages.yahoo.com/nhrp?o=hunti...eation___sports/outdoors/hunting/duck_hunting

heres some cool duck hunting dog history:
http://www.poodlehistory.org/PDUCKGU.HTM

 

[Turk]

I don't think the Beagle would be able to take the cold water. Most I've seen aren't that happy about water.

Also I've seen a Canada Goose work over a large Lab so I their size would limit them. The Beagle a great rabbit but Waterfowl?

Something I didn't know till this year how great these little dogs were running Yotes. My 3rd shift supervisors family have killed 21 Yotes since November using one beagle. The keep one hunter close the beagle because a Yote will circle around and attack the dog.

Turk

 

[HukeOKC]

Yeah, you guys are right. No beagle for duck hunting. And if we do wind up getting a beagle anyway, I'll just keep him away from the duck ponds.

GF, that is amazing about the poodle. We used to own a toy poodle and when you said that, I did think of a toy poodle instead of a full size. Thanks for the information on those cites too. We can add the poodle to our list. I haven't looked into it much yet but I have to see how they do with kids.

Thanks again to all who have been replying.

 

[Jaegermeister]

Get a smaller lab

I would get a smaller variety lab. Some labs get to be 70 or 80 pounds or more and become useless for long days of pheasant hunting. Labs that are fed too much become huge. Conditioning is a major factor for hunting dogs.

Look for a good breeder that has labs that stay in the 50 to 60 pound range. Better yet, check out your local animal shelter or humane society and find a female that is about 6 months old.

Get a shock collar and use it properly: as encouragement and not punishment. A lab will be easy to train for hunting as long as the lessons seem like play for the puppy. Give it lots of rewards for retreiving tennis balls, toys and then ducks.

Labs are great with kids and would be a welcome addition to the family.

I have a male field-bred English Springer Spaniel that is 3.5 years old. Springers are a lot more hyper than labs but are a better upland dog. Labs own the water.

 

[HukeOKC]

Well it turns out that I can want a lab in one hand and..... well you know the rest. I talked to Mom and she says she is bound and determined to get him a Beagle. She loves Beagles.

Maybe some day I'll get a Lab for myself, but for now one dog is more than enough.

Thanks again.

 

[Jaegermeister]

Labeagle????????

How 'bout a mutt.


Mix a yellow lab with a beagle and you have a Labeagle.

 

[HukeOKC]

Sounds like a good plan!!

 

[gun-fucious]

Beagles are very cool and are good with kids

just remember
It is a hound dog
The neighborhood kitties had better watch out

 

[HukeOKC]

Them being a hound is why I was wondering if they would be any good for ducks. I love Beagles, I just wanted to be able to hunt ducks with the dog and now it seems that I am gonna have to just get my own dog for duck hunting.

 

[Zorro]

Beagle = Snoopy!

 

[gun-fucious]

hounds are more scent the bunny/fox/squirrel then chase while "Beagleing"

the scent driven dogs are sometimes difficult to get to do anything based on sighting the quarry

now lurchers are a different story
but lurchers are not usually swimmers

Hense the "poodling" dogs for water retrieval duty

 

[whiskey]

Umm...Tell mom if she really wants to get him a beagle, she can keep it at her house. Just kidding

Labs are great, so are beagles. Just take up rabbit or squirrel hunting. Beagles do well at both.