BigGameHoundsmen.com

Hello, this is my first post on this board. I no longer run big game hounds, although I did many (30) years ago in Wa.. I still run Beagles in Ga., I love this site for nostalgic reasons I guess. My question: I see discusions on here as to breeding different types of hound to infuse desirable traits, (the recent French hound cluster) has anyone tried usung any blood from Virginia type big pack foxhounds? If for no other reason than to improve conformation, handling and such? I have seen a foto on here of some big red and white dogs on the back of a truck that everyone raved about, very consistent looking and sized and typed much like Highbrow foxhounds. Are they too slow? No grit? No nose? Too expensive? Just curious.

Handling is one thing I have never heard of people trying to breed into their dogs by breeding foxdog into them. When choosing your strain of foxhound to cross in the two most common things you have to watch that you don't lose are treeing instinct and handling. I like a strong dose of running dog in my hounds, but I have never tried any from Virginia, so I don't have any personal experience with them, but generally you get better handling and more complete dogs by crossing to some of the strains that are commonly run in smaller one man packs than the large packs that are commonly used to hunt fox on horseback. Don't know if that was the largepack Virginia hounds you were thinking about or not, and like I said I have no experience with Virginia foxhounds. And there are always exceptions to everything, but unless I heard differently about a particular strain I would veer more towards the running hounds used for coyote hunting or out of one of the packs that are used to run mainly bobcat and grey fox.

Ive seen some of the dogs that one of the Horseback clubs in VA runs, as they fox hunt some of the same territory as I fox hunt. They tend to run Reds, and I prefer the greys. although they do run greys and I also run reds. I dont use horses though, only trucks and my 2 feet. I have heard that they have some that will tree game, and I do too. Their dogs do handle well, but they are broke to handle that way as pups. Just as mine handle just as well but differently. Anyone who has dogs that handle know that it is easier to get dogs to do what you want when your hunting them with dogs that already know what is expected. i find that now my pups basically learn to load/unload on my truck by themselves by just following the older dogs, unlike when i first started I had to train the older dogs to do it too. treeing seems to be the same way with foxdogs, if they are gonna do it, being around dogs that tree is the quickest way to make it happen.

I don't doubt that your dogs handle like a dream, wasn't implying otherwise. Honestly though, most hounds are knuckle heads, and it takes a special kind of moron to put up with them and stick to getting a handle on 'em. We still all run e collars on them, the 30+ packs of horseback foxhounds don't carry a collar in the bunch. I guess the main part of what I was wondering is if anyone has used or tried any of that big pack blood, for conformation, or handling purposes. They are all line breed for generations, very consistent, might work for an outcross is what I'm thinking. I think I remember reading some posts from a guy that was trying Penn Marydale stuff, most people's opinion was they would be too slow, if memory doesn't fail me. I think that that strain is bred not for speed, but mouth and style. There are other packs though that are much faster. There's a cool video from the 70's on a website called folkstreams, google it, go to thoughts on fox hunting. Interesting stuff, I thought, that's what got me thinking.

I guess that, being impressed by the way those packs handle, not an e collar in the bunch, all the dogs in the pack consistent as to size, conformation, speed, style, etc. obviously highly linebred. I just wonder if there wouldn't be a good outcross there. I saw a interesting video on a site called folkstreams, google it and click "thoughts on fox hunting". Got me thinking, begged the question. Are they not fast enough for coyotes? Just curious.

American Fox hounds do outstanding on coyotes, alot of the clubs that ride to the hounds have began running alot of coyotes and catching plenty with those packs, so im hearing. Im a little bias toward foxhounds because thats what I hunt. I dont believe there is a hunting breed of dog that is bred to handle better or listen more than a foxhound, if gained from the right lines, some of todays fieldtrialers have dogs that handle like trash that i wouldnt even consider hunting or much less owning. I think that the fox hound blood could greatly improve the stamina, conformation, sense, and handling and looks of any breed out there. Penn Marydels have tremendous mouthes and noses but zero speed for what I like, but asa pack they still manage to catch coyotes and run reds in the ground, but Ive never seen one with great conformation as they tend to be large hulky dogs from the ones ive seen and hunted around.

i would say to anyone that may think of breeding from a pack is know what you are breeding in to your dogs, when i came to the uk i had a phone call from a well known otterhound pack that asked me if i would be intrested in breeding my airedales to there otterhounds as they wanted to improve there drive and grit at the end of the hunt ,and as the airedales had the otterhounds in there background they could be the best dog for them to use, when i had some pups i sent them 4 and told them to run them on with there otterhounds to make sure they would be the right dogs for them to put into there line , i was told by the pack owner that they did breed , you have to ask yourself why they had this problem with there dogs as they where only hunting mink with them
Ian

This Site Has about Everything thats out their !! All the Fox hound Packs are Running hard this month Lokks like they are having about 3 org. hunts per week plus their training on the days inbetween !!

Heck even Wyo. has a Foxhound Pack and Hunt !!

Here in Virginia we have about 28 Packs/Kennels Of very old strains ..

Here is a List of nearly all the Packs/Kennels in the US
Just click on any Pack and they will have their History and Events ect.
http://www.mfha.org/hunts-alphalist.html

http://www.mfha.org/home.html

Scheduled Events

This is How Often "Bull Run Kennel, Virginia" is Running Org. Hunts tis month and next
Now they Run everyday Between the Org. Hunts for training even if it rainning ..

November 11, 2010
November 13, 2010
November 16, 2010
November 18, 2010
November 20, 2010
November 23, 2010
November 25, 2010
November 26, 2010
November 28, 2010 (Sunday)
November 30, 2010
December 2, 2010
December 4, 2010
December 7, 2010
December 9, 2010
December 11, 2010
December 14, 2010
December 16, 2010
December 18, 2010
December 21, 2010
December 24, 2010
December 28, 2010
December 30, 2010
January 1, 2011