ORIGINAL: nc1234
Would they be good for anything else besides hounding, i.e. bird hunting? Also, because they are hounds are they prone to bay. I heard somewhere they were good hounds to get if you dont have a lot of land because they are not as prone to be loud as other kinds of hounds. Is this true?
All depends on how you raise them. Some lines are a little more highstrung and tend to bark more than others. I have a kennel full of 11 beagles and they're quiet as a mouse (unless a rabbit, deer, or fox walks in front of their kennel)! My neighbors always tell me they're shocked at how they rarely hear the dogs bark, but I rotate 1 bark collar around and am VERY strict when it comes to barking.
P.S.- from what I've seen and heard, this isn't the norm though.