hound for rabbits
 

Are beagles the only way to go for rabbits? Or would a smaller "coon" hound do the trick without pushing the bunnies too hard? I am a big bird hunter and want to get started with bunnies.

RE: hound for rabbits
 

I've been beagling about 16 years now and have never heard of a coonhound used for beagles. I do have 2 friends that double their deer dogs on deer/rabbits but it's a PITA when you're deer hunting and they strike a rabbit, we've got to shoot the rabbit to get them off it. You can only imagine what it's like when we're rabbit hunting and they strike a deer!

With that being said, I'd recommend a beagle if you're looking to strictly rabbit hunt. I don't know for sure, but I wouldn't think a coonhound could hold the trail of a cottontail too well, they'd want to push it too hard (which is what they're bred for) and you would have check (loss/breakdown) after check.

RE: hound for rabbits
 

(all informaton comes from my GF's sister who breeds blueticks)

stay away from coonhounds for rabbits because they are really fast and will catch the rabbits(coondogs tree with makes them not want to just run). beagles are USUALLY the best way to go. you could go with a fox hound but they, too are fast and you couldhave the problem of the dog catching them on the ground.

RE: hound for rabbits
 

Ditto on beagles. I've never heard anyone running any other breed. Maybe daschunds but that's just what I heard they were bred for originally. Badgers and rabbits. Personally, I'd stick with the beagles

RE: hound for rabbits
 

I would say that beagles are the best. I have seen a couple of good basset hounds trained to run rabbits. I had a basset with a good nose on him but he could not run a rabbit very good (too big). I bred him with a beagle and produced some pretty decent pups out of them.

I talked to an old timer one day that told me the best rabbit dog he ever had was a phist(spelling). He said it was small enough to get in the thick brush where the rabbits were without getting hurt.

RE: hound for rabbits
 

I have a pair of beagles I wouldn't trade for anything in the world they are rabbit killin fools. But I have a friend I have hunted with on several occasions who had a black and tan/ beagle mix that stayed right there with my old female. . . It surprisingly stays right on track and doesn't outrun the scent any worse than a pure beagle. I think on rare occasions a mixed coon dog can be a phenominal rabbit dog

RE: hound for rabbits
 

I have a feist that I use for squirrel hunting. I've heard they make awesome jump dogs for rabbits, but you need beagles to stay on the track. My dad's feist, also supposed to be a squirrel dog will jump rabbits and run them about 300 yards out then just quit and come back. Still trying to break him of that.