Beagle in the Barries

A forum for discussing the Australian Alps Walking Track. This is a 655 km long track from Walhalla (Vic) to Tharwa (ACT)

Beagle in the Barries

Postby sara1h » Fri 18 Jan, 2019 7:15 pm

Probably an unusual post, but, I'm wondering if anyone has come across a Beagle with a GPS collar (as well as two regular collars) alone on the AAWT around the Barry Mountains?

I came across her on the 28th December on the Twins Jeep Track, and she followed me to Selwyn Creek Road where I camped, apparently looking for food/water. The next day she followed me hiking all day, until we bumped into two other hikers heading north (around East Riley Road). She was frightened of them and held back at first then ran away, and I couldn't find her after that. I called the local council when I first saw her as she seemed abandoned, but the staff member advised that hunting dogs often get left alone and that the owners could collect her whenever they want using the tracking collar (I don't know anything about hunting).

I'm hoping that's the case and that she's been taken home, ignoring the fact that she was in a National Park, but am concerned as she was quite skinny, seemed hungry, and was fearful of people. I asked a few other hikers to keep an eye out for her, but if anyone has seen her lately please let me know, and I will follow up with the council to see if they can do something. She was a very sweet little dog once she trusted me so I would just like to know she's alright.
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Re: Beagle in the Barries

Postby crollsurf » Fri 18 Jan, 2019 9:20 pm

Beagle sounds strange! I would have thought they would be hunting cats and dogs, not rabbits. Interesting. Hope the pup finds it's owner but a good hunting dog should be skinny.

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Re: Beagle in the Barries

Postby Xplora » Sat 19 Jan, 2019 5:12 am

It is true that hunting dogs get lost following scents. They can travel a long way from State forest into National Park. One followed a friend of mine into Cleve Cole hut. It was also exhausted and hungry but was well cared for by the Bogong club members on the working bee. He was taken out and eventually returned to the owner. There should be a phone number on the collar. Strangely enough, a week later a dog was found in Kosy NP by a Bogong Club member with the same number on the collar. These dogs are quite valuable to their owners so they will try hard to find them. Beagles are used for hunting deer and unfortunately it will probably die if not found. There is not much you can do now and the council will not be able to help.
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Re: Beagle in the Barries

Postby north-north-west » Sat 19 Jan, 2019 8:33 am

If she has a tracking collar, the owners should be able to find her. Isn't there a dog-hunting base/kennel near Sheepyard Flat?

I've met a few dogs - foxhounds used for deer hunting - between there and Buller. Mentioned one to a cop I bumped into and was told it's not uncommon to see them and they're usually collected within a week or so. They're a reasonable investment, so not likely to be abandoned, especially with the tracking collars.
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Re: Beagle in the Barries

Postby Xplora » Sat 19 Jan, 2019 11:59 am

north-north-west wrote:If she has a tracking collar, the owners should be able to find her. Isn't there a dog-hunting base/kennel near Sheepyard Flat?


I think it is a bit further up the road but there are few around. They are set up with a sign 'Hound recovery point' or something like that. If you find a dog then you can slip it in one of these and someone will pick it up. Hope there is a water bowl for the dog.
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Re: Beagle in the Barries

Postby sambar358 » Sat 19 Jan, 2019 2:17 pm

The legal season for hunting sambar deer with scent trailing hounds ends on November 30th each year so it's likely that this hound has been out for a fair while if seen on Dec 28th. Tracking collar batteries are usually only good for 4-5 days if they are fully charged when the hound is released so certainly they'd be dead-flat and the owner would not be able to locate it after that long assuming it was lost in late November. These types of hunting hounds are usually quite friendly (beagle, bloodhound, harrier) and all are required by law to wear a collar with the contact details of their owner on it....but 1st you have to catch the hound of course. If this dog was quite timid I'd expect that she was quite spooked after being left to her own resources for probably a fair bit of time.

I'll contact a few of the movers & shakers in the hound hunting orgs. and direct them to this link......it's likely that they'll be able to find-out who's lost a hound in that area and hopefully someone will be able to pick her up if she's still alive. Cheers

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Re: Beagle in the Barries

Postby sambar358 » Sat 19 Jan, 2019 6:01 pm

A little more on this.....following my post I sent Alex Krstic from Hounds Unlimited a message via Facebook regarding this lost hound. Alex has his finger on the hound hunting scene pulse and I thought he'd probably know if anyone had lost a female Beagle in that area late last year. As it turns out Alex himself has lost a female Harrier in that general area and given the time she has been out it's quite possible that the hound in question could be his. Alex has posted a $2000 reward for her safe return so that might be some incentive for anyone coming across this hound to catch her, give here a bit of TLC and ring the number on her collar when convenient.

A Harrier is quite a similar looking dog to a Beagle.....just a bit taller and longer with the usual black/tan/white tri-color coat and a nice placid and friendly nature. So with a bit of luck there's $2k wandering around the AAWT somewhere just waiting to be collected by somebody. Good luck with it. Cheers

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