I just read one of Barry Hiltons posts and Allan Bishop really hit home about needing to show economic impact.

I may be shooting myself in the foot so to speak, but really I've been concerned with this for awhile.......................I have no bone to pick with Hunters Horn, The Chase or Anyone really, but Maybe someone needs to be looking to hitch our wagons with a BIG kennel club. Take United kennel club for instance, they sanction the most working/hunting dog events of any kennel club out there. American Kennel Club, predominatly known for show dogs, etc, well a couple years ago they started registering coonhounds, and put together a good sized event program, that has been very succesful.

The big Registrys bring a certain level of credibility to the table and defend hunting rights with hounds.

Several years ago in Illinois, there was a law getting ready to go through, I believe it was leash law? I cant remember now, but The Illinois state coonhunters association, along with United Kennel club got it shot down, because United kennel club sent theyre director of hunts down to Illinois state capital, and he was armed with the entry sheets of all the hunts held in the state over a certain period of time, and ukc had worked on numbers of economic impact these sanctioned hunts provided to the state economy. The legislators had no choice but to throw out the bill, the numbers were too great.

All Iam really getting at is the way things are going in the united states, now is not the time to do "business as usual". We need to step into the 21st century. And Mr. Fred if youre reading this I do commend you for all you've done.

I believe though, that a Nationally known kennel club as our registry, that sanctions hunts would do more for the preservation and continued enjoyment of the sport of foxhunting.

Joe, I agree 100%. I was thinking we need to come up with requirements for the pens that are at least as strict as the state requirements are. Take those requirements and sanction the pens that meet them. Go to the state governments and try to get them to go along with what we have. These requirements may include things such as a not to exceed number of hounds based on pen size. Training time for new game.
Requirements for hunters to stay on their hounds. If the regulations aren't followed the pen loses it's sanctioning and it's hunts are not recognized until it has been resanctioned. Basicly everyone falls under one group and we write our own rules before someone else writes them for us.

Good idea, Kevin.

Seriously, we better see the "writing on the wall" and really think about this.

I have always been a baseball fan as well as a houndsman. We could take a look at the trouble baseball was in many years ago and see how they created a commissoner of baseball by appointing Judge Landis. This was a turning point for baseball in my humble opinion. We just need to find the right man.

Another good idea.

We ought to really be asking ourselves what our current registrys bring to the table, and what they dont, and start making some educated decisions.

The fact that there are two registries is part of the problem. We need one registry with one governing body. We could still have the different rule sets. Unity is the key here

kevin,tina and joe excellent post probally two many people scared or worried to do this though but since we are all thinking what to do ladies and gentlemen how much do we all pay in registery fees,litter enrollments ,etc.how much do they really give back for instance what florida is going threw and more than likely the rest of the foxhunting world ,please dont get me wrong who the hell is joe mcdonald why dont you call him and let him educate you on some matters pertaining to hounds guess my point is guys coonhunt clubs dont have this kind of heat ,the beagle field clubs dont either so why us ,like mr.ducote said call or get in contact with the likes of harlan stonesipher is fine but we need to stand together and battle together here we have all donated thru benefit hunts,charitys and mant more they know it and we know it .ladies and gentlemen we need change period...good hunting and god bless you all