Russel Fork Fish and Game Club

Here come the Hounds! Local beagle clubs hosting benefit hunt

ELKHORN CITY — More than 100 beagles from six states will invade Pike County on March 10-11 for the annual Elkhorn City Beagle Club Benefit Hunt.
The hunt, sanctioned by the American Rabbit Hound Association and the American Kennel Club, is also sponsored locally by the Brushy Creek Beagle Club and the U.S. 23 Beagle Club.
Elkhorn City Beagle Club President Lowell Thacker said the event raised $1,800 to help autistic children last year.
“Last year we had 99 dogs,” Thacker said. “This year, we’re expecting more than that.”
Thacker, who has been showing his beagles since 1999, currently has 11 hounds. He hunts with them three or four times a week, even during winter months, because he enjoys the dogs and the exercise.
“If you have beagles, you can run them year-round,” Thacker said. “In the summer, we do it at night because it’s cooler. You get to where you know each one by the sound of its bark. It’s just like you know what they’re saying.”
Hunters from Kentucky, Indiana, Ohio, West Virginia, Virginia and Tennessee usually attend the annual fundraiser, a two-day event that begins before the sun rises and continues until long after the sun goes down.
The cost to participate is only $15, with all proceeds going toward a Floyd County facility that helps children with autism.
The dogs will hunt for one hour and are judged on their performance. Trophies will be awarded for first through 10th place in all classes: open class, champion class, grand champion class and bench show.
Registration begins at 7 a.m. on March 10-11 at the Russell Fork Fish and Game Club, located on Rt. 197 approximately one mile out of Elkhorn City.