Rabbit Hunting
 

For me, yesterday was my last hunt for rabbit in Kentucky this season. Rabbit hunting is an old family tradition and I still carry it on. I like the comraderie, the baying of the hounds, packs of beagles and the friendly competition between the hunters. Just wondering if we have any other beaglers out there in Parker land? How was your season?

Our season is still open till sometime in March ,but we haven't had a Beagle in 5 years ,my Drhathaar will push them out and bay on them but it's not the same ...he's too big to keep up in the thick brush ,but give him a wide open and he'll catch one as I've seen him do twice .

You're right though Mike ,it is an awful lot of fun with a good Beagle.

Robin Lewis and I have done it a couple of times up near Berlin, NH in very deep snow.
The first time our guide used Swiss Hounds. They look a lot like beagles but have longer ears and much longer legs. They certainly have an advantage over beagles in deep snow. We had a great time listening to the dogs in heated pursuit of those snowshoe hares.
The second time was behind beagles in deep and crusty snow and it was a bit sad to watch as a couple of the dogs left their own blood trails. I wouldn't mind doing it again but in less snow to make it easier on the beagles.

I have fond memories of hunting rabbits back in the 70-s here in north eastern ohio with some wild roosters too. My brother had a great beagle named Jack. I had a Ranger 12 ga 28" with a single non selective trigger that my dad gave me when I was 11 or 12.....I remember it being 10lbs! and if your shot was too close...)-: hamberg! I never did very well with it. My brother was given a svelt little Fox 20ga. savage SW with English grip...now that was a bunny gun! We did not have much money in them days and I could not weight till I could get a little pump 20ga. I got a job a Woolworth Harvest House rest. and I was able to save up for a Hi Standard pump 20ga and brand new from the gun dept. I did much better with that shotgun! That was about 1971 a friend from the old naborhood still has that pump gun...I should go buy it back. I tripled on mallard drakes one day I jumped from a backwash at Pine lake. What a day that was....SXS ohio

Great memories hunting them with Savage 22/410 over-and-over in Southern Illinois as a kid. It's sad that when I visit Illinois I don't see as many beagles or coon hounds in yards as when I was a kid. So many positive times with friends, neighbors and family running the dogs, I'm sorry so many of our young kids will miss such great experiences.

Dean I've never seen a Swiss hound. I'll check that out.
Kenny there's some good rabbit hunting in spots down here in southwest ohio. My first double was an old ranger 20 ga.
George it's the same here with the beagles. Most guys are only after deer and turkey. Rabbits seem to be getting a little more plentiful

rabbit hunting was good in my youth too..i guess i have backslid on my rabbit hunting i aint been in a coupla years now...aint had a beagle in many years but did enjoy the chase with them for sure...i think double barrel guns and old cars maybe the reason i aint been bunny hunting lately...charlie

Had a bunny living in my front yard last spring and summer. Haven't seen it in a couple of months. Now there is a stray cat hanging around.

I hunt with a friend who has a pack of beagles using my 26in 20 ga Trogan. Our season ends the end of February. Carvel

I'll shoot a stray cat a heck of a lot quicker then I'll shoot a rabbit .

Well a local state senator just introduced a bill in the Vermont legislature to make the beagle the Vermont state dog. Boy does that get 'em talking, from the rabbit hunters who say that that makes perfect sense to the owners of all other breeds who are outraged.

We shot a lot of rabbits growing up but didn't have a dog. That wasn't a problem for cotton tails because it was my job to crash through the puckers and the brush to get them moving. No regrets with my assigned as there not much better than a day with a parker trojan, a pile of cottontail or snow shoes and then Cajun smothered rabbit with mashed potatoes for supper.

Well I think it should be the English Setter of course :cool:

My dad in sometime near 1920
 

My dad was a rabbit hunter all his life. After I was born, he went into breeding and training beagles; he had some great dogs. He took me on my first hunt, a rabbit hunt, when I was 9. We lived in south western PA and had lots of apple orchards and dairy farms within easy walking distance from the house. Here is a picture of him after a day hunting there, the picture was taken sometime in the late 1920's.

I was just showing someone my grandfathers twist barrel entry grade Syracuse 12 gauge. His mother bought it for him around 1903-05 according to my dad and from some articles I read in DGJ it sold for about $32. Got to thinking that that was a lot of money at the time for a family of Pennsylvania hard coal miners and what might have transpired. I do believe that "Mart" , my grandfather, probably put a slew of rabbits on the table on a regular basis as there were stories of lots of rabbit hunts and plenty hares to go around maybe justifying the cost. At that time there were no child labor laws and the kids made money too. Gotta think that if I were a youngster in the mines I'd want to use any dough I had to buy a gun and.shoot cottontails.

Great picture Robin. Looks like Dad was shooting a Winchester Model 42 or is it too early for the 42?

That looks like a 12ga.....don't think they played with 410-s when gathering food for the family larder....sxs ohio

I believe first year of production for the model 42 was 1935.

Oops on recheck I believe it was 1933.

He was shooting a Winchester Model 12 16ga. I have it now.

Thanks Robin....Now I'm embarrassed. I have one of them guns in the safe!

The "perfect repeater" in the perfect gauge!

Yeah you do.:bigbye:

Yeah you do.:whistle:

Ahem... I think he has two.

And looking for a third.....:whistle:

a good hunt your granddad had woulda like to have been along with him...charlie

Looks like he was able to buy more than one shell. I remember when we could buy any number we wanted for a few cents, Remember that?

Mike,

I am planning to take my dogs Hannah and Ranger (Long-haired Daschund/Basset Mix and Beagle/Basset mix respectively) out on President's day for our first rabbit hunt. My wife Betsy is going. They aren't trained rabbit dogs, but it's in the blood and they go crazy chasing bunnies and deer. My Parker 10 Gauge E #2 hammer gun is too heavy, so I'll take my Winchester 101 20 Gauge. Any tips are appreciated. Glad to see other rabbit hunters out there.

Hey Noel that sounds like a great hunt you have planned. Lugging that 10 ga around would get tiresome. Here's a tip... when the rabbit jumps and the dogs give chase stay put where you are. Rabbits run in a circle and the dogs will bring it back to you. Pray they don't get on a deer. Deer will run a long ways off with a dog after them. I know hunters who have lost dogs to deer chases. Most beaglers I know use shock collars to control that. Keep us posted.

George Davis the reason you don't seen rabbit dogs in Southern Illinois anymore is there aren't any rabbits. You could hunt in good country with a pair of good dogs and maybe never get a run down there these days. I saw about the last of the decent rabbit hunting with my Cousin Mark's pack of dogs in the late 80's when I was in high school.

Destry

rabbit hunting.
 

We hunted rabbits around Brighton, Mi back in the mid 70's. A friend had acquired two Beagles from down South. One was very slow and methodical the other a lightening streak. Needless to say with the pair very few beagles escaped. Some great times and memories.

Thanks for starting the post.

Monday we had 8 inches of snow fall. The first real snow of the season. That's enough snow to pretty much shut everything down in this neck of the woods. I love hunting in these conditions. I took off to a private that I have been going to for over 35 years. When I'm there and the weather is like this, it's like going back in time. The silence is the first thing I notice. No car sounds, no planes just the flapping of song bird wings as they dust snow from their wings. We jump a rabbit burrowed next to a tree and the silence is shattered by the baying of the hounds. They're off over the hill and running in a wide circle. This goes on for about 45 minutes as I just let them run for the pleasure of it. One of those days I'll always remember.

brings back memories of days gone by..i ve been priveliged to get to hunt in the snow very few times in my life...great picture...charlie

Mike you're making me wanna take out my old Lefever Nitro Special 16 gauge and hold it for a minute. That gun killed many a rabbit in my youth, the last one over my cousin Mark's good hounds in about 1987. He, his brother Gene, and I all hunted during a hard freeze on some public ground and killed three limits in about two hours. Mark retired from school teaching shortly after that and moved to Florida, that was the last of the rabbit hunting I'm sad to say. I tried to buy his dogs after I found out he was moving away, but he'd already promised them to a neighbor.

Destry next year come on down and hunt some rabbits with me. I'll trade you a rabbit hunt for a goose hunt

That could definitely work.

DLH