Wondering ...

[Mike Franzen]

Daniel that sounds like a great time. What part Mississippi are you in?

[Bill Jolliff]

I thoroughly enjoyed hunting cotton tail rabbits here in upstate NY.

I used my Ithaca Lefever .410 double with 26" barrels choked Mod and Full that I bought in September of 1968 for $150.00 from Pearson's Gun Shop in Auburn NY. Usually 1/2 ounce #4's in the Mod right barrel and 3/4 ounce #4's in the left Full choke barrel.

Early on I had two beagles back to back: Boomer and Barney followed by my black and white English Springer Spaniel Teddy Rough Rider Roosevelt. Named him after handling TR's F grade Fox then owned by Tom Kidd.

Spent many days hunting bunnies with my older brother Tom who owned 250 plus acres near Cape Vincent NY (where Lake Ontario becomes the St. Lawrence River). He also had a black and white Springer Black Jack.

Great dogs for working rabbit cover with the added bonus of some Ruffed Grouse. Teddy got so he would retrieve rabbits back to me, no matter who shot them. Occasionally, the rabbits were still alive.

Maybe not the magic of upland bird hunting, or ducks over decoy's or you name it but those days will live in my memory forever.

And by the way, and as many of you know, rabbits are great table fare.

[Daniel G Rainey]

Nrotheast Mississippi

[Hixie]

Another Upstate NY rabbit hunter here. It's been a while since I've done it, but it was part of my early hunting experiences. I used a Remington pump 20 ga, don't remember the model number, and my dad hunted with one of his Parkers or sometimes an old Hollis and Sheath percussion hammer gun.

We had a beagle, Gypsy, who was an excellent dry-ground hunter, but did not do well on snow. She would also chase pheasants the same as if they were rabbits. I too love the sound of a beagle baying on a rabbit and spent many an afternoon after school out with her. I earned my Boy Scouts cooking merit badge by cooking a rabbit stew on a winter camping trip. There were lots of rabbits and pheasants around back in those days (late '70s - early 80's). Still a few rabbits around but pheasants are scarce.

[charlie cleveland]

rabbits are fun to hunt as a boy we hunted rabbits a lot i went all day with a fellow who had good dogs but we only jumped one cotton tail...the coyote s around here keep them thinned out... my dad used a model 42 winchester 410 pump i used a stevens 410 ga double barrel....charlie

[Wilmurt]

Saw a coyote tonight after dog training at McKee-Beschers WMA, Poolesville, MD (around corner from Izaack Walton League that Kevin referred to).