The race is on 2016/2017 rabbit season
- Thread starter dirtysouth36
- Start date
1/7/17
We got a late start as usual. Which is ok because it was just plain nasty flippin cold out. Myself my buddy from work and his 2 sons headed to a spot not far from the house. This spot has always been a good place for me because its only about 20 minutes from home and its public ground. So anyway we finally got there around 11:30 and got suited up. I was worried about running my dogs in these cold temps but they didnt seem to mind much. We had lots of tracks on the ground but couldnt seem to get anything moving. But after a bit of a walk my cold nosed little beagle buddy was bawling his rear off and ended up bumping the rabbit up. The snow we had on the ground was pretty dry and was not helping tracking conditions but our 4 pack pushed through it and cirlced the rabbit in a thick strip about 100 yards wide between a bean field and railroad tracks. Steve (my work buddy) made a quick shot on Mr. Cottontail and we had one for the game bag. We moved along the field edge keeping the dogs in the brush. There was rabbit sign allover the place. About 50 yards up along the field the dogs bumped another one up and got it going. The rabbit ran up over a hill toward access road where a shooter was waiting and missed! Just up over the access road the rabbit hit a hole and evaded the beagles. We gathered the dogs up and moved along working the field edge. We neared the edge of the property line near a thick flat spot with some small pine trees scattered through it. The beagles searched all through the pines looking high and low for a rabbit to chase. Right at the edge they bumped another rabbit that ended up making our longest run of the day out about 275 yards from where it was jumped. I waited patiently what seemed like forever in the cold, the dogs were coming closer so i knew the rabbit would be coming my way. Then i spotted him sneaking down the hill toward me about 60 yards out and he disappered into a briar bush (60 is quite the poke for a 20ga.) The dogs came closer and i knew the rabbit was gonna blow outta that bush, hopefully my way. But he shot out and made a hard left up over the hill away from me with the beagles in tow. He finally made his escape in a rock pile and lived to see another day which is fine with me because i frequent this spot for spring and summer running for my beagles. We decide hey it freaking cold lets go get warm. So thats where the hunt ended with 1 rabbit going with us. Now off to another long work week. We wont be hunting this saturday because Steve is heading to Kentucky to pick up a new member for the pack!!!! So we will be running and gunning on sunday. Ill try to get some picturesbof the newest addition next week. As always thanks for reading!
We got a late start as usual. Which is ok because it was just plain nasty flippin cold out. Myself my buddy from work and his 2 sons headed to a spot not far from the house. This spot has always been a good place for me because its only about 20 minutes from home and its public ground. So anyway we finally got there around 11:30 and got suited up. I was worried about running my dogs in these cold temps but they didnt seem to mind much. We had lots of tracks on the ground but couldnt seem to get anything moving. But after a bit of a walk my cold nosed little beagle buddy was bawling his rear off and ended up bumping the rabbit up. The snow we had on the ground was pretty dry and was not helping tracking conditions but our 4 pack pushed through it and cirlced the rabbit in a thick strip about 100 yards wide between a bean field and railroad tracks. Steve (my work buddy) made a quick shot on Mr. Cottontail and we had one for the game bag. We moved along the field edge keeping the dogs in the brush. There was rabbit sign allover the place. About 50 yards up along the field the dogs bumped another one up and got it going. The rabbit ran up over a hill toward access road where a shooter was waiting and missed! Just up over the access road the rabbit hit a hole and evaded the beagles. We gathered the dogs up and moved along working the field edge. We neared the edge of the property line near a thick flat spot with some small pine trees scattered through it. The beagles searched all through the pines looking high and low for a rabbit to chase. Right at the edge they bumped another rabbit that ended up making our longest run of the day out about 275 yards from where it was jumped. I waited patiently what seemed like forever in the cold, the dogs were coming closer so i knew the rabbit would be coming my way. Then i spotted him sneaking down the hill toward me about 60 yards out and he disappered into a briar bush (60 is quite the poke for a 20ga.) The dogs came closer and i knew the rabbit was gonna blow outta that bush, hopefully my way. But he shot out and made a hard left up over the hill away from me with the beagles in tow. He finally made his escape in a rock pile and lived to see another day which is fine with me because i frequent this spot for spring and summer running for my beagles. We decide hey it freaking cold lets go get warm. So thats where the hunt ended with 1 rabbit going with us. Now off to another long work week. We wont be hunting this saturday because Steve is heading to Kentucky to pick up a new member for the pack!!!! So we will be running and gunning on sunday. Ill try to get some picturesbof the newest addition next week. As always thanks for reading!
Nice update.... Those cold dry temps make it rough tracking for them... Especially when the snows been down for a few days.... Have you tried backing up against a tree when they're coming back around? Kind of breaks up your silhouette ??? I've had pretty good luck doing that....
I was close to a tree. But i was talking to my buddys son telling him i saw the rabbit. So i think thats what turned him away from me..
Yeah, I find a bigger tree or bush and then don't talk but will use hand signs too my buddy.... Shot opportunities went up quite a bit after we do that....
We took a kid out with is (when I say kid he's probably 27) lol and he's been bugging my buddy every other day to get back out with the girls lol.... He's got another 80 acres of private land his mom and stepdad own that is supposed to be good.... We'll see lol....
We took a kid out with is (when I say kid he's probably 27) lol and he's been bugging my buddy every other day to get back out with the girls lol.... He's got another 80 acres of private land his mom and stepdad own that is supposed to be good.... We'll see lol....
No my huntin buddies kids bought it for him for christmas. Just went and picked her up in kentucky
1/21/17
Im just going to skip last weeks story. Since i ran out time to write something up. So we are now going to move onto this weekends fun. We were hunting a farm that we have gotten permission to hunt. A great looking place to rabbit hunt. Thick fence rows and field edges surrounded by big woods. The morning started out slow, we were getting anything moving. We were running or 4 usual dogs, turbo, belle, fox and nala. And the newest addition 7 week old female Moon.
*It took us quite a bit of walikn to get one up and moving. Jumped it in a hay field and the dogs were burnin his ass up across the field. The rabbit ran down a hollow into the big woods where the dogs lost him. Seems like the dogs always have trouble in the leaves in the big woods. So we moved on after that depressing end. We moved on through and up along the edge of a bean field and got another one up and goin and the race was on again straight down the field edge. The rabbit then turned down into the open woods where they lost it again. Well now its getting frustrating to say the least. So we get the dogs rounded back up and move into the woods and start hittin the brush piles and tree tops laying about. Then belles jumps one out of a brush pile and it takes off down into the open woods and again a short race with a loss....what the fug.....
Not giving up that easy we move on to the next one. I jumped one out of a pile and get the dogs on the track. Finally we have a good race goin and they circle the rabbit in a short circle and he comes back to the gun and steves son makes a good shot and drops him. It was good to finally get a good race. We move on and start the dogs into a big tree top layin on the ground and i see a rabbit run out the far end of the tree top with dogs in tow. This was our longest run of the day, took the dogs out 400 yards and across the road and back again til he eventually evaded the hounds finding a hole. We get the dogs pulled back down to us and start working around an oil well where we jump another one. Dogs ran him back up to the road and turn him and bring him back where i was waiting on a powerline right of way. One shot and the rabbit was down, first rabbit ive shot in a few weeks. We ended up shooting 4 rabbits and chasing 8 or so. Ended up being an alright day aside from the morning tracking troubles. Back at it again next weekend on public ground in Egypt valley.
Im just going to skip last weeks story. Since i ran out time to write something up. So we are now going to move onto this weekends fun. We were hunting a farm that we have gotten permission to hunt. A great looking place to rabbit hunt. Thick fence rows and field edges surrounded by big woods. The morning started out slow, we were getting anything moving. We were running or 4 usual dogs, turbo, belle, fox and nala. And the newest addition 7 week old female Moon.
*It took us quite a bit of walikn to get one up and moving. Jumped it in a hay field and the dogs were burnin his ass up across the field. The rabbit ran down a hollow into the big woods where the dogs lost him. Seems like the dogs always have trouble in the leaves in the big woods. So we moved on after that depressing end. We moved on through and up along the edge of a bean field and got another one up and goin and the race was on again straight down the field edge. The rabbit then turned down into the open woods where they lost it again. Well now its getting frustrating to say the least. So we get the dogs rounded back up and move into the woods and start hittin the brush piles and tree tops laying about. Then belles jumps one out of a brush pile and it takes off down into the open woods and again a short race with a loss....what the fug.....
Not giving up that easy we move on to the next one. I jumped one out of a pile and get the dogs on the track. Finally we have a good race goin and they circle the rabbit in a short circle and he comes back to the gun and steves son makes a good shot and drops him. It was good to finally get a good race. We move on and start the dogs into a big tree top layin on the ground and i see a rabbit run out the far end of the tree top with dogs in tow. This was our longest run of the day, took the dogs out 400 yards and across the road and back again til he eventually evaded the hounds finding a hole. We get the dogs pulled back down to us and start working around an oil well where we jump another one. Dogs ran him back up to the road and turn him and bring him back where i was waiting on a powerline right of way. One shot and the rabbit was down, first rabbit ive shot in a few weeks. We ended up shooting 4 rabbits and chasing 8 or so. Ended up being an alright day aside from the morning tracking troubles. Back at it again next weekend on public ground in Egypt valley.
Rabbits out in the open in a bigger woods seem to make longer bounds and sharper cuts that give the dogs problems.... I like wetter days for hunting open woods like that.... How'd the young pup enjoy the day?