Gunner

I see very few small game hunters. Probably one a season when I get up your way. In tug Hill I mean. I was thinking of heading to Winona State Forest but on Sunday that snowsquall of 3 inches in an hour sent me southward ! I just looked at the weather for this Sunday/Monday. Sunday looks good but noon time Monday maybe rain. I may trek again and look for hare. ( The drive is most boring with 285 miles on route 81 ) But once in the woods and finding tracks then my beagle barks ..it's worth it .

I don't disturb deer hunters. I was in close proximity of a few when the grouse flew up. I was in an open field. I could have pushed one out to them. As I was leaving a deer hunter stopped and chatted. He wasn't mad. Good guys out there in the woods mostly. I try to share the land and stay away from other dog hunters . I may come up north this coming Sunday again. That snow should have a crust by then.

Headed north from central PA to tug Hill area for Hare and possibly grouse. One beagle accompanying me. Got in the woods ( 3 feet plus snow) with snowshoes on and sank in 15 -28" in the beautiful snow . We found an older (hours old ) covered up track but couldn't see it much after a few yds . Hare were hunkered down under the pine boughs . After an hour of searching/sinking we headed to a no snow forest near Parrish. Found some likely looking cover for hare...but alas no sign ..sad face me.. Just before dark I found a small clearcut. Walking in a grouse erupts abruptly away from me I take a long shot but it's heading down over a small bank. Missed apparently. Flushed another on the way out but the bird was gone in an instant. Nice day in the 40" plus snow and then bare ground discovering new areas. I only seen a few people deer hunting. There's a lot of smaller forests in new York compared to Pa and their mostly big woods. I'll be back soon !! Sorry bout' the Upside down pics ! Format stinks sometimes ugh

Last sunday's hare hunt adventure. Barely any snow...just a patch here and there. Hunted 3 hours no jumps. Moved a different spot another state forest and not 50 feet off the road I spy a hare sitting in a 10 foot deep depression in the ground. I decided to let the beagle sight chase it And track it. The dog sees it jump out and begins barking trailing almost immediately. I maneuver Into an open area; But 50 yds or so away suddenly the barks stopped. ??? I'm thinking a hole ? I move to where gunner is and find an old house foundation with a hole aside a tree. I immediately remembered that it was the same hole from last year's wounded hare I shot at in a foot of snow . Go figure! Hare do go to ground . Contrary to popular belief. I'm thinking it may have been a female possibly? Either way a smart hare . We didn't jump another the rest of the day. Rain came around 2pm so I headed home. I'm glad the dog seen it at least. Those hare sit tight ! Till next season I hope this hare reproduces.

That was a back footprint. It was under a pile of pine trees . There was still snow under there and no bare ground. It may have hunkered down there on the 15 th of January or there abouts , when they got 50 plus inches of snow. Either way I read bears don't always hibernate all winter . They did have warm temps and rain a few weeks ago. I also saw fisher tracks meandering through hare territory. Oh and some grouse as well. They usually startled me .

While searching for hare I unknowingly awoke a bear out of it's slumber under a pine tree blow down. I was about 20 miles south of fort drum. My whole hand fit in the rear paw track plus an inch approximately. About 7 inches long. Any idea the size of this bear ? When I found the tracks my neck hair stood up..yikes! Yogi left in a hurry across a swampy creek bottom . First bear track I've seen in the area.

I certainly did have a good hunt! Although I missed 2 hare ..bad shooting yes yes.. My 10 year old beagle showed he can still bring a hare around to me despite semi crappy conditions. I helped him out by finding the track several times under pines. He ran 3 hare today and the last one went far . At one point I thought he jumped a deer since he was running across an open area. But alas it was that wascaly hare trying to evade him and myself. He logged 18.75 miles in 2 days. I probably walked in snowshoes and without; 8 miles or more! I'll be back there. Twice the hares ran by my car . I could've stayed there dang it! Next trip may be soon . I just like that tug hill serenity.

Nice dog work! I'm heading to tug hill early tomorrow morning. Hunt Sunday and half of Monday or more Hare beware ! ( Wish I had a few more beagles or any flushing dog)

I responded to a Pennsylvania Hare survey this year. The season is only one week.Hare numbers seem to be steady where there's appropriate cover. Ie low laurel/ rhododendron and other brush. Cover is key . There's many other factors. Predators will always be there. I see occasionally fisher tracks. I see more hare track though after a fresh snow most days. The dec in pa and NY do more than you know. It's not always publicized. A newsletter accompanied it also. Limited funds and biologists/foresters probably doesn't help. It's called hunting for a reason.Game numbers will never explode into what people want.I think an online survey should be sent to every license holder.

I'm pretty sure that's a Ford model A . My dad would talk about riding in it . Never heard about the trunk term. Kool thanks!

My grandfather with 2 grouse and I believe a 16 ga. Look at those boots! I never hunted with him as he stopped hunting before I was 12 yrs old. He did take pheasants or rabbits we shot though.

Gunner is gundog brace medium speed. He will run with a fast pack. Works the check well inside out. He doesn't quit easily. FYI - A friend was up hunting hare on Tuesday in the same area I was . 3 hares up ; One shot .Fresh powder snow he said 6 inches. I may do a day trip next Friday.

Those hare look smaller than NY and Pa hare. I've read a biologist writings that Hare from Pennsylvania are bigger than most northern states.The NY hare I've shot are always 30"+ long when stretched out. I shot one in Pennsylvania a few years ago that was 33" . It must be something in their genes. Who knows. I'm always amazed at how lean they are . Little fat on their insides compared to cottontails. Pennsylvania Hare pic here from a few years ago. 33 inches long. I'm ready to travel north again to hunt hare again