Gunner

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

Headed to the northern tier for some Hare chasing with my one beagle last Friday/Saturday. 5 hour drive took longer since the light snow was sticking on the interstate. Arrived to 4 inches fresh snow on top of 10 inches or so crunchy old snow. 3/4 mile walk in on unplowed road was invigorating. Entering the forest I spied hare tracks and meandered for an hour checking blowdown pines . As I was ready to move to a different spot gunner opens with a few barks and I know it's showtimshowtime.The hare loops out 140+ yds and the barks are faint but steady .I watch my Garmin and see he's getting within 90 yds. It seems like forever and he's 40yds away then suddenly the hare appears in front of me at 25 yds . Just loping along. 2 shots and it's down. 20 minutes steady but medium fast chase .I head out to another spot ; tracks but no jumps. Day 2 brings another 4 inches snow and I hunt the same area. Nary a track is to be found for an hour till...I come across one set of fresh hare tracks. Gunner runs it up the hill 150yds..then backtracks. I put him back on it as the hare was tricky and humidity higher. I get ahead of him and waiting for a sighting I see the hare not 6 feet away under a pine blowdown. I opt to let gunner bump it out and shoot...but seems my 2shots missed. I follow the dog and see blood. Gunner picks up the tempo and back down to the original jump area. I get there and he's circling a tree. I see a hole and look / then reach in feel around but it must be way deep underground.long drive to go so . I quit for the day and head home. Pics of the scenery and hare dog me hahaha . Beautiful 2 days in the forest . Just a beagle and I doin' what he loves !

Hares seem to sit extremely tight . More so than cottontails. I was hunting hare a month ago in tug hill area and one jumped up between me and the dog . Another hare I spied under a log not 10 feet from me . Fresh snow on the ground. I couldn't get a shot on the first; The second I let the dog chase but he lost the track over a hill as temps were rising. I have a raspy rabbit call that also attracts fox . Next trip there I'm trying it .One dog and one hunter is tough .

Great pics! I never realized how good my beagles were . These 3 are gone now. I shot this hare they were on ; and another hare goes by me. They ran it another hour or so till dark. Icy sno-cone texture snow in the Poconos of Pa a few years ago. Down to one beagle now.

Hare/Rabbit casserole with broccoli ,cheese,carrots,& onion. I made it last Thursday night but finished it off last night along with my granddaughter . Her first time eating Hare or rabbit and she wanted seconds! I found the recpie in PA game commission cookbook. It's actually for squirrel but rabbit or hare are excellent too. It's a little messy making it but oh so worth the outcome.

I was just in north pharsila looking for them. My 2 beagles and I found some decent cover ; but no tracks nor hare.I heard a tree cutting machine running near one area.I spoke to the guy operating it in the way out.He said a few years ago they shot a hare nearby.I did see a few tracks from deer , red squirrel, one grouse, and possible fox track.The snow was fluffy and 6-10 inches in some places. Beautiful area but as the brush cutter guy said ; it might be a few years till hare return.There was also guys clearcutting too.Just logging out; not sure if any replanting was to be done.My 1st time there and almost got stuck as there wasice underneath the snowmobile tracks.

I'm from PA and although I dont hunt deer anymore and never archery hunted : I believe it's all inclusive here in PA for the past few years. FYI - the younger hunters seem to be using crossbows more so than the old dudes like me. Off topic a bit ...One thing I do notice here in chatting with deer hunters in PA is that if they have multiple deer tags they think they need to shoot that many deer. It's kinda sad the way some think that they need to brag about all the deer they shoot or really need the meat. In my opinion the deer population is more on private land nowadays than state land and young hunters whom never shot a deer will have less chance with others shooting multiply deer a year. To each his own I guess . One more observation I have about New York hunting from my small game treks this year to tug hill & Adirondacks; The yellow DEC signs posted on state land is great ; and the exceptional info on the DEC website if looking for a general area to hunt certain game. Pennsylvania is way behind in both areas ; I won't even bring up the no sunday hunting here for small or big game. Every state has issues regarding seasons ,laws ,regs. etc. I wish PA and New york would require a survey before you purchase a license. After all we want our input heard.

Great observation Airdale. I was helping the dogs out stomping cover and bushwacking through the thickest cover I could find. Swamp grass included. The dogs searched hard but the one Hare I found was in low lying grass/ferns. It's called hunting for a reason some days. At one spot I found great Looking cover with small pines ; adjacent to a marshy area with larger pines sorounding it. I'm sure there were Hare there ; just didn't step on one .They are nocturnal so dogs are a huge help. Here's a pic of the cover I found.

Any one have success finding Hare this season? I hunted tug hill area this past friday and sat. approx. 14 hrs. with 2 beagles and Just me . Only jumped one Hare (which I almost stepped On).Dogs chased it 230 yds.; then ran back on the same track.(think it went to a brushpile).Lots of moisture on the ground. Flushed 12 or more grouse but no shots .(dang birds are fast !) Also missed 2 woodcock albeit bad shooting. Hunted the same areas as back in febuary where the dogs found 11 hare in one day. The Hare seem to be really spread out now and lots of high weeds/grass,etc. for them to hide. Found some new likely looking areas and the dogs logged 19.5 miles in 2 days. I know my butt is a little sore today. Oh and saw about a dozen turkeys along the road getting gravel I suppose. Nice 2 days to be out in the great outdoors though! ( Note to self : don't drive 325 miles home after walking all day in the woods)

You won't regret it. best $4400 I ever spent 9 yrs. ago.I had a scar on my left cornea also that the DR fixed. Isn't it remarkable? I'd do it all over again . Don't rub those eyes !

Thanks everyone. I survived another year to explore NY & beyond ; and hunt with my best friends>>>> Beagles . They hunt till their tails are bloody for me.

We were just west of Lowville actually . We didn't weigh them. They were very lean though. Hardly any fat.Cottontails seem to have more fat on them. I'm guessing around 4 lbs. ? I'll have to take a scale of some sort along next trip.

Tug hill region . I only saw one other guy with Beagles. Also saw guys running coyote with big hounds. There's plenty of state forests to hunt in that region. I only bought a pair of snowshoes 4 days prior to the trip. Glad I did though.Snow was 3 -4 feet or more deep.

I didn't expect the chases to be great after saturday's slow running and no sightings. But with fresh snow on sunday and 78% humidity the conditions were perfect. The 1st Hare sounded like a deer chase. It was a straight line out to 400 yds . Thankful for the Garmin astro to track my dogs. At one point during a chase ;one dog broke off from the pack during a short check and soloed a hare; but I never seen it . It was my 1st time walking on snowshoes and I only fell once. What a workout those snowshoes give you.