The Lost Art Of Rabbit Hunting

[airedale]

Not many things more fun than good Rabbit-Hare habitat, a good Beagle and a suitable firearm.

Want to get a newbie or kid hooked on hunting there is nothing better than starting them out on rabbits.

Nice little film than explains things, brings back many good memories for me.

Al

 

Edited January 9, 2022 by airedale

[diplomat019]

I’ve kicked brush with no luck and I had a german shorthaired pointer that couldn't care less about fur.  But i went with a rabbit dog once and it was the most fun hunt I have ever had. So much action.  Id say rabbit hunting is may favorite with quail next to it.  Not to mention rabbit meat is great. 

[The_Real_TCIII]

My friend had a fantastic beagle named Todd, he died this past spring. He was amazing on bunnies; grouse and pheasants.


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[turkeyfeathers]

33 minutes ago, The_Real_TCIII said:

My friend had a fantastic beagle named Todd, he died this past spring. He was amazing on bunnies; grouse and pheasants.


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Oh no  ........

[The_Real_TCIII]

Oh no  ........

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[Moho81]

I never hunted rabbit with a dog. Just a couple other guys logging miles and miles on foot without much success.


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[airedale]

Beagles are one of the most refined hunting breeds in existence, they have been specifically bred to hunt Rabbits and Hare for hundreds of years. I have had other dogs breeds that could put Rabbits in the bag for me, I had a pretty fair English Coonhound that was good and even had an Airedale that put out quite a few for me but all and all a well bred Beagle is the way to go.

There are nuances within the Beagle breed relating to size, nose and speed, I hunted mostly Hare on snow so I wanted Beagles up on legs and that had cold noses.

Al

[ncountry]

It seemed like everybody in the neighborhood had a beagle when I was a kid.

Hunting rabbits was a blast. We had tons of woods that had cedar brush piles everywhere, so we had a great rabbit population..

If we didn't have dogs we would take turns jumping on the brush piles to flush the rabbits..

[Splitear]

Growing up, my dad and I ran UKC beagles, and went out with the dogs dang near every weekend. I still miss hearing the dogs run. We rarely shot a rabbit, mainly to keep our spots flush with them. A few years ago when I went home, we broke out some of the old home videos of hunts, and immediately I could recognize each dogs voice, "There's Bear" "Strike Maggie".
 

Beagling also meant I got to grow up with a colorful cast of characters at the clubhouse. A lot of those old men would "hire" me to handle their songs, meaning I got to wade into the briars to catch them. When we got back to the clubhouse they'd pay me with a coke and cheeseburger. 

A part of my childhood I cherish and will never forget. Thanks for sharing. 
 

[rob-c]

Thanks for that , brought back tons of memories hunting  rabbits with my dad . Our first beagle Duke was a rabbit hunting machine, I had so much fun when  I was 14 with my single shot H&R 12 , I think 1 out of 15 or 20 shots I’d get a rabbit but I didn’t care  . Always loved watching Duke work a rabbit . 

[grampy]

Hunting rabbits with a good beagle is as much fun as you can have in the woods! We always had a couple good ones when I was growing up. The best of them all,  was Babe. She never failed to put rabbits right in front of me! She also had a certain dirty look she would give me if I missed! I miss her to this day. 

I gotta get out soon and do some rabbit hunting! Haven't gone in a year or two. Will need to get the ok from my doc. Or just go, and keep close to the juniper bushes? Our secret!

[Paula]

I have 4, out with 2 now. Otis and Crazy who is almost 7 months. 

Each hound has their own strength, Chester is a great bed hog. Bones is a great jump dog, Otis is all around great dog. Still figuring out the puppy. 

I had so much fun yesterday with them, better than sitting at home. 

 

Edited January 9, 2022 by Paula

[Splitear]

I love his line "A rabbit will make the best hunter and the best shot look bad on his best day". 

[Splitear]

13 minutes ago, grampy said:

Hunting rabbits with a good beagle is as much fun as you can have in the woods! We always had a couple good ones when I was growing up. The best of them all,  was Babe. She never failed to put rabbits right in front of me! She also had a certain dirty look she would give me if I missed! I miss her to this day. 

I gotta get out soon and do some rabbit hunting! Haven't gone in a year or two. Will need to get the ok from my doc. Or just go, and keep close to the juniper bushes? Our secret!

We had a "Babe" too. The only dog that we had that would never run a deer, except once. Dad tells the story of jumping a deer right in front of the dogs, the pack took off, and Babe just looked at the deer and then dad. He said "You might as well go too", and he said she ran it for about a hundred yards before she came back. She wasn't the best hunter we ever had, but handled well and was a great easy going dog. 

[eaglemountainman]

Man, I miss hunting bunnies and pheasant. I haven't been since I used to cut school and go back in the '70s. I find myself thinking about that a lot lately. Might have to do something about it....

[Lucky118]

Use to run beagles alot when i was a kid. Was alot of fun. But all those brush lots and fields are now woods. Haven't  seen a woods bunny in yrs.

[farmer 52]

Great memories,Dad always had 3-4 beagles,ran bunnies seemed like every weekend.I had 2-3 beagles for years,hunted from the house every chance I got.Seemed bunnies just diappeared,as the dogs died off,basically stopped rabbit hunting.Honestly speaking enjoyed bunny hunting more than deer hunting.

[helmut in the bush]

Very nice video, thanks for posting

[CharlieNY]

When I was a young boy (many years ago) my dad took me rabbit hunting with our beagle. I got hooked the first time out. I have owned beagles ever since. I hunt deer, turkey, ducks, geese, and rabbits. Rabbit hunting with my 3 beagles I have now still remains one of my most enjoyable types of hunting. In addition cottontail rabbits make terrific table fare.   valoroutdoors.com 

[REDNECK4LIFE32]

We had a crew that used to rabbit hunt every weekend from the 1st weekend in January to the end of March. Up here in the Adirondacks the hunting clubs hold rabbit derbies to pay there leases and taxes. Some you can bring in your limit and they go by weight. Others is one rabbit per day and given a number and there is a drawing. We had great dogs Joe and Brutus. Joe a walker beagle mix and Brutus a beagle. We had buddies that had greenbay kennels blood. They did alot of dog trials with there dogs. Never forget those days me and my buddy walking in with 6 rabbits each and all the guys asking where'd you get them? Can we hunt with you guys? We hunted around farmland and birches and swamps.

[crappyice]

My hunting partner’s grandfather’s favorite story was of Pancho, his beagle he lost one Sunday hunting off route 17. He had to get back to the Bronx to open the store Monday so left and couldn’t return until Wednesday. He pulled up Wednesday evening and parked the car in the same spot he left from Sunday night. He opened the door, stood up, yelled Pancho and the dog jumped in the front seat before he finished calling his name.


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[Pygmy]

One of my best Old Fart buddies has 3 beagles and I get out with him often, as long as it is not TOO damn cold...<<shiver>>...

I'M hunting faw a WABBIT..!!...<<Hehehehe>>....

[diplomat019]

Does anyone know a rabbit guide?  A couple buddies and myself been talking about rabbit hunting but we dont have a dog.  We been looking for guides but mainly find snowshoe hare guides in the daks.   Anything in the hudson valley or catskills anyone knows about?  Id probably go to the daks but would obviously rather stay closer.  

[LET EM GROW]

My neighbor has 5 beagles, We have a 1 yr old Male Beagle and live in a Very heavily populated rabbit habitat. Im waiting for him to take me out as he said he would with his best dog now that deer seasons over, to ge tmy boy some training in... They went out Saturday morning and let his dogs run, They chased 12 bunnies and they all circled as they should. He went to shoot the last bunny so i can keep working with our dog Toby, But the gun didn't fire.

No bunnies were taken, he just wanted to work the dogs.. Id like to think the dogs would enjoy a dead bunny though. 

My buddy and I used to go with his, and he gave his dogs, the fresh heart out of every bunny they killed, once they got back to the truck. It was their treat.  

Heres our boy Toby in his bi weekly Bath lol

[Daveboone]

We used to do real well on bunnies without dogs around the finger lakes, but certainly the increase in predators (coyotes, hawks, etc) has thinned them out or made them much more wary. As a kid it we would track bunny tracks...which seemed to be everywhere, for hours.