The Chase Is On: February Rabbit Hunt

My favorite thing about Rabbit Hunting is watching and hearing the dogs work. The teamwork is extremely impressive. You start out simply walking through the brush and kicking briar patches. Then all of a sudden a rabbit jumps and runs and that first dog smells it and lets out the first bark. Sometimes they are not sure on that first bark but when they are sure they know and you know. You also look around and see all of the other 14 dogs take off running to where they hear the first dog barking. Then when all 14 of them smell it and start barking it is a beautiful chorus through the woods.

            I was standing on the edge of a cutover right next to some pine woods. The dogs were running this rabbit in circles. Down into this bottom and back up through the woods and back into the cutover multiple times. I hear the chorus of all 14 short legged beagles knowing there is a rabbit on the run. Vocalizing they are after it and that you should be on the ready.

            The dogs are standing around me but I look over at the man who owns these dogs and he hears the one dog still running and says to me “that dog has that rabbit”. He walked down the hill and tally hoed the rest of his dogs that were standing around us and all the sudden all 14 of them were on him again.

            I knew the rabbit would be well ahead of the dogs but I listened to the beautiful sound of the chase while trying to stay ready to shoot if he runs by me. The dogs were running down in the woods over 100 yards away from me but all of a sudden I hear something rustling in the brush. I look for it but cannot spot anything. Then I finally catch a glimpse of a white tail. I attempt to throw the gun up but the rabbit is completely out of sight in less than a second. The rabbit wins this round against me but only a few seconds later Boom! I hear the sound of a shotgun just up the hill from me. Another gentleman we were hunting with had hammered it.

            It was the last rabbit of the day. I never got a shot at one but had a great time. Hearing the dogs, walking through beautiful fields and woods, and spending time with my father and friends we have hunted with for years was all worth it.

            It takes time and maturity to realize that what you bag and don’t bag is not what hunting is about. Don’t get me wrong I have deer antlers on my wall and hope to mount some other great animals. But it is more about the camaraderie, the stories, the experiences, and the traditions that makes hunting of all kinds such a great pastime.