Rabbits

Just wondering if anyone out there is still pounding a few bunnies. I have been out with some good success but not great. I am looking for a few spots closer to LaCrosse area and wondered if anyone out there has a place for a fellow IDAer to shoot a few. I do not run rabbits with dogs, I just spot and stalk. Feel free to pm me.

Thanks

Greg Dodge

On side hills with snow and tree tops we have been doing pretty good. With the hard snow pack its more difficult for the beagle but he has been doing pretty dang good. I’m averaging a lot of sightings and close encounters but getting the 22 on them sometimes present issues (2 Power). Typically for a morning 5-7 Rabbits usually hit the freezer or pan.

On side hills with snow and tree tops we have been doing pretty good. With the hard snow pack its more difficult for the beagle but he has been doing pretty dang good. I’m averaging a lot of sightings and close encounters but getting the 22 on them sometimes present issues (2 Power). Typically for a morning 5-7 Rabbits usually hit the freezer or pan.

Hey LazyEyez,

As if I don’t have enough hobbies, I bought a book at Cabela’s on rabbit hunting and I think it would be a blast hunting them with my beagle. My question for you, cause you mentioned you use beagles, is how old is too old to train beagles to chase rabbits? I have a 4 year old female, she’s got a heck of a nose and she sniffs the tracks the rabbits leave in our yard, but she’s never had any formal training. Is it too late for her, or would her instincts take over once she got in the woods? Also, at what point does the beagle start baying? She’s never bugled (barked) at the scent…she just gets in a mode where nothing else matters except the trail of that rabbit…to the point that she doesn’t hear me hollaring at her to come back in the house. Thanks for any advise you can give me.

Hey LazyEyez,

As if I don’t have enough hobbies, I bought a book at Cabela’s on rabbit hunting and I think it would be a blast hunting them with my beagle. My question for you, cause you mentioned you use beagles, is how old is too old to train beagles to chase rabbits? I have a 4 year old female, she’s got a heck of a nose and she sniffs the tracks the rabbits leave in our yard, but she’s never had any formal training. Is it too late for her, or would her instincts take over once she got in the woods? Also, at what point does the beagle start baying? She’s never bugled (barked) at the scent…she just gets in a mode where nothing else matters except the trail of that rabbit…to the point that she doesn’t hear me hollaring at her to come back in the house. Thanks for any advise you can give me.

To tell you the truth I’ve never really had to train any of our Beagles. They are very instinctive creatures. Generally I’ve started hunting them right away or at least taking them along. What usually happens is they will get a real close encounter and then the rest is history.

Every year when I first take him out it takes him half of the morning to start barking but then when he remembers he has a voice it is music to my ears…

I wouldn’t hesistate at all at bringing a 4 year old into the woods, at any rate they will get into places (underbrush) and push rabbits out even if they are not sure what they are looking for. The beauty is once they figure it out they will run that same rabbit until it holes up.

If you are serious about taking your dog out, wait for a nice snow that is wet and go to a well populated rabbit location let the dog go. You can see the fresh tracks and the dog should be able to track easier.

Good luck and feel free to email if you have any questions. God knows we have too many rabbits in the country.

Lazy Eyez

To tell you the truth I’ve never really had to train any of our Beagles. They are very instinctive creatures. Generally I’ve started hunting them right away or at least taking them along. What usually happens is they will get a real close encounter and then the rest is history.

Every year when I first take him out it takes him half of the morning to start barking but then when he remembers he has a voice it is music to my ears…

I wouldn’t hesistate at all at bringing a 4 year old into the woods, at any rate they will get into places (underbrush) and push rabbits out even if they are not sure what they are looking for. The beauty is once they figure it out they will run that same rabbit until it holes up.

If you are serious about taking your dog out, wait for a nice snow that is wet and go to a well populated rabbit location let the dog go. You can see the fresh tracks and the dog should be able to track easier.

Good luck and feel free to email if you have any questions. God knows we have too many rabbits in the country.

Lazy Eyez

Thanks for the good info…I was hoping you’d say it’s not too late for a 4 year old

I suppose I better look into a shock collar, because I might never see her again if she gets into her tracking mode?

I’m gonna try it, and I’ll be sure to let ya know how it goes, thanks again!

Thanks for the good info…I was hoping you’d say it’s not too late for a 4 year old

I suppose I better look into a shock collar, because I might never see her again if she gets into her tracking mode?

I’m gonna try it, and I’ll be sure to let ya know how it goes, thanks again!