Home Forums Birds & Dogs Hunting Dogs Any body here hunt rabbits with beagles?

Just wondering if anyone else here hunts rabbits with beagles. I just started getting back into it and could use someone to run stuff by.

Kris

I've had at least a dozen beagles over the years. I have 3 now, a feist, and a big old, burly mutt Boxer/pit bull/great dane. All were adopted.

I hunt snowshoes now on my own land, which isn't great because it is too high to be good hare habitat. For that reason, I seldom shoot, mostly just run the dogs. The plus side is they know where home is. Except for the young feist, they're all getting geriatric along with their dad.

Our growing wolf and coyote population in recent years has made running beagles in this area pretty risky. I lost a fine young bitch to coyotes a couple of summers ago, and she was just out haying with us. Tracks in the snow tell me we have three wolves here as I write this.

I'd be glad to share what I've learned over the years.

Pete

KSMITH, Check out the North Carolina hunters forum. We still have lot of rabbit hunters down here. I hope your season goes well.

hey Kris,

I've been running beagles for about 13 years.
I hunt mostly west of the Blue Ridge, but make it to the flat land toward the last month of season depending on how much snow and ice we have on this side. I just love to listen to the music, I shoot very few. I try to run almost year round. Check out the american beagler forum.
Happy and safe hunting.

R.D.

I have had beagles in the past growing up and ran snowshoes with them. Unfortunately now you're taking your dogs life in your hands with all the wolves around. Hunting rabbits with beagles has pretty much become a fond memory where I came from due to hounds being killed by wolves.

Even though the temp was in the 60's we killed 9 rabbits and chase another 12. Poor shooters with us. Tomorrow is supposed to be cold so I may just go out again.

Sucks you can't run beagles because of the wolves. Maybe get bigger dogs and run wolves???

Many fond memories of hunting Louisiana swamp rabbits in the palmettos with beagles. We used .410 shotguns, mostly. I got a T/C Contender .410 pistol and enjoyed that gun a lot. We'd clean and skin them fresh while they were hot, put the carcass in bread wrappers and then into our hunting vests. Those vests got heavy pretty quick with several big swamp rabbits in the bag. They made great gumbo.

DF

Well, the have delisted them again in Michigan. We'll see how long it lasts. It would be nice to be able to hunt wolves so they at least got the idea to stay clear of man and his possessions. Don't need to wipe them out just keep em in check.

The "re-introduction" of dangerous preditors such as wolves, is a cruel hoax played by treehugging, "naturalists" on the citizens out in "fly over country". All this may sound great in the halls of academe and in board rooms on Manhattan island, making that crowd feel better about themselves. The "little people" take the blunt, but what else is new...

DF

We have plenty of swampers around here. They stink so bad they are inedible. At least by me.

Went out yesterday for 3 hours and had 6 chases and killed 3 rabbits. Not too shabby considering I was sweating may azz off the whole time. I think winter forgot to show up in VA this year.

I`ve had beagles since `57. sometimes completely out of control. Got so, my wife wouldn`t count noses, in the kennel anymore. My bloodlines go back to Grays Linesman, mostly through the late Vernon Keith from Fincastle Va. I keep all females, and one young male, to keep the line going. That male was killed by a car , while hunting last Wed. The person driving never even hit the brakes, and kept going. Guess I`ll have to look up some of those males I`ve sold.
I hunt with 410 sxs. Counted them the other day. Six,I must be crazy!

I just recently purchased a contender with 410 barrel for the express purpose of bunny hunting.