Cottontails

[Ridge Runner]

I’m in Manchester. Half way between Nashville and Chattanooga on I24. Let me know when you’re ready to go

I know where Manchester is. Been through there a few times. A very nice area of Tennessee.

Let's stay in contact. I would very much like to take you up on a hunt this fall (2026). At your convenience of course.

 

[steve white]

In my experience those chances greatly reduce as gauge diminishes 12 sure 20 probably after that not such a sure bet.

Well, that would explain a miss my boss made back when--he looked dead on to me, but there was a heavy tuft of tough grass, and he was shooting a .410

On an additional note, any of you run into rabbits with "wolves" (land leeches?) under their hides when hunting in a bit warmer weather?

 

[Ridge Runner]

One of my favorite hunts growing up. I was fortunate in the fact that all of our buddies ran beagles, and one of the had some field trial champs. Spent many winter days chasing cottontails, and for a spell, we had an annual trip to Drummond Island for snowshoes.

Perhaps it’s due to the fact that I was talking with my brother earlier about hunting, fishing, and trapping together with our dad, but man how I miss those days! Funny I’m seeing this post after that discussion.

I don’t know why, but it seems like small game hunting has trailed off in general. You can bet that as soon as my daughter is old enough, she’ll be chasing squirrels, rabbits, and the like with mom and dad!

Thanks for sharing and sparking memories.

I agree there is more interest in big game hunting, a bit more interest in bird; ie pheasant and quail hunting than in small game hunting; ie squirrel and rabbit hunting.

My guess is age and what us older folks grew up hunting, and our enjoyment of being out in the woods hunting what was abundant to us back when we were young hunters.

Ahh...the memories.

 

[HankBuck]

Do the snow shoe hares run a big circle but end up pretty much where they started?
My brother had beagles when he was stationed in NH and put them to work!

@steve white - rarely do they return to “exactly” the same place they started - but I’ve only hunted snowshoes with Beagles 15-20 times and not the expert others might be that live with & hunt snowshoes much more often. I’ve used my beagles and often with a Guides Beagles and they run “big” compared to a cottontail - sometimes lining out for well over 1/2 mile before they turn. The strategy I’ve seen used is aided by GPS tracking collars on the dogs (because they are well out of “hearing” distance) ——- look at the direction the hare is headed and adjust your position as needed to be close to where you expect the hare to pass by. Also, if you run certain covers often - the hares may have preferred terrain, covers they use often and if you’ve hunted an area before you tend to know where they are likely to pass by. Snowshoe hare are the “big game” of rabbit hunting ie: like Elk are to Deer.

 

[HankBuck]

I went and dug up some old photos from 30 years ago. Lots of great memories running beagles.
View attachment 747648
View attachment 747649

@Wyfox - Great photos and those will mean more to you as every year goes by…

 

[HankBuck]

Well, that would explain a miss my boss made back when--he looked dead on to me, but there was a heavy tuft of tough grass, and he was shooting a .410

On an additional note, any of you run into rabbits with "wolves" (land leeches?) under their hides when hunting in a bit warmer weather?

@steve white - I’ve never hunted Beagles in an area where Wolves reside but have read several accounts of Beagles being killed by Wolves while running hares in the upper P in Michigan and also I think Minnesota. I also know the breeder of my Beagles in Northern Maine lost one of his beagles to a Coyote while running hare in Maine. He was Guiding men on a snowshoe hare hunt and one of the hunters shot at a coyote, the coyote just ran off and they assumed it was a “miss”. They didn’t know the coyote had been hit and hid in thick cover a few hundred yards away… A few minutes later as the beagle was running a hare, the beagle came close to where the coyote took cover and as it passed the coyote jumped out and got a few “bites” into the beagle before the coyote ran off. The Beagle had deep cuts to it’s neck and bled out before they could get the dog to a vet—— a very rare type of attack.

 

[steve white]

@steve white - I’ve never hunted Beagles in an area where Wolves reside but have read several accounts of Beagles being killed by Wolves while running hares in the upper P in Michigan and also I think Minnesota. I also know the breeder of my Beagles in Northern Maine lost one of his beagles to a Coyote while running hare in Maine. He was Guiding men on a snowshoe hare hunt and one of the hunters shot at a coyote, the coyote just ran off and they assumed it was a “miss”. They didn’t know the coyote had been hit and hid in thick cover a few hundred yards away… A few minutes later as the beagle was running a hare, the beagle came close to where the coyote took cover and as it passed the coyote jumped out and got a few “bites” into the beagle before the coyote ran off. The Beagle had deep cuts to it’s neck and bled out before they could get the dog to a vet—— a very rare type of attack.

Thank you, but I meant land leeches which get under the rabbit's skin. Ugly things. Where I was raised everybody called them wolves, don't know why.

 

[Hunt anything]

Thank you, but I meant land leeches which get under the rabbit's skin. Ugly things. Where I was raised everybody called them wolves, don't know why.

We used to run into rabbits and squirrels with wolves, actually bot fly larvae if I remember correctly. We would rarely hunt them until after a couple of freezes and that seemed to help but you would occasionally find a scar on a rabbit or squirrel where they had one in the past.