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Post by ET on Feb 7, 2009 8:27:35 GMT -5
As appearing on this board past memorable hunts surface from memory of days gone by.
In my early years I always enjoyed rabbit hunting and ruff grouse hunting. I would hike miles across fields and brush lots on farmland. While hunting one of these brush lots I noticed a grouse sitting under a broken pine tree. This tree was dead for a while cause all its needles were gone. When I went to shoulder my shotgun the grouse knowing the jig was up explode upwards and hit the fallen tree trunk falling back down. Being surprised at what occurred I lowered my shotgun to observe a stunned grouse with it just cocking its head looking around. When it caught sight of me it tried to take off again hitting that same tree and knocked back down again. This time it fell on its side lying there. Seeing this a second time I just broke out laughing and assumed it broke his neck. But what was astonishing was the bird up righted itself as I was approaching to retrieve it still chuckling. When I saw this I figured scene-one, act-3 was about to happen and just stopped my approach waiting to be entertained with a repeat performance. The bird exploded upwards again but this time found an opening between the limbs and flew off.
Well that kind of culled my laughter quickly. But while continuing my hunt I came to the conclusion that the bird deserved to live with the headache it must have to now endure entertaining me earlier. Besides I wasn’t going to admit that some wood lot chicken out smarted me and got away with that old dumb routine. ;D
Ed
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Post by wilmsmeyer on Feb 7, 2009 12:17:28 GMT -5
Good story ET...I enjoyed that!
As a younger lad, I took every opportunity to shoot a grouse on the ground...which I did twice. When small game hunting I was opportunistic and was rewarded much more by a body count then a sporting shot. Plus...grouse are good eatin'.
Now we need a thread on "amazing hunting stories" to go with "wild fish stories"
Got any others?
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Post by ozark on Feb 7, 2009 12:43:17 GMT -5
She was right... While stationed at Fort Hood, Texas I hunted on the reservation. I was teaching my wife to shoot a .22 and after she was able to hit paper targets I took her out to drive back roads to shoot Jack Rabbits. We spotted one about 30 yards distance and I coached her to put the crosshairs just back of its shoulders and squeeze. She aimed and fired. The rabbit simply made a short hop forward and sit back on its hind quarters normally. I had her reload and started my speil of you must take careful aim and squeeze until the rifle fires. She told me that was exactly what she had done proving that my advice didn't work. As we discussed the thing the rabbit just fell over on its side and started kicking. She then said: "Look, I told you I did it exactly as you told me to do." I was at a loss for words. The darn rabbit had caused me to doubt her and then proved that she was right by dying. Ozark
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Post by wilmsmeyer on Feb 7, 2009 13:15:23 GMT -5
Maybe a high shoulder shot would have anchored the beast. ;D ;D
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Post by ET on Feb 7, 2009 13:58:40 GMT -5
A rabbit hunt to accompany a grouse hunt that found a spot in my memory.
One shot 3-rabbits.
This particular hunt occurred on a winter day where the temp was near 32F. The three previous days were bitterly cold and when this warmer day appeared it is usually good to try for rabbits during the daytime. Another buddy who owned a beagle called me up that morning to see if I wanted to chase some bunnies and exercise his beagle. I said something about needing some exercise also and said yes.
I drove to my buddy’s place and we hopped into his vehicle where he kept a portable kennel for his beagle. After about a half hour drive into the countryside we stopped at a farm he had permission to hunt. This one bush lot had lots of cover that bunnies liked and I thought it was going to turn out as a great day when we noticed fresh bunny tracks that were probably made early that morning. What also added excitement was when the beagle was released and went nuts charging along to find a fresh scent. In no time the beagle howled and the hunt was on. My buddy and I split up positioning ourselves for the circle run of the bunny and as luck would have it my buddy nailed this bunny on his second shot. Of course I made the comment he need to get out and practice some on his lead to avoid wasting ammo.
After a few chuckles we started out again to find another bunny. It wasn’t long before the beagle was on a hot scent and we noticed a bunny move into a brush pile. The beagle also seen this and immediately went to the opening where the bunny entered. My partner and I knew to get this bunny moving meant stomping this brush pile. As we approached this brush pile he said he would do the honors. Okay I then positioned myself for the best coverage shot when this bunny decides to bolt. What happened next just blew me away. When my partner started onto the brush pile where the bunny entered the beagle tore off to the other side of the pile and positioned himself. Before I could fathom what was going on the bunny bolted out the other side near the beagle and the beagle nailed it with a darting lunge. Like I said this just blew me away to see this unfold.
Now to see this event happen once was an anomaly but to see it happen again at another brush pile was too much. Then I had to ask how this beagle picked up this hunting technique. My partner simply said his beagle had seen rabbits escape from these brush piles before when it was just him and the dog hunting and just instinctively adopted this technique.
As the day progressed the temperature started to drop so we decided to call it a day with 3-bunnies in our game bag. On the way out I made a comment to the affect that his beagle was an inconsiderate hunting dog to take away shots from another hunter. My partner responded to the affect that his beagle provide shots to hunters he knew could hit them. Ouch, I deserved that and we laughed for a long time afterwards about it. The only sad part was that before the next rabbit season his beagle got suddenly sick and died. I have never again witnessed such a smart beagle take to rabbit hunting like this one did. Then again my rabbit hunting days aren’t over just yet.
Ed
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Post by jims on Feb 7, 2009 14:53:47 GMT -5
Ozark: When I was stationed at Fort Hood in the early 70s we shot jackrabbits at night with centerfire rifles. That was permitted then, I wonder how it is today.
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Post by ozark on Feb 7, 2009 15:07:43 GMT -5
In 1954 I traded a shotgun for a pair of Beagles while on leave here in Arkansas and took them with me back to Central Texas. They were good rabbit dogs and a friend and I took them and drove several miles around the countryside looking for a place to hunt cottontails. Eventually we came to a place that looked promising and drove down a long driveway to a house where we would ask permission to hunt. A man came out and I explained that we had a couple of rabbit beagles and asked his permission to hunt. He agreed we could hunt and I asked about the boundries so we would not get off his land. He started describing things but ended up saying: " I own seven sections of land and my house is near the center of it. I doubt you will hunt that far away. WOW, I thought seven sections thinking that this would be seven times 640 acres. We got our shotguns out and I let the beagles out of the trunk of my car that was lifted so air could circulate. This rancher had never seen beagles and remarked that we just had hound puppies. I told him it was a breed and that they were grown. I could see his doubt but we walked to the edge of a cornfield nearby that had a brush covered ditch along side. We noticed that the man stood in his yard watching us closely. Shortly the beagles struck and after a short circle Pace shot a bunny and stuck it in his coat. Soon another race was on and before long a second bunny was shot again by Pace. We seen the rancher coming with a gun and figured our hunting time was over. He approached us and told us that he had never seen anything like this using these little puppy looking dogs. He asked if he could join us and I explained how the bunnies would circle and return to the spot they were jumped. We got six that afternoon and the rancher happened to get one of them. Back at the ranch house with the dogs loaded the rancher told us that we were welcome to hunt his place anytime we wanted to but if he wasn't a bother he would sure love to join us. He kept saying: "I have never seen anything like this." We were tickled pink that we had the seven sections of hunting space to use. About a year later I took him a pair of Beagle pups and the man was thrilled more than if I had given him a prize bull.
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Post by ET on Feb 7, 2009 16:23:56 GMT -5
Ozark
You obviously know the thrill of hunting cottontails with howling beagles. For years I always enjoyed getting out with the boys on Saturdays who had beagles and chasing a great Sunday dinner or putting some in the freezer for holidays where Turkey or Ham were the norm. It was nice to offer something different during these holiday times.
Now I also have a taste for hares commonly known as the jackrabbit or snowshoe rabbit. Without beagles you could easily walk by a snowshoe rabbit in the winter if they remained totally motionless. But with beagles putting them on the move you had a better success rate. Now with jackrabbits they could lead a beagle for miles before making there circle loop. These large hares I prefer to hunt on a drive or scanning fields using a rifle. We always tried to discourage the beagles from taking up a chase on these large hares but sometimes in the heat of the hunt a beagle would disappear for a long period of time.
A few times we temporarily lost beagles towards evening and one hunting partner always brought along an old hunting coat for such an occasion. He would leave his coat in an area where we hunted and return the next day to usually reclaim his beagles. When I queried him about this he just calmly replied the scent in his coat meant home to the beagles when they came back looking for him. It just worked was his final comment.
Looking for locations to hunt bunnies can also give you a chance to see some new bird or animals not commonly seen. The one interesting hunt in a new location I remember was seeing a bird that I have read about but never seen by me yet. While working the edge of a bush one time my partner came to a sudden stop and called me over. When I arrived he pointed to a branch of a tree about 8’ in front of us. At first I didn’t see anything strange until my eyes focused on a small object on a branch. Here was a miniature owl no larger than the size of my fist or a bat just sitting there. I just had to have a closer look and managed to get within 3’ before it was aware of our presence, opened it’s eyes and took flight. It was a thrill of a find for me.
Ed
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Post by ozark on Feb 7, 2009 16:34:56 GMT -5
ET, is the snowshoe hares the same as the jack rabbits common to the western United States? I have never seen the snowshow hares. People in Texas called the Jack Rabbits Mule eared rabbits. I did have beagles chase the Jacks and they provide a race much like that of a whitetail deer. Large circles. I kept and hunted beagles for several years. Coonhounds more or replaced my interest in dogs but it is hard to beat a hunt with good beagles.
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Post by jims on Feb 7, 2009 16:53:49 GMT -5
Ozark: I think you snookered me on the seven sections. I fully expected you to later say he had seven sections of ground (perhaps 5 acres in each section) and you ended up on someone else's property and the other landowner was not happy. Everything is bigger in Texas I guess, even the farms.
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Post by ET on Feb 7, 2009 17:29:32 GMT -5
ET, is the snowshoe hares the same as the jack rabbits common to the western United States? I have never seen the snowshow hares. People in Texas called the Jack Rabbits Mule eared rabbits. I did have beagles chase the Jacks and they provide a race much like that of a whitetail deer. Large circles. I kept and hunted beagles for several years. Coonhounds more or replaced my interest in dogs but it is hard to beat a hunt with good beagles. The snowshoe rabbit is also known as the Varying Hare (Not Jackrabbit) bercause its coat turns from brown to white in the Winter time. Instead of me talking your ear off here's a link for a quick read. www.blueplanetbiomes.org/snowshoe_rabbit.htmThey are also tasty but slightly taste different from a cottontail. These guys I prefer a #5 shot to knock them down. Ed
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Post by ozark on Feb 7, 2009 17:39:45 GMT -5
Jims he owned seven square miles of land. I guess for Texas that is not a large spread.
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Post by chuck41 on Feb 8, 2009 1:08:43 GMT -5
A number of years ago when stationed at Edwards AFB I lived in California City. That is about 15 miles out into the dessert from Mojave so the area around there is pretty rough. Went out in my dune buggy one evening and spotted a Jack Rabbit. I had my 10-22 in the back so I picked it up figuring I would get an easy bunny for dinner. I shot and it fell over so I went out to pick it up. That rabbit was absolutely covered with tics and fleas and I'm not sure what all. When I picked it up they jumped off the dead rabbit onto me and every thing around. There was no way my wife would let me put that thing into the car so I figured that was a diseased one and I would leave it and try to find another. Just down the trail I spotted another sitting under a creosote bush and shot it. Once again I went over to pick it up and found the same thing. My wife then loudly insisted that if I wasn't going to take those rabbits home to eat, don't shoot them. I readily agreed and we continued our ride.
A bit later I spotted another of those jacks about 100yds away sitting at the base of a bush. Suddenly a thought crossed my mind, "I wonder how close I could come to that rabbit with the 22 pistol?" With that I picked up the pistol and took careful aim and fired. Plop!! That bunny just fell over stone cold dead. My wife chewed me out 12 ways from Sunday about shooting that rabbit. No amount of my protests that I had no idea I would come within two feet of that rabbit and I was only trying to spook it would convince her. I guess it was kind of a real compliment that she thought I was that good of a shot with a pistol, but it sure got me in hot water for a while. And yes, that rabbit was just as covered with ticks, fleas, and etc. as the others had been. That's when I gave up rabbit hunting in the dessert.
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Post by wilmsmeyer on Feb 8, 2009 7:13:39 GMT -5
That's probably why Yosemite Sam used to call Bugs Bunny a "Flea bitten varmint" Remember???
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