Date of hunt: 3/13/2011
Location: Lowell, VT
Weather: Overcast/Flurries
Temperature: 34°F (Start) 36°F (End)
Dogs of mine: Belvidere Bailey & Wild Seasons Mountain Snickers
Hunting partners: Logan Abell
# of Rabbits Ran: 4
# of Rabbits Shot: 1
FINALLY! After 16 hunts my 13 year old brother Logan shot his first rabbit. Talk about pumped up! I am so excited to end Vermont's rabbit season with a trip afield like this!
We were taking part in Orlean's County Rod & Gun Club Hare Derby again this year and prepared ourselves for the full day hunt. Lunches, drinks, snacks, extra hunting clothes and dinner clothes were packed and the truck was loaded. The daylight savings time change threw me a small curve ball, but still managged to pick up Logan an hour before sunrise to make the trip north. When we arrived we were unpleasantly surprised to find the road that we hunt on had not been plowed this winter. Snowmobile tracks had been made on the road, but the truck wasn't going to make it. We sat and discussed what we should do as the log landing where we cast the dogs was a mile away. The prime rib dinner and rabbit weigh-in period began at 5 and knew that we had a long day of hunting and the walk down the road would be well worth it. We geared up the dogs, loaded the back pack with as much as it would hold, strapped on the snowshoes and headed for the woods. The conditions were better than I was planning for, as the above freezing temperature wasn't melting the snow as fast I thought it would. I don't like to make excuses for the dogs, as they can always be better, but warm weather on snow tends to be rough running conditions. Today would prove to be different. We finally made it to the log landing and unleashed the dogs. We made our first steps off from the snowmobile tracks and realized what we would be up against all day. The dogs sunk in about 6-8" and we sunk in about 12". Bailey worked the softwood patches well and we were finding hare tracks instantly. Snickers hung tight, just waiting for Bailey to get the start and it didn't take long before she did. She worked the track for a few hundred yards without any opening from Snickers. I followed a log road that I thought I recognized, but the deep snow made everything look different. I crossed over what I thought was a fresh track and waited to see if the dogs would make there way to me or not. They didn't and worked down the hill a bit before checking. I waited a bit to see if they would work it out and then called Bailey up to check out the track I was on. When she smelt the track she instantly took the track, opened and disappeared through the softwoods with Snickers barking right behind her. The dogs took the hare on a straight line along the lower side of the overgrown clear cut and out into the alders. The dogs checked on the turn and it gave Logan and I a chance to make a game plan. A little more thought was put into a location to stand before heading to a spot as the deep snow made the walking a chore. We stood and waited, but the dogs didn't pick up the check. The GPS showed that Bailey kept working the check and I relaxed a bit, added a layer of clothing, and a drink and snack. I took a glimpse at the GPS and found that Bailey had worked out of the area and was almost 500 yards away. I started calling with hopes that she would respond, the walk to get her would be exhausting. She responded after about 15 minutes of calling and picked up a hare on her way back to us.
The hare ran past Logan and I about 80 yards out without a sighting and went through the pine island inside the alders. We repositioned with Logan positioned to get the first opportunity to shoot, and me about 60 yards down from him, as a just in case. As the dogs came down closer to Logan I was expecting a shot, but one never came. The dogs took a turn back out towards the overgrown clearcut, Logan must have bumped it. The hare went back up towards the top of its last swing and the dogs kept on it through the turn but checked when they straightened back up to make their way back down towards us. The check lasted for close to 10 minutes before Bailey was drifting a way from where she lost the hare. I called them in and broke out lunch while we waited. The dogs made their way to us and we brought them out deeper into the alders. I wanted to get away from the trails they had already made in the snow.
Bailey found the first tracks and I helped them get past their past trails and out into clean powder. Once there Bailey and Snickers locked on to the line and brought the hare out and back. The hare went up along the edge of the overgrown clear cut and up past the top of the last hare's run. It eventually turned and started its way down to us with what sounded like a line that would bring it down about 30 yards out into the alders from the pine island. We went out into the alders and waited. The dogs were close, but the rabbit hadn't presented itself yet. Then the dogs checked. They were 120 yards out and silent. What a heartbreaker! I decided that I would leave Logan at the spot and swing out wide and back in behind the dogs (and hare) and push the woods towards Logan. I was making my swing out wide when the dogs picked up the check. It wasn't 10 seconds later and I hear the 20 gauge crack, reload and crack again. Logan hollared "Dead Bunny!" and I was estatic! I couldn't get to him fast enough. We took pictures, talked and loaded up to find another hare. CONGRATULATIONS LOGAN!
We made our way through the alders towards the logging road that goes down along the side of the Buckley's camp, hoping to find a fresh track along the way. The first set of fresh tracks that we saw were actually crossing the logging road and we kept pointing the dogs onto potential fresh tracks. Bailey started showing a lot of excitement on a set of tracks and worked with Snickers off the side of the log road into the softwoods. Snickers opened with what sounded like a sight chase. The hare must had been sitting about 10 yards from us just waiting to bust out of there. They locked onto this track as well and took it on a nice swing. The hare had made a S shaped run and I didn't really expect it to complete the figure eight and come back to us. I was expecting it to turn back out on its circle down below us. We repositioned what turned out to be the right spot, but at the wrong time. The hare had ran past before I got there, and to make it worse I had turned its swing. The dogs ran back out away from the logging road and followed the hare back up to where it was started, out across the logging road and through the alders to the lower side of the Buckley's camp, back out to the pine island and back towards us. It turned back out towards the pine island again before it came into sight which made Logan and I rethink to find a new spot to stand. We decided to wait a bit longer and the dogs brought the hare back towards us, but it stayed out in the alders about 80 yards and back up towards the camp again. We repositioned and made our way out to the small meadow between the pine island and the logging road. Logan stayed there and I went up below the camp. Logan radio'd and said that he had just seen the hare about 70 yards out and on a full sprint. He watched it run down along the side of the meadow putting more distance between it and the dogs with every bound. The dogs ran down the edge of the meadow in pursuit and were just out of sight when Logan saw the hare again running up along the edge of the logging road, still on a full sprint and about 300 yards in front of the dogs. I had repositioned in hopes to get the hare, it was getting close to 4 and we had a long walk back to the truck and a lot to do to get ready for dinner. What I didn't realize was that the hare was that far in front of the dogs and I bumped the hare again. The dogs came up towards me and decided to leash them up as it was now 4. I worked on making sure I had everything together to make the walk back to the truck and watched as the dogs had the leash stretch tight, and were on their bellies stretched right out trying to smell the next track in front of their noses.
After the long walk back to the truck, feeding and watering the dogs, and changing we made our way to the prime rib dinner and awards ceremony. Logan weighed in the hare at 3.86lbs. The dinner was excellent and the awards ceremony presented Logan with a 2nd place trophy in the junior division. He was excited and so was I! After the dinner we made our way home, Logan fell asleep within the first 10 minutes and woke up when we pulled into the yard. What a day! YEAH!
Bailey stats:
Miles ran: 9.88 miles
Average speed: 1.46 mph
Location: Lowell, VT
Weather: Overcast/Flurries
Temperature: 34°F (Start) 36°F (End)
Dogs of mine: Belvidere Bailey & Wild Seasons Mountain Snickers
Hunting partners: Logan Abell
# of Rabbits Ran: 4
# of Rabbits Shot: 1
FINALLY! After 16 hunts my 13 year old brother Logan shot his first rabbit. Talk about pumped up! I am so excited to end Vermont's rabbit season with a trip afield like this!
We were taking part in Orlean's County Rod & Gun Club Hare Derby again this year and prepared ourselves for the full day hunt. Lunches, drinks, snacks, extra hunting clothes and dinner clothes were packed and the truck was loaded. The daylight savings time change threw me a small curve ball, but still managged to pick up Logan an hour before sunrise to make the trip north. When we arrived we were unpleasantly surprised to find the road that we hunt on had not been plowed this winter. Snowmobile tracks had been made on the road, but the truck wasn't going to make it. We sat and discussed what we should do as the log landing where we cast the dogs was a mile away. The prime rib dinner and rabbit weigh-in period began at 5 and knew that we had a long day of hunting and the walk down the road would be well worth it. We geared up the dogs, loaded the back pack with as much as it would hold, strapped on the snowshoes and headed for the woods. The conditions were better than I was planning for, as the above freezing temperature wasn't melting the snow as fast I thought it would. I don't like to make excuses for the dogs, as they can always be better, but warm weather on snow tends to be rough running conditions. Today would prove to be different. We finally made it to the log landing and unleashed the dogs. We made our first steps off from the snowmobile tracks and realized what we would be up against all day. The dogs sunk in about 6-8" and we sunk in about 12". Bailey worked the softwood patches well and we were finding hare tracks instantly. Snickers hung tight, just waiting for Bailey to get the start and it didn't take long before she did. She worked the track for a few hundred yards without any opening from Snickers. I followed a log road that I thought I recognized, but the deep snow made everything look different. I crossed over what I thought was a fresh track and waited to see if the dogs would make there way to me or not. They didn't and worked down the hill a bit before checking. I waited a bit to see if they would work it out and then called Bailey up to check out the track I was on. When she smelt the track she instantly took the track, opened and disappeared through the softwoods with Snickers barking right behind her. The dogs took the hare on a straight line along the lower side of the overgrown clear cut and out into the alders. The dogs checked on the turn and it gave Logan and I a chance to make a game plan. A little more thought was put into a location to stand before heading to a spot as the deep snow made the walking a chore. We stood and waited, but the dogs didn't pick up the check. The GPS showed that Bailey kept working the check and I relaxed a bit, added a layer of clothing, and a drink and snack. I took a glimpse at the GPS and found that Bailey had worked out of the area and was almost 500 yards away. I started calling with hopes that she would respond, the walk to get her would be exhausting. She responded after about 15 minutes of calling and picked up a hare on her way back to us.
The hare ran past Logan and I about 80 yards out without a sighting and went through the pine island inside the alders. We repositioned with Logan positioned to get the first opportunity to shoot, and me about 60 yards down from him, as a just in case. As the dogs came down closer to Logan I was expecting a shot, but one never came. The dogs took a turn back out towards the overgrown clearcut, Logan must have bumped it. The hare went back up towards the top of its last swing and the dogs kept on it through the turn but checked when they straightened back up to make their way back down towards us. The check lasted for close to 10 minutes before Bailey was drifting a way from where she lost the hare. I called them in and broke out lunch while we waited. The dogs made their way to us and we brought them out deeper into the alders. I wanted to get away from the trails they had already made in the snow.
Bailey found the first tracks and I helped them get past their past trails and out into clean powder. Once there Bailey and Snickers locked on to the line and brought the hare out and back. The hare went up along the edge of the overgrown clear cut and up past the top of the last hare's run. It eventually turned and started its way down to us with what sounded like a line that would bring it down about 30 yards out into the alders from the pine island. We went out into the alders and waited. The dogs were close, but the rabbit hadn't presented itself yet. Then the dogs checked. They were 120 yards out and silent. What a heartbreaker! I decided that I would leave Logan at the spot and swing out wide and back in behind the dogs (and hare) and push the woods towards Logan. I was making my swing out wide when the dogs picked up the check. It wasn't 10 seconds later and I hear the 20 gauge crack, reload and crack again. Logan hollared "Dead Bunny!" and I was estatic! I couldn't get to him fast enough. We took pictures, talked and loaded up to find another hare. CONGRATULATIONS LOGAN!
We made our way through the alders towards the logging road that goes down along the side of the Buckley's camp, hoping to find a fresh track along the way. The first set of fresh tracks that we saw were actually crossing the logging road and we kept pointing the dogs onto potential fresh tracks. Bailey started showing a lot of excitement on a set of tracks and worked with Snickers off the side of the log road into the softwoods. Snickers opened with what sounded like a sight chase. The hare must had been sitting about 10 yards from us just waiting to bust out of there. They locked onto this track as well and took it on a nice swing. The hare had made a S shaped run and I didn't really expect it to complete the figure eight and come back to us. I was expecting it to turn back out on its circle down below us. We repositioned what turned out to be the right spot, but at the wrong time. The hare had ran past before I got there, and to make it worse I had turned its swing. The dogs ran back out away from the logging road and followed the hare back up to where it was started, out across the logging road and through the alders to the lower side of the Buckley's camp, back out to the pine island and back towards us. It turned back out towards the pine island again before it came into sight which made Logan and I rethink to find a new spot to stand. We decided to wait a bit longer and the dogs brought the hare back towards us, but it stayed out in the alders about 80 yards and back up towards the camp again. We repositioned and made our way out to the small meadow between the pine island and the logging road. Logan stayed there and I went up below the camp. Logan radio'd and said that he had just seen the hare about 70 yards out and on a full sprint. He watched it run down along the side of the meadow putting more distance between it and the dogs with every bound. The dogs ran down the edge of the meadow in pursuit and were just out of sight when Logan saw the hare again running up along the edge of the logging road, still on a full sprint and about 300 yards in front of the dogs. I had repositioned in hopes to get the hare, it was getting close to 4 and we had a long walk back to the truck and a lot to do to get ready for dinner. What I didn't realize was that the hare was that far in front of the dogs and I bumped the hare again. The dogs came up towards me and decided to leash them up as it was now 4. I worked on making sure I had everything together to make the walk back to the truck and watched as the dogs had the leash stretch tight, and were on their bellies stretched right out trying to smell the next track in front of their noses.
After the long walk back to the truck, feeding and watering the dogs, and changing we made our way to the prime rib dinner and awards ceremony. Logan weighed in the hare at 3.86lbs. The dinner was excellent and the awards ceremony presented Logan with a 2nd place trophy in the junior division. He was excited and so was I! After the dinner we made our way home, Logan fell asleep within the first 10 minutes and woke up when we pulled into the yard. What a day! YEAH!
Bailey stats:
Miles ran: 9.88 miles
Average speed: 1.46 mph
