10/14/2012 - Island Pond, VT

Date of hunt: 10/14/2012

Location: Island Pond, VT

Weather: Wet/Raining

Tempearture: 38 (Start) 45 (End)

Dogs of mine: Flander's Ridic

Other dogs: Chuck, Casey, Star, Steel

# of Rabbits Ran: 2

# of Rabbits Shot: 2

Distance ran by Ridic: 7.1 miles

Saturday night brought rain and it was still raining when we woke up. The plan was to hunt out in front of camp this morning to cut down on the travel time back to camp to pack up later and head home. We worked all of the honey holes I remembered from the hunts with my Uncle Greg. They sure had grown a bit, but were still thick and looked promising. The hounds worked through thick spot after thick spot without anything. John jumped a hare as he stepped out of a thick spot into an opening. The dogs were right there and all took off together. What good music! They brought it out down in front of the camp meadow, out towards the old car and down along the West Meadow Road. They turned down towards the railroad tracks and then back towards us. John, Logan and I were all set up for the hare to come back by. The hounds were getting close, and we were ready. It sounded like the hare was going to come out near Logan, but it turned and jumped out in front of me. I got a shot from about 10 feet when the hare stopped to look back for the dogs. The dogs came in, smelt the hare and then took off looking for another. 

We worked down through the woods to the edge of the brook, crossed the railroad tracks and then started to work back up the other side. Ridic got into a blow down and barked once. The other dogs came in, but nothing was started. They started to range out a bit and then Casey got a start. She took off out into the alders toward the river. The other dogs packed, but none of them barked. John came across the radio and told us it must be a moose. They ran out about 400 yards together and then Ridic broke off from the group and went back to the blow down that he barked in before. He got a start and started chasing the hare out towards the brook and then turned up towards the river. The other dogs were out by the river but were on their way to pack up with him. Halfway between the railroad tracks and the river the hare turned and headed towards us. We were ready but the rabbit turned back towards the railroad tracks before it came into sight. All the hounds were in on the run now and they went back down past the blow down where the run began. We told everyone at home that we would be back home from our weekend by 2 o'clock. It was now 11 and we still had to get back to camp, pack up and winterize it. We knew we had to end this race on its next circle to ensure a timely arrival back home. 

We used the GPS to help pick our spots to stand. Logan and John were set up in a spot that should give them the first shot, I was setup in a back-up location. I could just see Logan's orange vest from where I was and it sounded like the dogs were barking at his feet. I thought the hare had snuck by them and I would soon see it. John's shot surprised me, and aparently it surprised him too. The hare came in on an odd angle and was 5 feet from him when he shot it. He looked up and Ridic was leading the pack and only 20 yards out. They were pounding on that hare!! I cannot believe that Ridic was leading that pack, and the pack was only 20 yards behind the hare. I was pumped!! 

We got together and gathered up the dogs and were one dog short. Star was missing. John could hear her howling off in the distance and thought she must have her collar hung up on a branch. Logan and I took the rabbits and dogs back to camp and John went out after Star. He radio'd that he could see her, but couldn't get to her. She was on an island in the middle of the river. She must had got out there during the moose run and was too scared to come back across. John found a shallow spot that he was just below the top of his boots and worked his way towards her. Once he was part way there he was able to coax her back to him and got her to come back across the river and made their way back to camp. 

Our weekend ended on a high note! We were very happy with the day and looked back at how much better the weekend could have been if the conditions were more favorable. If there wasn't such a drop in temperature from Friday to Saturday, or if it hadn't rain so hard Sunday morning, maybe the rabbits would had been on the move more, and resulted in more starts. However, we can't control the conditions, and we did manage to each shoot a hare. I guess it was a good weekend. 

Vermont's deer rifle and muzzleloader seasons take up most of November and December which means I won't be out after rabbits until either late December or early January. Its not so much that I am a die hard deer hunter, because I'm not, but my concern towards deer hunters with rifles. Too many times I have heard of deer hunters shooting someone's hounds saying that "they were running deer". I can't afford to take that risk. Maybe if I got out in the remote areas of the NEK with less chance of meeting a hunter I might go, but we'll see.

10/13/2012 - Norton, VT

Date of hunt: 10/13/2012

Location: Norton, VT

Weather: Cold/Frosty

Tempearture: 22 (Start) 46 (End)

Dogs of mine: Flander's Ridic

Other dogs: Chuck, Casey, Star, Steel

# of Rabbits Ran: 3

# of Rabbits Shot: 1

Distance ran by Ridic: 18.3 miles

Plans were made back in early September to take a trip up to my family deer camp in the Northeast Kingdom for a weekend of rabbit hunting with my brother Logan and a friend, John Roberts. We headed for camp after work on Friday evening and arrived at camp a little after 8. We got the dogs settled and fed, warmed up the camp and got the water running. After dinner we got the dogs tucked in for the night and finalized plans for the morning hunt. 

We woke up to a hard frost on the ground, and over a 25 degree drop in temperature from the day before. Based on what I have heard in the past the rabbits would be held up tight. We took our time getting out of camp and got to our first spot around 7:30. We started by casting John's dogs Chuck and Casey. They worked through the brush for about a half hour without so much as a bark. We decided to cast all the dogs to try and get more dogs in the brush to bust something out of its hiding spot. We flushed partridge after partridge and were having a blast trying to get off a well placed shot for some extra dinner. No luck. Around 10 o'clock we decided to head back towards the truck and pick up to try a different spot. John made it back to the truck first with his hounds and I was lagging behind to get Ridic to stop his search for a hare. On the way out Ridic yipped on a track and I let him work it. With a little searching he managed to pick up the trail and took the hare out of the thicket and out on a run. He brought it out on a short swing and checked on the turn. John brought out Chuck to help in the chase. Ridic had picked up his check and was bringing it back to Logan and I before Chuck joined in. The rabbit had pulled a trick and with a lot of work and effort they still managed to lose it. We packed up and headed out. We ate lunch on the way out and stopped by my Uncle Eric's camp to visit. They were up getting the camp ready for next weekends moose hunting season. We exchanged stories, warmed up and headed out again. 

When we got to the next spot we wanted to hunt there was already a truck there. We could see the hunters up the road and went up to talk with them. They had been there for the morning and were planning on staying longer to get some scent time under their puppies' noses. We made our way back to the truck with the intention of find a new spot, but to our surprise there was a hare sitting next to our truck when we got there. We cast Ridic and Chuck and they took the hare on a tiny loop through the small thicket and then the hare busted back out across the road, through the woods and crossed the river. As far as I was aware this was the first time Ridic had ever had a hare cross a river and he hung up on the edge. I waited a bit to see what Ridic would do and them gave him a pushed into the water to give him some encouragement. Once his feet hit the water he bounded through the water, to the other side, and picked up the scent right off and brought it out fast. Chuck quickly crossed the river and caught up and the brought it on a circle up towards the other hunters. I was nervous that we were going to screw up their hunt or one of our dogs with drop in on their run. Sure enough at the first check Chuck heard the other hounds running and went and joined their run. I called in Ridic and put him back in the truck box, and we headed out after Chuck. Logan and I got to Chuck first and we had a good conversation with the guys. They were understanding of the circumstances and told us to keep an eye out for a lost dog from a group of hunters from the day before. When we got back to the truck the land owner was there and told us that he had found a dog and had placed it in the dog box of the other hunter's truck. I went back up to tell the guys about the found dog. When I got back down we talked with the land owner and received permission to hunt another area that John and I had talked about a few times in the past. Now knowing that we could be in there without getting in trouble we couldn't wait to get in there.

John had a spot in mind that he had hunted before and we drove straight there. The woods were thick, real thick! We cast all the dogs and walked into the woods with them. Ridic got the start and took it fast! It took a bit for the other dogs to catch up and the hare quickly went out across the road. They checked where the rabbit turned to cross the road and I was able to get Ridic in on the scent rather quickly. He again took it fast and the other dogs scrambled to pack. They caught up and the race was on. The music was unreal and loud! They made it through the turn and were coming back up to the road really fast. I stood behind Logan and helped him prepare for the shot. He was aiming for the outside tire track and the hare darted out across the road with a flash, but Logan was ready. He connected on the shot and the race was over. The dogs came in and each had their turn smelling the hare. The hare on the ground quickly became old news and they were all back in the woods again looking for another. 

We searched the same set of woods that the last hare came out of but after reaching the end of the thick stuff we crossed the road and searched over there. There were a few yips from multiple hounds but no starts. Ridic yipped on a spot and stood there waiting for him to get something going. He searched for the hare, without any luck. I turned around to get back into an opening and managed to bust the hare out from under a blow down. I called in the hounds and Ridic showed up first. He took the hare towards the road where Logan was standing, but the hare turned and went parallel to the road just outside of his view. They turned back out away from the road and had a check. The hounds all worked the check and then Casey picked up some scent. She ran out away from the road with the other dogs following, but not barking. She must had been on a moose or deer. Ridic peeled off from the pack and came back to where they checked on the rabbit. He picked up the scent and started running hard. Star and Steel came in to pack with Ridic, but Chuck and Casey kept on the moose. Logan and I waited on the road for the hare to cross, while John took off after his hounds. The GPS was showing that they would soon cross a road and Ridic was on a check. I went in and got Ridic and ran to the truck to go and help John. I followed the roads until I met the spot on the GPS where it showed the hounds had crossed. I quickly found Chuck and John was out near Casey. We soon had the hounds rounded up and in the box. 

We went to one last spot for the remainder of the evening with hopes of getting something going. We let Ridic and Chuck out. Chuck got a start, but Ridic had no interest in packing. Chuck took off on a deep loop, and Ridic got a second hare going close to us. Both hounds were running well, but the woods were so thick that we couldn't find a shooting lane that the hare went through. The hounds ran well and the tracks on the GPS turned the tan screen into a rainbow of colors. The hounds had been everywhere, and still no hare to be seen. It was thick! The sun was starting to set and we were at a good point to head back to camp. Dinner was waiting for us in the crock pot. Overall, as John put it, a fair to mediocre day! Ridic ran 18.3 miles for the day. 

9/29/2012 - Lowell, VT - Opening Day

Date of hunt: 9/29/2012
Location: Lowell, VT
Weather: Wet/Rainy
Temperature: 53 (Start) 53 (End)
Dogs of mine: Flander's Ridic
# of Rabbits Ran: 2
# of Rabbits Shot: 1
Distance ran by Ridic: 14.2 miles

Opening day of 2012-2013 rabbit season started off wet. It was raining at home when I left but I was hopeful, the radar only showed precipitation at home and I would drive out of it as we traveled Northeast. I was wrong. When Logan and I showed up in Lowell it was sprinkling, and had been raining all night. The woods were wet, and they weren't drying out. Ridic was excited and was running through the woods looking for a rabbit, but still wanting to know where I was at all times. Typical puppy! Ridic turned 1 back in August and had only ran one hare prior to today. He ran the last one really well and I was hopeful for a good run today. We searched some new area with hopes of finding some new honey holes and to find Ridics first hare. We searched high and low and the rain continued to come down and even pick up at times. We gave up on the new ground and started hitting the old honey holes. By 10 o'clock we were worn out, and Ridic was losing interest. I was getting frustrated with his lack of interest and having not found a hare, I needed to call it quits. I could see that I had lost patience and as a puppy it wasn't his fault. We made our way back up to the truck and stopped by to talk with Bruce and Sue at their camp for a couple of minutes. My plan was to pack up and head home, I had had enough. I called home to check in and was convinced by my wife to stay out, it was only opening day. The rain had stopped and after some lunch and some more conversation we had some new found energy. 

We once again decided to try some new area. We searched some old honey holes on the way down to the new ground, still nothing. We crossed the power line and found some thick balsam patches. We made our way through them, nothing. Logan pointed towards a blow down and Ridic followed his command and went into it. He started yipping a little then was hot on a hare out the back side of the downed tree. He took the hare on a fast short circle around Logan and I. We saw the hare, but no shot was available. We quickly set up in new locations as he was coming back toward the blow down and we were hoping to spot the hare on his next circle. The hare decided to take Ridic deep. They went almost out of hearing before the hare turned to come back. Ridic struggled on the turn, but picked it up after a short check and started bringing it back to us. The hare came back to the blown down tree and I thought he was going to turn and go deep again. Logan and I were still setup on the original short circle. Ridic was close and I thought for sure the hare had turned and headed back out for another deep run. There was no way that my pup was pushing that fast and staying that close to this hare. The hare popped out of the back side of the blow down and headed right at me. I waited for it to stop running and took a shot at about 20 yards. Logan came in quickly and got their just as Ridic came in. Ridic was finally able to taste what he was chasing! The hare gave a couple of kicks as Ridic approached but a quick bite by Ridic and it was finished. He kept licking and biting at the hare and couldn't get enough. We toyed with him and kept him excited during pictures and he was wound up! 

We were pumped and wanted to find another one. There was no having to get Ridic interested, he was looking everywhere he could to get one going. We searched for a while with nothing new and decided to head towards the truck to make it home for some warm dinner. We took the long way through the woods instead of the easy walking trail, deep down we were hoping to get another one going. Ridic found the next hare on his own and took it up towards some familiar running ground that we had ran in a lot last year. He checked on the turn, but searched hard to pick it up again. I gave him ten minutes, but also knew we were fighting the clock. It was time to be on the road to make it for dinner, but wouldn't two hare on Ridic's fist hunting trip be something! I had to call him in. It took some coaxing but I finally got him to break from the search and he came in. 

As we drove home we looked back at the roller coaster of emotions and conditions. After all we went through we came out on top! We were extremely excited with the outcome of the day, and the potential I see in Ridic. Time will tell what Ridic will be for a hound!

Long road and many changes!

It has been a long time since I have updated this site, mainly because I didn't have anything worth writing about. I expected my 2011-2012 hunting season to be better than the previous year, my dogs to show improvement, and to end the year excited to start the next; that didn't happen.


As my children are starting to get a bit older, they are becoming slightly more independent and in turn easier for me to not feel as much guilt when I leave the house for an all morning or even all day hunting trip. Therefore, I was able to hunt a lot more during this past season. Every morning when I would leave the house I was hoping that this would be the day. This would be the day that the dogs are on fire and I shoot my limit of rabbits (which is only 3 here in VT). Every evening on the drive home in a state of depression, lost in thought trying to analyze the runs, try to find the good and figure out how to fix the bad. I had a good idea what my biggest problem was, but didn’t want to make any drastic decisions and regret them later. At the end of the 2010-2011 season I really felt my problem was my 5 year old female, Bailey. Bailey was a dog that I loved to have when I dropped the tailgate. She had a nose on her that could find a rabbit within minutes of hitting the woods and I never had any doubt that I wouldn't find a rabbit when I went out. She proved to me over and over that there were rabbits in the woods I was hunting, and helped me know that I was in the right set of woods. Once the run started, things began to fall apart. The run would start out hot, with the rabbit and the dogs being a small distance apart. The run would be fast paced and no checks until they made the turn to come back. The turn, sometimes gradual, sometimes tight, would challenge the dogs as the straight run became a corner. At this point the run should become exciting with anticipation of seeing the hare within minutes. This excitement was quickly squashed by the first check. Then the run would start again followed by another check, and another; excited anticipation of seeing the hare and then a letdown. This would continue on historically through every run and the result would usually be the same, no rabbit in my game pouch.

I couldn’t figure out why there were so many checks. Is the rabbit getting such a large lead that the scent is colder and harder to follow? Are the scenting conditions not favorable? Many excuses could have been easily used in discussions with other hunters, but I chose not to use them as I had a good feeling that it was my hounds.

Finally, I had the opportunity to see what was really happening and settle many of my questions. It was on one of my many trips to Lowell, it was March and there were only a few weeks left of Vermont’s hare season. There was about 3 inches of snow on the ground and scenting conditions seemed favorable. Snickers, my 13 year old female, got a sight chase of a start and Bailey quickly joined in on a fast paced run. They took the hare up over the bank and out of hearing. The GPS showed that they made it through the turn without a check and I could just start to hear Bailey’s bawl when they checked. The check was short and the run was on again; then a check and another start. This continued as the hounds started getting closer. I spotted the hare as he came down the bank and he turned just out of shooting distance and ran parallel along the bottom of the bank. It ran a nice straight line for about 60 or 70 yards before going out of sight. As I got up to where it ran through I could see its tracks in the snow and waited for the dogs to come through. I watched the dogs as they came down off the bank and then saw for the first time what was causing all of my frustration for the past few years. Bailey had the lead, as she always did, and was running right towards me on the line. She was barking on the line that the hare came in on for about 20 yards and then she turned. She turned left off the line and continued to bark for 4 or 5 bounds before realizing that she wasn’t on the line anymore. She would check, go back to the line, find it and start barking and running again. After 20 yards or so she turned left again and continued to bark as she bound off from the line, check again. This repeated itself as she ran out of sight in the direction that the hare went. Needless to say I didn’t shoot this hare either. I now realized what was going wrong.

The hare season came to an end in the middle of March. It was concluded with a traditional gathering of guys hunting in the Orleans Hare Derby. The day ended with 3 hare in the game bag, 2 of them were from Bailey getting in the rabbits’ living rooms and kicking them out for a quick shot by awaiting hunters. This seemed to be the only way to successfully shoot a hare in front of her.

Things had to change before the start of the 2012’s season, and I bought a new puppy in October with hope that this would help. By the end of the season there was about 2 feet of snow and my pup was only 6 months old. I opted to not start him until after the off season concluded. The off season, end of hare season in March to June 1st, gave me a chance to make plans and changes. I built new living quarters for the dogs, a new shed with indoor insulated boxes. My plan was to run my new puppy alone and give him as much solo time as possible. I didn’t want him to learn any of my other hounds bad habits. My biggest dilemma was how I was going to manage giving my puppy as much solo time as possible but give the other two hounds ample time in the woods as well. In the beginning of May I had my 13 year old female die of old age. One evening at the end of May I found my 5 year old female Bailey unable to get out of her dog box due to a paralyzed rear end. A slipped disc could only be fixed by an expensive surgery and no guarantee that she would be able to run rabbits again. Ironically on June 1st, the first legal day of dog training in Vermont, I had Bailey put down. I was then left with my puppy that wasn’t started yet. I guess I was forced to start from scratch again.
Ridic was ten months old when I got him started on his first rabbit. Vermont rabbit population contains both Cottontails and Snowshoe Hare. Where I live there are Cottontails, but about an hour to the northeast there are Hare. I was able to find a local piece of property that is abundant with cottontails. His first time out I was able to find two cottontails sitting out in the open. Ridic saw them before he smelled them and had a short sight chase after them into the woods. He quickly figured out how to scent them and worked them a little bit. By his third time out he had run a cottontail in a full circle and I was hopeful of his potential. I have taken him out on cottontails whenever I get a chance in the evenings and then scheduled time after work one night to take the hour trip northeast in search of some hare. The hare search was slow and only resulted in 4 barks, but no starts, before darkness started settling in. I admitted multiple times that I really missed having Bailey there to find the hare, and wondered how many hare Ridic passed over without running them. By 8:30 my brother and I had packed up and were driving up out of where we parked when a hare jumped off from the side of the road. We jumped out, threw the GPS collar back on Ridic and put him on the track. He was off. The thermals were starting to settle and the dew was starting to collect, I was hopeful for some good scenting conditions. He ran the hare for a total of 4 circles with some checks, but short ones. On one of his checks after darkness had fallen I called him in to call it quits. The ride home was full of lively conversation between my brother and I. We were pumped that he ran as well as he did on his first time out on hare and I look forward to seeing him improve over time!

This video is of Ridic on only his second time out in the field at 10 months old.

 

  This video is of Ridic on his first hare at 11 months old. The story of this run is written above, and because it was late there isn't anything to see, just music!

9/4/2011 - Lowell, VT

Date of hunt: 9/4/2011
Location: Lowell, VT
Weather: Sunny/Humid
Temperature: 68°F (Start) 72°F (End)
Dogs of mine: Belvidere Bailey & Wild Seasons Mountain Snickers
# of Rabbits Ran: 3

Runs like this keep the excitement going and the desire to keep hunting! I woke up at 5 and dressed for cool weather to become quite surprised when I walked outside to load up. It was warm and humid and the air felt thick. The drive to the spot was tough as the fog was thick and the windows kept dewing over. I arrived at my spot and cast the dogs at 6:30. The ground was really damp and I was hoping the scenting would be ideal. Bailey barked on a few feeder trails near the truck without a jump.

We worked our way down towards Allen's Stump and the Corner Crossing. Bailey got a start and excitedly started running up towards the Buckley's camp. Snicker's joined in and the race was fast and solid. According to Bruce (during a later conversation) the rabbit ran out into the meadow in front of their camp and Bruce and Sue got a chance to watch. The rabbit ran out into the meadow and up towards the camp and sat and waited. The dogs weren't far behind and as they entered the meadow the hare took off into the woods again. I was standing down at the start of the run wait for the hare to show himself. The dogs were getting close and I figured the hare had pass through without showing itself. The hare ran right at me, stopped about 8 feet away and looked back at the dogs. The dogs were only about 30 yards behind. The hare noticed me and took off on a fast sprint and the dogs were still on its trail as it headed out towards Pine Island. I must have turned its swing as it started to make small circles out by the Island. I ventured out to the Island and waited for a sighting. The hare passed about 40 yards from me and the dogs were still right on its' tail. A small figure eight out in the alders brought the hare back to me and stopped about 10 feet from me and then continued on its way. I managed to take some poor quality video of the hare on my cell phone when it came in. The race continued for a total of an hour before the dogs checked. Bailey worked the check for about 20 minutes with no luck, and we moved on to another spot.

We found our way down to the end of the log road and worked the edges. I jumped a hare on the edge and Bailey took the line after I called her in. Snicker's joined and they ran it out on a deep circle, but not quite out of hearing.  It was a tight turn and they ran back up towards the start and checked about 60 yards from the start. The search continued for about 10 minutes and I had them work up through the alders towards the Buckley's camp. I entered the camp meadow and started to talk with Bruce for a little bit. Bailey stayed down in the woods and kept looking, while Snickers stayed by my side. Bailey started a hare along the moose trail between the camp meadow and the log road. Snickers ran off to join her, and Bruce and I sat around and conversed for awhile.

The run lasted over an hour while Bruce and I talked over coffee. Thunder started to move in closer and I decided to bid farewell to Bruce and go join Bailey on her run. The GPS showed that she ran many small circles out near Pine Island. As I made my way down towards the dogs it was interesting to see that the ground was still damp from the morning dew at 11am. No wonder the runs were so good. I caught up to Bailey and Snickers at the Corner Crossing with them still on the line. I caught both of them as I could hear the thunder getting closer. We made our way up to the truck and headed home. I met up with Doug and Missy on the road as they were heading out for a four wheeler ride with a few friends. I got out of the woods at the right time as the strong rain came in and made it hard to see and drive. Good timing.

Mid Summer Update

If I had to sit back and summarize my life I could put my life into 3 categories; family, rabbit hunting, and work. In that order too. My family comes first. I am willing to give up the prime running conditions of an early Saturday or Sunday morning to wake up to have my family excited that I don't have to work. I am also willing to give up running on a cool evening after a soft rain to spend time as a family after a busy weekend. Work is a requirement and family is my priority.

This summer has provided a few good outings with the dogs and I look forward to more. I have taken Bailey out solo twice with good luck. The last few outings have been with both dogs, but Snickers is aging and it shows. She is almost 11 and is showing her age. The rabbits that we have ran during the last few outings have resulted in Snickers dropping out and Bailey running solo.

The latest run was out in Grand Isle and have ran cottontail there before. I wanted a place close to home that I could bring a contractor from work visiting from New York out instead of him hanging out in his hotel room for the evening. We cast the dogs and within 5 minutes Bailey had a start. She ran it fast and straight and was soon out of hearing. I was nervous that it was deer and lost contact with her on the GPS after 850 yards. We got in the truck to cut her off but watched the GPS show that she made the turn and was heading back towards the point of the start. Mike saw the hare and commented that it was almost as big as Bailey. The total run was 1.7 miles long, and the point of the turn was .7 miles from the start. A very large run!

Here is a video of the downloaded track from the GPS overlaid on the satelite picture of the area.

3/13/2011 - Lowell, VT

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

3/5/2011 - Milton, VT

Date of hunt: 3/5/2011
Location: Milton, VT
Weather: Overcast/Windy
Temperature: 36°F (Start) 41°F (End)
Dogs of mine: Belvidere Bailey & Wild Seasons Mountain Snickers
Hunting partners: Logan Abell, Chris Smith
# of Rabbits Ran: 1
# of Rabbits Shot: 0

I've been trying to find some people to hunt rabbits with and gave a long time friend a call to see if he was interested. Chris said that enjoys trying different types of hunt and would like to try rabbit hunting. I picked him up a little after 7 and headed about 5 minutes down the road to my new hare honey hole. Logan, Chris and I geared up for the cold, windy walk across the fields to the softwoods. The dogs were yanking on the lead to be let loose, and we finally made it out to the softwoods with high hopes. The dogs started to work while Chris, Logan and I were talking about anything and everything. I was listening to Chris and caught a flash of white about 50 yards out over his left shoulder. I ran as fast as one can run on snowshoes on soft snow to where I saw what I was hoping was a hare. Snickers picked up the scent first as she followed me to where the sighting was. She worked it backwards for about 5 yards and Bailey was quickly there to help her out. Snickers quickly figured out she was going the wrong way and went to the other end of where she started. Once Bailey figured out why Snickers went the other direction she took the lead and lead Snickers slowly out away from us. I explained how the run "should" work and Logan and I went one direciton while Chris set up where the start was. The hare took the dogs out 360 yards (per the GPS) in a straight line before making its turn. The turn was tight and the swung high into the thinner softwoods which surprised me. Logan and I shifted our position to compensate for the reverse circle that we were expecting and waited. The first check was long and as the run continued it turned into short runs with frequent checks. I decided to bring the dogs out to another covey with hopes that we could get a good run going. Chris already began to comment on how great it is to hear the dogs barking and how he was already hooked. He was also upset that I chose to invite him out on the second to last weekend, and he would have to wait until the end of September to go out again.

We headed towards another balsam thicket and realized that Bailey was not with us. The GPS confirmed that she went back to work her last check. She responded to my calling and we continued to trudge through the snow as she worked to catch up. A few minutes later and the GPS showed that Bailey was once again heading back to her last check. I called again and she headed my direction, again. She didn't make it far before her stubborn head got the best of her and she once again was heading the opposite direction towards the check. I decided to try a different approach and have Snickers get a hare going in the new location. If she could get one started Bailey would pack up and join in. She was only 200 yards out and working the area quite intensely by the looks of it. Snickers was looking very hard, and I wasn't seeing any fresh tracks. I kept walking around hoping to find some fresh tracks. My calls to Bailey went unanswered and my search for fresh tracks continued. Snickers was searching, but wouldn't range out more than 15 yards from me. I started finding fresh tracks and really wanted Bailey to be there with her strong nose to get the start going. The problem was that my venture to find a fresh track took my out so Bailey was now 700 yards away from me. My calls were unheard and Snickers, although excited on some tracks, didn't find anything hot enough for her to bark on. Chris checked in and commented on the impressive amount of rabbit sign, all I needed was Bailey. It was a long walk through the deep snow to go get her so I was resistant. I started to walk towards her and started to see a reponse to my calling once I got withing 500 yards of her. She was almost 200 yards from me before she turned and made her way back to the check, again. AGH! I figured by the time I walk all the way to Bailey and then back we would not make it out of the woods by 11. Plans for the remainder of the day kept the hunt short.

This Sunday is the last day of the season and am competing in the Orleans County Rod & Gun Club Hare Derby. The problem is the 28" of snow that fell yesterday. Hopefully the warm weather, rain and snow that are coming later this week will help pack down the snow to allow for some good running. The forecast for temperature on Sunday is in the 40's, which I am discouraged about. I've found that the dogs have a hard time running on snow in this temperature. Maybe it’s the scent melting out from under them, maybe it’s the dogs, either way it is tough running. Here goes nothing…..

2/20/2011 - Milton, VT

Date of hunt: 2/20/2011
Location: Milton, VT
Weather: Sunny/Cold
Temperature: 10 °F (Start) 16°F (End)
Dogs of mine: Belvidere Bailey & Wild Seasons Mountain Snickers
# of Rabbits Ran: 1
# of Rabbits Shot: 0

I had another opportunity to get out for a hunt this afternoon. I decided to try out the farm again to see if I could find another hare. Hopefully I didn't shoot the last one last weekend. The warm weather this past week had melted a lot of snow and then refroze. It was hard and grainy with about a 1/16 of an inch of loose powdery snow on top. This was just enough to see tracks on the snow. Inside the softwoods there was still about 2 feet of snow, but the snowshoes were staying on top very easily. Every now and then as I got close to some small balsams or blown down trees I would sink through up to my knees or further.

It took about an hour of walking and circling to find the first track, but it was old. I kept the dogs in the area and Snickers got the start. Bailey rushed in and joined her and they took off together on a straight line to the east. The hare made its first turn towards the south and Bailey missed it. She checked, but the Garmin confirmed that she was working her check and making cirlces around where she lost out. This is a confirmation of the improvement Bailey has made over the years as she used to be so scent hungry that if she lost out on the rabbit she was running she would just run off and look for any scent at all, and not the one she just lost. She would pick up on the scent and run it and then check, run it some more than check. Bailey was the only one barking, and I was beginning to worry a bit about where Snickers was. There are a lot of coyote tracks around the area and I was hoping nothing had happened to her. The interstate was about a half a mile from me but the GPS was confirming that Bailey didn't go near it, and I was hoping that Snickers stuck close to Bailey as she ran. As I waited on top of a snow covered ball of roots from a downed tree Bailey kept working closer. Her checks became more frequent and longer. I was getting very cold and impatient. Every time Bailey would open up another adrenaline rush would keep me waiting and looking, but nothing appeared. After a really long check I called in the dogs and headed back toward the truck.

The number of rabbit tracks in the area where I was standing is a good sign of the number of hare in the area. As my Grandfather always said "a hare can track up a swamp in a night" I am cautiously optimistic about the number of hare in the area. On the way back to the truck I found three more thickets of low growth balsams with a lot of tracks. Bailey and Snickers opened up once but never found the hot line. On the last covey of tracks Bailey opened up a again but didn't find the line there either. The scent conditions were really tough today, but I felt the day was successful as I know that there are plenty of hare in the area, and that Bailey has definitely improved over the years. I feel confident now that I have a good hound and look forward to even better hunts in the future.

Once we got home I looked over Snickers and Bailey and found that the rough snow tore up Bailey's feet pretty good. I applied some topical antibiotic cream to her toes and a cut on her lower leg to help the healing. They enjoyed their treat of warm Alpo and retired to their dog house.

Garmin Astro stats: 5.50mi, 2.10mph, 2hrs 8min.

The video below is the Google Earth Tour of the hunt. The track is downloaded from the Garmin Astro DC40 collar on Bailey's neck. It isn't the complete hunt, but an interesting view of the hunt.

2/13/2011 - Milton, VT

Date of hunt: 2/13/2011
Location: Milton, VT
Weather: Overcast/Windy
Temperature: 26 °F (Start) 26°F (End)
Dogs of mine: Belvidere Bailey & Wild Seasons Mountain Snickers
# of Rabbits Ran: 1
# of Rabbits Shot: 1

I had been wanting to ask my past employer for permission to hunt on his farm, and had the opportunity this morning when I saw him at church. He was more than willing to allow me to hunt, but I was unsure what the land held for rabbits. My father-in-law used to hunt this land as a child and remembers shooting Snowshoe Hare out there. Times have changed and I was unsure what I would find, if anything. I arrived at John's house around 1, and he was in the yard splitting firewood. We talked for a bit, and I explained how rabbit hunting with dogs worked and he was quite interested. I told him the general area I wanted to hunt based upon my Google satellite image reviews. He quickly told me the lay of the land and I started my trek across the fields towards what I hoped would be a rabbit filled swamp. The snow was about 30" deep and the snowshoes were only sinking about 4 inches, not bad. The wind was gusting and was cold. After the long walk across the first field I started into some softwoods. The first batch of woods quickly opened back up to the powerline right of way without sign of a single rabbit. The softwoods were full of tall, older growth and didn't look like suitable cover for a hare, if there were any. I kept trudging through the snow and was beginning to wonder if I was just out for a cardio workout, or an actual run on a rabbit.

Bailey opened up a couple of times, but I could not find sign of any tracks in the snow. I think she was barking on partridge scent as I caught movement of a partridge being chased by a crow through the limbs of the trees. I continued on towards the birds and saw the crow take off with a partridge in its feet, but quickly dropped it. The bird was still alive, but expired shortly after I got up to it. After walking away from it I wondered if the crow would be back for its meal.

The rolling terrain was brutal on the body as I was starting to get quite tired and wondering how far I should venture before turning back. I came to the edge of a long sloping hill and looked down. The cover at the bottom looked very promising, but I knew that if I walked down, I would have to walk back up. I was out there to hunt and started down the hill. The dogs beat me down to the bottom and Bailey opened up right off. From where I was I was starting to see rabbit tracks and was really certain that they were hare tracks and not cottontail! The chase was on. Both Snickers and Bailey were barking together which was good, that meant that the dogs were staying on top of the snow well and the lead dog wasn't snowplowing the track away as it trudged along. The rabbit took them out and back quite quickly. I was trying out my new Garmin Astro and was keeping tabs of where Bailey was on the GPS in comparison to where I could hear them, just for fun. I was about 90% sure that I was going to see a white rabbit running towards me when I would finally get a chance to see it. The first swing back to me brought the rabbit by me without a sighting about 40 yards out. I saw the dogs come through and they took off on their swing again. I repositioned and readied. The dogs checked a couple of times but kept pressing on. The next swing back to me brought them by yet another 40 yards out, again without a sighting. I respositioned once more and readied again. The dogs were coming right at me and then did a U turn right back out. I couldn't figure out what happened, I was standing really still for a really long time, I shouldn't had bumped it. The dogs didn't fall for the rabbit's trick and kept pressing on. The rabbit did yet another U turn right back to me as the dogs proved they could keep up and kept charging on. Then there was movement. A white Snowshoe Hare was coming my way! I shot once with my new (to me) 20 gauge shotgun and the hare stumbled but kept on. I shot again through some thick brush and the hare didn't come out the other side. I was ready for another shot if I needed to, but it wasn't needed. The hare was down and the dogs were coming closer. Bailey was in the lead but I saw her miss a turn. Snickers kept on the trail and she missed a turn but Bailey kept on and took the lead again and was the first to the hare. She nibbled at its feet for a second and kept on in search for more scent. Snickers didn't have any interest in the hare and just kept looking for more scent as well. I gathered up the hare and the dogs and headed in the direction of the truck. I thought the trek into the woods was tough, but soon realized that I was now up against a long upward walk back to the truck. The dogs were hard to keep by my side as they wanted to run some more. I will save them for another day.

I will have to see if the Astro has a keypad lock option as I lost all of the data from todays hunt during the walk back to the truck. The "start new hunt" option was selected and the tracks from today's hunt were lost. I would have liked to have watched the run on Google Earth, but will have to wait for next time.

1/1/2011 - Lowell, VT

Date of hunt: 1/1/2011
Location: Lowell, VT
Weather: Warm/Cloudy
Temperature: 38 °F (Start) 41°F (End)
Companions: Allen Cushing, Logan Abell, Carter Abell
Dogs of mine: Belvidere Bailey & Wild Seasons Mountain Snickers
# of Rabbits Ran: 2
# of Rabbits Shot: 1

It has been a long time since I got out rabbit hunting with the dogs. Once Vermont's deer season starts the time in the woods rabbit hunting is practically non-existent. My spots that I rabbit hunt in are deer hunting spots for others. I would have to drive about 2 1/2 hours to get to a spot secluded enough to comfortably run the dogs. My wife surprised me yesterday and told me that she just called her Dad and he was all set to go hunting with me today. I guess that means I was going rabbit hunting, no complaints there! I took my 5 year old son Carter and my 12 year old brother Logan along as well. It was a bit of a scramble this morning with the new year and new hunting licenses required. I tried to work this all out yesterday, but the state will not sell hunting licenses for 2011 when it is still 2010. What a waste of time!

It was about 8:15 when we let the dogs loose. The warm temperatures and the fast melting snow would prove to be tough running conditions. It was a comfortable temperature to be out hunting in, but the 3" of snow was slushy and wet and disappearing quick. Bailey and Snickers worked a track for a bit before they both opened up and the race was on. They ran solid up past the spot where Allen and I missed the hare in October and out in towards the alders. The dogs kept on it, made the turn and were coming back before losing out. They managed to get the track again, but quickly lost it again. They checked many times while trying to run it and the run started to get stale. I let them work for a while before radioing Allen to find out what he wanted to do. After about an hour of letting them work and check we decided it would be best to try a new place and find a different hare. We started walking a logging road when I noticed a track that looked reasonably fresh. One more step and the white hare busted out of the brush and away from me. I gave the "I just saw a rabbit" call and Bailey came flying in from a long way out and was barking the entire way with excitement. Snickers came in pretty quick as well, I think she is starting to figure out what that call means as well. The scent was probably light on the wet snow and it took Bailey a minute to calm down enough to work a bit harder to find the track. Once they found it both Bailey and Snickers ran the track really hard and fast for about 3/4 of a circle. The way they were heading would surely push the hare by Allen and if he didn't get a glimpse it should come right back down to Logan, Carter and I. They checked. This check felt like eternity. It was a solid 5 minutes before Allen radioed me. He told me that he saw the hare cross the logging road just before the dogs stopped barking and that he had set up in a new spot to catch the hare come out of the back side of the softwoods it was in. I quickly made my way to Allen to find where the hare crossed to call in the dogs and get them going again. As soon as I got to Allen the dogs started on the track again and were coming fast. They quickly crossed over the logging road where Allen saw the hare cross and were coming towards us fast. The hare held up tight before busting out of the softwoods and into to the logging road. Allen shot and the hare took another bound off the road into another softwood patch. This patch was only about 20 yards long and another logging road would provide for another good shot. Allen and I were waiting for the hare to jump out again. Nothing. I decided to try and help bump the rabbit out to Allen by doing a quick drive. The dogs were coming out on the logging road at the same time I made it to where the hare crossed. The dogs followed the track in and found the hare lying about 10 feet into the woods. I picked it up, let the dogs play with it for a minute and then brought it back down to Allen. Logan and Carter joined us from their spots and we took pictures. Carter was extremely excited and was talking a mile a minute. He had plans all set to get home and help clean it, cook it and eat it.

We tried for one more, but never got anything going on the wide swing back up to the truck. Carter insisted on carrying the rabbit up the entire way to the truck, and we helped him by using my gun sling as a rope to hang the rabbit over his shoulder. He was so excited. Both dogs ran well, and Snickers did a little better actually looking for a rabbit instead of just looking for Bailey all the time. Although the weather was great for Carter, and he didn't get cold, it was really hard for the dogs. Hopefully next time will be better, although today turned out to be good day anyways. The ride home was full of excited talk about the hunt, but too much excitement for Carter as he fell asleep within the first 10 minutes of the ride home. Once home, he wouldn't get out of his wool hunting pants until we cleaned the rabbit. You would have thought I gave him the world when I let him use a hunting knife to help me clean it. He can't wait to tell his uncles tomorrow about it. Take a kid hunting, it makes quite an impression on them!!

11/3/2010 - Lowell, VT

Date of hunt: 11/3/2010
Location: Lowell, VT
Weather: Sunny/Frosty
Temperature: 22 °F (Start) 44°F (End)
Companions: Greg Abell
Dogs of mine: Belvidere Bailey
Other dogs: Katy, Ginger, Chloe
# of Rabbits Ran: 5
# of Rabbits Shot: 1

My son Braydon was born on Saturday, October 30th. Everyone is healthy and doing well! I took a week and a half off from work to be home with the family. The timing lined up with my Uncle Greg's trip up to Vermont from Virginia for his annual hare hunt. He came up on Saturday and is staying at our family camp in Island Pond for the week. The plan was made to spend a morning on a hunt with him, but meet halfway in Lowell instead of a 2 hour drive for me up to Island Pond.
It was the heaviest frost of the year so far when I left Milton. It was 27 degrees at my house, and 22 degrees in Lowell where Uncle Greg was waiting. I pulled into the log landing at 7 am, with hopes that I wouldn't be wasting my Uncle's time by having him wake up early and drive and hour. I had printed out an aerial photo of the hunting ground and did a quick review with him to help him better understand the lay of the land. I geared up Bailey and headed down into the lower clearcut, where Logan and I had hunted a few weeks ago. Uncle Greg's dogs worked together and Bailey did her thing on her own. Bailey got the start, the same hare that Logan and I ran a few weeks before. She was alone and took it down by the stump where Allen, Beau, Logan, Carter and I had stood last month, and then out into the alders. Uncle Greg brought his dogs down to where Bailey was running. When we got there Bailey checked for the first time. A full loop by herself, I think we turned the hare when we got down in there. Katy started barking on old scent, which pulled Bailey off from her check to pack up with her. Katy has a really good nose, but will bark on really old scent, which throws the other dogs off. I suggested working into the softwoods where the hare was heading before Bailey lost it. We fanned out as we walked inside the softwood canopy and Uncle Greg bumped the hare. The hare bounded towards me, and then out into the alders again. I gave the "Weee Weeee" call and Bailey came in with a full out excited bark as she got on the trail that I was pointing to. She knows what it means when I give that call! All four dogs packed up and took the trail deep into the alders. Uncle Greg and I headed into the alders to an island of tall pines that provided a better chance of a shot if one would present itself. The dogs brought the hare down to us but just out of sight. They kept on it as the hare ran out and then turned back towards us. The dogs were getting closer and then the hare sprinted into softwoods about 10 yards from us. I waited to shoot knowing that a 10 yard sprinting shot from right to left was hard, but when I did shoot with the .410 it was behind it. I pumped and pulled the trigger again, click, a bad shell. The last shot was in desperation as it scooted under a log. Missed. The dogs kept on the trail and again followed the hare as it brought them out and back towards us again. This time it went above us without showing itself. As they brought the hare out the dogs split into two's. Bailey and Katy switched up and Ginger and Chloe were bringing the hare back to us. Bailey and Katy were taking a hare up towards the NC camp, and Ginger and Chloe were almost back to us when they checked and lost out. After waiting to see if Ginger and Chloe would pick up the check we picked up and headed up to Bailey and Katy. They ran the hare up along the side of the NC camp and were on their way back down to us when they checked. Katy kept barking on some older feeder trails, and Bailey would check in with her but the trails were to old for her to bark on.
We worked the dogs down along the side of the logging road with little luck. As we were heading out to make our way back in the direction of the truck Bailey began to bark on a feeder trail. I let her work since this was her first time barking in over a half hour. The other dogs joined in on the search. I hopped up onto a log with an overlook of the area that the dogs were working. The hare bounded out of the thick stuff, across the open softwoods and into the thicker softwoods. The dogs took off on the trail and were running well. They made the turn but checked when they were closing in on Uncle Greg and I. We waited for quite a while with hopes that they would pick it up again. We helped the dogs work the woods in the general direction that we believed the hare went. Chloe, Uncle Greg's 1 year old, picked up the scent first and the other dogs quickly packed. The hare bounded out of the thicker cover and presented a good shot. I hit the hare in the rear end and Katy quickly got on it and finished it. She picked up the hare and carried it back to him as he called her in. Uncle Greg's dogs played around with the hare for a bit before we put it in the game pouch, Bailey just kept looking for more scent.
We worked our way back through the pine island and towards the clear cut to get to the logging road that led back up to the truck. On the way back Bailey picked up a hot scent between the pine island and the clear cut. I had Ginger and Chloe with me as well, but they didn't pack. Ginger did go over to where Bailey started and she begand to run the line with Chloe packing up with her. Ginger and Chloe were running about 80 yards behind Bailey. Katy joined in the run with Ginger and Chloe as Bailey was still leading by a long ways and bringing the hare back to me. I caught a movement and readied, it was Ginger. She came back and found me, was shivering and tired. She must had turned the hare and Bailey missed the check. I got a phone call from home about 5 minutes into the check and my wife needed help with the kids at home. We gathered up the dogs and headed back up to the truck. We briefly talked and then hit the road. Overall a good hunt.

10/10/2010 - Lowell, VT

Date of hunt: 10/10/2010
Location: Lowell, VT
Weather: Sunny
Temperature: 32 °F (Start) 53°F (End)
Companions: Logan Abell
Dogs of mine: Belvidere Bailey & Wild Seasons Mountain Snickers
# of Rabbits Ran: 2
# of Rabbits Shot: 0

Fall has arrived and so has the cooler weather. I woke up this morning to a brisk 32 degrees and put on the thermals for the first time this year. Dressing for this time of year is tricky, as the mornings are cold and it warms up quickly. I layered up thicker than other outings at this temperature, I was tired and I always feel colder when I am tired. I picked up Logan at 5:30 and began the hour drive Northeast. Things were quiet when we got there, perfect. Next weekend will not be so quiet in this spot as moose season will be open and then "new owners of the woods" will be out and about. Every time that I have come across a moose hunter while I am rabbit hunting they are disgusted that I am disturbing their hunt. This adds an extra degree of nervousness when you never know what the crazed hunter will do when a barking dog runs by them! Anyway, Logan (my 12 year old brother) and I geared up the dogs and I let him make the plans where to run for the day. He picked a log road that we have had good luck on and we headed down over the bank into the softwoods. Bailey picked up a scent within 5 minutes and picked at it for about 120 yards across a clear cut before it was hot enough for Snickers to start barking as well. They worked it for another 40 yards or so before the barking turned to a roll and the hot chase was on. The two of them headed out away from us and made a quick turn back up towards where Bailey began the run. The barking was hot! It sounded like there were three dogs running as came back up the bank towards us. The hare snuck by Logan and I and it crossed the main logging road while we were looking down a smaller log road road where Bailey made the start. We repositioned and separated to catch a glimpse of the hare on the way back by. The dogs were getting closer to me and the barking was still hot. It had been about 15 minutes of running already without a check, very nice. The way the dogs were coming towards me I expected to see the hare cross above me about 30 yards up. As the dogs got closer they made a sudden turn down along my left and towards Logan. He got a quick glimpse of the hare as it cross the log road again, but no shot. The dogs were only about 50 yards behind it and still running strong. They brought it out of hearing and Logan and I regrouped. I really wanted him to get his first hare so I stood behind him to help him spot it in the woods before it came out on the log road, hopefully give him a better chance to connect. I saw it coming, and Logan did too, as it approached the log road. He was ready, and there hare came up to the edge of the log road and hung up in a brush pile. I really wanted Logan to get a hare, but I really wanted to get a hare for the dogs too. I couldn't get a shot on the hare after Logan if he missed from where I was standing so I made the mistake of repositioning. The hare saw me and we saw the hare bound back off into the woods. No shot. I was so mad at myself and will probably kick myself for a while to come until Logan gets his first hare. The dogs kept on running and brought it back out on a deep circle. On the way back to us they checked, picked up the check and then checked again. They started to run really choppy as they made the 20 minute trip back up near us and then lost out for a long time. I called in the dogs to regroup. I was happy with their run, but really upset with myself. About a 45 minute run before the first check, very nice. I asked Logan where he wanted to go from there and he quickly picked another spot. As we made our way to the new spot I kicked up a Wookcock and Logan took pursuit. He flushed it once more along with a Partridge, but no luck. We made our way over to the side of the VAST trail where we ran our first hare on opening day. Bailey got the start in almost the same exact spot as opening day and I knew where the hare was heading. Logan and I set up for the return run in our direction. Of course nothing ever goes as planned and the hare crossed a log road while I was in the woods watching. The dogs were in running well and headed back down to where they started. They had their first check on the turn, and then the choppy running began again. This continued for about 15 minutes and then all was quiet. I gathered up the dogs after and headed for another spot, a new one. We crossed the powerlines to try and find a new spot. There were a few areas that were perfect areas, but no hare. Someone should tell the hare about these spots! After an hour of no luck we headed back to the truck and home. A successful hunt none the less.

Ironic picture

I don't have a hunt to post about today, but I wanted to post a picture that I found. I thought it was quite interesting. It is me when I was a young boy next to my fathers dog, Bucky. The really ironic part is that my Dad bought this dog from George Cushing, which is my wife's grandfather.

9/25/2010 - Lowell, VT

Date of hunt: 9/25/2010
Location: Doug Duffy's
Weather: Sunny
Temperature: 71 °F (Start) 62°F (End)
Companions: Allen Cushing, Beau Cushing, Logan Abell, Carter Abell
Dogs of mine: Belvidere Bailey & Wild Seasons Mountain Snickers
# of Rabbits Ran: 3
# of Rabbits Shot: 0

Today was opening day of rabbit season in Vermont. I kicked myself last year for not getting some family together to take advantage of opening weekend. Deer season doesn't start until next weekend so this weekend works about best for the rest of my family. I had my father-in-law Allen, my brother-in-law Beau, my 12 year old brother Logan and my 5 year old son Carter with me. We were up early and managed to leave Milton on time, 5:30. We pulled into our spot by 6:30 and geared up the dogs. I haven't had many chances to get out this summer, the dogs are out of shape, and I was nervous that I was going to let the family down on this outing. I brought the dogs down to a known spot that I have ran hare in before with hopes to get a quick start. It took a lot of looking, but Bailey got the first start. She ran the hare that I got nervous with on opening day (Bailey was sounding funny, and the hare ran into unfamiliar territory). I let the dogs go and just prayed that they would take the turn and head back my way. It wasn't long and the dogs were coming back our way. Beau was new to this and wasn't quite sure where to stand, or what he was looking for. He was on a logging road, and ready. Carter was with Allen and they found a spot to stand as well. I was with Logan with the video camera rolling with hopes of getting some good footage. The dogs came down the edge of the road towards all of us. They stay inside the wood line about 40 yards and Logan and I didn't get a sighting. They came out along the edge of the road and Beau saw the dogs, but had missed seeing the rabbit. It changed directions before making it back to Allen and Carter and swung back up away from us and ran a lot of circles above us. We tried to move in closer, but by the time we were in position the dogs checked. During their check the dogs made their way out to us. I called them in to try and pick up a different hare in a different spot.
On the walk past the truck we stopped and had some snacks and drinks and added some layers as the temperature was dropping. We headed down to the lower clear cut and Bailey was working hard to find a hare. Snickers was working hard to find Bailey, and had no interest in finding the hare herself. I lost Snickers for a bit and soon realized that she was hanging out with Bruce and his bird dogs. They were swinging by in their search for some opening day Partridge. I hollared for a while, but Snickers wouldn't come. Bailey opened on a new hare and Snickers came by me like a rocket to cherry pick Bailey's hare. The race was on again with Bailey in the lead. I could hear that Bailey was always ahead of Snickers. They checked for a short time, and when Bailey got the check it must had been a sight chase. She barked really hot for about 30 or 40 yards and then it calmed down as she kept on the trail and Snickers caught up to join in. The brought the hare down behind me, but towards Allen and I heard a shot from his .410. He missed, and before I knew the dogs ran right behind me and Carter. I missed seeing the hare while filming the hunt. Carter and I went over to talk with Allen and waited for a second sighting. The hare came back by Allen and I in a full gallop. I shot, and missed to the shot from about 4 feet away. Allen's follow-up shot missed as well and the race continued. The dogs were about 30 yards behind the rabbit and running very well. They ran a lot of small circles up above us and the hare didn't want to come back down to us. Once more it came down in our direction, but didn't give us a sighting. After running for about 2 1/2 hours the dogs checked for their last time and lost out. I was extremely happy with their run.
We headed back up towards the truck and I let the dogs work the woods on the way. Bailey got the third start on a rabbit the we must have spooked out the brush as we were walking through. The two of them were run very hot and fast out across the clearcut and into the pines. We fanned out and hoped to get it on the way back up. It started to turn back up towards us and I was ready. They took a turn out away from me and started to go out of hearing. I wasn't sure what was going on, but decided to take chase to be sure. They managed to make it out deep into the alders and were running a choppy run. I called to them and finally caught up to them after a long walk through the thick stuff. It was faster to continue through the alders instead of back tracking from where I came. Once I hit the logging road I was once again in familiar territory and headed comfortably back to the truck. Everyone was waiting in the truck ready to go when I got there. We left at 12:30.
We had an excellent hunt and I was very proud of the dogs. Allen can't wait to go back out, and I hope our calendars can align again to allow for it. I wish I knew when the next outing will be, but I will have to play it by ear.

8/1/2010 - Norton, VT

Date of hunt: 8/1/2010
Location: Norton, VT
Weather: Sunny/Dry
Temperature: 81 °F (Start) 81°F (End)
Dogs of mine: Belvidere Bailey & Wild Seasons Mountain Snickers
# of Rabbits Ran: 1

It has been a while since I went out on this run, but I have been busy with college classes, work and home improvements. I cannot find the time to run the dogs yet alone type up a hunting log for this past hunt. Hopefully things will setttle down soon and I can get out again.
The family and I went up to my uncles camp in Norton for a long camping weekend. I brought the dogs with hopes of finding some time to go for a couple of runs. We got up to camp on Thursday and I was able to go running on Saturday and Sunday. The thousands of acres to run were on the other side of the river. The water was low enough this year that we could hop from rock to rock with the dogs to get across. Snickers came across easy, but Bailey was scared. She managed to get across with some coaxing, and by the end of the weekend I worked with her enough and she was wading in the water.

Bailey got the start after a long 45 minute search and Snickers joined in shortly after. They took the rabbit out of hearing and then brought it back. The rabbit was getting closer to Logan and I when the dogs lost out on it. It was hot and dry and we called it a day after about 2 hours. The only time I could break away from the family was about 12:30 and the temperature was warm and the ground was dry.

I went out alone the next day, and this time I managed to sneak out a little earlier; 10:30. It wasn't exactly morning dew quality but it was a bit damper then yesterday. I headed to the spot where to dogs got the start the day before. Bailey picked up the start again, this time in only 10 minutes. Snickers must have been right on Baileys tail because she joined in right after Bailey started. They took the hare on the same out of hearing circle as the day before and started to bring it back to me. I found a nice little opening to hang out in and a blown down log that was perfect to lay down on. I had my feet up and was laid back nice and comfortably just relaxing with my eyes closed listening to the music the dogs were making. The dogs were getting closer and I was really enjoying my time out in the woods. Everything was perfect, the dogs were running, they were running well, and I was nice and relaxed. I could hear the thumping of the rabbits feet as it came closer. By the time I realized what was going in the rabbit had ran under the log, directly under my shoulders and out the other side. I was able to open my eyes and turn my head without being seen. The hare ran a straight line for about 15 yards. It stopped for a second, brushed its ear with its back foot and came running back towards me, on the same line it went out on. He back tracked about 10 yards and then turned and took off again. At this point the dogs were right by my side and came up to the side of the log I was on. I coaxed them on and helped point them in the right direction and the race continued. They took the hare out of hearing again and of course that is where they checked. With all the woods around me, and nothing to the north of me except the Canadian border clear cut I started to head in their direction to find them as soon as possible. They didn't have telemetry on, as I don't have any. I walked towards them for about 10 minutes while calling and then waited for another 10 while calling, nothing. A quick bump with the collars and I could hear Bailey almost out of hearing. I kept calling and they came in. We had a good run and I wasn't going to push my luck. It was hot and dry again and we had a good 2 hour run.