10/3/2009 - Milton, VT

Date of hunt: 10/3/2009
Location: Uncle Philip's Lot
Weather: Sunny
Temperature: 58 °F (Start) 58 °F (End)
Companions: Alone
Dogs of mine: Bailey & Remi
# of Rabbits Ran: 2
# of Rabbits Shot: 0

I pulled in to the lot around 2:30pm and geared up the dogs. The dogs started working hard right off. We worked our way over towards the garden and Remi got the first start. She was already out in the middle of Mike Duffy's field and was running up on to the bank. They brought the rabbit back towards me and I was ready. I caught a quick glimpse of the rabbit running back down the bank but the dogs didn't turn with it. They kept running up on the bank past me and then a rabbit popped out of the tall grass and ran across the mowed section. I managed to get off 3 shots and wounded on the second and the third. I took off after the rabbit and lost sight of it. The dogs came in and continued to run its track right into a stone pile. I felt bad that I wounded a rabbit and lost it, that's a first for me.
I brought the dogs back to where I saw the other rabbit run down the bank and Bailey got the start on this one. She ran it down into Mike's field again. I turned back towards the mowed piece and there was guy standing there with his dog. His name was Mark Gallee and was quite concerned that I was shooting. He started to drill me with questions. "Who's property are you on?", I told him my Uncle Philip's and he asked me "Isn't it Mike Duffy's?". I corrected him and showed him the property line. He asked me what I was hunting and I told him rabbits. He thought I was hunting Grouse, because he heard the shots and saw some grouse fly over his house. I told him that all my shots were directed towards the ground and he said "thanks". I told him where his house was and he was a bit surprised, I also told him that I already talked with Joe St. Hilaire and he told me where your house was. He asked me if I worked with Joe, and I told him that I didn't work with him, but at the same place as him, Husky. He shook his head and said, okay, you do work at Husky, okay. It then remembered that he was a police officer, that would be the reason for the DRILLING! Needless to say my anxiety level was high and I was not really wanting to hunt there anymore. The dogs ran the cottontail in 2 more circles but the rabbit stayed in the thick stuff. We packed up and headed home.