9/16/2009 - Milton, VT

Date of hunt: 9/16/2009
Location: Husky
Weather: Sunny
Temperature: 58 °F (Start) 52 °F (End)
Companions: Alone
Dogs of mine: Bailey & Remi
# of Rabbits Ran: 3

Wow, what a turn around! The dogs ran really well on a cottontail! I'm very happy with their performance and their new behaviors! I've ran them a bunch of times throughout the summer without creating log entries. I've struggled every trip out, and actually went through a bout where I was ready to sell them and start over with different genetics. Something clicked over the past couple of weeks and I'm hoping it continues. Remi is now packing with Bailey, and Bailey is working better on her checks. We started off by the gate and working the tall brush on the north side of the road out to the salt shed. Remi got the start by yipping on some old scent and the rabbit jumped out across the mowed road to the upper side of the tall grass. Bailey was the first to get on the line and Remi came in to pack when Bailey barked. The ran it through the tall grass towards the road out to the salt shed, crossed it and kept going. The rabbit ran out behind the first parking lot and the dogs were really hot on its trail. The lost it for a minute on the turn back but worked out the check and brought the rabbit back across the road by the gate. The kept on it at the road crossing and the rabbit circled back where it started. They lost it where it started. I've ran this same rabbit a number of times during the summer and found that they tend to lose the rabbit at the same place every time. There must be a hole that it goes into there.
We went out to the salt shed and picked up a rabbit on the south/west corner thicket. They were running that rabbit so fast and well that I was nervous it might be some off game. The ran it back to the road, turned and followed along the side of the road. Brought it under the apple tree and back to where they started. They lost this one again where they started.
We moved over to the north/west thicket and the quickly ran one around in the tall grass for about 15 minutes. It was a choppy run, but a run none-the-less.
Unknowingly this would be my last run at Husky. A member of Human Resources heard the dogs running and thought that dogs were being killed. They called the facilities manager who then sent out a couple of maintenance guys to see what was going on. When I told them I had permission to run my dogs on rabbits they were fine with it and left. The next day was a drawn out, all day affair of explaining myself. Good thing I had the email that fully explained what a dog does when it runs rabbits back when I asked for permission (August of 2007). In the end my manager, my second level manager, and the Human Resources manager pulled me in to a room and told me that I wasn't in trouble as I was doing exactly as I had asked, and that I was handling the situation very well. They told me that they had to change their mind about the permission they granted and they were happy that I was okay with it. Why wouldn't I be? It is a matter of keeping my job or running my dogs, hmmm, easy decision.