Location: Phil's Buck
Weather: Overcast
Temperature: 55 °F (Start)
Dogs of mine:Bailey
Running Partners: Lanny Forgays, Dean Decker, Otis
Other Dogs: Sassy, Breeze, Bam
# of Rabbits Ran: 4
# of Rabbits shot: 3
Pulled in to the spot off from Lewis Pond Road where Dad shot his 6 pointer around 6:45am. We parked down by the brook and unloaded the dogs. We crossed the brook, dogs were hesitant, and the took a right down through the logging road and moose trails. Bailey was working really hard. She started yipping on some old scent and actually running it on a line for while. The other dogs went over to her, acknowledged her barking, but never barked herself. Otis saw a rabbit cross a moose trail and Bailey eventually made her way across the trail on that line. Barking as she went. She lost it on the other side, but I was excited that she found scent. Sassy started a rabbit down tight to the brook (the direction Bailey's rabbit ran), the race was on. Rabbit circled once. Bailey was right in the mix, really tight pack. Dean shot the rabbit, hunt over. Made our way across the log road (up from the brook) and worked the balsams. Bailey started barking on some scent. The other dogs went over to her, and they started barking! Bailey started her first rabbit!! Man was I some proud. Otis saw the rabbit cross in front of him once. Dean and I made our way over to him and the dogs started coming back towards us. Dean mentioned that we should try a quick draw (first one to shoot it). All 3 of us were standing shoulder to shoulder and ready, but the rabbit stayed in thick stuff and went around us. We split up and waited. The rabbit came back by Otis, he shot. Didn't get it, so he thought. The dogs ran the rabbit out by the brook that was deep out in the alders, then stopped. All was quiet. We called the dogs back, had to shock Bailey to come up. Lanny's dogs were there first, then Sassy, then Bailey. Sassy had blood on her nose, they had got the rabbit. Otis must had wounded it. Kept moving down the log road, Sassy got another start. Dogs ran the rabbit for a long time. At one point it ran by me in the balsams, but I never saw it. I moved locations to get a better view, and the rabbit came right at me. Slow hops, 5 yards out. I shot, and missed. Shot high (didn't seat the shotgun to my cheek). I almost had Dad's single shot 20 gauge reloaded and got off a second shot, but it got out of sight. I no sooner lost sight of it and Otis shot twice. Missed. It ran up towards Lanny and he shot it, hunt over. Dogs were tight all day. I was really happy with Bailey, she was tired. At one point I saw her run up towards the front, another time I saw her run to the side just trying to keep up. The older dogs were a bit fast for her, but she got some good experience. Hopefully she picked up some good habits from Lanny's and Dean's dogs.
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