Needed a break from everything going on in the world and thought I'd share this article by Stephen Carpenter in gameandfishingmag.com

Here are some excerpts and images:


Basic Beagling Etiquette for Rabbit Hunting
If you're lucky enough to be invited by a tried-and-true hound man, here's what to expect when the tailgate drops.

https://www.gameandfishmag.com...abbit-hunting/369993
December 05, 2019
By Stephen D. Carpenteri

An invitation to hunt with an experienced rabbit hunter and his pack of well-trained hounds should be considered a special gift. Most avid hound hunters spend years developing a pack of hot-nosed beagles and are not wont to waste their time and energy on anyone who doesn’t understand and appreciate the sport.



When the call comes in to be ready to go at 7 a.m. on Saturday, do everything in your power to be up, dressed, armed and prepared for a long day in the briars. If you’re lucky, your host will stop for breakfast along the way, but in most cases the hunt begins at sunrise and does not end until sunset that evening—a long day in the woods by any standard. Bring enough snacks, sandwiches and water to last you all day unless your host plans to provide them. Ask them before you go so you can show up ready to hunt—shopping on hunt day is not an option.
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BASIC FORM AND ETIQUETTE
Odd as it may sound, there are some rules to chasing rabbits with beagles that all newcomers should be aware of. First and foremost, never make fun of a hunter’s dogs, their performance or their voices. Second, never brag about anything—your clothes, your gun or your experience—until the hunt is over and you actually have something to brag about.

Most hunts begin with a few minutes of jovial “tailgate talk” that generally finds all hands leaning over the sides of the truck, admiring the dogs and joking about what a great day it’s going to be. Don’t bring up politics, religion or anything other than rabbit hunting. We’re not here to talk—we’re here to hunt. Stay focused!
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Should the rabbit get through the first circle unscathed, he is likely to continue circling far and wide in an effort to shake the dogs. The best, most experienced hounds can’t be fooled by everyday rabbit tricks but they can be occasionally stalled by something new, which in the vernacular is called a “check.” The rabbit loses the dogs momentarily but the hounds will work it out and soon be back in business.

A rabbit won’t stay in the open with a beagle on its trail. Shots come suddenly at moving targets in cover.

When this happens, do not talk, yell or move around. The rabbit is likely to be nearby and doesn’t know how many hunters are around him. Any noise you make will be picked up by the crafty cottontail and you will once again be left standing there by yourself with a bunch of guys laughing at you. Sit tight, wait for the dogs to unscramble the trail and then see what happens when they start howling again. Let the dogs work the trail and (hopefully) bring the rabbit around to you.

If the chase goes into the distance or you can no longer hear the dogs, it’s acceptable to move to a new spot and hope that the rabbit will come through on the next circle. Ditches, wetland cover, dense evergreens or honeysuckle thickets are common escape routes for rabbits. Look at the available cover and go where it’s thickest because that’s what the rabbit is likely to do.
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Rabbit hunting is not rocket science, but it matters a great deal to those who run beagles. Be patient, use common sense and err on the side of common courtesy. If you don’t know what the right thing to do is, ask your host or another experienced hunter. Doing so will almost guarantee you a second invitation.

#1 Rule of rabbit hunting: Don't shoot the dogs!

quote:

Originally posted by WaterburyBob:
#1 Rule of rabbit hunting: Don't shoot the dogs!

I thought that was rule #2, #1 being don't shoot your host!

Never had dogs. I wore brush pants and plowed through the brush piles to spook them out.

I had an uncle who raised and hunted beagles. When I was about 16 he took me rabbit hunting with his dogs. I was deep into bow hunting then and only had my Bear Grizzly recurve bow. Yeah, he made a point of telling me, “Don’t shoot my dogs.”

Ever tried to hit a rabbit, running flat out—with an arrow? That was beyond my capability, but at least I didn’t hit one of his dogs.

quote:

Originally posted by WaterburyBob:
#1 Rule of rabbit hunting: Don't shoot the dogs!

#1 Rule of Upland Hunting and Waterfowl hunting also.

A buddy and I used to hunt jackrabbits out in the sagebrush country south of Boise, back when I was in college. No dogs, just the two of us walking around and scaring them up to run. Once, he made an absolute once-in-a-lifetime, pure shithouse luck shot with a .243 Win. He hit the jack, which was on a dead run at the time, right at the base of the neck and decapitated it.

Not a whole lot more fun than an ice cold morning of rabbit hunting. The dogs are usually a good ways behind the bunny, unlike upland bird hunting.

Have a local friend / ham operator who raises / trains / competiton trials / sells /and hunts with his beagles (Otis line/primaryly solid black w/ some brown and tan on the face).. has about 14 pups in his kennel today and travels 35miles one way each and every day to clean / feed / and work with his pups. After training he places / sells / ships/ all over the United States. Know of one of his customers who drove all the way from Virginia to pick up a dog. ........Doing any type of hunting can be a very enjoyable outing when using a well trained /experienced dog even though a gun is never fired and no game meat brought home. ..... #1 do not shoot the host... #2 do not shoot the dog .................. drill sgt.

Best advice for a novice is: Pay attention and stand where they tell you to.

Sorry for the ignorance. What is the basic strategy for hunting rabbits? What are these circles discussed above?

It seems like the hunter picks a spot a stays there; the dogs somehow herd the rabbits to the hunters. The hunters shift to a new spot if the rabbit moves radially outward. Is this the gist?

Do rabbits tend to remain in a particular area when hunted? If chased, do they leave their home area permanently or do they return after a period of time? Do rabbits have a sense of home or are they more nomadic in nature?

"Another common rule is that the youngest, newest or (sometimes) oldest hunters are allowed to hurry into the briars near the place where the dogs started the rabbit. About 90 percent of the time, the rabbit will make a big, wide circle and come back through almost exactly where he was jumped. This is the prime place to be and is usually reserved for beginners or (in your case) guests. When given such an opportunity, it is crucial that you do not miss the rabbit or you will pay dearly for it via endless teasing from the rest of the group."

quote:

Originally posted by konata88:
Sorry for the ignorance. What is the basic strategy for hunting rabbits? What are these circles discussed above?

It seems like the hunter picks a spot a stays there; the dogs somehow herd the rabbits to the hunters. The hunters shift to a new spot if the rabbit moves radially outward. Is this the gist?

Do rabbits tend to remain in a particular area when hunted? If chased, do they leave their home area permanently or do they return after a period of time? Do rabbits have a sense of home or are they more nomadic in nature?

Any knowledge I have is a result of the one hunt with dogs I wrote about earlier. Cottontails are very location specific. They do not stray far from their “home base.” The circling pattern repeatedly spoken of is not a result of herding by the dogs, but the rabbit’s instinct to circle back around to its den, shelter, lair…whatever you choose to call it.

I see. So if you know where home is, one can stake out nearby and just wait? What do dogs do then?

These hunts are during the day? We have wild rabbits but I never see them in the daytime. I only catch them on external cameras.

quote:

Originally posted by konata88:
I see. So if you know where home is, one can stake out nearby and just wait? What do dogs do then?

These hunts are during the day? We have wild rabbits but I never see them in the daytime. I only catch them on external cameras.

I don’t know how you would know exactly where “home is.” You just walk through a likely area and jump one. I don’t think it’s uncommon to see rabbits during the day at all.

quote:

Originally posted by konata88:
I see. So if you know where home is, one can stake out nearby and just wait? What do dogs do then?

These hunts are during the day? We have wild rabbits but I never see them in the daytime. I only catch them on external cameras.

The dogs smell them and get them up out of their home and running around. Else, you wouldn't see them.

quote:

Originally posted by WaterburyBob:
#1 Rule of rabbit hunting: Don't shoot the dogs!

My poor blind rescue beagle Nox agrees!! He was shot by a hunter and lost his sight. He still has pellets all over him…including his wedding tackle…

After 18 months of work with him, he is the sweetest, most loving beagle we have had. He’s a “foster fail”.

So what is the proper weapon for rabbit hunting, when you plan on eating them.

quote:

Originally posted by Maestro:

quote:

Originally posted by WaterburyBob:
#1 Rule of rabbit hunting: Don't shoot the dogs!

My poor blind rescue beagle Nox agrees!! He was shot by a hunter and lost his sight. He still has pellets all over him…including his wedding tackle…

After 18 months of work with him, he is the sweetest, most loving beagle we have had. He’s a “foster fail”.

Good Lord Maestro. Merry Christmas to you and Nox. What a great dog. Dogs are truly amazing, especially that one.

quote:

Originally posted by BB61:
So what is the proper weapon for rabbit hunting, when you plan on eating them.

A sub-gauge shotgun with #6 or smaller shot.