Beagle Or Not

Deep, soft snow takes away a cottontail's only line of defense--speed. If the snow is too deep to utilize that speed, they won't travel far from their holes. Consequently, they'll not run a circle for dogs; they will only sprint short distances and hole up. Those are the days when a dogless hunter can jump and pump with success, while the hound guy is better off staying home watching TV.

Jump-shooting rabbits is not rocket science. It's just a matter of finding an area with low, dense ground cover and good rabbit numbers. Abandoned farms or orchards are great spots to try; old farm equipment almost always has a bunny napping under it. Once you've picked a spot, then it's just a matter of busting boot leather. The more cover you kick, the better your odds.

This is quick, in-your-face shooting, with most shots in the ten- to twenty-yard range. Small gauges and open chokes are the ticket if you want something edible when you're done. A great place to jump and pump is old railroad beds. A two-man team can work a set of tracks very efficiently. One hunter walks on the tracks, and the other beats the heavy underbrush that borders them. If the beater kicks out a cottontail and can't get a shot, the bunny, in many cases, will break out of the cover and run along the edge of the track bed, giving the track dude a clear shot. The pair can work down in one direction, switch and come back the other side. You can't get much simpler than that.

Gotta Have 'Em!

Now that I've said that a hunter without dogs can harvest as many cottontails as a hunter with beagles--and I believe this to be true--I must say that there is no better way to spend a winter day than chasing rabbits with beagles.

It can be enjoyed in a group or alone and is a great way to introduce a young person to hunting. A new hunter can be positioned so he gets plenty of action, which is key to getting him hooked on the sport. Jumping rabbits versus running them with a beagle is like comparing The Sportsman's Channel to QVC. I would sooner shoot one rabbit my dogs have circled than a game bag full that I've jumped solo. I feel so strongly about this that when hunting with my dogs, I give strict orders to my hunting partners not to shoot any rabbits they jump while walking, even if they have a slam-dunk shot. Instead, I have them call over the dogs and put them on the hot track.

From a practical standpoint, if you are going to own only one hunting dog, it should be a beagle. You get a much longer hunting season than with any other hunting dogs--in most states at least five months and some states have no closed rabbit season. All states have liberal bag limits as well.

All this being said, think it over thoroughly before you obtain a beagle. Do your homework. Once you've made the decision to go beagle, the ride begins. Here are some things to consider when looking for a good hound: