me and dad hunted rabbits for at least 46 yrs.always used a beagle.i use labrador now.........
lot of storys i could tell,good and bad ones .sad here in pa that rabbits are very few too.
no cover, hawks, owls, eagles, coyotes,fox,bobcats all take toll on rabbits.
years ago the locals would shoot most of the above,today they are past away and very few hunt rabbits as they are few do to those PREDATORS above........

you can murder someone and get 1 yr in jail but kill hawk and you go away for 10yrs.what a system we have now..........