VA rabbit hunt w/ PICS!!!
 

It's that time of year!!! Tuesday we had our 2nd rabbit hunt this week and I ran my FC Otis' Big John (green collar), Magic (orange), Brownie (red), & Summer (yellow). We jumped 11 rabbits and harvested 9; my buddy shot his 1st limit & I harvested 3. The dogs all ran superbly, in sync, & each one contributed to the races, not to mention it was a bluebird day, what more could we ask for!

That is a great day, Steve. Have you dried out from Saturdays hunt? Once again thanks for bringing out the dawgs, a good time was had by all. Give us a call if interested in running again this coming Saturday.

Looks like a great day! Anyday that I get to spend hunting my dogs is a good day though.

Great stuff!

what fun !!!

I was wondering whats it like in the day of a rabbit hunter. what time of the morning do you start? does any of the rabbits eveer get away? how many hunters are usually used? i did see a fox chasing a rabbit 2 saturdays ago. The rabbit got away. The fox was probably 40 yards behind the rabbit. It was cool watching it.
do you use #6's-assuming shotguns are used.

We usually start an hour or two after sun up. The more hunters the better. Usualy 4 to 6 beagles. It is a social event and we even bring the kids. The more hunters you have, the better chances you have of kicking up the rabbits. We do not jump shoot the rabbits. Its all about hearing the dogs working the scent of the rabbit. We typically hunt the really really thick stuff. Thicker the better. Briar proof clothing is a must, plus dont forget you blaze orange. Sometimes a rabbit does get away by holeing up or getting in a brush pile that the dogs can not get completly in. But, most times a run ends in a harvested rabbit. It may not be on the first, second or third circle or the same number of shots taken. This is where having a good number of hunters helps out the dogs from having an hour long chase. Rabbits are tuff to shoot, very smart and sneaky. Shots are typically up close and personal and happen very very fast. Rabbit hunting is great fun for all, especially if you have a great pack of beagles to hunt behind.

I used to rabbit hunt as a kid all the time. Had a couple of dogs and my buddy had and entire pack. We had great days...back in the day. It's hard to beat a good day of rabbit hunting.

I don't really rabbit hunt anymore. Seems like all the rabbits around here (eastern panhandle of WV) have disappeared. Of course I haven't really looked for them for a long time but rarely do I ever jump a rabbit while out doing something else anymore. Our hunting started dying off probably 15-20 years ago. We always suspected too many feral cats, not enough cover left on farms, and now foxes are everywhere too (usually see one about everytime I'm out nowadays).

You guys sure seem like you have good places down there. Can you tell me what kind of land your hunting?? private farms?? Public?? managed club?? Is the hunting Preety good all over down there (where are you??)??? Sure would be nice hearing the dogs howl again and yell "THERE HE GOES!!!"
thanks

We are hunting private and hunt club land. Culpeper county, Prince William county, Fauquier county. Our hunt club land is a tree farm of mostly pines and patches of hardwoods. We hunt the clearcuts after a few years of thicket growth and before the pines begin to grow tall enough to kill off the thicket undergrowth. The rabbits are loving these thickets for protection from the fox and birds of prey. It hard hunting but this is where the rabbits are. We see lots of rabbit sign in these thickets, telling us we are in the right place. Plus we are always seeing and killing rabbits. Hoping to be out in the thickets this coming Saturday. TALLY HO TALLY HO!!!!!!!!!!

Steve,
Every year to are able to make me very jealous!!!

Those pictures pretty much describe what i did with my dad and other folks in Illinois from the time I was 5 until my early 20s. My dad no longer keeps rabbit dogs and with all the POSTED signs that have sprouted up it is harder to find room to run 'em. I still get out once or twice a year with some friends to stomp brush, but it is nowhere near the same as listeningto some good rabbit dogs work the brush.

Steve,

pm me your phone number, I can't find yours anymore. I have a few things I wanted to run by you.

Justin

tourangeaud - who are you kidding, my worthless mutts lose most every rabbit we jump, I'm fixin to start jump shooting if they don't get better soon! HAHA, just kidding. We usually drop the tailgate a few hrs. after sunrise & we hunt 1 pack of dogs all day, usually 4-5 dogs. Actually, I prefer to hunt w/ no more than 4 guys total but tourangeauds spot is right NASTY and you can get away w/ a few more. Too many & I get worried for the hunters & dogs safety as you can't see very far even w/ people covered in blaze (rabbits live in the nastiest briars & thickets you can imagine). I only hunt private land but tried some public land in VA a few years back and it was a bust compared to private property. TALLY HO TALLY HO!!!