First Rabbit of the year and with 2 newbies along for the ride

[beagleman]

Last weekend I took a buddy from work who had never been rabbit hunting and one of my derby's out for their first hunt. Both did quit well in my opion. We only got one hot rabbit up that day. And I had my derby started this summer and have been tryin to run him. But he has never showed much desire. That though changed a little today. When the 2 old dogs got the rabbit hot. He started to chime in I spotted the rabbit off in the distance, knew the area and where the dogs and my buddy was located and took a pop shot at it for no other reason than to see how the derby acted to a gun shot. Just like his grand pappy, it seemed once he heard the noice he put 2 and 2 together. I ran up to the spot to where I last saw the rabbit and Tally Ho'd the dogs to the spot. Stubbs the derby, was the first once to pick up the scent. And the chase was on, it had more excitement then the other "Chase" going on at this time. The dogs adventualy circled the rabbit back to into the tall grass where it came out when I took the pop shot. Now I wasnt exactly in this grass I had one shooting lane and my buddy had the other. But from listening to the sweet sound of barking beagles it appeared Stubbs has another one of his grand pappy's old traits. It sounded as if the 2 ole girls was working the rabbit back out to where we first saw it, which makes sense firguring Id venture to say that 90% of rabbits run in a circle. But Stubbs sounded to be in a diffrent area working by himself. He wasnt so shure if those 2 gals was telling him the truth or not and it sounded as if he just elected to work the run out by himself. After about another 15-20 minutes in this grass I noticed that the rabbit had turned and was back tracking. Unfortuanely for my buddy the rabbit was headed back towards me. I really wanted him to take a rabbit that day but figureing on the nearby road and safe zone I wasnt going to risk yelling at him and losing this rabbit. And shure enough when he popped out of the grass infront of me. I let him have a light load of #6 out of my fairly old EAA SxS, and watched him roll. I tried to get Stubbs to get a good look and bite out of his first rabbit but to my amazement none of the dogs paid any attention to my kill. Now my buddy on the other hand, he was amazed. And I was amazed about his attitude towards rabbit hunting. That was our only hot rabbit of the day and he didnt even hardly see the thing let alone shoot. Kept saying stuff like... "Boy you have to be fast to hit a rabbit dont you.,and "Can I shoot if I see one." Everyone at work had him scared he'd shoot one of my dogs. I kept telling him as long as he was confindent and aware of what was around him, the dogs location and the direction they are working to fire at will. And my buddy loved the pair of chaps I let him barrow kept saying how warm and dry they kept his legs but how weird it was he said his butt felt naked compaired to his legs. But he got bitten by the bug of rabbit hunting. He was trying to get me to leave Wed. morning and call in Thursday when I wouldnt leave Wed. Because of all the rain we had and the cooler tempetures. I have my son this weekend but I plan on trying to take him and Stubbs back out this coming weekend. Im curious to see if my buddy will enjoy the sport of beagling as much as he did rabbit hunting. Stubbs did one other thing he made me proud that I didnt go with my first name for him. Juan Dom not explict but similar name of a popular move Meet the......(Dont want to offend anyone so fill it in if you can)

Untill next time my fellow Rabbit hunters and Beaglers!

O yea and incase you dont know a Derby is basicaly a pup that is for the most part less than 2 years in age. Stubbs is 14 months old.

[Hardwood_HD]

sounds like fun, i wish i had a rabbit dog, still got two weeks here until season starts.. congrats

[beagleboy]

That's awesome.

[beagleman]

Im out of vacation untill the end of january, but one of my personal outdoor goals is to hunt out of state. Depending on what part of Ohio your in you never know maybe the dogs and I can take a road trip. Well if gas stays under 4 dollars a gallon.