The end of the big game season signals the start of three other traditional winter season activities in this area. They are rabbit hunting, snowmobiling and skiing. Of the three rabbit hunting is the oldest sport, but today it trails the other two in popularity. Rabbit hunters are a breed of their own. The quarry is not the ultimate thrill or inducement to participate in the practice, the dogs are.

Hunting, it goes without saying, is the oldest and most basic form of human activity. Dogs became an able ally soon after and greatly enhanced man’s success. Man has risen above the necessity of hunting for a living, but both he and the dog still retain the primordial urge to do so. Man’s dependency on his canine helper has been imbued so indelible in his past he can’t let it go.

The real sport is in observing the ability of the dog to harass and drive the rabbit around to the gunner. Of course there are other benefits such as the exercise and the bonus for the table.

Hounds are usually the dogs associated with rabbit hunting. Any hunting dog with a good nose, and one bred to home in on ground scent can add assistance to the hunter. The problem with that type of dog is they do not regularly bay on the track telegraphing the rabbit’s course.

Of the hound group, beagles are the premier rabbit hunters. They also possess one of the best personalities of any breed of dog. Their grouping in the canine world belies the fact that they make wonderful house pets and devoted companions. My grandson’s beagle Lily’s behavior bears testament to that fact.

They became enamored of the sport after hunting with a friend who owned a beagle. They bought one of their own shortly thereafter. She was just a pup and barely weaned. For a long while I feared that she would never be able to walk. They carried and cuddled her constantly. She took it all in stride and demonstrated that it did nothing to suppress her hunting instincts or tough dog attitude.

Lily grew up in the household with her bigger counterpart, Missy, a six year old standard poodle. She was not one bit intimidated by her or our two formidable brutish wire haired pointing griffons. When we get the four of them together in the house, which occurs much too often to my way of thinking, she is just as rowdy as the other three.

She shows much more of the hunting instincts than any of the other three. We have a window seat in front of a picture window facing the lawn and adjacent woods in which she likes to perch. She religiously watches for hated trespassers such as chipmunks or red squirrels. Once sighted she gives notice by loudly baying between snarls, and clawing frantically on the glass. This of course sets off the rest of the pack and they all rush to the door to be let out to confront the intruder. If they happen to tree the interloper she is the last to give up the vigil.

When hunting, she is equipped with a harness supporting a GPS that tells the hunters where she is at all times. It is not unusual for the GPS to show she has logged eleven or twelve miles on a typical hunt. They hunted along with a friend this year that was swayed the same way they were two years ago, and followed suit with a new pup of his own. They killed four rabbits the first day and two the following. They cut both hunts short since the dogs had gotten out of shape over the summer. They will both be back on the top of their game before the winter is out and so will their human companions. Bucking deep snows is all part of the game especially here in the Adirondacks.

All dogs run a big risk today from attacks by coyotes. There are increasing reports of attacks by coyotes emboldened by hunger and familiarity with human activities. That is not the only worry one has for hunting dogs this time of year. It is from falling through the ice and being unable to extricate them selves before succumbing to the cold and water. I lost one of my dogs that way one year. If we had had the GPS harnesses in those days I may have been able to save her.

I began this missive with the intention of describing more of the rabbit hunting and got side tracked by the dogs. Not hard for an old hunting dog man to do. Maybe next time I can get more into the meat of the matter?