Thursday, January 6, 2011

SNOWSHOE HARES AND HOUNDS


Deep in boreal forests, you can often hear the baying of hounds on any given winter weekend. The beaglers are out with anywhere from one, two or more beagles chasing the snowshoe hare. This is an exciting way to hunt the snowshoe.
(15 inch beagle at work)

Snowshoe hares seem to float across the surface of the snow at times. They have even been referred to as the Ghosts of the North Country, white rabbits and a number of other names. They have large feet with long hairs between the toes that gives them a buoyancy on many types of snow cover, whether soft and fluffy or heavy and wet.

At first glance you might think the diminutive beagle, it’s short legs and long ears, is not cut out for such speedsters as the snowshoe hare. But the beagle is, whether 13 inch or 15 inch, just about the right size to chase these hares through cedar, balsam or tag alder swamps. Hand in hand with their trailing ability, they also have some of the sweetest singing voices in the woods. There is no greater pleasure than listening to beagles on the trail of a snowshoe.
(Two rabbit dogs, one mixed breed and one purebred)

Over the years, I have had a couple of beagles, some mixed breed and some purebred. I never noticed a big difference in performance, although I am sure many houndmen would differ on that count. Let’s face it, I use the family pet to hunt with, while the beaglers are into a bit of a profit margin when it comes to hounds. It is quite difficult to sell mixed breed hounds, but purebred beagles from good lines can help pay some of the bills for your own pack of beagles.
Presently I am running a 15 inch male beagle that I got during a low cycle of the snowshoe hare population. He had a hard time learning to figure out those hares the first couple of years, but seems to be doing quite well now. If the hunter with him could either be at the right place at the right time or shoot a little straighter, we would probably come home with more game in the bag.
The keeping of beagles is not for everyone. They are a higher energy dog and need attention or they tend to get into mischief. But if you have a beagle or know someone with a hunting beagle, go out and try chasing the snowshoe hare. I am sure that you will be enchanted by the hound music and hooked on the chase from that time on.
(two purebred beagles, one 13 inch and one 15 inch)

On my first outing this season, my beagle hit a fresh track and I headed for an inside corner of the cedar swamp where I knew they often crossed. Standing there under a large evergreen, I listened to the progress of the chase as the beagle howled out his song on the trail. Suddenly I looked to my right and the snowshoe hare was just hopping out of a thicket just about ten yards away. I swung up the shotgun and promptly missed the shot as the hare zig-zagged through the brush. That is one that lived for another day.
(Mixed breed pup with her first snowshoe hare)

Not all my hunts end on such a low note. I usually do quite well in the shooting department and often have a couple of snowshoes for the pot. But that particular hunt I went home without game. Such is the way of hunting snowshoes with beagles.

3 comments:

  1. at least your beagles hunt... my mixed breed had a rabbit bounce off him one time and he barely reacted! but he's a wonderful family pet that can smell bacon a mile away :)

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  2. What an image that conjures up! I have known a few beagles with that same level of ambition. You still must love them because they are beagles.

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  3. I know this is an old post but I just stumbled onto it looking for other snowshoe hunters with beagles in New York. Your right about there being no better sound in the world than a dead winter silence broken by the baying of a beagle that just opened up an a rabbit.

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