jump shooting

[mdbeagler]

I don't feed and train dogs year round to jump shoot.
If guy's want to jump shoot, put the dogs up and
lets jump on some bushes. Most of us aren't so
hungry that we have to try and shoot every rabbit
we see. Once a rabbit circles, it gives the rabbit
fair chance to hole up, or lose the dogs.

[KYHunter79]

I look at it like a bird hunter would look at shooting a bird on the ground in front of a pointing dog.

That would be more like shooting at a sitting rabbit.

This is the topic that sets Beaglers apart from Rabbit hunters to me. I am a rabbit hunter. I go rabbit hunting to kill rabbits. I use dogs to aid me. I do not believing in endangering any dog/hunter in any way over a rabbit. I can promise you that you and your hounds will be safe hunting with me and my crew. But, we WILL jumpshoot at any rabbit that pops up and we can get a safe shot at. So, if you don't allow that over your dogs then dont come hunt with us. This year I have hunted 25+ times from 3-6 hours a trip and killed nearly 90 rabbits and never even came close to endangering a dog or person. Then again I am pretty particular about who I hunt with and I tell everyone not to take any kind of risky shot over a little rabbit. I would say atleast 80% of those rabbits OR MORE were killed on the jump. The dogs that I have hunted with could circle one back when needed to.

And its just as sporting to jumpshoot a rabbit than to shoot one on the circle. I would venture to say its harder to hit a rabbit that pops out of a clump of grass and slips into a briar thicket than one that the dogs have ran around and circled back to you with your gun ready waiting for it to pop out into a shooting lane. But, believe me I do my share of missing, probably enough for half the people on this site. But, I wouldn't have it any other way.

I can understand people that want to let their dogs run and circle and I respect that. But, I don't agree with saying that jumpshooting is dangerous and unsporting. One person said something like why have a dog if you are going to jump shoot, just go out and jump on some briars. Well, I look at it this way why have a dog that you are afraid to shoot over? Accidents can happen anywhere in the field. It depends on the safety of your hunters. One can get shot coming out of nowhere on the circle back just like it can on the jump. I don't shoot until the rabbit is in the clear and I know there is no way I could injure a dog, not just when I see fur.

I apologize ahead of time if anyone is offended its just my opinion Ladies and Gentleman.

[bill (flint river )]

i have a no jump shooting rule. when a guy has is eye on the prize, sometimes they lose the abilty to look around.

for me it about the hounds not how many rabbits i can eat.

[mdbeagler]

How can you be sure where a hound is or where it will
pop out, if it isn't barking. How many times have you
seen a hound take off in front of you and pop out
from behind you. I know a guy that jump shot a
rabbit, and killed a dog in one shot. The dog popped
out at the same time as the rabbit?" I won't say all,
but a lot of guy's that jump shoot ; don't have dogs
that can continuously circle a rabbit back to the gun
at least the ones I know. I have seen enough hounds
at field trials that can't run a rabbit on their own.
To me it is about hound work, and I am a rabbit
hunter first. Rabbit hunting is a sport, unless we
are starving and need the meat,
I don't have a problem if someone wants to jump
shoot over their dogs, but don't brag about how
many rabbits you shot. It's about high numbers
to a lot of guys. When rabbit numbers are low
they want to blame every predator in the woods,
not the fact they take 300 to 500 rabbits a year.

[thh058]

to those of you who say it's just a sport and we don't need the meat:

we hunt becasue it is fun AND WE WANT THE MEAT! it is in my blood to hunt and kill. saying it's just a sport and we don't need the meat makes me think some of you don't care if the anti's did away with hunting...

[Briarhoppers]

Pete -

In reply to your earlier question to me. Perhaps comparing jump shooting rabbits to shooting doves off the power line was not the best analogy. My intention was not focus on the aspect of the game sitting still, but rather what I in my opinion consider more sporting and how I choose to hunt w/ my dogs.

If the rabbit is momentarily sitting still after coming back around w/ the dogs in pursuit I do certainly shoot it. I shoot deer standing still, turkeys standing still, and squirrels standing still. My point is that in my opinion, jump shooting is "less sporting" and I choose to limit myself and not shoot rabbits until the rabbit has been run at least a full circle. I also limit myself by not shooting small bucks, not shooting jakes, not shooting doves off the powerline or ducks off the water.

Does any one need to shoot a rabbit so bad that they can't let the dogs run it for a while and give the rabbit a chance to run for its life? The thrill and anticipation of hearing a loud pack of beagle hounds taking a rabbit out and then turning back and heading in my direction is why I go rabbit hunting!!

-pete

[pete young]

We have been rabbit hunting for 25 years over dogs. We have never put a single shot in a dog or even close to a dog for that matter. We aren't out there shooting up a lead mine, but we are out there shooting rabbits, the ground, trees and grass around them(lol). We have never shot a person with us and don't plan on it. We are VERY careful with our shots and make sure we hunt with people that are careful also. If we are not 100% sure of where all dogs and people are we do not take the shot. It is just common sense and safe hunting. It is a amazing to me the number of people that consider jumpshooting to be unsportsman. It is much harder to shoot a rabbit on the jump than it is to shoot one that is bouncing along in front of the dogs. Each hunter has the right to hunt how he or she chooses. It just drives me crazy when people start making a person sound like a poacher when they are actually hunting legally, safely and ethicly. I will be the first to tell you that I love to hear the dogs run and like I said in an earlier post I do that 9 months out of the year. I will put my dogs on the ground with anyones dogs and I will promise you that they will get thier part. They can all run thier own rabbit and circle a rabbit without a problem. I know that before I start hunting them. If I need to see that during gun season then I haven't done my part throughout the rest of the year. I intend to kill rabbits when I go rabbit hunting and I will shoot them when I have a safe shot. If you choose to criticize me for that, then that is your choice, but It doesn't make you a better houndsman or sportsman. If you don't want to hunt with me and my buddies, that is fine. It just leaves more for us to go after.

[thh058]

Does any one need to shoot a rabbit so bad that they can't let the dogs run it for a while and give the rabbit a chance to run for its life?

we are out there to kill rabbits!! this isn't catch and release program! it is running for it's life when it jumps out of it's bed!

i might even go as far to say rabbits are HARDER to hit when you jump shoot them instead of when they come back around. they are almost always running faster, and we are not ready for them...

[thh058]

well said pete!

[TC]

Well here is my take on jumpshooting.
I do it...
Over MY DOGS I wont over your Dogs I know my Dogs but i dont know yours All i ask is the same When i am Hunting with you...
We all agree that Hunt together on weather or not we are jump Shooting that day or not or in that area.. here is the Thing We have hunted together before I know Them they know me... I will not allow jumpshooting over my Dogs with someone I dont know!!! I have hunted With a few Folks that I STILL will not allow to Jumpshoot over my Dogs.. We have the first circle rule...As far as Sporting Or not thats up to you.. I have a lot harder time hitting a jumped Rabbit than i do a circled one most of the time..
I guess what i am saying is it all comes down to Trust..
How much do YOU trust the person your Hunting With. I always Say hey its nuthing personel i just Dont know your hunting habits that well yet...
But I will jump Shoot its all about the Fun and the love of the Sport.
I run my dogs all year and when Season is in i wanna kill a couple (2 this year ) LOL Mostly i just let the Dogs run Just a personel thing with me.
I always Say if we are going hunting the first time that i dont like to jump Shoot first time out and that person has a problem with it then i can always find Someone else to hunt with....

[Briarhoppers]

Pete,

Understand your point of view and I'm sure in the end we will all just agree to disagree on what we consider to be the best rabbit hunting practices.

I scanned back thru the posts and I don't think anyone is criticizing you personally, just a difference of opinion.

However, when I see a stud add for a beagle w/ a big pile of rabbits in front of him, I'd like to be able to think that dog circled those rabbits and his owner wasn't jump shooting.

For me personally, I'd prefer to come home w/ 3 rabbits that the dogs ran for an hour each than to come home w/ the limit after jump shooting. Again, that is my opinion, and what I consider to be a more rewarding accomplishment.

-pete

[gftn118]

Every Story I have heard regarding a shot dog started out something like this: The rabbit jumped up and I shot, about the same time a dog popped up and I didn't know it was there, the cover was pretty heavy. These same stories ended with wow those were some expensive vet bills or I had to burry my best rabbit dog.

These stories are why I have alway had a 1 circle rule. The biggest reason for me is it gives a chance for all the dogs in the pack to get behind the rabbit (where you are sure they will be) and it opens distance between your dog and the rabbit.

It works for me and those I hunt with. I hope the jumpshooters out there never have to tell a story like the ones I've heard.

This is just my opinion and Im not condeming anybody.

[hillbilly]

I' AM WITH PETE (AMEN MY BROTHER)


I DO IT BOTH WAYS JUMP SHOOT SOMETIMES AND LET THEM RUN OTHERS BUT I DON'T LIKE THE PEOPLE THAT TRY TO MAKE YOU FEEL UNSPORTSMAN LIKE WHEN U JUMP SHOOT ITS ALL ABOUT HAVING A GOOD TIME AND ITS FUN TO KILL RABBITS AND THAT HASN'T CHANGED SICE I WAS 10 YR. OLD AND SHOT MY FIRST IN FRONT OF OLE BLUE......

HILLBILLY

[Chain rock]

Hey Hilly, if you hunt with Rockytop or Pine Mt. you had better jumpshoot or you wont get another chance. I heard about Rufus and Chaney tush hoggin you and your boy on that last hunt. What a shame

[Tallasan]

I don't jump shoot, I rabbit hunt for a couple reasons. 1 is because i like the taste of rabbit (not because i'm starving and in need of food)
2 because my hounds enjoy chasing rabbits.

If i jump shoot i'm only satisfying 50% of what i hunt for, thats not fair to me and it's definately not fair to my hounds.

However i won't knock anyone that likes to jump shoot but i personally don't see the enjoyment in it.

I do however ask those that hunt with me (my guests) to let the hounds circle once.

If i'm the guest of someone that jump shoots i'll respect that as long as my hounds aren't in danger. If i feel my hounds are in danger then i will (respectivley) state my opinion.

In the end this is all personal preference and not really debateable, it all depends on the individual person or persons.

-Tim