Taxidermist

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John-PA
Posts: 415
Joined: Tue Oct 10, 2006 7:39 pm
Location: SW Pennsylvania

Re: Taxidermist

Post by John-PA »

There is a guy in Franklin that freeze dries them and it wouldn't be too far for you either. Look up Lifelike Taxidermy.

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S.R.Patch
Posts: 4935
Joined: Mon Sep 02, 2002 1:17 am

Re: Taxidermist

Post by S.R.Patch »

Did you find it odd to harvest a "white" hare so early in the season?
Harechaser wrote, That's not that strange. Hare will begin turning white in late October. I'm guessing this hare was not as fulll white as it would be in late Dec. or early January. Also, hare do not all turn white at the same time. Some turn earlier than others. Same thing when they turn back brown in the spring. Hare are very vulnerable during the changing of seasons. It also can make some pretty rough running dogs for the type that pick up their heads in a check.

I usually won't run much in our club grounds when the hare are turning white and there is no snow on the ground. Hare in an enclosure do not run as far out in front of the dogs as they do in the wild. Once a dog has seen a few bust out of a thicket while in the midst of a check some nasty habits that are virtually incurable can easily be developed.

His pic is about as white as any hare I seen. I've only run hare in Wis. & UP. I think it's the hrs of daylight that triggers the cells responsible for hair color, the melanocytes, ... It is they that manufacture melanin for color pigment. It seems that reduction of daylight hrs, shut off these pigment producers and the hare/hairs goes white.
Oct., Dec. & March are the months we typically hunt hare. The gap we left between Halloween and Dec 1 was always when the change occurred. I'd never seen a hare white like that in Oct, so I had to ask if this was odd to him?
Imho, there's no way to prevent hounds from getting a view of hare rousted from their seat unless they are not smart enough using their full vantage of sight to aid themselves. What you are describing are faulty hounds that are given over to betraying their breeding as trailing hounds. Beagles are not known as sight hounds like whippets or greyhounds, but sight is and can be an aid in getting on with where to hunt and movement of escaping game. We don't want hounds to become as teenagers with a cellphone, they must be aware of whats around them if the opportunity presents itself.

Hare Chaser
Posts: 335
Joined: Wed Oct 02, 2013 8:15 pm

Re: Taxidermist

Post by Hare Chaser »

SRP, I too, have read what the encyclopedias have documented. I don't understand all that I read on the subject. I do trust what I've observed in the wild after having spent over 40 years following hounds and observing the game they chase. I've also learned I never want to see my hounds pick up there heads and look for the hare they pursue when they have a check. Learned behavior will overide the genetics when exposed to it regularly. If you had ever spent much time running hare in an enclosure you'd know exactly what I'm talking about.

Sorry for getting off topic here TV1998. I won't continue it further. I'm glad you enjoyed your hunt and some good hound work. Now you'll have a nice mount that will remind you of a good time, with good friends while enjoying some good hound work for many years to come!

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S.R.Patch
Posts: 4935
Joined: Mon Sep 02, 2002 1:17 am

Re: Taxidermist

Post by S.R.Patch »

Your right, running hare in an enclosure would be a oxymoron to me, free range is the only interest I'd have to run hare or else I'd run cottontails, big runs are why I go North.
I've seen pen rabbits run, not much interest running adult hounds on them.
Successful learned behavior will tempt hounds but a good one will always come to it's nose for problem solving but after 45 yrs of hiking along with hounds I've learned a hound can multi-task with it's senses.
Breeding the brains & gaminess out of the walkie-talkie hounds brought them to singleness of senses, I've seen them not see the rabbit sitting 10 yds in front of them in the open while blowing a hole in the ground, how dumb is that?
Anyway, good hunting to you guys.

TVE1998
Posts: 55
Joined: Fri Feb 21, 2014 11:57 am
Location: BRADFORD, PA

Re: Taxidermist

Post by TVE1998 »

He was actually harvested November 3rd, not far from October. A couple not pictured had white spots starting. I'm guessing they weren't far from changing. I'm just glad it was last weekend we were up there, I see the temperatures up there this weekend were well into the negatives.

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