Catching rabbits

beagler · Post by **beagler** » Mon Jul 12, 2004 9:33 am

Does anyone on here have a dog that consistantly catches rabbits every trip you take them out. Well I have a female that has pups on her that are coming 4 weeks old now. I have took her out 5 times since rabbit season. While she was bred and going to have pups she caught 3 rabbits in 3 trips. A week after she had the pups she caught 1 and yesterday evening she caught another one. The first 3 she caught was very young but still was big enough to escape. The 4th one was half grown and should definetly been able to get away. And last night was something I had never seen a dog do and it was jump a full grown rabbit in some cover. The rabbit ran down to the timber line and when my female came in sight of the rabbit while it was going through the timber she ran it down and caught it. Right before my very eyes. I new she was fast but never knew she was this fast.

Big Dog · Post by **Big Dog** » Mon Jul 12, 2004 10:10 am

My dogs catch a lot of rabbits in the summer time to my displeasure. Rabbits can't take much heat and it doesn't take long for a dog to break them down if the temp is warm. They don't catch near as many when it gets cold though.

Big Dog

lonewolf · Post by **lonewolf** » Mon Jul 12, 2004 11:16 am

one thing you want to watch is not to let her start sight chasing them ,now if she is running the track and catching them that is different, like big dog said rabbits cant take the real warm weather well and they will wear out quick,just dont let her start jumping them and sight chasing because she may become what they call still mouth,,,,this happen to me 2 years ago,,,,,,

backyard beagler · Post by **backyard beagler** » Mon Jul 12, 2004 11:23 am

sounds like a good dog but I wouldn't run her while the pups were still nursing, not trying to sound like a prick or anything but alot can happen to a bitch with her tits flopping from side to side, sticks, briers, fences, alot can happen to a nursing female that could mess her up and she sounds like a dog that I personally wouldn't want to take a chance on loseing.

Redfan · Post by **Redfan** » Wed Jul 28, 2004 9:29 pm

Interesting what you say Big Dog, never thought about it. My female caught near full grown rabbits on 3 or 4 separate trips out last year and it was during the summer. Once it got colder she never caught a one.

Big Dog · Post by **Big Dog** » Wed Jul 28, 2004 10:54 pm

To Redfan Rabbits can't take much heat. If a dog keeps constant pressure on them and they can't go to ground my dogs will normally run them down and catch them after a half hour or so. Some of these rabbits may be pregnant does. When it gets cold my dogs rarely catch rabbits. In the summer months I catch one or two a week if scenting is halfway decent and the rabbit stays up.

Big Dog

beagles gone wild · Post by **beagles gone wild** » Thu Jul 29, 2004 7:07 am

The other night my pup caught a rabbit .It could not use its back legs it was like the rabbit broke its back, I never seen this b4.

Rock Bottom · Post by **Rock Bottom** » Thu Jul 29, 2004 2:27 pm

We have had 2 dogs that would catch rabbits on a real consistant basis. We went hunting one time in Nov. here in northwest IN. and the dogs caught 3 of the 6 rabbits we got one day. Both of these hounds were fast line control dogs that would run with their head up looking well ahead on the trail.

windy hollow · Post by **windy hollow** » Sun Aug 01, 2004 5:15 am

beagles gone wild wrote:The other night my pup caught a rabbit .It could not use its back legs it was like the rabbit broke its back, I never seen this b4.

Yes this happens usually in extreme heat, the rabbits rear legs just lock up on them.

beagles gone wild · Post by **beagles gone wild** » Thu Aug 05, 2004 9:45 am

I released it and with in five min it was find

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