Couldn't find any rabbits?

[yoteslayer]

So I took a couple of hounds out today to run a place I run often, and jump alot of rabbits. We were there for about 2 hours and never jumped a rabbit, I was kinda scratching my head until I found a spot where a coyote or fox had caught and eaten a rabbit. Im not sure if thats why there were no rabbits in this spot??? One of the dogs crossed the road to where it is just short grass and a small creek with a few trees. I had never hunted over there before, we jumped 14 rabbits in an hour and killed 3. There was 7 brush piles that im going to have to get rid of, some of them only ran 100 yards before they found a pile. This was the craziest hour of rabbit hunting I have ever seen in my life!!! I ran out of .22 shells or I may have been able to shoot a few more. The dogs did a pretty good job on the wet snow, it was nice and warm out, by the time I ran around trying to cut off the rabbits and got the dogs caught up I was sweating, I had a blast though. Tomorrow is the last weekend day of the season, so Im taking a couple of other guys out and hoping to have a great day!!!

[rabbitrunner33]

if you get rid of the brush piles the fox and yots will get them. just my thoughts

[nchunter102]

I agree..there was that many rabbits there because of the woodpiles..Don't feel bad I went to a honey hole of mine and ran two red foxes out of it in the first hour..only a couple jumped that day..it used to be full of them.

[yoteslayer]

Yeah I wouldnt get rid of them all. There was around 10 in one of my other spots and I burned 7 of them, now its alot better running. I left 3 in a triangle pattern in that spot. Now atleast you can run them further then 100 yards before the find a pile. These are actually push piles from a dozer in this new spot.

[Gabby's Beagles]

I would not get rid of the brush piles. You get rid of the brush piles you won't jump any rabbits there either. If someone tears your house down your going to move and find another house. Same for a rabbit.

[Newt]

If the dogs can't get them out of a brush pile, I'd get some dogs that can. If you mean log piles that dog can't get into, that is a different story.. Rabbits got to have a place to escape the predators or there won't be any left to hunt.

[yoteslayer]

Call it what you want, they are push piles from a dozer like previously stated, if you have a dog that cant penatrate that you could probably run him in the 4" beagle class.

[jimmy creek]

By reading your description of the grounds, I assume the two areas are close together. Could it be that rabbits from area A were in area B for whatever reason, sunning in short grass, breeding, whatever? Where I run regularly rabbits are usually well dispersed, but occasionally when there is no action on one hill, just cross the creek and all hell breaks loose. Next time you go they may be back in original area.

[walkerdogman85]

I know in my area in central ohio rabbits seem to be on the decline, there doesn't seem to be as many as here was 10 years ago. Mabye I just need better dogs but I do believe the numbers are down

[yoteslayer]

Yeah Jimmy it is very possible, I had just never been skunked in the first spot. I went back to the second spot today and jumped 6 or 7 and only 4 of them holed up in the brush piles, two ran right by the piles and didnt go into them, and killed one. Good running again today, my little GB female got a few checks, jumped half of the rabbits and ran good, she runs with her nose glued to the ground, she just needs a little confidence built up and she will be doing great. She is fast, when she gets on a line and can hold it she can flat move a track!!! She is getting better with every trip out, im excited to see what the future has in store for her!!! You should see the speed difference in sight chases between her and my Beagle/Basset hound, In 100 yards she will put 40 yards on him!!

[yoteslayer]

Micheal, I have 3 or 4 times the rabbits this year as I did last year in my area. I knew it was going to be a good year after seeing the number of little rabbits along the roads. It has been a few years since we had a good population so im glad to see it. Ive only killed 4 rabbits all year so hopefully letting them live this year will pay off for next year!!!

[walkerdogman85]

In the spring and summer I saw a bunch of little ones too but seems like when winter gets here they disappear! I have only shot two this year cause I don't eat many and they are to find so why shoot them. I saw on a odnr site that rabbit numbers are down 19% I can believe it

[yoteslayer]

I figured the same thing would happen to the ones i was seeing this summer, but surprisingly they are still around. It helps the yote numbers are down this year and I have been shooting feral cats around my hunting grounds too. I got another one tonight, 150 yards with the .243. I saw him near the road so I turned around, he thought he was tricky and ran 150 yards from the road, he wasnt expecting the big gun!!!!!