Hare

JovanJ · Post by **JovanJ** » Mon Jun 18, 2007 9:53 am

Anyone know how far Hare usually run

Emery · Post by **Emery** » Mon Jun 18, 2007 10:05 am

It all depends on how hard you push them. I have seen them take a dog out of hearing and then back again. I have also seen them run a small circle like a cottontail.

Stereotypically, they run larger circles than cottontails do, but that isn't always the case. They also tend to run straighter lines and not play as many tricks as a cottontail does. They use their speed to elude the preditor; where as a cottontail doesn't have the speed, they resort to trickery to elude.

Emery

Joeyman · Post by **Joeyman** » Mon Jun 18, 2007 10:37 am

Yeah those sneaky cottontails.......always playing tricks on the dog's. I've seen them playing tricks all the time here in MO.

I've never ran hare but it sounds interesting........something different.

S.R.Patch · Post by **S.R.Patch** » Mon Jun 18, 2007 11:48 am

Emery wrote:It all depends on how hard you push them. I have seen them take a dog out of hearing and then back again. I have also seen them run a small circle like a cottontail.

Stereotypically, they run larger circles than cottontails do, but that isn't always the case. They also tend to run straighter lines and not play as many tricks as a cottontail does. They use their speed to elude the preditor; where as a cottontail doesn't have the speed, they resort to trickery to elude.

Emery

The hare has his own bag of tricks and tho they are not played in as restricted a area as the cottontail, they are just as deadly.
When we ran cross-country, we had a game we played called Indian tag, hare love to play this game with the hounds and when they get all reved up, they split...

Another game is where one hare will take the hounds round the circuit and bust another hare from her seat. The orginal hare being ran will clap in the busted hare's form and the fresh hare will be forced to take up the lead of the chase. Hare have 3 main defences, concealment, speed, and her method of running. Hare will foil their trail by doubling and criss-crossing then, take large 15 ft leaps to the side while laying motionless. Then, as Em has said, if the heat be to great, they get out of the kitchen. The great speed of the hare is her last saving grace and has made many first time hare hunters wish they had a shock collar, for the speed and drive with which the hounds leave out on a full grown hare cause them to swear, it can be nothing but a deer chase...

... get to high ground and find a good rock for a seat, the hare will be back shortly with the hounds in tow and the music will last as long as the band will care to play, if you've bred your hounds well, the music will last all day with repeat performances for days following. There's no better test for the metal your shaping than a hare race...

Beagleman63 · Post by **Beagleman63** » Mon Jun 18, 2007 12:05 pm

I moved to central Ohio about five years ago. I used to live in a suburb of Detroit and had to load up my dogs and drive quite a way to run them. I now live in the country and can run dogs right here (on cottontail) and would not give up country life for anything! I'm often asked if I miss anything about Michigan, and one thing I sure do miss is running Hare!!! I still manage to get my fix by going up to New York, and sometimes back up to run them in Michigan, but not nearly as often as I'd like to. There is no comparison to a good hare race, and although some guys here have tried to tell me that my hare hounds are to fast and rough for the running here, there is no way I'd give up my so called "hare hounds"! They can run cottontails just fine, and I can still get that spine tingling feeling when I do get back in a sweet cedar swamp full of Hare!

JovanJ · Post by **JovanJ** » Mon Jun 18, 2007 12:09 pm

OK Thanks i asked this question because a me and my friend were going to take a trip to Michigan and i didnt want to be, uptight while my dog was running now i know what to look for.

Any advice on type of shock collars for the distance the Hare Run Just incase something Happens?

bluegrass · Post by **bluegrass** » Mon Jun 18, 2007 12:43 pm

If I can make a suggestion here, I wouldnt focus too much on shock collars as I would TRACKING COLLARS...when a hare gets out of range, your shock collar won't work anyway. You would be better served to get a good tracking system since you will at some time have to track down your hounds to get them back....just my two cents.

Tony

bluegrass · Post by **bluegrass** » Mon Jun 18, 2007 12:58 pm

I also left you a pm...

Tony

S.R.Patch · Post by **S.R.Patch** » Mon Jun 18, 2007 12:58 pm

Beagleman, we're on the same page...

Tony, spoken from true experience...

Beagleman63 · Post by **Beagleman63** » Mon Jun 18, 2007 1:16 pm

Tony is right on the money! If your dog is out of hearing range, chances are he can't hear you calling him either! Tracking collars are worth their weight in gold when running hare!

marr24 · Post by **marr24** » Mon Jun 18, 2007 3:27 pm

I agree with the above posts, tracking collars are very helpful if you can get ahold of some. We've never had a year where we didn't have to use them at least once while in hare country.

coolbrze · Post by **coolbrze** » Tue Jun 19, 2007 6:33 am

When we hunted in Wisconsin this past March, many of the hare run out of hearing. I'd say the furthest run went just over a mile out. It's hard to tell w/ terrain, but judging by how fast they left & brought them back, the dogs could really fly on hare. Be prepared for your dogs to run like bats outta h*ll. You won't have many checks either and hare don't throw as many tricks from what I've seen.

Hare Hunter · Post by **Hare Hunter** » Tue Jun 19, 2007 8:07 am

Patch summed it up pretty good. That's all I have here to run is hare and I am a life long addict of running hare. For the most part if it is not too windy most hares will circle within hearing distance, maybe just barely but let a tracking unit be your master card, don't leave home without it. Most hares will be found in large or vast areas of swamp or low land. Two things I can tell you for sure is number one the more pressure you put on him the farther he will run, so if you run him with one or two dogs they don't as a rule travel long distances, how ever I will tell you if you run over 4 dogs on him and they are any good he is going to go far enough for you to need the tracking system. Number two is it depends on the time of year and ground cover, usually the thicker the vegitation or deeper the snow the smaller the circles, but in March when they are breeding it is not unusal at all for them to go 2 to 3 miles and not return as it is mating season then and if they hit a buck he is going home where he knows his area. Hope this helps and make a doctor appointment for when you return as you will be addicted and may need a tranqualizer to calm down. LOL Hare

mitch · Post by **mitch** » Tue Jun 19, 2007 11:11 am

When we're in Wisc. the hare would almost go out of hearing and start circling for about a half hour or so. Then come back in and start circling there.