Wondering if this might be a good idea ?

[Hare Hunter]

I'm one of the bell guys also, they help in so many ways most of which have been pointed out by others on here, one more way I use the bells is with young dogs in the check area, the bells will let you know if he is searching the check or just standing around waiting for another dog to work it out, sometimes you can't get in there to see but the bells will be your "eyes" in those situations. Sorry for the young folks that this happened to. Hare

[fulcount]

alabama
In both instances you mentioned the dogs should have been put down anyway!!
no one in their right mind would try to hunt with a dog of that caliber

[fulcount]

we cant try to justify the shooting of a dog while hunting
there is absolutely no excuse for it no game is worth it!!!!!!

as I stated above both instances mentioned the guy should have let the rabbit go
and shot the dogs anyway

[Gbeagle]

Alright Brian from the time of your post I can see you were bored and didn't have anything else to do . They need to hurry up and get you off that shift ROFLMAO!!!!!

[DRamey]

Bama, I understand that hounds get out of pocket and that accidents happen, but I was talking about shooting a hound thinking that it's a rabbit, my statement was only about mistaken for game shootings. You are 100% correct in that those cases you mentioned the chances are very very slim that they will happen, but with thousands of us logging thousands of hours in the brush, the odds become greater than we both probably realize. Anyway, good thoughts and good to provoke us to think about things. Just to clarify what I said earlier, and I know it's hard to make absolute statements like this stick, but I was talking about thinking a hound is a rabbit and deliberately shooting it because it was mistaken for a rabbit. I still say that should never happen.

[Chuck Terry]

Assuming beagles are matched in speed and packing well, shooting one is ALMOST inexcusable. However, as Swamper pointed out unpredictable things do happen. The cover is often so thick that you may have only a split second to decide yes or no on a shot. While bright colored collars and bells are a good idea, beagles have been shot while wearing them. In order to make an accident less likely, I try not to take a beagle along on a gun hunt with others (especially the young and inexperienced) that does not pack well (swings, skirts, runs mute, quits). Here is an incident that happened to me this season: Two guys show up to hunt with us (invited without my knowledge)and have brought several beagles with them. I knew from their bloodlines and overweight appearance that they were not going to keep up long. Sure enough, by the time we bagged the second rabbit, all but two of the other guys beagles were walking the road with him. On the third or fourth run, a rabbit ran by me and a partner and my partner fired and missed. The pack regained the line and carried it 70 yards or so passed the shot where the rabbit was rejumped. As the rabbit bolted back down a clear lane (away from us toward the direction from whence he originally came), I fired once killing the rabbit. INSTANTLY (within the blink of an eye?), there was one of the other guys' beagles right on the rabbit! Apparently, he had fallen behind the others and was just catching up. This beagle had to have been within a few feet of the rabbit when I fired!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! However, I did not see him prior to pulling the trigger. It scares me to death to think had I fired a splt second later, that beagle could have died right there with the rabbit! I consider myself a very safe and cautious and I almost something that I had previously said I could not forgive another for doing! Be safe but know that accidents do happen.

[DRamey]

Very profitable thread and a lifesaver. I would like to suggest that parents let your young hunters read these posts so they will know what CAN happen even when they think it's safe. A second guess and a rabbit still running is a small price to pay.

[WrongsideRandy]

I agree...no excuse for it!!

I took a young man and his dad rabbit hunting a few years ago...dad told me son had training and was safe as long as the dad was with him. Kid was using a single shot 4-10. Dogs were circling rabbit back to us, I told the dad and boy to get ready....well the rabbit ran by them so fast they didnt get to shoot. This is where it gets scarey...the dogs come pounding by us, I turn my back on the dad and boy....and right as I take a step I hear a gunshot and dirt blast up on me. Not putting it all together I asked "Did you shoot a rabbit that was sneaking past us".....by now the boy is red faced, the dad has taken his gun and is booting him in the behind and telling him to go to the truck....by now it is clicking in my head what just happened. After the kid walked away the dad told me that the boy had cocked his gun when I told him the rabbit was coming...then when the rabbit got by them he went to uncock it while aimed towards my back and legs, you got it...it went off when I took the step.. I was seconds from being shot by a young man and that would have ruined both of our day. I felt sorry for the kid and when we got back to the truck I told him not to sweat it and just always remember what could have happened. Needless to say I never went rabbit hunting with kids again. I refuse to. Rabbit hunting is a rapid sport and things happen quick. You have to think about a lot of things in a short time.

[Nor' Easter]

Bama, Bells would keep those dogs from being shot. Specially if you have now deep snow. Up here in the snow the bells don't work half the time and you want a dog that barks alot to help with that. Our woods are very thick and we only hunt LP. style dogs. We shoot @ 15-20 a day..We also hunt 2-6 dogs usually 3 guys and 6 dogs.If you think there are dogs out of place or comming from the wrong direction you just Don't shoot. I do know 2 different guys that a friend shot their dogs. One was comming straight at them with the hare in front and jumping a log so that he didn't see the hound in the rear. He probably shot over the hjare and if the dog is comming straight on and you could tell he was close then don't shoot.The other guy shot too quick on what he thought was the hare. Both guys that hit the dogs didn't hunt off dogs much. I am always worried about taking new guys hare hunting, buy I stress they listen to the dogs so they know where they are, and only shoot clean shots on the hare.