New pup question

[Hare Hawk]

I'll be getting a new pup from Branko's kennel in about 2 weeks. After 2 years of military deployments it's good to be home and get back into beagling. I'd like to get my pup exposed to rabbits right away. I was wondering what kind of rabbits you guys use for a young pup to sight chase. I can trap some wild cottontails but that is getting harder to do now that all the food is growing. I was thinking about getting a tame rabbit or two but I'm worried that they won't put up much of a fight. Have any of you used tame rabbits and if so what kind do you recommend. Again these rabbits would be used for early sight chases. Thanks in advance for your input.

[Pike Ridge Beagles]

Nothing better than wild rabbits out in the yard early morning or a few hours before dark. I have never started a pup on tame rabbits so I can not comment on using that method.

btw, thanks for your service and God Bless America.

Good luck with the pup. You are making a wise decision in getting a Branko pup straight from Manatoba.

[Nor' Easter]

tame rabbits are only good for 6-9 week old pups to sight chase, after that you need ones that can run. They will help though.

[S.R.Patch]

We use knothead X smokey cross.
Raise your rabbits on the ground, they will have their legs when needed.
We have a 1/2 acre growed up briarpatch fenced, the pups go in there a week after they get their 3rd shot(12 weeks). Usually their tracking and running the next week or two, we keep no more than three rabbits in the lot.
The most improtant thing is that you let your rabbit run loose so it has a chance and can give the pup a good lesson, the more it is ran the more tricks it will learn to throw off the pups, we've had rabbits climb up into the tops of the brushpiles. The pups will come through and then check, this is where you'll see the pup that will use it's air scenting powers to wind the rabbit off the pile... Being fenced in a honeysuckle/briarthicket, sight chasing is held to a minimum.
Best of luck starting your pup...