do all dogs have a hard time adjusting from hair to cottonta

[Newt]

I run mostly hare, but this time of year I run cottontails some. I like to start dogs on cottontails. If they are rough it realy shows when you run those little rabbits, but rough running also kills the race on hare in the dead of winter. No smelly 10" wide tracks then

The biggest adjustment is in how hard they hunt. I like my dogs to get out and go hunting and cover a lot of ground when I turn them loose. Most of our hare hunting is in big blocks of timber. Our cottontails live in small patches. It doesn't work so good when you see your dog crossing the road a half mile down and going up by some houses looking for a rabbit

Your last paragraph about says it all. That should be sticky on the "Beagles for Sale" page. There would be much fewer surprises and disappointments by the buyer.

[fulcount]

If you see your dog coming out a half mile away you have a major problem!
thats not hunting thats wandering!
John O

[RiverBottom]

Don't mean any disrespect John, but I don't call that a major problem, I call that a jump dog. Most of my dogs don't hunt that far but I have a couple that do if they need to. They ain't wandering, they are hunting, and they jump most of the rabbits. But then, I'm not like most rabbit hunters. I like to turn my dogs loose and wait for them to jump a rabbit. I'll be d***ed if I will walk all over through the brush and snow to find one for them.

[ncbeagler]

a couple of years back Monkman sent me a Mountain bitch out of a shaker bred FTC bitch. she had never seen or smelled a cottontail.the first time out she ran it 45 minutes solo like a champ.i have a couple dogs that i trial that often place at the hare trials.i can come home jump a cottontial usually in about 15-20 minutes of running they catch on although they were trained/soloed on ct their entire first year of life pretty much. i seen and purchased a few dogs that were started and trained on hare only that never caught on.some dogs that are real rabbit dogs can do it both ways.

[Shady Grove Beagles]

I would say that a hound used to being run on cottontails has little trouble when taken north and run on hare except possibly with his stamina / conditioning .Coming in the other direction I would say from my experience is a more difficult transition for the hare hound considering the less scent of the smaller rabbit,his way of running and the cover he lives in. But, a good hound will adjust given enough running opportunity.
I would say the most difficult transition is to take the hare hound or cottontail hound down in the southern swamps and bottom land and turn them loose on some swampers.
I only get to run swampers once or twice a season and swimming rabbits can really give a dog fits!!!!!Usually takes mine a day or two to figure out where the rabbit keeps "disappearing" to.

[Duke]

I go to the UP or Wisconsin to run Hare every year and they put off a whole lot more scent than cottontails, and do fewer tricks. If you are use to running cottontail down here and you go up there, the best way to describe it is the hounds can run a hare like a deer. Pretty much heads up hard running.

With that said my dogs and my friends dogs all take time to adjust when we bring them back on cottontail. Especially the first time they get back from a hare hunt. They tend to try to explode out when they strike like they are able to do on hare and sometimes they are wild on checks when they get back. It takes about 2 weeks for the firstimers to get back to normal and the veterans about a week. We can still kill rabbits over em when we get back, but it aint pretty. Now I could see slower hounds adjusting quicker than speedier hounds. We have gone up with some guys who had consevative hounds and they seemed to adjust quicker, but they didnt fly on the hare like our hounds.

Lamarr I would be concerned if your hound was not circling a rabbit, especially after a couple of months. Might be more going on than having run hare. But I have never had one running hare for 4 months, so it is conjecture as to how long it should take him to come around.

Hare may be tough when its snowy or dry, but i have seen cottontail hounds that I would cull run them like champs. Just more scent less tricks. Ive also had our dogs gutted in a few days from running hare. It is definetly and endurance sport. Nothing can get a dog in better physical shape than running those big white rabbits.

[marr24]

I agree with Duke. We head up to the U.P. once or twice a year to run hare and our dogs usually take a few runs to adjust when they come back and run the Ohio cottontail. It's usually quite entertaining on the 1st run back here because they take off on a rabbit and overrun it like crazy until they settle back down. I think it's kind of a letdown for the dogs (and us) when we run the 1st cottontail after a week on hare.

[S.R.Patch]

Young hare will run like cottontail sometimes. When we're sure they've hit a big hare(seen), it usually ends up on running a young one as the old hare will run the dog through young breeds before she leaves the country.Very few time have our hounds stayed on old hare without changing to young hare they've been pulled through. These waskelwe wabbets sure are twickey... ... is there such a thing as having to many hare
I know how to fry a old tuff rabbit and 90% of the hare we fried have been tender, the smart ones don't die easily...

[Ed Brown]

I took an 18 month old male to WV who had only run hare here in Vt. He fooled around for a few minutes on cottontail then ran one by himself. I'd say this hound didn't have any trouble from hare to cottontail.

[Pike Ridge Beagles]

How do the dogs do that live where there are cottontail and hare in the same area? I would bet they run either just fine.

I don't disagree that there could be a day or two of transition once returning from running hare, but I think a dog with brains and gears would figure it out pretty quick.

[Jay Schrader]

Where I live we have only cottontails but I head up by my parents who live in Lewiston, MI 6 times a year or so. Where we run dogs by my parents there are both cottontails and hares in the jackpine plantations. You can jump a cottontail then the next a hare the back to a cottontail all in the matter of a few hours. Like Duke said the young hounds struggle a little with ct's after running hare but the veterans make the transition just fine. This kind of running really seems to make them use their heads and gears. One thing I've noticed running up there is the cottontails will quite often come out of the jackpines and run down the sand road for a hundred yards or more before doubling back in or crossing. This really gives the dogs trouble especially during August and September when it is so dry. The hare on the other hand usually always go straight across the sand roads and the dogs hardly miss a beat.

[RiverBottom]

Jay, interesting that you note that the hare where you hunt always cross roads. Here, it seems like about half the time when a hare gets to the road, they have to run down it a ways before going across. In fact there is a thread about this over on "The Hunted Hare" http://norwester.proboards80.com/index. ... thread=256

Another thing I have noticed on this thread is the difference in how people think about hare hunting between beaglers that go once or twice a year and those that hunt hare all year. Here is on example of what I am talking about,

"Hare may be tough when its snowy or dry, but i have seen cottontail hounds that I would cull run them like champs."

Most hare hunters I know don't start hunting or gunning hare until there is snow on the ground. It is almost always "snowy and dry", for months at a time. That cottontail dog that you would cull would very likely get culled much sooner up north. Hare hunting is all about nose power to those of us that hunt all winter.

[Jay Schrader]

I agree that it takes serious nose power to run on dry snow. This last winter we had so much ice. It was horrible running at times. I seem to have great runs on very fresh snow and especially while it is snowing. Scenting conditions can change fast in the north on snow. I'm still learning when it comes to what days are best for running on the snow. I believe the eskimos have a whole bunch of different words to describe snow.

I never said it is easier or harder running up north. It's different. I've been up there plenty of times in January and February when the dogs really struggled. And sometimes when it was great.

I have seen hare that would run parrallel to the road for a ways before crossing. I have also seen hare that hit the road, turn 90 degrees and run 200 yards right down the middle before going in. I have also seen hare that would never cross. But generally where I run they seem to go straight across. The cottontails generally do not go straight across. I suspect that alot of the times it's just a matter of how hard the dogs are pressuring the hare or rabbit. I also suspect that the older hare that have been run a few times learn these tricks. In general though, cottontails definately twist and turn more.

It seems like around where I run that the areas that hold both hare and ct's are areas that used to be protected kirtland warbler nesting areas. I think the key is the height and density of the jackpines.

I enjoy running both cottontails and hare. Each gives the dogs a different challenge. I enjoy watching dogs that can run both well.

[Duke]

Riverbottom,
Not knocking your hare dogs brother. Ive had well conditioned hare dogs show me what endurance is. It is like a marathon race compared to an obstacle course. Hare put off a lot more scent than a cottontail. They do less tricks. And I have seen dogs that could not circle a rabbit burn up hare. Why do you think we come all the way up there? Its fun. Its like a deer race that comes back, what could be better. Kinda reminds me when beagles run a gray fox down here. Those big white rabbits hold a lot more scent and run a lot farther and faster. I am sure its harder to run them at different times, but if conditions are the same, dry, snowy, wet, cold or hot it is easier for a hound to scent a hare, a lot easier. And if conditions are the same the cottontail will run a much shorter trickier route while a hare will run for miles. Endurence vs tactical. Both fun, both different.

[NorWester]

So how is it you know a hare holds a lot more scent? Ya know, if there is one thing I've managed to figure out about running/hunting hounds, it's not so much the quarry you're after but the environment and climate that makes the running what it is.