Hare or Swampers

[il_beagle_boy]

with my new found vacation time coming at the begining of the year I am wanting to plan a trip to run some dogs but the question is hare or swampers I have ran neither in the wild so if ya got some info feel free to which one you think and why thanks.

[hounddog]

I found both to be really enjoyable to run but if I had a choose it would be hare. Now this time of year can be brutal to run hare in because of the weather so maybe your better chose would be to head south for some good swamper runs.
Hare tend to run a little deeper then swampers but they are both a joy to hunt. JMO

Papaw
Jim Umbarger

[Shady Grove Beagles]

I live in cottontail country but regularly take trips to hunt hare and swampers.
A couple of things to keep in mind concerning your choice.As someone already mentioned the weather.Hare hunting this time of year can be extremely challenging.Snow.And sometimes DEEP SNOW.Do your hounds have much/any experience running on snow?There's a reason there is so much talk about SNOW HOUNDS on these boards.Plain and simple fact is that not all beagles can do a good job on snow.Then throw in the possibility of some real cold weather and chances of crust or icey cover????????? These are some of the reasons I take my hare hunting trips to Maine and New Hampshire in October.LOL.All that being said I LOVE running hare.Nothing like em.
I also LOVE running the swamp rabbits.They can give you runs that can come pretty close to the excitement of a hare race.Be aware that a good swamp dog is also a specialist.If your beagles are not used to hunting in swimming water and won't take water readily then I think you might find them to stuggle some----at least at first.
Having grown up in northern New England and now living in the south for me it would be an easy decesion.I hate all that snow and cold!!!!

[Bellmorekennels]

not sure how far south you would go to run swampers, but I have heard they live in the same waters as alligators and snakes, so that being said I would rather wear snowshoes on my feet and hunt in 3 feet of snow and hunt snowshoe rabbits!! Plus if there is no snow on ground because of the mild winter you could hit brown ground and white hare conditions, which is unreal.. Either way good luck to you!!!

http://www.bellmorekennels.com

[Shady Grove Beagles]

No matter where you go in the south to find swampers,I don't believe you'll have to worry about gators and snakes in January.

[il_beagle_boy]

thanks guys for the info my vacation time till the end of the year so i was thinkin an end of winter early spring run/hunt thanks for the info keep it coming

[rabbithunter30]

I live in swamp rabbit country and cottontail country..swamp rabbits are a blast to run poundn races if you get in the area in the south... I run both but swampers are the one of choice at anytime...like Shady Groove said if your hounds don't like water or swimming swampers wouldnt be the choice...There is some swamper run'n here in Alabama if willing travel that far

[Joeyman]

i went swamp rabbit hunting for the first time and it was a blast. can't wait to do that again. We didn't have much water where we were hunting so it wasn't an issue. it was pretty dry cept for a few creeks. running was fast fast fast and very few checks.

[il_beagle_boy]

anybody else got some input

[Tony Jr]

Never hunted a hare, I don't think.... only swampers and cottontails so with you're choices I'd hunt Hares!! Why? Because I've never hunted a hare so I would have to chase something I've/my pack has never hunted...

[DEA]

Hare in march when thier breeding would by my choice. I have never ran swampers, but if it was any better than hare in march me and or my dogs would not be able to take it. Very big runs, head up, very few checks. Doesnt get much better. With that being said the weather and the snow doesnt always do what you want. Its always a gamble if you have to travel far and set your vacation early. Good luck with whatever you choose

Shoot Straight
DEA