How Long Do They Run?

[Rabbit Fever]

My hounds are of med to fast speed. The leangth of the runs depend on if im gunnung or just running. If were shooting then about 30 - 60 minutes. If were just running we can run the same Hare all day long if the conditions are right. The other day we shot 4 Hare in 15 minutes with 5 hounds running. the hounds had a split 3 of the dogs stayed on there line and 2 hounds took off on another line.

[BCBeagles]

We run an upper medium to fast pack of about 6-10 at a time. For as much craziness as you would think they can zone in and hammer a rabbit. That being said, our rabbits will not take more than about 15-20 minutes on average, they hole. Some of our places are not hunted, but they still head for a junk pile or hole on one circle. We just figure out where the holes are and stay there by them if we want to shoot a few.

Longest race I had this season was probably 35-40 minutes, I remember a couple like that and it was extreme amounts of cover that seemed to keep the rabbit at a safe distance from the hounds although several times they were bearing down and I expected to hear a death scream from mister bunny.

[Cooz's Beagles]

I run medium\fast dogs and our races average 15 - 40 minutes... My biggest run ever was 2 and hald hours in a froxen snowy swamp last january, another biggest run of hour and half in the cornfield behind my house lasr August. Lately, we've been getting some of the best runs of my two years of beagling lol. The rabbits have been running really long and far without holing up or circling... Today I had a pretty sweet run the rabbit went about 300 yards down a fencerwo to some woods across this frozen pond back through the woods to another fencrow dto a little section of woods where it made little circles to the little woods to the fencrwo back again then I had to catch the dogs bcause the rabbit was heading acros the road to a big swamp!! Fun runs! One day I had three races in two hours which is a bonus for me: one small one in a brushy log piled area(rabbit holed in a brush pile after 10 mins) one medium one (20 mins long) in the woods,and one long one (40 minutes) where the rabbit ran cross country!

Cooz's Beagles
Cooz's Just Snoopin Around

Lone Pine Cooz's Nicci
Lone Pine Cooz's Swampin Sammi

[dog]

this year has been a little tougher finding rabbits but i couldnt be happier with the way my dogs have ran the ones we have found , i run fast dogs and my runs this year have been long , rabbits running big and staying up and running , my runs have averaged between an hour and two hours this year , my older male is 6 and my younger one is 3 and i think the age is what has helped the most , my older one is finally settling down now , when he was younger he was a little to fast for his nose , my younger male is settling down also , plus they compliment each other real well , the old dog is tightening up in the checks and the younger one works a little wider so checks seem to be a little shorter and less frequent , the way the dogs and the chases have been this year dont need more than 2 or 3 rabbits a trip and we're all ready to head home pooped , let me add that they didnt run like this last year , lol, but a few more rabbits would make starting my pup a little easier , lol the rabbits i run get alot of preasure also , so far this year they have continued to run but they have been doing some crazy running , running some funky circles

[bucks better beagles]

Come out, come out wherever you are. Whoever voted,.."My races never stop until the rabbit is caught." Now that is pure "NERVE" and should be acknowledged.

[chapkosbeagles]

Is this rabbit catcher forsale lol

[augerhead]

IMO!! I don't believe that it is possible to have a rabbit race for 2 hrs. Been doing this for 30 years and can't remember one race that lasted that long. A rabbit will stiffen up, get caught, or go to hole if you push him alot quicker than that. I would say on the average this time of the year 20 mins is about it. Now I have seen the rabbits run alot longer than that with some good licks, but not be pushed the whole time. To make a race last that long you need bad scenting, lots of long checks or slower type dogs. Physically a rabbit can't do it, they will stroke out if you push them too hard and long.Maybe there is some super rabbits out there but I haven't seen them.

[dog]

come on over to Muskingum co Ohio and run some of our public land rabbits , pack a lunch though ! i ran one for 2 hrs and 10 min last week and it wasnt with slow dogs , watched pretty much the whole race , circled that rabbit 6 or 7 times, watched him pretty much throughout the run , its not the norm. but 45 min to an hour and a half is ! its mostly open ground , reclaimed stripmine stuff , you can pretty much see the whole chase . some of those rabbits will go 4, 5 or 6 hundred yds before they even think about turning ! most guys dont run those kind of rabbits because they shock there dogs off them , they swear there running off game ! it aint for the faint of heart

[Casey Harner]

IMO!! I don't believe that it is possible to have a rabbit race for 2 hrs. Been doing this for 30 years and can't remember one race that lasted that long. A rabbit will stiffen up, get caught, or go to hole if you push him alot quicker than that. I would say on the average this time of the year 20 mins is about it. Now I have seen the rabbits run alot longer than that with some good licks, but not be pushed the whole time. To make a race last that long you need bad scenting, lots of long checks or slower type dogs. Physically a rabbit can't do it, they will stroke out if you push them too hard and long.Maybe there is some super rabbits out there but I haven't seen them.

Agreed. I think most two hr races are a pack of dogs that can't consistently run the track. A lot of rabbits when pressured find a getaway or a place of refuge. That or he stiffens up and he becomes dinner. My opinion is if your fast dogs are on track for two hrs either the rabbit is miles ahead of the pack or they are running a big white tail rabbit or other off game.

[dog]

IMO!! I don't believe that it is possible to have a rabbit race for 2 hrs. Been doing this for 30 years and can't remember one race that lasted that long. A rabbit will stiffen up, get caught, or go to hole if you push him alot quicker than that. I would say on the average this time of the year 20 mins is about it. Now I have seen the rabbits run alot longer than that with some good licks, but not be pushed the whole time. To make a race last that long you need bad scenting, lots of long checks or slower type dogs. Physically a rabbit can't do it, they will stroke out if you push them too hard and long.Maybe there is some super rabbits out there but I haven't seen them.

Agreed. I think most two hr races are a pack of dogs that can't consistently run the track. A lot of rabbits when pressured find a getaway or a place of refuge. That or he stiffens up and he becomes dinner. My opinion is if your fast dogs are on track for two hrs either the rabbit is miles ahead of the pack or they are running a big white tail rabbit or other off game.

its an open invitation , its all public land , all im saying is you better have them dogs in shape ! ive seen guys bring their dogs over here that were "in shape" only to load them up after a couple chases because they were whipped ! the rabbit is ussually 70 or 80 yrds out front , sometimes a little closer when the rabbit slows for a break ! and just for the record my dogs dont run trash !

[Lop sided beagler]

According to scientific data a cotton tail can only run 1/2 before it must stop, if you claim you have fast dogs and you claim you can run a rabbit for 2-3 hours, I surley never want to purchase your dogs! If my dog runs a rabbit 2-3 hours (we are not talking 15 minute loses) I'd see that rabbit in my dogs mouth twitching, or the dog twitching for obvious reasons!(Deer, Fox, or some other trash). I would gladly take anyone on who says "fast dogs" can run a rabbit for 2-3 hours with constant pressure and show them what kind of dogs they have! I run in southern Michigan and have seen excellent running as well as "crappy" running. I have clean dogs and some not finished yet but they will all push and show you that you cant run a rabbit 2-3 hours. I do feel sorry for those who feel they are running rabbits this long, unle5ss you have crossed hare with cotton tail or some other breed such as deer or fox, its just not going to happen!

[dog]

Lol , thats funny , true to fashion , now its 3 hours , nobody said anything about constant , nonstop preasure , nobody said there was no checks , but i will say there was no 15 min checks and very few with less than 100 -150 yds between them . i believe i said it was not the norm. but 45 min to an hour and a half is ! dont care how long a rabbit can run nostop because i dont believe i said it ran non stop ! it blows my mind how people read something and have no clue what they just read ! no need to show me what kind of dogs i have , I KNOW ! and if yours cant run a rabbit for more than 20 or 30 min. then i also know what kind you have ! take that how you want ! i used to think my dogs was someone elses culls , obviously not ! again its public land !

[augerhead]

Dog, not calling you out. Haven't ran in your neck of the woods.But I have ran alot in KY on the strip jobs races on the average I believe are shorter there. But on the strips there is alot of rabbits and in my opinion they very seldom stay on the same rabbit. Now where I run there isn't many and when they go to hole or get caught or they loose them you know it. I'm not doubting your running, simply stating a fact where I live with my dogs it just dose not happen. On good scenting, hard driving, a 30 min race is a dandy. If they run to long they are going to die.I've had very long races lots of those dogs never put to hole, but the difference is they were not able to push him hard enough to make him go under. I'm only talking about my dogs and the rabbits I've ran not yours or anybody elses. But a rabbit here that will run 400yards in a straight line with my dogs after it is one caught bunny.

[Jwagner]

well I will admit I skim read through the posts. But I didn't hear anybody say there dogs change rabbits. I Have a hard time believing 3 hrs. now that being said, I have had 2hr races on some of the same state land many guys on this thread have posted. with only a couple check reaching the 4 min mark, mostly 2mins or less. But like everyone else I have days were they don't run to my liking and have longer checks then I care for. but I will also admit i run what many call a conservative dog. Could my dogs have switched rabbits seamlessly of course. if anyone on this board thinks there dogs never switch rabbit mid race, then you are crazy. perfect example is split races. There is no reason why the whole pack wouldn't take a hotter scent if available. I don't tolerate trash runners so no big rabbits either. My average race is usually 30 to 60 mins in the spring my average goes up to close to 45 to 90mins . like i said i run a more conservative dog not necessarily slow. i would say my pack ranges from medium to a couple dog that push upper medium speed with some staying tight and some reaching some to my standard in a check

[bucks better beagles]

OK. Clarification needed. If we say a rabbit is running or we have a rabbit race for 45 minutes, an hour or an hour and a half or even 2 and a half hours, what do we mean? In my book a "race" is just that, a "race". It is open, loud and fast. There are loses but only a minute or so. A race is not hot and now but steady, hard running. If you run for 10 minutes and your dogs are gomming around for 10 minutes, then you are not doing something else other than running. More like, well, you should know what I mean.

I have seen videos on this site of dogs running a rabbit and it takes them 10 minutes to cover 50 yards. They bark a lot and seem to be moving but really not going anywhere. The opposite of that is something like the videos that Tsa ha la (pardon the spelling Charley) had of the Georgia hunt. Now those were running dogs.

I think the Augerhead had it right, we are talking about a rabbit here. A very small creature being pursued by animals 15 times its size, weight and strength. It simply is physically unable to match up in a sustained race.