Run to catch

[Shady Grove Beagles]

The real name for them is a Varying Hare because their color varies. Brown in the summer and white in the winter and "varying" in the spring and fall while it's changing.
In mid to late October when I'm usually up there hunting they are just beginning to change with feet and lower legs and some on their belly turned white. Another 4 weeks and they'll be a white rabbit and hoping for snow ! LOL.
Everybody in the northeast usually just calls them "snowshoes". Yes, it's cause of their feet. That rear foot I gave you is big enough but when you see the track he leaves in fresh snow his foot is spread out leaving a track about 3/4 the size of my hand. Helps keep him up on top.

[Shady Grove Beagles]

Just wanted to give a little recognition to this old girl.
Daisy is owned by my good friend Bob Ferranti in New Hampshire. I raised her litter out of Shady Grove's To The Max x Shady Grove's Sassy Sierra.
I took this pic last week while I was up there hare hunting. Daisy is now 12 1/2 years old and can still run a hare and look pretty darn good doing it !
We didn't take her up to camp but we did run her at one of Bob's spots near home with 6 other dogs. Including her 8 1/2 year old niece and two of her grand nieces.
We got a hare up and they put several big circles on him but we never attempted to shoot him. They ran him for an hour and twenty minutes before he dumped them.
Daisy was right there the whole race and I was super amazed that she flowed through the woods like a dog half her age. They put 5 miles on that hare and Daisy had probably all she wanted as the pace had been fast. But the old gal is still just as game as ever and Bob's wife said she carried on for two days after we left her home.
She's been a good one and will be sorely missed when she can't run anymore. Two of her brothers are up in Maine and still kicking.

[Newt]

Yeah! She is still a nice looking hound. At her age they usually have slowed, even for cottontails. Its remarkable that she can still run for an hour at Hare speed.
I've got an old eleven year old bitch, Bucks Branch Englebert, that can still jump and run a cottontail. But after an hour, she is running behind.
Time, where did it go.

[Rabbithoundjb]

Newt I have one here 10.5 I still plan to hunt this year. I hunted her mama until she was 12 and stated pups with her right on up until she died at 15. Old Jazz was still as clean when she died as the day she started and so is Sophy. Both nice dogs, Jazz might been a little better jumping a rabbit and Sophy might be a little better on the track. Off of my grade bloodline I've been line breeding for over 30 years.

[pztrailman]

Dana I finally got out the last couple days after being laid up. I was happy the way they ran both days. Today they caught one and it didn't take long for it to go stiff.

[Shady Grove Beagles]

Hey Bob
Good to see you post and glad you were able to get out with the dogs and looks like they were running to catch.
I've had that happen myself when the dogs run them long and hard and they stiffen right up when caught or shot.
I asked one of my vet. customers why that would happen. He surmised that it had something to do with the chemical levels in the rabbit's body that are produced from intense physical exertion causing immediate rigor mortis.
Enjoyed talking with you the other night. Time flies when talking dogs doesn't it?

[Shady Grove Beagles]

Here's a pic. of my friend Ryan Ferranti with his young female named Basil and a turning white hare taken up along the Canadian border in northern New Hampshire this past Saturday.
I've known Ryan since he was born, as his dad and I have been hunting buds and friends for the past 38 years now.
Ryan had rabbit hunted with us for a while and about 2 years ago decided he wanted a beagle of his own and not just satisfied to hunt behind his dad's and mine.
When I bred my Shady Grove's Josie Blue to Josh Stofer's F.C. Bone Box Blue Spook, Bob and Ryan each took a female. At 20 months old both of their girls are doing a super job.
This is Ryan's first beagle and for now his only one [ although he's already chomping at the bit to get Basil a brace mate ].
Ryan, along with his wife, daughter and son hit the north woods for the day and Basil running solo all day put on a show. Ryan said she pretty much pounded all day.
Congrats. on a great day Ryan.
Hey Daddy Rabbit. This girl is a litter mate sister to your Spit dog.

[Shady Grove Beagles]

TAKE A KID HUNTING ! Especially the girls. They enjoy it too !
Ryan and his daughter Leah. She was loving it.

[Aubrey Holcombe]

HELLO:
My what a good looking Photo! always good to see, folks and their hounds, Yes that hound look a lots like my D.R, and D.R's Spitfire. Dana has figured out what it takes to breed some Mighty fine running hounds. My pup is also throwing some good pups.

Thanks for the the Photo and yourself, one more pup from Dana, they just sound so much better when you have a pair.

D.R.~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~>>

[Shady Grove Beagles]

Been at this hound dogging sport long enough to have seen some things. Had an experience yesterday while out running that was pretty wild.
I'd turned the dogs out and they had a rabbit up and running pretty quick. They'd put two circles on him and I'd seen him cross the mowed strip several times.
I happened to notice a big Redtail Hawk circling above and it dawned on me he was tracking the race from his aerial view. I know that falconers will use a flushing dog to roust the game from cover for their birds and I figured this guy was looking for opportunity. After a bit he landed in a tree and watched from there and next I saw him winging off in the opposite direction.
The dogs were keeping this rabbit circling and I kept seeing him cross the open so I moved down closer to where he kept crossing. I was sitting on my camp stool and here come the hounds driving hard. I was anticipating the rabbit to pop out when I heard a loud rush of air, caught a glimpse of movement and then an explosive crash in the weeds as that hawk went for the catch. The rabbit squealed and came shooting out of there and in to the cover on the other side of the mowed strip. Here come the dogs at full speed and the hawk got airborne just before they got there and I watched him fly across the field and land in a tree.
The dogs hardly slowed at the check but the rabbit took a hole 100 yards further down the hill. Must have been quite a morning for him !
Don't know how high up that hawk was or how fast they can hit when they dive on game but when he hit the grass / weeds 30 feet in front of me It startled me to the point I almost fell of my stool.
I'm glad he missed the catch but it would have been kind of cool to have seen him get it too.

[Shady Grove Beagles]

Hey Daddy Rabbit
Do you recognize this picture? It's the December photo from the 2020 "Daddy Rabbit Kennels" calendar that you sent me about this time last year.
I thought it looked familiar -- the church is in Lyme Center, New Hampshire.
When I first moved to N.H. in the mid '70's I lived about 4 miles from Lyme Center. Use to coon hunt all around that area.
Small world.

[Aubrey Holcombe]

Hello








Hello BUDDY













Hello Buddy :

You know that I would not be all to recognize, a photo if it more than a week old? But speaking of the the calender's. I just sent a few out today, and you better believe, you made the list, gotta take care of "Spits" Breeder. as he is Top Shelf ! Gotto run have lots to get done before dark been might cold down South all week, and this old man's blood is Thin!!

D.R.~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~>>

[Shady Grove Beagles]

MERRY CHRISTMAS and a HAPPY NEW YEAR to all my fellow beaglers !

[Aubrey Holcombe]

HELLO BUDDY:
I received my Good looking Christmas card yesterday, best looking one of them so far this year. You should be receiving your 2021 calendar, soon hope that you have another photo of some place that you have lived or hunted over the years.

Here is wising you and Family a joyful Holidays, and maybe next year will be much better that this one, glad it's about Over.

Keep Looking up!
D.R, & "Spit"

[Aubrey Holcombe]

HELLO BUDDY:
I received my Good looking Christmas card yesterday, best looking one of them so far this year. You should be receiving your 2021 calendar, soon hope that you have another photo of some place that you have lived or hunted over the years.

Here is wising you and Family a joyful Holidays, and maybe next year will be much better that this one, glad it's about Over.

Keep Looking up!
D.R, & "Spit"