The American Beagler Forum

I used to live in the Mojave desert (Kalifornia) and many would shoot jackrabbits for sport.
I am curious how well beagles with a little foot would run jackrabbits. Where I lived in the high desert it was hot and brown with a lot of typical desert dirt/sand. Back in those days (lates 70's) I wasn't in to beagles.
Anyone ever run beagles in this environment and if so what is it like?

Don Potts (Mohave Desert Beagles) could answer this for you (if he's still around) and Jack from Benton, Washington, a member of this board (and my trusted friend) can tell you what it's like.

(Odd spelling of "Kalifornia." One of my favorite movies, and how I remember Brad Pitt to this day, lol.)

Bev wrote:Don Potts (Mohave Desert Beagles) could answer this for you (if he's still around) and .

(Odd spelling of "Kalifornia." One of my favorite movies, and how I remember Brad Pitt to this day, lol.)

Great movie, although quite disturbing.
I just got used to California being spelled that way at the Smith and Wesson forums. It represents those place across the globe that end stan.
Yes, the guy from Mojave came to mind so I know that beagles are ran on those monsterous rabbits out west. I think it would be insane to run them and I would be definitley holding a nice 22-250 adorned with a Leupold scope for those real long shots. Just better make sure it isn't one my favorite hounds in the crosshair.

The most important thing I would think is that you'd have a 4-wheeler or truck handy so you could to stay close to, and catch up the dogs.

Must be my lucky day...I have both.
I actually am surprised this is not a big sport out west. I think it would be wild. I have seen them big ole bunnies and them big ole yotes too, not to mention mountain lions and lots of beauros (sp.).
I used to work at NAS China Lake, Ca. at the bombing range (ordnance). We used to feed our lunch scraps to the yotes. Everyday they would come by and have dinner.
Anyways, I don't imagine there will be many that have experienced running jackrabbits but just thought I would throw it out there and see.....

i ran them when i lived in colorado springs, colorado you pretty much dont need a hound. you talkin about running big and fast this will be an experience

Gosh how Soon They Forget (Bev) We also lived most of Our lives in the Northwest (not Far From Jack)
I have Ran Jackrabbits Quite a bit (if you can call it Runnin LOL)
i have posted on here quite a few times about how jackrabbits Run..
its kinda hard For a Dog to Run Some of them big blacktailed Jacks (they can sprint for a couple hundered yards up to 35MPH) and take LONG leaps up to 10 12 feet so they dont leave much sent they will Dart in and out of the sagebrush or scrub pine ziggin and zaggin..then Sit and wait for ther dogs to catch up LOL...i have seen thenm crawl up into the top of a sage bush 2 feet off the ground and wait for the dogs to go by then run back along the old trail.
We used to Run them at a place called Christmas valley in Oregon Aprox 5 miles accross We would use Spotting Scopes and 2 way radios to help keep track of the dogs....best time to run them is in the Winter with a few inches of Snow on the ground Dogs seem to be able to get a little more sent not as many hit and miss races.....
Do a search on here we discussed runnin Jackrabbits Quite a bit a couple years back

Thanks TC, I'll have to check out the old thread.

You don't HAVE to have a dog with quite a bit of foot to run them. When we were out in ID, I had what you used to call a progressive pack dog, a great medium speed dog with line control. That is basically all I ran out there, because that is all there was without driving to the other side of the state. You will need a dog with a big nose to run in the dry of the desert. It was a lot of fun. I don't think you need a 22-250, that is overkill. If the jack is that far away and running, should you really shoot anyway? There is a lot of open space and you never know what is behind the other side of that hill, not to mention your dog! I hunted with a .22 on occasion and mostly a 12 ga shotgun. Plenty of dead rabbits!!!!! They are everywhere.


Emery

Emery wrote:You don't HAVE to have a dog with quite a bit of foot to run them. When we were out in ID, I had what you used to call a progressive pack dog, a great medium speed dog with line control. That is basically all I ran out there, because that is all there was without driving to the other side of the state. You will need a dog with a big nose to run in the dry of the desert. It was a lot of fun. I don't think you need a 22-250, that is overkill. If the jack is that far away and running, should you really shoot anyway? There is a lot of open space and you never know what is behind the other side of that hill, not to mention your dog! I hunted with a .22 on occasion and mostly a 12 ga shotgun. Plenty of dead rabbits!!!!! They are everywhere.


Emery

em,
it cant be near as much fun runnin them jacks with peanut rollers as it is runnin with fast hounds..i thought you were leavin them alone and comin over to the darkside anyhow

No sense having dogs if there aren't any rabbits to run them with. Besides, it was all past tense......

you just aint been to the right spots yet em ..i got a few more up my sleeve for the fall

A 22-250 will explode and vaporize once it touches a blade of grass if loaded hot. Pretty safe round in my book than a slower moving tumbling 22 magnum but that is just my opinion.

Do Jack Rabbits circle?

Would this be a job for a sighthound, eg. Saluki?