The American Beagler Forum

I recently got permission to run this farm owned land of acres and acres of cropfields, brushy fencerows and brushy logged out woodlands. There is a good number of rabbits on it... Thing is the majority of the rabbits my dogs get on run very, very far and wide farther and wider than I've ever had any runs go the only way at first I can tell if they're on a rabbit is the breakdowns-altho few- and the way the dogs swing and skirt on the line that I can tell these are rabbits they're running they're always way ahead of me so I can never really see the rabbit and will start circling and then zigzag or go in a complete opposite direction of where the run started!

is anyway else getting these crazy runs? The weathers been wacky here lately in south mi (40s-50 degrees) so maybe the buck rabbits are out and ready to breed!

Cooz's Beagles
Cooz's Just Snoopin Around

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

Would love to have your problem!! LOL. We get some long runs but not too many, usually medium circles on them.

It may well be that the bunnys developed this habit as the result of being chased by yotes and fox.

Seems like most of the rabbits we've jumped and run this season here in Louisiana have been the same way. Not sure what the cause is but they can sure stretch out a pack of hounds in a hurry.

Enjoy it while you can, I think your right about breeding bucks Cooz. Had a couple of exceptional runs today too, couldn't buy a rabbit yesterday.

Yeah man,
Big wide and crazy here in Va. I'm thinkn breedn bucks outta their zone too.
Alan

Yeah it's cool cause I can't keep up with em but I have a gps so I watch the dogs on the gps...

bill huttozac wrote:It may well be that the bunnys developed this habit as the result of being chased by yotes and fox.

we have a lot of yote and fox.. Just in that area on Sunday the yote hunters had walkers that were pounding a coyote back in that same spot! Surprisingly, there is a great amount of bunnies still around there I put a dog down and not long they've striked one in or jumped one and the race is on!

Cooz's Beagles
Cooz's Just Snoopin Around

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

I hunt about every other day. I was having rabbits go directly to holes. for the last week I've been getting long crazy runs. Yesterday had a rabbit cross a road (that never happened to me before). My buddy saw it cross about 40 yards from where jumped. Then I saw it cross the road again about 250 yards down the road. I orginally jumped rabbit and I walked back past where I jumped it and jumped another out of same spot.

Me too! big, wide circles. The rabbits never go to hole! They hardly ever take the same circle, & never circle back where you jumped them. 1oo yrds away. Bout to give me fits. They're makin me & the dogs look like fools! Gonna try to find more shooters!

This is the exact opposite of my problems this year. I cant get a rabbit to run for even 5 minutes. My dogs are starting to do well but its hard to get a rabbit to stay up and running for more then a couple minutes. Its very discouraging. I wouldnt complain about it, I would enjoy it!!!

there pairing up to breed dont care what groundhog says its going to be early spring or at least that is my guess

It's been the same way for us to in southern MI. Normally right now we are on 6 inches of old crusty snow. The running has been great but the rabbits are thin and the yotes are thick...guna start trapping them this weekend.

Rabbits are begining to rut and the bucks are traveling out of their home range looking for does making for big runs.

Running was big and nonstop today.just like mid march running.found 2 dead coyote,and lots of rabbits.salted the area heavy last year.bucks were starting to drop.